Draft recap: How my team looks

We held the 5th annual Newsroom Fantasy League draft over the weekend at Buffalo Wild Wings (highly recommend their draft party deal, by the way). We expanded from 10 to 12 teams this year, and by random draw I ended up with the 10th overall pick. I'm also the defending champion.

We have to carry 2 QBs, 4 RBs, 4 WRs, 2 TEs, 2 Ks and 2 D/ST. Regular scoring rules and a snake draft.

Here's how my squad turned out, with round of selection in parentheses and commentary below:

JERSEY SURE

QB Tony Romo (3)
QB Chad Henne (11)

RB Ryan Grant (2)
RB Felix Jones (4)
RB Marion Barber (6)
RB Donald Brown (8)

WR Randy Moss (1)
WR Hakeem Nicks (5)
WR Mike Wallace (7)
WR Mike Williams (9)

TE Owen Daniels (10)
TE John Carlson (14)

K Ryan Longwell (13)
K Matt Bryant (16)

DEF Steelers (12)
DEF Browns (15)

Chose Randy Moss over Steven Jackson with my first pick at No. 10 overall. The running backs were flying off the board and S-Jax was probably a good value at that point, but I just don't have a good feeling about him this year.

Wasn't planning to have so many Cowboys on my team, but that's the way it worked out. I had to go RB with my second pick (Ryan Grant) and then sweat it out until the third round to grab the last elite QB (Tony Romo) left. That made Felix Jones a little more appealing to me as my second RB, and Marion Barber was the best remaining RB in Round 6. I'm very aware of the Cowboys' offensive struggles this preseason, thank you.

I could tell I was a little higher on my WRs than the rest of the league. I got Hakeem Nicks in the fifth round and Mike Wallace in the seventh, and I believe they can both produce like solid WR2s.

Mike Williams of the Bucs was kind of a sleeper in the ninth round. Ditto for Donald Brown in the eighth as my RB4 - he was the one remaining back that offered the most upside if his team's No. 1 (Joseph Addai) were to miss any time.

A little concerned about my No. 1 TE (Owen Daniels) since he's coming off a torn ACL and he could be questionable for Week 1 of the regular season. But I decided to wait on a TE until the 10th round after some of the others I was targeting (Brent Celek, Zach Miller) were swiped from me. But I still think Daniels offers huge upside if he can put the injury behind him, and I feel like I have a solid, top-15 backup (John Carlson) as insurance.

I have Ryan Longwell as the No. 2 kicker on my board but I believe he was the fifth one taken. Matt Bryant is just a flier since he'll kick in a dome in Atlanta for a decent offense.

Defenses are a crapshoot, but the Steelers are usually a safe pick. I don't particularly like the Browns, but I do like the idea of Josh Cribbs returning kicks.

8/13 Bust of the Day: Joseph Addai

RB JOSEPH ADDAI, Colts

There's a lot to like about Addai. He's a trusted and important part of the Colts offense. He scored 13 total TDs last year. He compiled 1,164 rushing and receiving yards in 2009. And he's playing for a new contract in 2010.

That said, why am I dissing Addai as a potential bust? Allow me to explain.

Addai's 13 TDs last year helped cover up the fact he averaged only 3.8 yards a carry, the second year in a row that number was under 4. Whether that's because the Colts offensive line is better equipped to protect Peyton Manning than to run block these days, it's hard to say. But Addai hasn't displayed a whole lot of big-play ability either - he hasn't had a run longer than 23 yards since his rookie season in 2006.

And I'll tell you who does have big-play ability: second-year back Donald Brown, Addai's backup. Brown's rookie season didn't go as well as I and some other prognositcators envisioned (281 rushing yards, 3.6 a carry, 3 TDs in 11 games). But he's flashed the explosiveness Addai has lacked - his 45-yard run in Week 7 against St. Louis last year is longer than any in Addai's career. Now that the former first-rounder has had more than a year to master the Colts' complicated offense, expect to see him take on a bigger role this year and siphon some carries from Addai. Besides, with Addai being eligible for free agency next season, Indy will probably want to figure out if their investment has what it takes to be a feature back.

