Ian Allan's Mailbag
Posted Jan. 08 at 01:48 AM
Publisher Ian Allan fields your questions on strategy, how to run your league, player ratings -- and whatever else you think of. Updated every Friday during the season; Tuesdays and Fridays during the last two months of the preseason. You must be registered and signed-in to submit a mailbag question. After you sign in at the top of the page, the link to submit a mailbag question will become visible.
Question 1:
I'm picking third in a four-team playoff draft this weekend. This is not a survivor draft; we're picking only players from the Wild Card round. Each fantasy team will draft one QB. I really like Kurt Warner and Aaron Rodgers. But the QB talent pool appears deep, with Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb or Tom Brady. I could make due with any of those guys. Should I spend a first-round pick on Warner or Rodgers because I think they will be two of the highest-scoring players, regardless of position, this weekend? Or should I go after a Miles Austin or DeSean Jackson instead and draft a QB later?
Paul Owers [RIVIERA BEACH, FL]
A:
I think you definitely wait on a quarterback. Of the eight quarterbacks playing this weekend, I like six of them. I wouldn’t want either of the Southern Cal guys, but I think each of the other ones is capable of being the top performer of the week. I think the distribution of talent dictates that you should first focus filling the other positions. With the stipulation that each team can select only one quarterback, the worst that can happen is that you’ll get the No. 4 quarterback on the board – if you wait until the last round, you might even get your No. 3 quarterback. I’m not sure, of course, what your exact rules are. If you’re starting only one running back and one receiver, there’s plenty of depth at those positions as well – and are tight ends, kickers and defenses involved? We’ve taken an close look at each of these games in the week 18 version of the weekly, coming up with exact stat projections for every player on every team.
Question 2:
Our league championship was Week 16, and the clear league leader lost due to Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark being pulled early. Do we need to move back to Week 15 now for championship games to avoid this kind of thing?
Scott Kopischke [MENOMONEE FALLS, WI]
A:
No. I’m all for throwing week 17 in the trash bin – just too many teams and players out of action. But I think it’s reasonable to argue that what happens in week 16 is simply part of the game. And it’s part of the draft in August. Everyone knew on draft night that there was a reasonable chance that the Colts might be in position to rest players in week 16, and that their GM, Bill Polian, has the strongest reputation in the league for wanting to pull guys out early. And in this case, Manning and Clark at least played in the first half of that game.
Question 3:
Thanks for great insights once again this year. I was wondering if you could possibly come up with a playoff pool cheat sheet? One player from each playoff team. My team’s roster must consist of : 4 QBs, 4 RBs, 4 WR-TEs. Any advice would be a big help.
David Zendano [North Tonawanda, NY]
A:
I pushed a few numbers around on this. I’m not sure exactly how the deal works, but please put me down for Manning, Rivers, Rodgers and Brees at quarterback, Peterson, Benson, T.Jones and Rice at running back, and Austin, Fitzgerald, Moss and D.Jackson at wide receiver. If you want to see more in-depth rankings or scouting reports of any of the playoff games, you can access those through the main page of the website.
Question 4:
Given Wes Welker's injury, which player would be better to keep heading into 2010? I have to choose between Welker or DeAngelo Williams; my deadline to pick is the Super Bowl. Thanks for the advice.
ADAM HOLTZ [ROCHESTER, MN]
A:
I’d go with Williams. With Welker having suffered this injury in January, rather than early in the year, I think there’s a good chance he’ll begin the season on the PUP list, missing a minimum six games. He might even miss the 2010 season entirely. It makes a lot more sense, in my opinion, to go with Williams.
Question 5:
I finished with the best record in my league but fell short in the playoffs. I am looking to acquire a wide receiver in trade and have offered the Dallas and Colt RBs in trade. What wide receivers would you consider fair value for these running backs? At running back, I have Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice, and the Dallas and Indianapolis running backs. My top receivers were Calvin Johnson and Mike Sims-Walker in a point per reception keeper league. What’s fair value?
JOHN SHELBROCK [FRANKENMUTH, MI]
A:
Giving away the Dallas or Indianapolis running backs would be a considerable price. With the Colts, for example, I expect either Joseph Addai or Donald Brown (or some combination of the two) to be essentially a top-10 back. Same deal with Marion Barber and Felix Jones in Dallas. Those are good teams, and there will be considerable value in those combos – they’ll always tend to be good, and they’ll be outstanding at times when an injury elevates one of the runners into a heavier workload. I’m not saying you don’t make a trade. In a PPR league, it’s essentially required that you have guys who’ll catch 80-plus passes at each of the starting receiver spots. But with what you’re offering, it should be a true butt-kicker receiver you’ll get in returner – not a mere prospect-type guy.
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Question 2: Our league championship was Week...
Posted by MARTIN DONNELLY | Jan. 08 at 06:10 AM
Once again our week 17 championship game was one of the higher scoring of the year. But, more importantly, may I request that we not have best-of-decade polls until the decade has finished.
Question 2: Our league championship was Week...
Posted by IAN ALLAN | Jan. 08 at 02:08 PM
You're not trying to claim that the next decade starts on Jan. 1, 2011, are you? In my mind the decade runs from Jan. 1 2000 through Dec. 31 2009.
Question 2: Our league championship was Week...
Posted by MARTIN DONNELLY | Jan. 09 at 01:24 AM
Week 17 fantasy championship games are a matter of opinion; decades are not. If you're up on your Seinfeld you've heard it said, since there was no year zero... Unless, of course, they had a nine-year decade some time in the past! Now, as the NFL began in 1920 perhaps an NFL decade runs from 0 to 9.