A Tale of Two Drafts

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A TALE OF TWO DRAFTS

By Perry Van Hook

Premium Contributor

By now you have all finished your drafts. Hopefully some of you were able to compete in one or more of the events at the National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) or the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF).

Whether you did or not however I think you will find this article very interesting. It will show the round by round draft in the NFFC by Todd Ullman and Richard Berger, last year’s winners of WCOFF. That draft will be critiqued by Rob Bennetti, last year’s winner at the NFFC. Then Bennetti’s draft in the WCOFF will be critiqued by Ullman.

In addition, at this year’s competitions, Greg Ambrosius, the NFFC founder and Editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine for Krause Publications will compete in the WCOFF, while Jesse Herron and Dustin Ashby the new owners of the WCOFF drafted last week in the NFFC. We will have their drafts critiqued by the operator of the contest they drafted in.

This highly unique format, an exclusive to FantasyFootball.com, will give you a lot of information about how to draft in the two premier events in Fantasy Football.

Todd Ullman (2006 WCOFF Champion) – 2007 NFFC Draft

Saturday, September 1 – 14 team leagues with 3^rd Round Reversal of draft order

Drafting at #10

1.10 - Shaun Alexander, RB, SEA

2.05 - Chad Johnson, WR, CIN

3.05 - Lee Evans, WR, BUF

4.10 - Tatum Bell, RB, DET

5.05 - Donovan McNabb, QB, PHL

6.10 - Lendale White, RB, TEN

7.05 - Kevin Curtis, WR, PHL

8.10 - Chris Brown, RB, TEN

9.05 - Jacoby Jones, WR, HOU

10.10- Sammy Morris, RB, NE

11.05- Heath Miller, TE, PIT

12.10- Joey Harrington, QB, ATL

13.05- Dennis Northcutt, WR, JAX

14.10- Neal Rackers, K, AZ

15.05- Minnesota Vikings DST

16.10- Desmond Clark, TE, CHI

17.05- San Francisco 49ers DST

18.10- Roscoe Parrish, WR, BUF

Here are the defending Champ’s comments on Todd’s draft:

1.10 Shaun Alexander, RB1: It wasn’t too long ago that Alexander was a consensus top 4 RB. He was slowed last year by injury and Hasselbeck in my opinion. If he is healthy and regains his form, he could be the steal of the draft.

2.05 Chad Johnson, WR1: If I was drafting in this position he would have been one of two players I would hope to have drop to me, Steve Smith would have been the other. The number one WR and a potential TD machine after two rounds is the ideal start in this format from that position.

3.05 Lee Evans, WR2: I targeted Evans as my #2 this year in as many leagues as I could get him. He scares some folks away because he is not as consistent on a weekly basis but with the NFFC’s 13 week regular season and total points as a way into the Championship Round, I know he will get his points. Very nice pick in this format.

4.10 Tatum Bell, RB2: At the time of our drafts it was not yet known that Kevin Jones was not going to be placed on the pup list but he is trying to rush back from a Lisfranc injury anyway. This is an injury that can linger or become aggravated quite easily. Bell fits nicely into this offense and if he holds the job he could be a home run.

5.05 Donovan McNabb, QB1: McNabb sits at the end of the group of QBs I would consider taking before the 8^th or 9^th round in the NFFC. Before his injury he averaged more points than any other QB while he was playing last year. I believe he is healthy enough to produce as an elite fantasy QB in 2007. Nice pick.

6.10 Lendale White, RB3(a): If I had taken a QB in round 5 my draft style would have been to secure my 3^rd starting WR or possibly one of the elite TEs. White was handed the keys to the Titans running game but he drove to Krispy Kreme instead. Todd did secure the Titans running game in round 8 by taking Brown. Taking Tatum somewhat forced this pick.

7.05 Kevin Curtis, WR3: He seems to be on the same page as McNabb and he will be very involved in that offense. He is a solid #3 WR in this format. Todd will also get to experience the QB/WR daily double when they find pay dirt. Nicely done.