I'm not saying Addai doesn't have value. His versatility and his role in the Colts' passing attack are still appealing. I just don't think he's a top-20 back this year as many are predicting.


Photo by The Associated Press

Grading my 2009 sleepers

RB JAMES DAVIS, BROWNS

I pegged Davis as a breakout player in the case of Jamal Lewis' eventual demise as a feature back. Turns out I was half right. Lewis did break down, but by that time, Davis had already suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. That left room for James Harrison to step in and get all the glory, but I still believe without the shoulder injury, that could have been Davis. So I'm giving myself a bit of a mulligan. GRADE: C-


RB LeSEAN McCOY, EAGLES

I thought Shady would have a bit more of an impact this year, especially with Brian Westbrook on the shelf so long. He did run for 3 TDs and had a few useful fantasy performances, but he also never topped 100 yards in a game and had quite a few stinkers mixed in. He does have a bright future in the league, especially with Westbrook's long-term health in question, but McCoy wasn't totally ready for prime time in 2009. GRADE: C+


RB JAMAAL CHARLES, CHIEFS

I've been pretty high on Charles for quite a while and was biding my time for Larry Johnson to lose his grip on the starting job in K.C. He did, and Charles was masterful in LJ's place. He topped 1,000 rushing yards despite appearing in only 10 games and not getting double-digit carries until taking over as the starter in mid-November. I'm giving myself major props for this one. GRADE: A+


RB AHMAD BRADSHAW, GIANTS

Bradshaw didn't have near the type of season I thought he would, but that could also be said for teammate Brandon Jacobs or the Giants in general. Bradshaw did have a couple outstanding games early in the season (104 yards vs. Tampa Bay, 110 yards and 2 TDs vs. Oakland) but never really evolved from being a marginal flex player or No. 3 back. Still, he was solid. GRADE: B


QB KYLE ORTON, BRONCOS

Orton was never very flashy - he had just one 3-TD game, in Week 16 against Philly, and topped 300 yards passing just twice - but he was never as bad as some expected, either (only two 3-INT games). I pegged him as a dependable No. 2 and ranked him 15th among fantasy QBs, and he actually slightly exceeded those expectations, finishing 14th in standard scoring ESPN leagues, above bigger names such as Carson Palmer, David Garrard, Joe Flacco, Jason Campbell, Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Ryan. GRADE: A


RB DONALD BROWN, COLTS

This one really hurt, because I thought the rookie was poised for a big breakout. He didn't get as much work as I hoped, but he wasn't extremely effective when he did (3.6 yards a carry), and he also missed several games with injury. He's still got a lot of potential and could very well overtake Joseph Addai as the Colts' lead back next year, but for now this sleeper's still dozing. GRADE: D

Start 'Em: Week 8

-RB LaDAINIAN TOMLINSON vs. Oakland: LT2's looked like a shell of his former self as many (including yours truly) predicted in the preseason. He can't seem to get the tough yards anymore and hasn't cracked 71 in a game yet. Some of that has to do with his offensive line, of course, but here's betting they can get things going against an imploding Raiders team and Tomlinson busts through for at least a TD and his best rushing output to date in 2009.

-TE JEREMY SHOCKEY vs. Atlanta: The Shockster has caught at least 4 passes in every game so far and is coming off his best game, yardage-wise (105) so far this year. Now he faces a Falcons D that's been victimized by Jason Witten (5 for 53), Greg Olsen (5 for 57, TD), Vernon Davis (5 for 51), Chris Baker (2 for 42, TD) and Dante Rosario (3 for 31, TD) this year.

-QB DAVID GARRARD at Tennessee: Garrard had his best game of the season in Week 4 against the Titans (323 yards, 3 TDs), and Jeff Fisher's defense has yet to show any ability to stop an aerial attack.


LAST WEEK'S PICKS

- Frank Gore ran for a pitiful 32 yards on 13 carries against the Texans in his first game back from injury. Huge disappointment.

- Donald Brown was on his way to a great day (2 carries for 58 yards) in a rout of the Rams before hurting his shoulder. Tough break.

- Steve Breaston was another huge letdown (1 catch for 23 yards). Anquan Boldin did end up suiting up against the Giants and hauled in 3 passes for 75 yards, which hurt Breaston's production a bit, but it's still no excuse.

