On last week’s 114th edition of THE FDH LOUNGE (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com), we gave over the entire show to THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER as we conducted our 7th annual FDH Fantasy Football Mock Draft show. It’s worth noting that we had conducted a previous mock draft – with accompanying analysis – in FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010, but this draft allows another look at this year’s landscape. This one involved some very special guests who have previously appeared on our program.
Here’s the format we used: it's 12 owners, 11 rounds, with 2 QB, 3 RB, 3 WR, 1 RB/WR flex, 1 TE, 1 K (D/ST was dropped due to time constraints with the broadcast). It is a "Draftmaster Format," where there are no transactions past the draft date and EVERY player selected would be used every week.
Scoring is as follows: 4 points per passing TD, 1 point per 25 yards passing, 1 point per passing 2-point PAT, 6 points per receiving or rushing TD, 1 point per 10 yards rushing or receiving, 2 points per rushing or receiving 2-point PAT, 2 points per “big play touchdown” (50 or more yards), 1 point per kicking PAT, 3 points per FG, with a 1-point bonus at 45 yards, a 2-point bonus at 50 yards and a 3-point bonus at 55 yards.
Here’s how the draw for our standard serpentine draft went:
1 Charles Latibeaudiere, co-executive producer of TMZ on TV
2 Russ Cohen of Sportsology and Card Corner Club
3 Jim Louderback, CEO of the Internet TV network Revision3
4 FDH Lounge Dignitary Nate Noy
5 FDH Managing Partner Rick Morris
6 FDH Entertainment Editor Samantha Jones
7 Joe Staszak, sportscaster at Fox 29 in Philadelphia
8 Evan Roberts, talk show host at WFAN in New York
9 FDH Lounge Dignitary Jeff Maslanich
10 FDH Senior Editor Jason Jones
11 FDH Chief NASCAR Correspondent Mike Ptak
12 FDH Senior Producer Steve Cirvello
Here’s how the draft evolved, with our analysis appearing between rounds:
ROUND ONE
1 Charles: Chris Johnson
2 Russ: Adrian Peterson
3 Jim: Maurice Jones-Drew
4 Nate: Ray Rice
5 Rick: Frank Gore
6 Samm: Michael Turner
7 Joe: Steven Jackson
8 Evan: Shonn Greene
9 Jeff: Andre Johnson
10 Jason: DeAngelo Williams
11 Mike: Drew Brees
12 Steve: Larry Fitzgerald
NOTES: There was only one real surprise, but it was a doozy, as Jet fan Evan rolled the dice on Shonn Greene in the first round. Will LT be satisfied with the microscopic role he would have to play to allow for Greene to attain that kind of production? Stay tuned.
ROUND TWO
12 Steve: Ryan Grant
11 Mike: Rashard Mendenhall
10 Jason: Randy Moss
9 Jeff: Reggie Wayne
8 Evan: Peyton Manning
7 Joe: Aaron Rodgers
6 Samm: Calvin Johnson
5 Rick: Roddy White
4 Nate: Matt Schaub
3 Jim: Miles Austin
2 Russ: Greg Jennings
1 Charles: Philip Rivers
NOTES: No RB for Jeff in his first two picks? Wow. Joe’s selection of Rodgers at this point put in point circumstances – exacerbated with Nate’s pick of Schaub and Charles taking Rivers – that quickly led to owners having to decide between taking a top QB earlier than they planned or passing on them altogether.
ROUND THREE
1 Charles: DeSean Jackson
2 Russ: Ryan Mathews
3 Jim: Tony Romo
4 Nate: Sidney Rice
5 Rick: Tom Brady
6 Samm: Marques Colston
7 Joe: Steve Smith CAR
8 Evan: Brandon Marshall
9 Jeff: Knowshon Moreno
10 Jason: Anquan Boldin
11 Mike: Jamaal Charles
12 Steve: Carson Palmer
NOTES: Nate proved – as he would emphatically repeat later – that he wasn’t concerned at all about whether Brett Favre will play this year. While Rick finished off what is conventionally thought to be the top tier at QB (with the exception of Favre), Steve still decided to hit that position at the end of the round. Charles proved to be a good bargain because of concerns about the potential role of Thomas Jones in KC. Knowshon Moreno is Jeff’s first RB? Better hope he’s going to be healthy!
ROUND FOUR
12 Steve: Dallas Clark
11 Mike: Chad Ochocinco
10 Jason: Cedric Benson
9 Jeff: Matt Forte
8 Evan: Beanie Wells
7 Joe: Pierre Thomas
6 Samm: Joseph Addai
5 Rick: Antonio Gates
4 Nate: Pierre Garson
3 Jim: Steve Smith NYG
2 Russ: LeSean McCoy
1 Charles: Michael Crabtree
NOTES: And there go the tight ends, as Steve starts with his pick right off the bat. Matt Forte, excessively hated-on because of his performance a year ago, was a great value for Jeff. Steve Smith aside, three of the last four picks of the round were big searches for upside.
