2012 Draft Report Cards

It is rare for the spotlight to shine on Fat Piedler, but today is different. If you want to know how to screw up a team with Aaron Rodgers then keep reading. The spotlight can be harsh.

Keepers: (Aaron Rodgers $61, Matt Forte $21): It’s pretty damn simple, when you have Aaron Rodgers you keep him. Matt Forte provides a ton of this blog’s favorite draft word for $21: value. Together this is an outstanding duo even if the GM was left with just $118 for 12 roster spots. Grade – A

QB: (1 – $61) Best in league without overpaying. Rodgers can win fantasy matchups by himself. Grade – A+

RB: (4 – $59) A nice start to this group by keeping Forte was just about ruined by overpaying for Boise St. rookie Doug Martin, CJ Spiller and Donald Brown. Grade – C-

WR: (1 – $3) Fat Piedler drafted six wideouts and his WR1 is Percy Harvin. Can you guess his grade without knowing the rest? Grade – D+ The others: Torrey Smith, Antonio Brown, Brian Quick, Darius Heyward-Bay and Rueben Randle. Brown and Smith would be okay as WR3s and we like Randle but big question marks at WR with zero in the top-12 in 2011.

TE: (1 – $9) Jacob Tamme – ugh. Not in the top-30 last year and not projected to be this year. Grade – F

K: This owner must be hoping that Henery is the next David Akers in Philly. He’s not quite there yet. Grade – D

D/ST: The packers are a homer pick here considering they were not a top-12 D/ST last year. Grade – C-

Favorite Pick: Rueben Randle. This writer had $3 to spend when Randle was proposed for $1. Naturally I bid $2 and he was taken for $3. High ceiling for this explosive rookie.

Question Mark(s): Question marks abound in the utility positions. Will Piedler’s  end of draft strategy come back to haunt this owner in close matchups?

Draft strategy most resembles: Denver Broncos – One of the best QBs in NFL history (assuming Rodgers keeps up his pace), a bunch of non-elite players in the skill positions and a pretty good defense.

Overall Draft: Grade – C+
Division Draft Rank: 4th/6
League Draft Rank: 8th/12
Way Too Early Prediction: 5-7 wins // Contender for playoffs

Next Up (7/27): The Comish

2012 Draft Report Cards

DATA’s debut in this league was highlighted by his inability to announce Pierre Garcon’s name. While that moment was certainly not forgotten, he turned heads and shifted focus from his inept pronunciations to his   team performance with a run to the playoffs. He should contend for the final 3 in the Leaders Division once again after a solid draft in 2012.

Keepers: (Calvin Johnson $42, Darren Sproles $6, Aaron Hernandez $6): It is quite obvious that DATA was smart to keep Megatron and Hernandez (at least without factoring in the madden curse). The intriguiing pick here is Sproles. He is definitely worth $6, but it is interesting that a skill position player could be worth much more to a franchise in real life than he is in fantasy. Grade – A

QB: ( 2 – $25) Of course Data drafted for value in just about every pick but especially at QB. Tony Romo is a steal at $17. However, you can go 11-2 or 12-1 and none of it matters if your QB doesn’t put up points in the playoffs. We should revisit the value here in December. His backup could have been better for the purposes of winning in 2012 but holding on to Andrew Luck could reward this owner down the road. While $8 may be a lot to spend on a rookie back up, Luck could be very solid for $13 in 2013 and even more so for $23 in 2014. If he gets to elite status in 3 years he could be kept through 2015. It is highly unlikely but not impossible to imagine. Grade – B (A for draft management, but B- for current talent/output)

RB: (4 – $60) 1 day after the draft this group was looking ok. 20 days later uncertainty fills the space that confidence has voided. This GM must be anxiously awaiting the punishment handed down to Marshawn Lynch from Roger Goodell after his DUI on July 16^th.  As for the others, Kendall Hunter could be a sleeper that has a coming out party after training camp but don’t expect Green-Ellis to play up to his new contract Grade – C

