Yep, after picking Carson Palmer with the 9th pick in the first round of the Hazean’s fantasy football mock draft, I’m where I feared I would be — the solid running backs (meaning feature backs with decent offensive lines) are gone. Travis Henry, Willie Parker, Shaun Alexander, Rudi Johnson and Willis McGahee are all out, and Reggie Bush just went before me, too. I don’t regret my pick at all — that was the right call to make at that point.
So, where does that leave me?
Receptions aren’t valuable in the Hazean’s league, if it existed — touchdowns and yards are, and if that’s the case when you’re stuck with system back options (Chester Taylor, Julius Jones, Marion Barber, Warrick Dunn, Dominic Rhodes), rookies (Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Peterson), unproven feature talents (Cedric Benson, Brandon Jacobs), as well as backs in offenses with questionable O-lines (Thomas Jones, Edgerrin James, Jamal Lewis, Carnell Williams, and Ronnie Brown), you’ve got to be discerning and go with impact. This requires more guesswork than one would like, but I think I’ve got a solid answer, and it’s largely picking among the best of the system backs:
- Deuce McAllister: just over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns while splitting time with Reggie Bush. Bush is the more valuable commodity, but if you need rushing yards in your league, this isn’t a bad way to go.
- Maurice Jones-Drew: nearly 1,000 yards, and 15 touchdowns total last season. Factor in Fred Taylor’s history of injury, and he’s due for at least that again.
- Thomas Jones: still tempting here with 1,200 yards and only six touchdowns, although I seriously fear that the Jets O-line will give him problems, and they’re pass happy in the AFC East at times.
- Edgerrin James: I got burned on him last year, and I’m shocked he even got over 1,000 yards and near as many touchdowns as he did. When Arizona proves it has an O-line, then maybe you can take him this high.
- Clinton Portis: he’s hurt way too damn often now, and with Ladell Betts locked up, he’s going to become a system back. The NFC East consists of a bunch of pass-happy bastards.
So, with that in mind, with the 16th pick in the Hazean’s Mock Fantasy Football Draft, I select Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
God, it pains me so much to pick a UCLA alum.
Filed under: Blogroll, NFL, fantasy sports, interblog
Sad about Portis – last year I would have picked him in a heartbeat, but now I have to admit that Shanahan got the best of the Portis/Bailey trade. Wily Shanny.
This is probably a good pick unless the rumors are true and the Texans and Titans are putting some solid pieces in place on defense. The loss of Pac-Man will probably hurt Tennessee, but they went 8-8 on the 2nd-toughest schedule in the NFL last season, so I’d be wary of them. And Houston swept the Jags last season for really no good reason at all, so I have a feeling Jack Del Rio is still struggling with the game plan against them.
Still, there’s only six divisional games to worry about, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Indy’s early-season softness against the run last year has reappeared this season. So that should be some help. I think I’d have gone with Cedric Benson in your place, and the tasty divisional matchups make it a defensible position, but it really comes down more to the fact that I tend toward homerism in a crunch, with only slight provocation. :)
— Ajax.
The Edge burned me last year, too, until I unloaded him for Jamal Lewis who burned me, as well. I’m destined to be burned, I suppose, which is why I would probably draft the Edge in this place. I just have a feeling about him this year and I’ve been trying to pump him up on my blog.
Like a moth to the flame…
TJI – don’t do it. No taking Cardinals RBs until there is proof of an offensive line.
Ajax – I try to avoid homerism in FF unless the pick is obvious. Having one of your team’s players on your fantasy team fucks up your rooting.
Extra P. – the drop-off of Portis is a sad thing to watch.
Having one of your team’s players on your fantasy team fucks up your rooting.
Well, sometimes. But not nearly as much as starting a fantasy player who’s playing against the home team, or facing a fantasy opponent in head-to-head who’s using your own guys to clobber you. I’ve been on all sides of that situation and I can fairly report that I’m least conflicted about losing the fantasy matchup when starting a hometowner, especially if the home team wins.
I had a nerve-wracking game in ‘03 or ‘04 where I started Daunte Culpepper against Da Bears, but I actually managed to thread the needle that week — he played well enough to give me the win against my fantasy opponent, but not well enough to beat Chicago. That was a great week of football. :D
— Ajax.
That’s why it helps that I hate the home team…
Go anyone playing the Lions!!!
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