8.10 Chris Brown, RB3(b): Todd obviously wanted to ensure his 3^rd RB by securing the Titans rushing game. He now has his core lineup almost set and he can start adding depth. The top tier TEs are likely gone and the best of the rest do not warrant a look over RB/WR depth

9.05 Jacoby Jones, WR4: He has picked up the speed of the NFL very quickly and will be a fixture in that offense in the very near future. I personally like to have a surer bet for my 4^th WR but his upside is off the charts. He could be fantasy gold this year

10.10 Sammy Morris, RB4: Morris backs up Maroney who is coming off of a shoulder surgery in the 2^nd best offense in the NFL. If Maroney goes down Todd could have a very productive back.

11.05 Heath Miller, TE1: I consider him a serviceable TE and one who should get 4 or 5 looks a game. He is also a red zone target. Todd showed good patience while waiting for the right time to take his first TE. He built good depth at RB and now his core team is set.

12.10 Joey Harrington, QB2: The only thing I like about Harrington paired with McNabb is that Atlanta plays Tennessee in week 5 when McNabb gets a rest. There are only a few starters in the NFL that I wouldn’t want ahead of Harrington right now but hopefully McNabb stays healthy but given the injury he is coming back from – I would have tried to get a solid QB2.

13.05 Dennis Northcutt, WR5:.The Jaguar WR core is one I stayed away from but Northcutt is experienced and could be decent bye week filler.

14.10 Neil Rackers, K1: I never usually take a kicker in this format that early. His percentage went from 95% in 2005 to 76% in 2006. On the flip-side, he is on an offense that will be able to move the ball, they play in great weather and he has a week 8 bye meaning this position will not need to be re-visited for several weeks.

15.05 Vikings, DEF1: As with kickers, I usually wait a little longer and try and secure the players I want in the skilled positions instead. I then play bye week matchups. This was a great pick because of their schedule in the first four weeks.

16.10 Des Clark, TE2: I have been very high on Olsen all summer but his injury will allow Des to fill the role. He led the Demon Deacons in receptions and just needs to be given a chance. I think Olsen hurts his value quite a bit when he comes back but right now it is his job. Not a bad insurance policy behind Heath Miller.

17.05 49ers, DEF2: I never take two. I would always rather take a flyer on a WR or RB with upside. The 49ers host Baltimore when the Vikes are on a bye.

18.10 Roscoe Parrish, WR6: I have been hearing that the Bills would like to get this kid more involved in the offense and his TD return on Sunday shows you why. Is Roscoe Parrish Todd’s Colston from 2006?

The NFFC 14 team format usually leads to most teams leaving the draft with at least one hole at one or more positions. It is just a matter of pure numbers as the studs are split out over at least two more teams than most folks are accustomed.

Todd left the draft with no real holes. He selected a top tier QB to go along with arguably the best WR in the game and a RB who could be a top 5 back. He added RB depth as he now has at least 2 options behind his stud. His starting 3 WRs are excellent and he could have this year’s Colston in Jacoby Jones. Harrington and Northcutt will likely be Todd’s bye week lambs but the rest of the team is well balanced.

This is a solid team that should contend for its league title and beyond.

Jesse Herron and Dustin Ashby (the new owners of the WCOFF) 2007 NFFC Draft

Saturday, September 1 – 14 team leagues with 3^rd Round Reversal of draft order

Drafting at #14

1.14 - Willis McGahee, RB, BAL

2.01 - Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAX

3.01 - Roy Williams, WR, DET

4.14 - Plaxico Burress, WR, NYG

5.01 - Reggie Brown, WR, PHL

6.14 - Kellen Winslow, TE, CLE

7.01 - Mark Clayton, WR, BAL

8.14 - Jay Cutler, QB, DEN

9.01 - Dominic Rhodes, RB, OAK

10.14- Reuben Droughns, RB, NYG

11.01- Bobby Wade, WR, MIN

12.14- Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC

13.01- Roydell Williams, WR, TEN

14.14- Miami Dolphins DST

15.01- Jeff Wilkins, K, STL

16.14- Tony Scheffler, TE, DEN

17.01- Joey Harrington, QB, ATL

18.14- Jerome Harrison, RB, CLE

Now their draft analyzed by Greg Ambrosius, Founder of the NFFC, and Editor of Fantasy Sports Magazines.

