Fantasy Football Round One | LestersLegends.com

Archive for the tag: fantasy football round one

Jul 09

Rotoprofessor’s Fantasy Football First Round

Fantasy Football, NFL LestersLegends Tags: Fantasy Football, fantasy football first round, fantasy football round 1, Fantasy football round 1 picks, fantasy football round one, fantasy football round one picks, NFL
4 Comments »

Written by Eric Stashin the Rotoprofessor

Today I wanted to take a look at how I rank the Top 12 players in the league and the order I would draft them (obviously, league rules would alter this slightly):

Adrian Peterson – Minnesota Vikings - Like there should be any question here.
Michael Turner – Atlanta Falcons - He’s the #2 back on my board, so he goes #2 here.
LaDanian Tomlinson – San Diego Chargers - His ADP is 6.70, but I really don’t get it. I know, he’s old by NFL standards at 30-years old, and he “struggled” last season to over 1,500 combined yards and 12 TD. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong, but if I’m picking at #3, I’m going to take him every time.
Matt Forte – Chicago Bears - He’s a second year back, so he is still a little bit of a risk. Can he repeat his ‘08 performance? How will Jay Cutler’s presence affect him? Either way, he’s going to be one of the better backs in the league.
Maurice Jones-Drew – Jacksonville Jaguars - While some think he’s a “no doubt” performer now that he’s the man in the backfield for Jacksonville, there is reason to be skeptical. He’s never carried the ball more than 197 times in a season and never exceeded 941 yards. Still, with 38 total TD in his first three seasons while sharing the load, it’s a pretty good bet that he’s going to be top fantasy back this season.
Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals - This is a tough decision. Do you go with the top WR on the board, or some potentially questionable RB? Considering the production Fitzgerald has posted the past two seasons, I don’t think you can go wrong with him in this slot.
Steven Jackson – St. Louis Rams - Injuries make him a risk, but if he stays on the field he’s going to be the team’s entire offense. We’ll have to take a deeper look into his potential in the coming days.
Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints - He’s the top QB in the game, having thrown for over 5,000 yards and 34 TD. With a healthy Marques Colston, just how much better could he be? To me, he’s a definite first round pick, though exactly where is up for debate.
Clinton Portis – Washington Redskins - At this point he’s the next RB on my board, so he’s going to be my pick in this slot.
Frank Gore – San Francisco 49ers - As I said in my rankings, the acquisition of Michael Crabtree should go a long ways to opening up some holes and taking the focus off of him.
Andre Johnson – Houston Texans - Two consecutive 100+ catch seasons says it all.
Chris Johnson – Tennessee Titans - While he may lose a few TDs to LenDale White (maybe a few is an understatement), he’s still one of the better RB in the league.

Where do you disagree? Who do you think should go in the first round? Who shouldn’t?

Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Jun 16

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 1: PPR leagues

Fantasy Football, NFL LestersLegends Tags: Fantasy Football, fantasy football first round, fantasy football mock draft, fantasy football round 1, Fantasy football round 1 picks, fantasy football round one, fantasy football round one picks, mock draft, NFL, PPR leagues
2 Comments »

Yesterday, I did a Round One mock for non-PPR leagues. Now it’s time for my first look at first round selections for fantasy football PPR 12-team drafts.

1. Adrian Peterson - AP’s hold on #1 isn’t as firm in PPR leagues, but I still believe he brings too much to the table to go with anybody else. He’s capable of ripping off a 200o yard season, which would put him in some elite company.

2. Maurice Jones-Drew - I can justify him as the #2 pick in non-PPR leagues, so sliding him to #2 in a PPR league makes complete sense. Drew should catch 40+ passes to go along with double-digit TDs and 1500+ total yards.

3. Matt Forte – Forte holds down the #3 spot in both formats. He could lead all RBs not named Reggie Bush in receptions this year. Add that to his stellar running and you’ve got a great PPR back.

4. LaDainian Tomlinson – LT remains a force in PPR leagues. He may catch fewer passes with an increase role for Darren Sproles, but he still should grab at least 35. Like I said before, LT’s “down year” was pretty solid. He should bounce back nicely.

5. Larry Fitzgerald – Fitz moves up into the top five in PPR leagues for me. I like sure things in the first round, and Fitz is pretty much it. He showed a burst in his second Super Bowl TD that I didn’t know he had. Makes him even scarier.