WR: (5 – $99) This team has 3 clear cut starters at the WR position in Megatron, Mike Wallace and Brandon Lloyd which will make week one decisions pretty simple barring preseason injuries. Not many good options if one of them goes down however. Grade – B+

TE: (1 – $6) Unlike his teammate Gronkowski, Hernandez is also employed as RB in addition to catching passes from Tom Brady. It is a unique role for a TE and could lead to 2-4 extra points that could be the difference between a win and a loss in close matchups. With Gronkowski coming off an ankle injury look for a hot start from Hernandez in September. Grade – A-

K: I have always been a fan of beer-bellied Janikowski. This owner didn’t draft him in the first round like Al Davis back in 2000 but maybe he should have. He will be a top-3 kicker by the end of the year. Grade – A-

D/ST: The 49ers are the total package in this slot. They don’t allow yards, they create turnovers, they play in the NFC West and Ted Ginn can score at anytime in the return game. Grade – A+

Favorite Pick: There is a lot to like about this draft, but for me it was Andrew Luck because of the upside to drafting him for $8.

Question Mark(s): This seems to be consistent theme throughout the league but the question mark of this team is at RB. Can this owner find two consistent contributors if Marshawn Lynch gets suspended?

Draft strategy most resembles: San Francisco 49ers – there are too many obvious parallels to choose anyone else. Questionable QB talent and output, RBs that have not separated themselves, solid WR talent with Moss-Megatron / Manningham-Wallace / Crabtree-Lloyd, a great TE, the defense and a left footed kicker that is one of the best 5 in the league.

Overall Draft: Grade – B+

Division Draft Rank: 2^th/6

League Draft Rank: 4^th/12

Way Too Early Prediction: 7-9 wins // playoff participant

Next Up (7/26): Fat Piedler

2012 Draft Report Cards

In an awkward self-evaluation I bear my draft soul to the league. I have big time talent but I also have some big time needs. A 9Lives’ introspection:

Keepers: (Lesean McCoy $53, Julio Jones $22, AJ Green $10): The end of the year trades with Byl and Mally really set up my keepers. At that point I was contending for the last playoff spot and this kept me competitive but also set me up for 2012. M,cCoy would have gone for well over $53 and Green should provide solid value. Grade – A-

QB: (2 – $46) The Gotye remake some QB that I used to know  haunts me a little bit with every listen “your vertebrae just kept on breaking….” Still I am excited about the possibility here and I think Bradford could be a great back up. If the Rams 2012 draft pans out he could be worth well more than $6 in 2013. That is, if I can hold on to him all year given my propensity to trade my entire team. A big if, indeed. Grade – B

RB: (5 – $75) After picking 5 RBs I must have some great options at the position right? WRONG. The downfall of my draft is the gaping hole at RB2. Not much to say, I may have the best back in the league but I also have no one else. Hopefully one of my depth players shines in training camp. Grade – C (Average of A for McCoy and F for the rest)

WR: (4 – $59) The amount I spent on my WRs as compared to RBs has a lot to do with the keeper value of AJ and Julio but still sheds light on my needs. This is my favorite position group on my team though with AJ Green, Julio Jones, Miles Austin and Jon Baldwin. Grade – B+

TE: (1 – $14) Jermichael Finley is one of the best in the league and I have always he could be the best if he wanted. Now that he is two years removed from knee surgery on his meniscus I am hoping he becomes Aaron Rodgers favorite target in the redzone. Grade – B+

K: Gostowski should be one of the best 5 kickers in the league if not better this year Grade – A

D/ST: The Steelers were average to bad in 2011 and they are projected to be that way again in 2012. However, if key players stay healthy this defense should still be able to create turnovers and score points in the return game. Grade – D+

Favorite Pick: My favorite pick is Jon Baldwin especially because so many GMs scoffed at this pick during the draft. He is 6’4” 230lbs and if he hadn’t punched a teammate in camp last year, which kept him out for the first 6 weeks, his rookie campaign may have gone differently.