ROUND FIVE
1 Charles: Brent Celek
2 Russ: Dwayne Bowe
3 Jim: Vernon Davis
4 Nate: Brett Favre
5 Rick: Jonathan Stewart
6 Samm: Jason Witten
7 Joe: Jermichael Finley
8 Evan: Tony Gonzalez
9 Jeff: Mike Wallace
10 Jason: Ronnie Brown
11 Mike: Vincent Jackson
12 Steve: Brandon Jacobs
NOTES: Nate put his money where his mouth was with Favre, getting the top QB2 in the league by far and depriving those who still were still waiting for their top hurler of the opportunity to pick him. The TEs kept flying off the shelves, with late gambles (Mike Wallace in terms of continued development and Vincent Jackson in terms of availability) existing alongside solid RB values (Ronnie Brown and Brandon Jacobs).
ROUND SIX
12 Steve: Robert Meachem
11 Mike: Kellen Winslow, Jr.
10 Jason: Terrell Owens
9 Jeff: Marion Barber
8 Evan: Mike Sims-Walker
7 Joe: Mario Manningham
6 Samm: TJ Houshmandzadeh
5 Rick: Donald Driver
4 Nate: Felix Jones
3 Jim: CJ Spiller
2 Russ: Donovan McNabb
1 Charles: Ahmad Bradshaw
NOTES: Terrell Owens? Marion Barber before Felix Jones? Mario Manningham before Hakeem Nicks? This was indeed the round for living dangerously, but it couldn’t obscure Rick’s sublime value in Donald Driver.
ROUND SEVEN
1 Charles: Kevin Kolb
2 Russ: Hakeem Nicks
3 Jim: Hines Ward
4 Nate: Ricky Williams
5 Rick: Eli Manning
6 Samm: Joe Flacco
7 Joe: Matt Ryan
8 Evan: Matt Leinart
9 Jeff: Chad Henne
10 Jason: Jay Cutler
11 Mike: Kenny Britt
12 Steve: Ben Roethlisberger
NOTES: Russ’s pick of Donovan McNabb late in the previous round as his QB1 triggered a strong run in this run on QBs as some owners went for their second one (Charles, Rick, Joe, Evan, Steve) and others had to scramble for their first (Samm, Jason and Jeff).
ROUND EIGHT
12 Steve: Arian Foster
11 Mike: Jerome Harrison
10 Jason: Dez Bryant
9 Jeff: Wes Welker
8 Evan: Cadillac Williams
7 Joe: Nate Kaeding
6 Samm: Thomas Jones
5 Rick: Reggie Bush
4 Nate: Steve Breaston
3 Jim: Clinton Portis
2 Russ: Matthew Stafford
1 Charles: David Akers
NOTE: Jeff’s selection of Wes Welker could go down as the best value in the draft if he is 100% healthy by Opening Day. Steve and Mike made high-upside picks on RBs who could be the lead backs for their teams. Joe was “That Guy” in taking the first kicker.
ROUND NINE
1 Charles: Derrick Mason
2 Russ: Jahvid Best
3 Jim: Santana Moss
4 Nate: Braylon Edwards
5 Rick: Ryan Longwell
6 Samm: Mark Sanchez
7 Joe: Devery Henderson
8 Evan: Jerricho Cotchery
9 Jeff: David Garrard [NOTE: Michael Bush was the initial selection, but in the process of coordinating the draft and the broadcast, it was not caught until after the draft that he needed one more QB, not RB. At that time, this pick was made.]
10 Jason: Matt Hasselbeck
11 Mike: Antonio Bryant
12 Steve: Johnny Knox
NOTES: Derrick Mason … Santana Moss … Braylon Edwards … how the mighty have fallen. Jahvid was the “Best” rookie value of the draft. The Antonio Bryant pick led to the joke about the Bengal spread and about how he’ll put such a bad taste in the mouth of the nickelback, he’ll think he’s listening to Nickelback.
ROUND TEN
12 Steve: Willis McGahee
11 Mike: Mason Crosby
10 Jason: Stephen Gostkowski
9 Jeff: Rob Bironas
8 Evan: Fred Jackson
7 Joe: Steve Slaton
6 Samm: LaDainian Tomlinson
5 Rick: Justin Forsett
4 Nate: Visanthe Shiancoe
3 Jim: Garrett Hartley
2 Russ: Owen Daniels
1 Charles: Donald Brown
NOTES: Joe and Rick got pretty good explosiveness upside in Steve Slaton and Justin Forsett, respectively. Nate just kept doubling down on the Vikings like there was no tomorrow.
ROUND ELEVEN
1 Charles: Jeremy Maclin
2 Russ: Robbie Gould
3 Jim: Alex Smith
4 Nate: Lawrence Tynes
5 Rick: Percy Harvin
6 Samm: Jeff Reed
7 Joe: Jacoby Jones
8 Evan: Matt Prater
9 Jeff: Dan Carpenter
10 Jason: Greg Olsen
11 Mike: Vince Young
12 Steve: Jay Feely
NOTES: The Jacoby Jones pick could be good, provided that he no longer has the hands of January Jones. Percy Harvin dropped further in this draft than he has in many others this year.
Fantasy Drafthelp: Mock Draft Recap