6. Steven Jackson – S-Jax is a real solid pick in PPR leagues if he stays healthy. I hate having that fear with a first round pick, but the reward is worth the risk here. He’s capable of 50 receptions with solid rushing numbers.

7. Michael Turner – It’s amazing how a simple format change plummets a guy from #2 to #7. To me there isn’t a lot of difference between picks 2-7 this year though. Turner won’t catch a ton of passes, but should produce on the ground.

8. Andre Johnson – With the 100+ receptions Andre should have this year, he moves up a slot to #8. Combine that with 1400+ yards and 8+ TDs and you have a valuable commodity.

9. Chris Johnson - Johnson caught his share of passes last year (43), and that number should go up with Johnson’s increased role in 2009. On the ground he should approach 1300 yards.

10. Randy Moss – I don’t think he’ll catch nearly as many passes as he caught in his record-breaking 2007 season, but Moss should grab 80+ passes with 12+ TDs with Brady back under Center.

11. Calvin Johnson – Megatron retains the 11th slot in PPR leagues as well. He should continue to progress into one of the top WRs in the game. Daunte Culpepper should be better than last year and Matthew Stafford has a big arm when he finally gets his shot.

12. Steve Smith - As long as he doesn’t miss time for breaking a teammates nose, Smith should be a first round talent in PPR leagues, bumping Drew Brees out of the 12 slot. His production with those two missed games and spotty QB play was remarkable. He can score anytime he touches the football.

Jun 15

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 1: Non-PPR leagues

It’s time for my first look at first round selections for fantasy football non-PPR 12-team drafts.

1. Adrian Peterson – Peterson has that amazing blend of power and speed. He is fresh off a rushing title and another double-digit TD season. He wasn’t happy with his fumbles last year so he’s working to be even stronger. If you land the #1 pick, AP is your best bet.

2. Michael Turner – I know some people are down on Turner this year because of his early struggles against good defenses. He was a beast down the stretch, though, scoring in seven of his last eight games. His TD production will likely decrease because of the Tony Gonzalez signing, but he should be able to produce 1500+ total yards and 12+ TDs.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew – MJD finally gets a chance to shine on his own, which should translate to monster numbers. He is a dual-threat with his feet and his hands, and has a nose for the end zone.

4. Matt Forte – Forte was pretty much the entire Bears’ Offense last year. With Cutler on board, that’s bound to change, but teams won’t be able to key in on his as much. He should be good for 1200 yards rushing, 30-40 receptions, and double-digit TDs.

5. LaDainian Tomlinson – The old man still has some life in those tires. He fought through injuries last year for a down year of 1536 total yards and 12 TDs. Even if he can match those numbers he’ll be worth a top five selection.

6. Larry Fitzgerald – Here’s where I part from the norm. I know, everybody loves RBs, but Fitz produces like one. He has had 1400 yards/10 TDs in three of the past four years. I prefer him over the other RBs at this point.

7. Steven Jackson – S-Jax was a force in December and I am counting on him to be healthy and ready to return to the fantasy elite this year. If he stays healthy he could have 1500+ total yards and double-digit TDs. Injury concerns are the only thing that keeps him this low.

8. Chris Johnson - Johnson had a spectacular rookie season and the Titans have said they want to get him even more involved this year. He has the wheels to score whenever he touches the ball.

9. Andre Johnson – Andre is almost a lock for 100 catches for 1400+ yards if he stays healthy. With an improved ground game, and some pressure alleviated by Owen Daniels and Kevin Walter he could possibly reach double-digit scores.

10. Randy Moss – Moss is right up there with all the RBs as one of the most likely players to have double-digit TDs. He caught 11 with Matt Cassell, so one would think a healthy Tom Brady could lead him closer to the record 23 in caught in 2007.

11. Calvin Johnson – Megatron had a solid year with poor QB play. This year he has a more prepared Daunte Culpepper and Matt Stafford. At worst he should be able to match last year’s 1300+ yard, 12 TD production.

12. Drew Brees – Can you tell my faith in RBs this year has been challenged? There are too many RBBCs and the rules favor the passing game. Drew Brees is an absolute stud QB who should throw for 4500+ yards and around 30 TDs.