Question Mark(s): RB2 isn’t the only weakness on my squad but it is the most glaring.

Draft strategy most resembles: Atlanta Falcons – GM knows the dirty bird, lots of talent at WR, feature back and above average TE

Overall Draft: Grade – B-

Division Draft Rank: 3^rd/6

League Draft Rank: 6^th/12

Way Too Early Prediction: 6 – 8 wins //playoff participant

Next up (7/25): DATA

2012 Draft Report Cards

Report Card #2 for the Leaders is probably the most intriguing to date and belongs to none other than iNick – HiNick – iNicki – Nick 2.0 & Nick Pornfield. On paper this team is sketchy and I can tell you already, mom won’t be happy with the grades. Nonetheless, there is something I just like about this team despite the projected rankings.

Keepers: (None): This was an interesting decision and I believe unprecedented Grade – A (effort) // F (long-term management)

QB: (2 – $20) Leave it to this GM to start his draft with a rookie QB. Robert Griffin III will be the face of this franchise and Joe Flacco will back him up. Excitement usually holds hands with risk and this case is no different. Unfortunately for this owner, even if he could start his two QBs each week he still might not get the production out of one Tom Brady (available at auction). Grade – C

RB: (4 – $81) Like many of the other picks made by this GM, these ones confuse on paper. Charles and Peterson could be great especially late in the year as they put more distance between the present day and the time of their injuries… but they could also be horrible and lead this team right to the toilet bowl. With zero RBs projected to be in the Top-15 the grade is inevitable. Grade – D+

WR: (4 – $77) Big names across the board at WR. While I love the Randy Moss pick for some reason, this GM seems stuck in 2009/10. The grade is low because this GM should have grabbed a 5^th receiver rather than a 2^nd TE but this could still be a good group. Grade – B-

TE: (2 – $17) Competing for my favorite pick in this draft is this team’s 2012 namesake Antonio Gates. He was the best available at auction but two TEs are still unnecessary. Grade – A-

K: Matt Prater is not a statistically great kicker and he loses the special powers of Tim Tebow. Despite those two factors, you never know when he will be good for a 50+ yarder at altitude. Sometimes 1pt can be the difference. Grade – C-

D/ST: The Lions defense should continue to gather sacks and turnovers which always add up despite their knack for giving up bunches of yards through the air. This was a solid pick.  Grade – B+

Favorite Pick: Randy Moss wins this vote with Gates close on his heels.

Question Mark(s): The whole team? Robert Griffin III? Jamal Charles’ knee? Adrian Peterson’s knee? DeSean Jackson? Randy Moss? Who knows what will happen. It will either be great or horrible and always fun to watch.

Draft strategy most resembles: NY Jets – a bunch of big name, overrated players that can still produce with an aggressive defense and a coach with a foot fetish (unconfirmed, but likely).

Overall Draft: Grade – D+

Division Draft Rank: 6^th/6

League Draft Rank: 11^th/12

Way Too Early Prediction: 3-8 wins // Makes the playoffs or represents the Leaders in the Toilet Bowl.

Next Up (7/24): 9Lives

2012 Draft Report Cards

After submitting the report cards for the Legends division we now move on to the Leaders division, starting with the worst team in the league from 2011. The shame that has been piling on over the past 7 months must be getting to GM Jeff Byl as he couldn’t even phone in for the draft this year.

Keepers: (Stevie Johnson $16, Jordy Nelson $9): Rumor has it the control of this team left Byl’s hands even before the draft with the selection of these keepers. We may never know the whole truth but nonetheless Byl’s draft was set up with decent but not overwhelming value in Stevie Johnson and Jordy Nelson at WR These selections may not make the front page but they were the best options on last year’s worst team. Grade – B

QB: (2 – $32) Byl’s stand in opened up the draft by proposing the players he wanted and then paying as much as he needed for them. Eli Manning was his third pick of the draft and a good choice even though he is not one of the elite 3 in the league. With concerns about Nicks, the loss of a TE to New England and Manningham to the 49ers, Manning may be in store for a slow start in 2012. All of that withstanding, he is still a quarterback with a pedigree. Also of note was the selection of Matt Schaub who will contend for the best backup in the league with Cutler and Roethlisberger. Grade – B+

