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The ongoing mock draft at www.chinstrapninjas.com has been garnering plenty of attention and comments as we weave through the rounds. Some crazy picks and unorthodox moves have defined this draft.
Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5
For an easy-to-navigate list of all our 2010 fantasy football strategies, advice, rankings, sleepers, etc., go here.
What craziness happens in round six of our redraft mock? Check it out below:
6.01 Owen Daniels, HOU (jzak)
Second part of my Texas two-step, Daniels, much like Schaub, has an injury onus on him, but few seem to remember how dominating he was at tight end last year before succumbing to injury. He deserves to be selected before some of the other tight ends on this list, in my opinion, and considering how many TEs are off the board at this point, I’m happy to take him here.
6.02 Pierre Garcon (ep)
Bottom line: Garcon is the No. 2 receiver for the high-powered Colts offense and could outscore Reggie Wayne in fantasy leagues in 2010. That makes him an easy sixth-rounder.
6.03 Jay Cutler (consigliere)
What’s not to like here. He has put up big numbers the past two years and the interception number doesn’t scare me one bit. He has also had low INT totals dating back to his Vandy days.
He is the most talented quarterback Mike Martz has had, all due respect to Kurt Warner.
6.04 Arian Foster (sockonfl)
I was going to wait another round, but I feel he will be the full time starter in Houston. That’s worth a ton considering how well that offense played last year. He also caught the ball out of the backfield some last year too. He could turn into an every down back. Just the type of back I need to take a chance on.
6.05 – Marion Barber (jay-mo)
I’ll probably get some grief for this pick, but I’m not drafting to make friends nor am I following some cookie-cutter glossy magazine. I was looking at WR here, but I’m confident my target will last until the next round. So, why not take the best available player (in my opinion)?
Obviously, Barber is going to get compared to Felix Jones. Barber is the starter: advantage one. Barber scores more often (7 TDs vs. 3 TDs): advantage two. Barber had nearly twice as many carries than Felix (214 vs. 116): advantage three. More importantly to me, Barber is the No. 1 runner in the red zone: advantage four.
I know, I know … that was last year and all of the fantasy experts are saying differently. Well, are they calling the plays for Dallas? Don’t believe me, watch the preseason …
6.06 Fred Jackson, BUF (jzak)Not thrilled with Jackson, but he is the official starter in Buffalo. In fact, he’s the main fantasy weapon in Buffalo at the moment. He’s the starter, for what it’s worth, and helps provide some RB depth.
6.07 Ahmad Bradshaw (speedy)
This might be a little high for him, but he’s been getting the starting carries early in training camp.
6.08 – Terrell Owens (ryder)
I’m going to go ahead and pick one half of the co-diva reality star T.O. Although he is getting older he still has a good year left in him. He is in much better situation this year with the Bengals rather then the dreadful Buffalo offense from a season ago. I cant believe I’m going to say this, but I think Chad Ochocinco and T.O. will help each other. Here comes Batman & Robin.
6.09 – Joe Flacco, BAL (krause)
I was going to wait on a QB but I like Flacco’s upside this year. Everything Baltimore did in the offseason makes me think their going to score a lot. Now I have Flacco and Ray Rice so 90% of the time Baltimore scores, I score.
6.10 Matt Ryan (consigliere)
Looking for a bounce back year for Ryan here. He has some legit weapons and i expect Michael Turner to be a lot better this year.
I am grabbing a top-10 quarterback here and hoping he plays like it. Not really a lot to say i am happy to have my starting line up filled out, now i need to fix my bench.
6.11 — Vincent Jackson, SD (ep)
It’s a risk because of Jackson’s holdout, but no other receiver has a better chance to transform my team at this point in the draft. If one side caves — V-Jax, dude, you’re not Andre Johnson — I get a top-10 receiver in the sixth round.
6.12 Hines Ward (sockonfl)
Seeing that ep stole my pick here right before me, I had to make a change of plans. I decided to go with the ever consistent and highly underrated Hines Ward. He puts up consistent numbers year in and year out. I know Ben Roethlisberger is out early on, but he will still post some solid numbers throughout the season.
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Throughout two weeks of the preseason, the New England Patriots have had a solid running game. But don’t get too excited yet.
I am not saying that this team doesn’t have quality running backs—they do.
Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and Benjarvus Green-Ellis all make up a nice running back corps. But it’s not a matter of how talented they are, it’s a matter of how much effort head coach Bill Belichick will make to establish the run.
After two games in the preseason, it’d be safe to say that the Patriots are making a large effort to establish a running game. But I just don’t see this happening on a regular basis throughout the regular season.
All of New England’s backs are average and quality, but none are capable of taking over a game. I’m not saying that’s what New England needs, but if they want a solid running game, they need to find a work horse.