“I’ve known Jesse Herron and Dustin Ashby since they joined our National Fantasy Baseball Championship in 2004 and I’ve respected them as fantasy players since. They always come into a draft with an exact plan, they are relentless working the waiver wires for their many teams and they are always looking for that extra point to make the difference in the final outcome. I trust nothing will change this year in the NFFC.

Since I can look at their KDS preferences, it’s fun to see how this draft unfolded. Jesse and Dustin were picked 8^th out of the hat in Las Vegas League 5, but they wound up with their third preference. They had 1, 2 as their top two preferences and then had 14, 13 as their next two preferences. They wound up with the 14^th pick and immediately you could see the WR-WR strategy coming.

I know Jesse was thinking that way, but when Steve Smith went to Team 13, they went RB-RB with Willis McGahee and Maurice Jones-Drew. They then grabbed three solid receivers with their next three picks and filled in nicely the rest of the way. This is going to be a solid team and one of many fighting for the $100,000 grand prize.

Here’s a look at each of their picks:

Willis McGahee: McGahee went 14^th or 15^th in 12 of 26 NFFC main event leagues and went higher than that only twice. This was a safe, solid foundation piece as he should score consistently as the team’s RB1.

Maurice Jones-Drew: One other NFFC team started this way (New York 8), but in 22 of 26 main event leagues he went after the 15^th pick. Cedric Benson and Chad Johnson went right after this pick and I might have been tempted to take either one. But the RB foundation had been set.

Roy Williams: His ADP in the NFFC Satellite Leagues was 26, so this was a nice bargain to start 3RR (29^th pick). He went in the second round in 22 of 26 NFFC leagues, so this was a solid pick. This is one of the reasons they chose 14 as one of their Top 3 KDS preferences.

Plaxico Burress: He went higher than this in 15 of the 26 leagues and his NFFC ADP from satellite leagues was 48 (this was the 56^th pick). So again, not a bad bargain, although he could be an injury risk.

Reggie Brown: Brown went lower than this in 15 of 26 NFFC drafts, but his ADP was 55, so it was a worthy choice. Julius Jones and Vincent Jackson were also on the board and went right after this pick. Still, this rounds out a solid receiving corp.

Kellen Winslow: He went higher than this in 15 of 26 drafts and at this same spot in two other leagues. He went right at his Satellite ADP (84) and in a PPR league this is a solid addition to the TE spot. Vernon Davis and Jeremy Shockey were still on the board and went two and three picks later, respectively.

Mark Clayton: Clayton’s Satellite League ADP was 79, so this was solid value once again. Other choices on the board at that time included Bernard Berrian, Donte Stallworth, Greg Jennings and Terry Glenn.

Jay Cutler: Cutler was taken higher than this (112^th overall) in 13 of 26 leagues, so this is solid value. Cutler could be a solid QB1 if he can get on the same page with Javon Walker. In LV3, he was the 14^th QB taken, so patience was served nicely in this instance.

Dominic Rhodes: This was their first reach as his ADP was 127^th, but it’s a good gamble if this team can reach the Championship Round. At that point, Rhodes could have some good fantasy value.

Reuben Droughns: His NFFC Satellite League ADP was 122, so getting him with the 140^th pick proved to be too good to pass up. They had a choice of Droughns, Sammy Morris, Brian Leonard, Ron Dayne or Selvyn Young and went with the sure backup in New York. Can’t argue with that.

Bobby Wade: It’s a reach with the 141^st pick, but he could be the Vikings’ leading receiver when all is said and done. Not a bad gamble.

Dwayne Bowe: I like the upside of this former LSU receiver as well and have him in plenty of leagues. He’s the sixth receiver for this team and well worth the gamble at the end of Round 12. Now he needs Damon Huard to progress in Kansas City.

Roydell Williams: Personally, I’ll stay away from Titan receivers and let others gamble on them. They passed on Jeff Garcia and Greg Olsen, who I might have looked at with this pick.

