Mock Draft from Fantasy DieHards Magazine

Well I had my first mock draft for this year and I must say I was a bit rusty. This time of the year I really haven't put in any time so I just had some fun and tried to take guys that the board would dictake me taking. Anyway he is my picks for a 12 Team, PPR(Point-per-Reception) League...

Frank Gore- My decision was between Gore and Johnson. I decided because of the drop-off at RB after the Top 5 to focus on WR next round. Frank “the Tank” is an excellent PPR back.

Sidney Rice- Favre will be back. Hopefully he stays upright enough to stay relatively healthy. If so, I can’t imagine Sidney Rice having too much trouble duplicating last season.

Vincent Jackson- This pick was tough because he is poised for a possible long holdout. Usually though those things seem to work out in the end. He was easily the most talented WR left. We’ll see.

Jahvid Best- My kind of PPR back. Best will score in every possible game situation. His success will be decided by how well he pass protects. No one stands in his way for the starting job.

Reggie Bush- Maybe should have gone with Felix Jones. Time will tell. Bush needs to be able to fill in and add depth. Should be able to consistently get 10-15 points per game.

Pierre Garcon- 3rd year wideout. Peyton Manning at Quarterback. His upside is a bit limited with so many weapons but it also means that 60 cat 800-1000 yards and 6-8 TD’s are easily within grasp.

Dez Bryant- After going safe the previous round I took a shot. Don’t know how good he really is but Jerry Jones will want to see his new toy play. Cowboys are going to score a lot.

Joe Flacco- Was going to take Romo in the 5th but he went one pick ahead of me. Flacco will be a fine consolation prize. Plenty of weapons and a solid O-Line don’t hurt either.

Matt Ryan- I like to double up my QB’s if I don’t get a stud. Ryan is limited by the style of offense Atlanta runs but people may be sleeping a bit on him this year.

LaDainian Tomlinson- Surprised he lasted this long. Isn’t going to set the world on fire but Rex Ryan believes in him. Jets O-Line is very good and he still posses pass catching skills. Low risk pick.

Dustin Keller-Actually was thinking about taking a stud TE several times but just couldn’t pull the trigger. The playoff run was encouraging. He will be solid. Wanted Carlson as my backup but failed.

Dexter McCluster- I am intrigued by his role. Think a poor man’s Percy Harvin, but he could be just a special teams pick for the Chiefs. Watch how his role unfolds. Terrific hands and top end speed.

Bernard Berrian- I thought it was solid value this late. Having Berrian as insurance in case Rice was to go down doesn’t hurt either.

Glen Coffee- Handcuff your top backs especially when they are considered the main backup. Ask Ronnie Brown owners last year if they were glad they had Ricky. I know I was.

Tidbits from my article in Fantasy Sports Publications

Sleepers

Chad Henne QB, Mia- Henne is coming into his 3rd year in the league and showed plenty of promise in his first full year of playing. He has a lot of weapons at his disposal as well as a pretty solid O-Line. The Dolphins will have a terrific red-zone passing offense which will be able to provide Henne with ample amounts of TD passes this year. Brandon Marshall and Brian Hartline provide big, strong handed targets along with a running game that needs to be respected by opposing defenses. Look for the “wildcat” to be phased out in Miami and for Henne to be leaned upon more to provide solid amounts of play action to get easy scores. It would not surprise me in the least to see him make the next step into a starting fantasy QB putting up 2009 Joe Flacco type numbers.

Jahvid Best RB, Det- Best has a great chance to be an impact player in PPR leagues showcasing underrated hands, an elusive skill set, top end speed, and an unimpeded starting job. Some of the concerns Best will have is pass protection and goal line/short yardage situations. If he struggles to pick up blitzes, he won’t be involved during obvious passing situations. Monitor his progress in preseason and watch if he is being included in 3rd and long situations. Pretty good chance you will have to live with the lack of touches in short yardage but that’s ok if he’s hauling in 4-5 catches a game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FpQFBJTZB0&feature=related


John Carlson TE, Sea- I had John Carlson last year and I must say it was one big headache for most of the season. Watching a lot of Seattle Seahawk football games, I know the problem wasn’t Carlson. The Seattle O-Line was pitiful to say the least leaving Carlson as more of a blocker than receiver. When utilized correctly he came up with some big time plays. The drafting of Russell Okung will hopefully provide stability among the line giving Hasselbeck legitimate time to find the talented pass catcher. The Seahawks won’t be playing from in front too much in 2010 so the opportunity will be there if Okung has the type of presence his draft slot commands. Keep an eye on this situation in the preseason to make sure Okung is signed and progressing the way he was touted coming into the draft. If so, Carlson will be a major beneficiary of that improvement.

Bust

Michael Turner RB, Atl- People who don’t understand PPR leagues will consistently be burnt by guys like Turner. Turner is still being treated as a first round pick according to mockdraftcentral.com even though he is a very inconsistent scorer from week to week in this scoring system. In his 2008 monster season he scored less than seven pts a whopping four times during the fantasy regular season. And that is a year in which he was an overall top 3 scoring back. So in the regular season you’re starting one-third of the games (5 games after the bye week) with little or no production from your top back. That is a recipe for disaster. Bottom line is this: Turner can only score points when his team is winning and he’s scoring TD’s. Good PPR backs will score continuously throughout their teams’ game no matter the situation and some can be had in the 3rd to 5th rounds.


C.J. Spiller RB, Buf- I am excited to see Spiller play and actually feel he will be a dynamic player in the NFL; just not this year. Buffalo has a lot of problems namely the Quarterback position. PPR players will be tempted to compare Spiller to when Reggie Bush was a rookie. No way does Spiller come close to 90 catches and the main reason being Buffalo cannot move the chains with consistency like New Orleans could do. There is no Brees/Colston combination to take the pressure off. I would say people in PPR leagues may draft him as a #2 RB and get a flex/back-up player at best.