Photo by The Associated Press

Sit 'Em: Week 4

- FRED JACKSON at Dolphins: Freddie J has been a fantasy revelation so far, but he's got two major strikes against him this week: Miami's defense is one of the league's toughest against the run (66 yards allowed per game), and Marshawn Lynch returns from suspension this week. Hold onto Jackson, but sit him this week and wait to see how the Bills' timeshare pans out.

- MATT CASSEL vs. Giants: Let's think about this: He's coming off a game where he threw for 90 yards, his top target (Dwayne Bowe) has a hamstring injury and might not even play, and he's facing the league's top pass defense. It all adds up to keeping Cassel on your bench, unless you're desperate.

- TJ HOUSHMANDZADEH at Colts: He's a borderline play in PPR leagues this week, but even that's troublesome with Seneca Wallace under center (without Walter Jones protecting him) for the Seahawks. TJ hasn't topped 62 yards or scored a TD yet this season.


LAST WEEK'S PICKS:

- Carson Palmer led the Bengals to a big upset of the Steelers, but it wasn't helpful for fantasy purposes (183 yards, 1 TD), as I predicted.

- Joseph Addai got the job done (13 carries, 63 yards and a receiving TD) against Arizona. But Donald Brown (112 total yards) won't back down in his push for more playing time.

- Roy Williams had his highest reception total of the season (a whopping 4, for 75 yards) against Carolina but still hasn't justified his lofty draft status.

Sit 'Em: Week 3

- CARSON PALMER vs. Pittsburgh: Carson's had his share of trouble with the Steelers over the years (who hasn't?). He didn't play against them last year but threw just 1 TD against Pittsburgh in two games in 2007. And the Steelers' D is pretty good again.

- JOSEPH ADDAI vs. Arizona: This dude's act is getting old: 74 yards rushing in two games. He also had only 6 carries on Monday night against Miami. And the Cardinals' run defense has been quite good so far. Get ready, Donald Brown.

- ROY WILLIAMS vs. Carolina: Is this guy really a No. 1 WR? Is he a fantasy starter? Based on last week's one-catch effort, the answer right now is no. Put him on the shelf until further notice.


LAST WEEK'S PICKS:

- Devery Henderson had a ho-hum 3 catches for 71 yards last week.

- Pierre Thomas had only one catch for -4 yards and still hasn't carried the ball this year. His knee injury has made him a huge bust so far.

- Ben Roethlisberger threw for 221 yards and 1 TD against Chicago.

Breaking down a fantasy trade

First trade of the season:

I give up:

WR DeSean Jackson
RB Donald Brown

I get back:

WR Steve Breaston
RB Ray Rice

I like both of the guys I'm giving up. The deal was prompted by my trade partner, who's a big Eagles fan and wants a Philly player (Jackson) on his team. Jackson's my third WR behind Greg Jennings and Roy Williams (I also have Ted Ginn Jr. and Hakeem Nicks). Breaston would be a downgrade from Jackson obviously, but I feel I'm upgrading by replacing the rookie Brown with Rice, a guy I look and who I was targeteting in the draft.

I'm a little thin at WR overall but now I'm stacked at RB (Michael Turner, Marion Barber, LenDale White, Rashard Mendenhall, James Davis, plus Rice). And in this league's format I can start three RBs in a week if I choose, with Rice perhaps being a better every-week fit than White in that flex spot.

Thoughts?

8/26 Sleeper of the Day: Donald Brown

RB DONALD BROWN, COLTS




The Colts spent a first-round draft pick this year on Brown, an outstanding collegiate running back at Connecticut who led all of Division I in rushing last year. Brown is a versatile player who has drawn raves for his ability to block and catch passes out of the backfield, and he projects to be an every-down back at the NFL level.

Indy obviously brought in Brown to compete with the underwhelming Joseph Addai for a spot in the backfield, and though I expect this to be a timeshare situation, at least initially, I wouldn't be surprised to see Brown getting more touches per game than Addai by year's end. You can grab Brown as your No. 3 RB - and much later than Addai - and get some significant points out of him, particularly if Addai finds himself once again on the trainer's table this year.