Dolphins DST: They took Miami as the 11^th DST in this league. We have them ranked fifth as we think Ted Ginn Jr. can help the special teams and the defense should continue to excel. Solid pick.

Jeff Wilkins: They beat the kicker run by grabbing Wilkins as the third player at this position to start the 15^th round. Wilkins or Robbie Gould works here for me as Adam Vinatieri and Nate Kaeding were already gone.

Tony Scheffler: He was the 24^th tight end picked in this league and a solid backup for Winslow as long as he stays healthy and clicks with Cutler. I think both things will happen.

Joey Harrington: I’ve seen enough of Harrington during his Detroit days to stay away, so I’ll let Jesse and Dustin gamble with him now. Garcia in the 13^th round would have worked better for me than Harrington in the 17^th round, but the job is obviously his for the season, which is what you need in a No. 2 QB.

Jerome Harrison: As active as Jesse and Dustin are in FAAB bidding, this pick won’t stick around long. But it ended a solid, solid draft from the WCOFF leaders.”

A Huge thanks to both Rob and Greg for their draft critiques. Now we will turn the tables as Todd and Jesse will comment on drafts from the World Championship of Fantasy Football by their counterparts.

A week after the NFFC drafts, the World Championship of Fantasy Football held drafts in three cities. In Las Vegas, the 2006 NFFC Champion, Rob Bennetti of Mokena, Illinois drafted from the eighth position on Saturday, September 8 in Las Vegas.

Rob Bennetti’s 2007 WCOFF Draft

1.08 Reggie Bush, RB, NO

2.05 Chad Johnson, WR, CIN

3.08 Javon Walker, WR, DEN

4.05 Cadillac Williams, RB, TB

5.08 Santonio Holmes, WR, PIT

6.05 Drew Brees, QB, NO

7.08 Jeremy Shockey, TE, NYG

8.05 Leon Washington, RB, NYJ

9.08 Devery Henderson, WR, NO

10.05 Dominic Rhodes, RB, OAK

11.08 Alex Smith, QB, SF

12.05 James Jones, WR, GB

13.08 Jerome Harrison, RB, CLE

14.05 Ron Dayne, RB, HOU

15.08 Bo Scaife, TE, TEN

16.05 Maurice Stovall, WR, TB

17.08 Chris Henry, WR, CIN

18.05 Minnesota Vikings DST

19.08 Chris Henry, RB, TEN

20.05 Nick Folk, K, DAL

Last year’s WCOFF Champion Todd Ullman give us his comments on Bennetti’s draft:

1st round - Reggie Bush

I love the selection of Bush here. Many drafters were afraid to take him with a 1st round selection because we already had the advantage of seeing the Thursday night game and Bush had a bad game against a pumped up home Colts crowd. Before seeing this game, Bush would probably be selected anywhere from 4th to 8th or 9th at the latest. Even with one disappointing game Bush is sure to give Rob the equivalent of at least a TD per game just on catches. With WCOFF giving 1 pt. per catch for RBs Bush will be productive all year and have some huge weeks I'm sure.

Rd. 2 - Chad Johnson

So far I am a big fan of this draft. Chad is my #1 WR this year. Starting out with a stud RB and#1 WR is ideal.

Rd. 3 - Javon Walker

I am waiting to see a fault in Rob's draft but so far I can't. I love the pick of Walker here. He is a top 10 WR in my opinion. Walker has the kind of skills and attitude of a #1 WR that I expect to translate in to huge games. Walker is completely healthy now. He's fired up and making big predictions for the 2007 season. Something about that Mohawk adds to Walkers swagger this year. Kidding aside, Rob has started his draft with 3 NFL studs that Rob will enjoy watching on the highlights each week.

Rd. 4 - Cadillac Williams

This is an important pick for Rob. I'm really happy he took a starting RB here that doesn't look to share the ball much. The Bucs running attack looks to be consistently productive behind an improved line and no health concerns entering the season. Cadillac might not seem like a very exciting pick but it shows Rob's experience as an excellent fantasy football player to build a solid reliable starting lineup that can put up big points each week.