New England had a work horse in all of their Super Bowl years. For the first two they had Antowain Smith and in the last Super Bowl, in 2004, they had Corey Dillon, but for the past few years, the Pats haven’t had a work horse at the running back position.
In my opinion, if you want this team to have a strong running back this year, you’re going to need to have Laurence Maroney have a break-out season—it’s a real possibility.
From what I have seen, if you give Maroney the ball on a regular basis, he will be productive.
New England only gave Maroney a 20+ carry game four times last season. He rushed for 82, 77, 94, and 81 yards in those games. And, not to mention, New England won all of those games. Maybe because they had such a balanced attack.
This is just something for you New England fans to ponder on. Don’t get your hopes up too much on this Patriots’ running game yet. The key to it all is a break-out season from Laurence Maroney.
Like what you see? You can read more of Tony’s work and many other sports articles at www.SportsHaze.com and www.BeantownObserver.com
You can also follow Tony via Twitter @TonySantorsa10
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I have Marques Colston ranked as the 10th wide receiver on my most recent rankings (click here to view). According to Mock Draft Central, his ADP is around 31 and he is the 11th wide receiver off the board.
The question is, is Colston a viable option in the second round of fantasy drafts?
He’s two years removed from his career year of 2007 (98 receptions for 1,202 yards and 11 TD), so there clearly is a little bit of risk involved in selecting him. His 2008 campaign was sabotaged by injuries (he broke his thumb in Week One), holding him just 11 games (and six starts).
Last season he appeared in all 16 games (14 starts), collecting 70 catches for 1,074 yards and nine touchdowns. Those are very good numbers, but they don’t portray an elite receiver on the surface.
In fact, overall he lacked consistent production in 2009. He had just three games of over 90 yards; five games of over 80 yards. Yes, it is beneficial that he scored touchdowns in eight separate games, which helped to give him a boost in the games where he didn’t compile large yard totals.
But is that enough?
One of the biggest positives, the strength of the Saints offense, is also a negative. Led by Drew Brees, the Saints have one of the most dynamic offenses in the game, but a lot of weapons that need to be brought into the picture.
Last season there were seven different Saints with at least 35 receptions. When you spread the ball around that much, it’s hard to imagine one receiver stepping up and having a monster season. Yes, Colston is the biggest fish in the pond, but there are only so many balls to go around.
While they don’t have an elite running game, you have to feed Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and others the ball in order to keep defenses off their feet. Plus, if Thomas were to take the next step (as some believe, though that’s a story for another day), you are going to need to increase his touches, limiting the number of pass attempts.
The Saints are a significantly different offense than they were in 2007, when Colston erupted and Reggie Bush added 73 receptions. That season, only five players had at least 35 catches. It doesn’t sound like a big difference, but those extra receptions going to secondary players limit the ability of your stars to produce big numbers.
Don’t get me wrong—I’d love to have Colston as a low-end WR1, but unless the Saints have a change in philosophy it’s highly unlikely he returns to the lofty numbers he once experienced. That seriously limits his potential fantasy value.
Obviously, it all depends on how your draft falls, but Colston does not appear like a good selection in the second round. There’s a lot of risk, and I think you can get a player of similar stature and upside, though with a better chance to get the high-end value, late in round two. I’d happily select him in the middle of round three, but not before.
What about you? Do you view Colston as a viable second-round pick? Why or why not?
Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s 2010 rankings:
Also, make sure to check out our recent rookie rankings:
THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM/FOOTBALL
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The San Francisco 49ers play the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday in the second preseason game for both teams. Preseason football can be difficult to watch because the games don’t count and as the game progresses, you are watching many players that have little or no chance of making the opening day roster.
Don’t expect to see much of Frank Gore, Vernon Davis or Michael Crabtree. Nevertheless, there are a few players to focus on, who will make watching this game much more interesting. Obviously, all eyes will be on Alex Smith–when he is in there. In addition, three players to watch closely in the upcoming game are Anthony Davis, Taylor Mays and Dominique Zeigler. These three should play a lot and their progress is very important to the 49ers.
Right tackle Anthony Davis did not fare well in the first game, against the Colts. Robert Mathis, a top pass rushing defensive end beat him consistently. Davis seemed to have particular trouble blocking his man when he was left out in space. The 49ers were forced to give Davis help by leaving a back in to help block on pass plays. Sunday’s game will be a good indicator to see if Davis has progressed.
Safety Taylor Mays is another player to watch. Mays was decent in the first game, although he seemed to be feeling his way, and a half step late on many plays. Mays has the athleticism to be an impact player and it will be interesting to see if he plays more instinctively in this game.
The 49ers envision a safety tandem of Dashon Goldson and Mays, two hard-hitting play makers. Veteran Michael Lewis may begin the season as the starter, but it’s likely just a matter of time before Mays takes over the position.
