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Guys ..

Anyone want to toss out a couple thoughts about who the top 3 teams are? Obviously, it's all subjective analysis but it always makes for a good read. So who do you think did well in this draft? No sense talking about your own team (Pat ) .. let's give some props to the other guys.

I'll go first ..

I think Aussie Cowboy did very well in this draft. I really like the coverage and the strategy. Wait till we break the news to him that FA isn't till after Week 3 this year..

I also like the Draft Coach's team. A lot of good selections and coverage. I think he/she/it stumbled late though. A magnificent top half to that draft though.

I also like the way wuntan_6's team shook out. My only modification would have been 1 more RB and 1 less WR but overall, a squad with high potential.

Hey, that started out as a "How to Draft in a Competitive League" story and then took on a life of its own!

I like three teams (besides my own):

Aussie Cowboys:

As strong a starting 5 as you will see anywhere, plently of talent on the WW for his kicker, and managed to stock up on plenty of boom/bust guys without reducing his starting roster, all in all a solid draft. Plus, personally, I like his players, when men of similar talent were up, he opted more often than not for the choice I would have. Warner is great, especially with Culpepper, good cross insurance at QB there. Locking up the Bears RB was a good move, and an excellent example of taking what the draft is giving you instead of forcing it. A favorite to win it all.

Fantasy Coach:

Best team coach has put together. Not much of depth (big deal), but if it gets lucky and avoid injury, the starting 8 are formidable:

Palmer/Davis/Johnson/Galloway/Moss/Shockey/Vanderjagt/Redskins

Not a big 8 I want to face every week! Made some questionable calls late, but make up for it early.

Phyrre56:

I like his starters as solid, and his depth is good. If Wilford and Taylor put up big numbers, this is a playoff team, and I like them both to do that. I love his QB pairing, if he plays the matchups he could get an average score from his QB that rivals a top pick. Depth at WR. Good TE/K/D combo. Overall well done.

And there are quite a few teams that need one question answered for me and they shoot right up there - Rush immediately improves when Branch reports. Tony the same if he picks the right QB each week, I just personally don't like who he is picking from, but waiting at QB allowed for a much deeper roster, so what do I know? Wuntan_6 is pretty solid all around, but no particular player stands out as special to me, if someone rises, he'll be hard to stop too. And the rest all fit that description too. Best draft I have seen in this League yet. Bring on the season!

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aka Vee's Doghouse
Shark Leagues Commish
Staff Writer, FantasySharks.com
Offensive Coordinator, FantasySharks HAFAX
2004, 2008 & 2011 Great White Shark League Site Champion

My top 3 in no particular order:

Phree56
Draft Coach
Nicos28

They separate from the pack with their first 3 picks. Tomlinson/Johnson and Alexander project to a head start that will be difficult to overcome.

Competitve balance league other than those 3 players - now it comes donw to making the right choices each week, both on waivers and who to start.

Other random thoughts on draft and this league before the draft this year were:

Teams drafting 1 through 3 make the playoffs
Teams drafting 4 and 5 - one of the 2 makes the playoffs for sure, second one maybe.

So teams drafting 6 through 12 are fighting for 2 playoff spots (maybe 1), and bottom 4 are moving down. Decision for those teams was how soon in the draft do they begin taking chances. We all took them, some may appear riskier than others.

Was hoping the draft would go faster - the more news comes out after we are done, the better I will be able to utilize the #1 waiver wire position. Maybe Curtis Martin is really healthy after all?

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Showcase Leagues
Career record 37-13-2, playoffs 2-4-0. Getting closer in the playoffs

My top competitors are:

Wuntan_6 -- He might have 5 starting RBs on that roster! Santana Moss is a clear #1 WR, with Javon Walker as the preseason #2. If that doesn't work out, he has veteran depth at WR.

Aussie_Cowboy -- His season hinges on Portis right now. With Portis, he's a top competitor. With Ladell Betts, things could get dicey. The good news is, he has Betts! And that gives him a better backfield than a lot of teams.

And of course, never count out Tony & Pat. They don't even need great rosters to win!

I agree that the Draft Coach had its best draft yet, but I'm not sold until we see something from Domanick Davis.

_________________
2003 & 2006 Shark League Site Champion
9-time Great White Shark League Participant

I hate to say this, but I think the Draft Coach, Tony and Pat are the teams to beat this year.

1) The Draft Coach looks to have the best starting lineup providing Carson Palmer and Domanick Davis are able to return from injury. However, if Davis can't go he might be in some trouble with only Barlow as a possible replacement.

His WR's are also boom or bust with Randy Moss/Jerry Porter/Joey Galloway/Donte Stallworth/Michael Clayton, but he should be able to field two solid starters each week out of that group.