RB: (4 – $85) Lee started Byl’s draft at the RB position by selecting Jones-Drew and Gore back-to-back. Since McCoy, Rice, Foster and Forte were off the board to start the draft Jones-Drew may have been the best available. Gore is aging for the RB position and will feel the pressure from a couple young gohards behind him on the depth chart. I like, but don’t love, this starting tandem and the backups are mediocre. For spending the most money of anyone in the league on this position I would have expected more.  Grade – B-

WR: (5 – $65) As noted, Johnson and Nelson were pre-draft selections and Lee grabbed Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd and Lance Moore to round out this group. I should have warned him – Jackson is cursed.  Grade – B

TE: (1 – $14) Vernon Davis was probably the second best TE available with Graham, Hernandez and Gronkowski all being kept. He should be a Top-7 TE but not elite. Grade – B-

K: Bironis is not even a Top-15 kicker. This pick is confusing. Grade – D-

D/ST: The Texans are another mediocre pick in this slot. There are at least two available defenses that would have been better choices here. Grade – D

Favorite Pick: If this was 2011 it would be Manning but I like the Jones-Drew pick up here. He should have gone for more than Richardson and Matthews.

Question Mark(s): This is a fairly balanced team but I would be concerned about this GMs ability to select his starting lineup at WR. Unless Lee, Ray or some other person is consulted each week, this team could be headed down a dark road again this fall.

Draft strategy most resembles: San Diego Chargers – Bad defense, good but not elite QB, solid options at RB and a receiving core that is inconsistent but stabilized by the tight end position.

Overall Draft: Grade – C-

Division Draft Rank: 5^th/6

League Draft Rank: 10^th/12

Way Too Early Prediction: 4-7 wins // Wild Card Contender

Next Up (7/23): iNick Porterfield

Smart Football

In Liu of the ability to post Byl’s draft report card because my computer died (I should be able to post two tomorrow) here is a cool link from a great website: Smart Football.

2012 Draft Report Cards

Let’s just get down to brass tacks – 2011 MSUSCFL Champion Phil Janis:

Keepers: (Drew Brees $77, Dez Bryant $25, Marques Colston $25): Although beating a dead horse, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the keeping of Drew Brees for $77. He does not go for more than $65 in the draft which makes the value drop significantly at $65. An extra $12 could have gone a long way in the draft for this reigning champ. Grade – D+

QB: ( 1 – $77) Brees had the second highest fantasy points average per game last year and is an elite QB. However, we are not predicting him to keep up his 2011 level of play after missing training camp and the likely instability due to Sean Payton’s suspension. This pick would merit a higher grade if this owner hadn’t overpaid it. Grade – B

RB: (4 – $47) Bradshaw is not an elite back and has been fragile over the last couple of years. Insufficient funds due to pre-draft decisions led to Phil’s drafting of LaGarrette Blount, Tim Hightower, Kevin Smith and Jonathan Dwyer. Need I say more? Grade – D-

WR: (5 – $65) Dez Bryant and Marques Colston lead the way for this position group but ultimately due not inspire much confidence, especially given Bryant’s propensity to get in trouble off the field. Laurent Robinson came on for a few weeks in 2011 but I look for Meachem to be the more consistent #3. Kendall Wright could provide value at $1 at some point but for the time being remains unproven and therefore insignificant. Grade – C+

TE: (1 – $9) Brandon Pettigrew is a solid pickup here with Graham, Gronkowski and Hernandez all off the board to start the draft. Pettigrew is a big target and provides good value at $9 as long as he can hold off Scheffler for targets from Staffy. Grade – B-

K: This one will really depend on the efficiency of Washington’s offense in a competitive division. Rackers is consistent but there is nothing special about this pick. Grade – C+

D/ST: In a tough division with Brees and Newton, the Falcons defense will have a tough time bettering its 2011 ranking of 11th. With only 12 teams in the league this pick was questionable at best. Grade – D

Favorite Pick: It would be Brees if not for the way he was picked. I guess Colston or Bryant would be the best picks of this draft which says a lot.