Receiver Dominique Zeigler is the other player to watch. He has been impressive in training camp and if he can carry that over into the games, he will solidify his position on the team. With Kyle Williams out due to injury and Brandon Jones released, Zeigler will get plenty of chances to make some plays. He can also show his value by impressing on punt return duty. He should get that opportunity with Williams out. A good showing by Zeigler will ensure his roster spot and get him more playing time.
The 49ers are hoping for big contributions from Davis, Mays and Zeigler. Focusing on these three players will make this preseason game against the Vikings much more interesting to watch. Their development will be a key to the Niners’ success.
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Brett Favre is playing the media like a fiddle. Weeks ago he allegedly sent texts to teammates saying he was retiring. Yesterday he announces he’s coming back. Without question, Favre is the true diva of the NFL as he enters his 20th season.
Don’t get me wrong, Favre is a great quarterback. He has every major statistical record there is for quarterbacks. But at the end of the day, he has the same amount of Super Bowls as Doug Williams, Jeff Hostetler, Trent Dilfer, Peyton Manning, and Kurt Warner.
Just one.
I’m sick and tired of Favre getting the benefit of the doubt from the media. I’m sick and tired of the media catering to Favre like he has the rings of Joe Montana and the stature of Tiger Woods in American sports.
Favre gets handled with care because his legend has been carefully crafted and manufactured by the media. He’s the consummate modern-day soap opera in sports.
One of the preeminent reasons Favre gets preferential treatment is because of his white complexion.
Yeah, I said it.
What if Favre’s teammate Adrian Peterson said he didn’t want to attend training camp? As arguably the best running back in football do you think he could pull a “Favre” and get away with it?
If Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco told the Cincinnati Bengals they were skipping training camp the media would likely cover the story in a negative light. Even though Owens and Ochocinco have never been in trouble they are the benefactors of negative press coverage.
What if Donovan McNabb told Mike Shanahan he could study the new offense from his home in Arizona do you think that would fly with the Washington Redskins organization?
Part of the latter decisions hinge on how those organizations are ran. But an unspoken and subconscious part of that determination is race-based.
Favre is endeared by the media because of how he’s treated. African-American stars in professional sports rarely get the royal treatment because they are subject to a different set of rules by sports journalists.
Why?
According to The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports 88 percent of the mainstream sports writers in this country are white. Whites typically cover athletes differently because of a combination of race and how open their minds are.
Favre gets preferential treatment because he’s been portrayed as the guy who is above the law. Favre can do no wrong with his “all schucks” routine where African-American stars cannot get such a pass.
Haynesworth is one of the premier defensive linemen in the NFL yet he was humiliated by the Washington Redskin organization. How come Favre doesn’t have to perform a series of unnecessary fitness tests like Albert Haynesworth was forced to do?
Let me digress.
When LeBron James bolted for the allure of South Beach over Cleveland many fans, both African-American and white, were irate. But when Cavalier owner Dan Gilbert issued “The Statement” after James issued “The Decision” a segment of the African-American community shifted their focus from James’ decision to leave to the racial undertones of Gilbert’s rant.
Some, myself included, felt Gilbert was angered because his most prized slave had run away to another plantation. He felt scorned by his most prized possession leaving him for another master. It was as if Gilbert was suggesting, “How dare you leave me after all I’ve done for you!”
Then there’s Brett Favre: He holds the Minnesota Vikings hostage and media covers him with kid gloves. He’s revered for his antics as he kept the Vikings waiting in the wings because he’s depicted as a warrior where James was criticized by many for being a runaway slave.
What’s with the double-standard?
What if Favre decided not play this season? Do you think the mainstream media would hammer Favre?
Do you think the Vikings organization would pull a “Dan Gilbert” on Favre?
I assert no.
As a fan I don’t roll with Brett Favre because of the consistent hype. But I must admit I was happy to see him stick it to the Green Bay Packers because I think they shifted Favre.
Professionally it’s another matter. Favre, along with Peyton Manning, can do no wrong in court of public opinion. No one talks about Manning walking off the field and refusing to shake hands with any New Orleans Saints after his interception sealed the loss for the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl. The media chalks up his unacceptable behavior as Manning just being a great competitor.
If Donovan McNabb did the same thing as Manning would the media coverage be the same?
In closing, Favre is the poster-boy of guts and glory. He’s hailed as being a “mans man” because he’s started every game he’s been in since 1992. Favre is depicted as a “gunslinger” when he throws interceptions that cost his teams games. His errors are spun in the media as a positive attribute.
Favre without question is a great player. But part of his greatness has been manufactured. Favre can make the connection due to his complexion with those who comprise the media.
What do you think?
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