The QB pairing of Palmer and Bulger is very strong and a lot of people think Shockey will challenge Gates for the #1 TE spot this year.

The best draft by the Coach ever and it's just unfortunate that he's in my division.



2) I like Tony's team because he has probably the best starting WR's in the league (Chad Johnson and Boldin) plus a group of RB's which I feel has a ton of potential.

Steven Jackson and Deshaun Foster is a decent starting pair and he has Maroney and Barber waiting in the wings. I think both could easily be starting by the end of the season and I have my fingers and toes crossed that J Jones and C Dillon stay healthy.

I like the stategy of waiting for QB's because at the end of the day there won't be that much difference between a QB drafted in the 3rd/4th round and one drafted in the 9th/10th in this scoring format.

He should be able to find a decent starter out of the Favre, Brunell, Rivers trio and I think Rivers will wind up surprising a few people and have a very good year.



3) Pat also has a great WR corp with Harrison and Holt starting and a number of high risk/high reward guys backing them up. Matt Jones, Mark Clayton and Troy Williamson are pretty much on everbody's pre-season "sleeper" list and I think at least one of them will wind up breaking out in a big way this season.

Tiki Barber is a rock solid #1, but he could have some issues at #2 if Rhodes can't hold onto the job in Indy. Chris Brown should start "somewhere" this year, but I'm not sure how long he will hold onto the job with his injury history. I think the Titans will also be keen to work Lendale White into the starting lineup by the end of the year.

He also has one of the best QB pairing's in the league with Hasselbeck and Eli Manning and at TE Ben Watson's targets should increase this year especially if Mr Branch doesn't hurry up and get his butt into camp.


I have Phyrre, Cantebury and Rush just outside this top 3 and I think we are going to be in for one heck of a season.

Good luck guys

_________________
Great White Shark League

2003 (10-3)
2004 (7-6)
2005 (10-3) Site Runner-Up
2006 (2-9-2)

Whale Shark League Two

2007 (9-4)

Believe me, I must have checked at least 6 times to make sure that the pre-season WW period hadn't changed this year.

_________________
Great White Shark League

2003 (10-3)
2004 (7-6)
2005 (10-3) Site Runner-Up
2006 (2-9-2)

Whale Shark League Two

2007 (9-4)

I like the drafts of Tony, Aussie Cowboy and Pat Smith for a top three.

Aussie Cowboy's strategam of not picking a kicker in favor of another roster spot surprised me since I thought we had to draft one. So, from this point on, I guess I'll be employing that one too in subsequent FantasyShark league drafts. Nice going. Fitz and TO are a powerful combo for WR and add to that Portis and the Chicago backfield, C-Pep, Warner and LJ Smith....Bravo on a Great Draft.

I also liked Tony's Jackson, Johnson, Boldin, Foster combo...very nice. I was next to him on every pick he made and he showed his skills at drafting in the #7 spot. I see no weakness in this team.

Pat's team is very well balanced. You can't help but to marvel at the picks that fell to him. Strong WR's and an interesting backfield which should be scoring well (unless Chrissy tweaks his pinky nail and is out for 6 weeks )

Honorable Mention goes to Phyrre, Draft Coach and wuntan_6

I myself did what I've never done before in my FF career, took a TE(Gates) in the second round...whether that works for me, time will tell. But I just had to have him. Same with taking a rookie (Bush) in the third.

It should be a great year with lots of surprises!!

_________________
2004 Caribbean Whale (Champion)
2005 Great White
2006 Indian Whale
2008 Great White
2009 Great White
2010 Whale Shark 1
2011 Great White
2012 Great White

I'm not sure I'll be able to field a team come week 1. The Portis injury was bad enough, but TO is STILL carrying on like a knucklehead. You would've thought he'd have learnt by now.

_________________
Great White Shark League

2003 (10-3)
2004 (7-6)
2005 (10-3) Site Runner-Up
2006 (2-9-2)

Whale Shark League Two

2007 (9-4)

Thought I'd look at this with 3 weeks to go --

If season were over now (and I know it isn't)

Teams drafting 1 thru 3 would all be in playoffs. Kudos to Nicos with best recored despite absence of S.Alexander. Clinched survival for next season, still needs wins for playoff seeding. Should be a week 13 thriller with Pat for the Central crown. Phyree and the draft coach still have some work to do, but would be in now.

Teams drafting 4 and 5 -- one in for sure. Pat would be in, Aussie has been eliminated.

Teams drafting 6 thru 12 - fighting for 2 spots. Right now - it's Rush and myself (spots 8 and 12). Tony only other one at .500.

_________________
Showcase Leagues
Career record 37-13-2, playoffs 2-4-0. Getting closer in the playoffs

watch out I am coming