Question Mark(s): There is a big void at RB with a RB2 in the #1 slot. Look for an early free agent pick up here.

Draft strategy most resembles: NY Giants – reigning league champ, franchise QB, average RBs and a limited number of very good WRs.

Overall Draft: Grade – F

Division Draft Rank: 6^th/6

League Draft Rank: 12^th/12

Way Too Early Prediction: 3-5 wins // Toilet Bowl participant

Next Up (7/22): Jeff Byl

2012 Draft Report Cards

Is this the year GM Eric Mally realizes his potential? Once again he is set up to be a contender for the championship come week 16. This following report card represents long-term management at its finest and earns a spot on the fridge between Melissa Kay and Kara Cooke (who are incidentally the SCFL Babes of the Week).

Keepers: (Michael Vick $16, Arian Foster $16, Rob Gronkowski $6): Hard to argue with this trio. Mally might have had to pay an additional $105 for these players at auction and therefore started the draft way ahead in value. Grade – A+

QB: (2 – $27) This GM has two top-13 QBs from a year ago in Vick and Roethlisberger making this QB duo one of the best in the league. The key for QB success in this case will be health since both players were banged up throughout 2011. Grade – A-

RB: (4 – $46) With his two top RBs (Foster and Jackson) in the Top-10 from a year ago and projected to be again in 2012, this position group also looks solid on paper. The key to this portion of the draft for Mally was patience with Jackson going for just $18 late in the draft. Grade – A-

WR: (5 – $115) As a group it is tough to argue with this position group either. Not much needs to be said about Andre Johnson and Greg Jennings but Mally also has depth at WR in Decker, Holmes and Burleson. I was surprised by Decker and remain skeptical about his output but to criticize this position group is picky to say the least. Grade – A

TE: (1 – $6) Rob Gronkowski for $6 … that is all. Grade – A+

K: Garrett Hartley kicks in a dome but is questionable for training camp with a hip injury. The only bad pick in the draft for Sophisticated Passion – luckily he is just a kicker and there are a few good ones available in free agency. Grade – C-

D/ST: Even though the Bears are in a tough division with the high flying offenses of Detroit and Green Bay, I love this pick because the Bears do two things well year in and year out: cause turnovers and return in the kicking game. Grade – A

Favorite Pick(s): I am jealous of the depth at WR, but good GMs show their worth in the late rounds of a draft and the Bears D/ST are an example of why Mally has been a perennial contender since he joined the league.

Question Mark(s): While health is a concern for everyone, look for an injury at QB or RB to play a major factor in this team’s success in 2012.

Draft strategy most resembles: Green Bay Packers….. mobile QB, great options at every position, NFC North defense, and an average kicker. (RB may not accurately resemble those on his squad but the only other option would be the NFC Pro Bowl Team).

Overall Draft: Grade – A+

Division Draft Rank: 1^th/6

League Draft Rank: 1^th/12

Way Too Early Prediction: 9 to 11 wins // Divisional Championship participant

Next up (7/19): Defending Champion Phil Janis

2012 Draft Report Cards

Much of this GM’s first year was spent as a punch line. He made more headlines for his shots at the a 3-time champs’s sister than he did for his win-loss record. Despite the toilet bowl appearance in his debut campaign Pumford fought all the way to relevance and the playoffs last year. What will year 3 have in store?

Keepers: (Matt Stafford $27, Jason Witten $17 Victor Cruz $6): Solid keeps for GM Pummies in 2012. Stafford could have gone for $40-45, and Cruz for at least $25. Witten is the only question mark at $17 but this was a unique year with the top 3 TEs off the board. Grade – A-

QB: (2 – $28) Stafford is a stud if healthy but Locker is an average backup. Still a solid position for this franchise. Grade – B+

RB: (4 – $46) The group of Richardson, Redman, Mendenhall and Bush is average to slightly above average. Richardson is unproven and Redman will probably only start until Mendenhall is healthy again. If they split carries it could be difficult for this owner to pick a starter. Grade – B

WR: (5 – $73) Welker and Cruz will be the foundation of this position for Pumford. It remains to be seen if Denarius Moore, Greg Little or Randall Cobb can contribute consistently. Grade – B

TE: (1 – $17) Nick probably overpaid slightly for Witten. He must be hoping that Romo continues to target #82 again in 2012. Grade – B

K: Hanson is a feel good pick at kicker for Pumford. He will remain a Top-10 kicker in 2012. Grade – B

D/ST: The Seahawks provide some intrigue at this position. While not thought of as one of the perennial defenses in the NFL, this GM is counting on a repeat top-5 performance from Seattle. Grade – A-

Favorite Pick(s): In years past I would say Welker but he will have additional competition aside from Gronkowski and Hernandez in Brandon Lloyd. The favorite here is Matt Stafford if he stays healthy.

Question Mark(s): RB – too many unproven players to feel comfortable with this position group.

Draft strategy most resembles: Dallas Cowboys – Young franchise QB, average young RBs, two very good WRs, and of course Jason Witten.

Overall Draft: Grade – B-
Division Draft Rank: 4th/6
League Draft Rank: 7th/12
Way Too Early Prediction: 6-9 wins // Wild Card contender

2012 Draft Report Cards

The older, wiser and balder of the two Brown GMs is the spotlight of our third draft report card (unfortunately, who swings the bigger meat-sword is unknown at this juncture). We hope Abbey’s Army enjoyed wallowing in self-pity during the off-season because after this years’ phoned-in draft effort they may be in for more this fall.

Keepers: (Matt Ryan $37, Fred Jackson $12): 1 solid keeper and 1 questionable keeper for the GM of Abbey’s Army. Matt Ryan’s future is full of potential with Roddy White and Julio Jones at WR for the falcons, but this GM still overpaid for MattyIce. Fred Jackson provides good value at $12. Grade – B

QB: (2 – $38) Ryan will not win fantasy matchups like a Brady, Rodgers or Brees; he is a top-10 to 12 QB but not much more. Kirk Cousins? This pick will result in wasted free agent money when he needs a real back up that actually starts. Grade – D+

RB: (3 – $75) Hayden Brown was the only GM to take just 3 RBs in the draft. Jackson, Johnson and Wells hardly inspire this blogger but it could be worse. Johnson will make or break this position group for AA. Grade – B-

WR: (6 – $80) The other part of Army’s draft story is the group of 6 WRs. Outside of Roddy White it will be a dogfight for playing time between third tier receivers Titus Young, Pierre Garcon, Nate Washington, Mario Manningham and Justin Blackmon. More on Blackmon later. Grade – B-

TE: (1 – $4) Fred Davis is one of 3 Redskins on this squad but that doesn’t make him a good pick. He will find himself outside the top-8 in fantasy scoring for TEs yet again. Grade – C-

K: Color me surprised that this former kicker took a guy who plays outside in the NFC North. Brown must be hoping that Aaron Rodgers arm will lead to a plethora of extra points like it did last year when Crosby finished as the 4th best kicker in the league. Grade – B+

D/ST: The Jets were a great pick for $1 since they will again provide top-5 fantasy points in this position. Grade – A-

Favorite Pick(s): I love the Blackmon pick for just $8. He will be a no brainer keeper for 2013.

Question Mark(s): I think having 6 WRs will pan out at some point but I would be concerned about the QB position if I were this GM

Draft strategy most resembles: New England Patriots – Unathletic Boston QB, heavy on passing targets, light on running backs.

Overall Draft: Grade – C
Division Draft Rank: 5th/6
League Draft Rank: 9th/12
Way Too Early Prediction: 4-6 wins // missing the playoffs

Next up (7/18): Pummies