Rd. 5 - Santonio Holmes

This is the first pick that I question of Rob's. Don't get me wrong, I love Holmes this year and I have tried to draft him as many times as I can. The reason I don't like this pick is that I think it is extremely important to secure 3 starting RBs on all my fantasy football teams. I know you can maybe get a productive RB in rounds 6 and beyond but after this round the RBs mostly have less chance of being productive throughout the season. This pick of a 3rd WR before a 3rd RB is an aggressive, somewhat reckless swing for the fences.

Rd. 6 - D. Brees

Wow. Once again, Rob takes advantage of his league's fear to draft a player that they saw have one bad game. Rob could not pass on the value of getting Brees in the 6th round and I wouldn't either. Once again it is a shame Rob does not have 3 starting RBs secured but it’s hard to argue with Brees in the 6th round. That Thursday night Colts game was a special kind of game for the Colts - at home after a Superbowl win. The energy in that building and by the Colts players was insane. I am sure Brees will rebound to be a top 5 QB and probably even top 3 by the time the season is done.

Rd. 7 - J. Shockey

Round seven seems to be the round to select a TE in 2007 if you want to secure a top 7 TE. I love Shockey's potential this year and consider him a great TE to have on your fantasy team. However, by this point I would be panicking by owning only 2 RBs. I would rather have seen Rob select a RB here and make due with an 8th or 9th round TE like Witten, Daniels, or Ben Watson.

Rd. 8 - Leon Washington

Finally, a 3rd RB. At least Washington should score points every week. The problem I have is that if Rob's team has an injury he has to rely on a non starting RB to reside in his starting line up. This is a great pick for the position Rob has put him self in.

Rd. 9 - Devery Henderson

Rob was probably selecting the highest potential point scorer left at this time of the draft. I see a significant difference in opinion in our drafting. I have usually drafted heavy in RBs and Rob seems to try to build the highest scoring fleet of WRs he can. Point wise Rob's strategy makes sense. I find it to be dangerous. However in round 9 there are usually no reliable RBs left on the board so it's too late to turn back now. Devery Henderson should have many nice games with Brees. Once again, great value due to 1 poor game at the hands of the Colts.

Rd. 10 - D. Rhodes

A desperate pick to try to rescue a possible thin RB squad by week 5 or 6. I like the pick as I feel Rob needs to load up a little on RB potential.

Rd. 11 - Alex Smith

I like Smith this year as a backup QB. He has great weapons. If there was a big QB run Rob needed to secure a reliable backup for his squad.

Rd. 12 - James Jones

I absolutely love this pick. I have been targeting both James Jones and Jacoby Jones as much as possible as I believe one of those 2 could be this years Marquez Colston. Is it OK if we all just put the name Marquez Colston in the fantasy football dictionary as a description of a huge fantasy football stud that comes out of no where?

Rd. 13 - Jerome Harrison

This is probably just a difference of opinion but I don't see Harrison as a desirable backup RB. For some reason, I just can't get excited about anyone in the Browns backfield. I know this is just RB depth which Rob really needs.

Rd - 14 - R. Dayne

I really like this pick for Rob’s team. I like it more than the Harrison pick one round earlier. R. Dayne has shown that given an opportunity he can produce valid fantasy numbers. A. Green is the starter in Houston. Green is clearly past his prime. I like Green as the starter in Houston but with any injury to this not so young guy, Rob will have a somewhat proven RB to plug in as needed.

Rd. - 15 B. Scaife

Very nice pick. I love Scaife as a 2nd TE this year. The chemistry between Bo and V. Young is undeniable. If Shockey goes down, Rob should still have a solid TE to start.

Rd. 16 - M. Stovall

Its time to load up on backups for Rob's team. By round 16 it’s hard to find any sure things. Stovall is as good a selection as most in this area of the draft. Rob should know within about 4 weeks if he has a sleeper or a waiver wire resident.

Rd. 17 Chris Henry WR - CIN

I have not taken Henry on any team this year. An 8 week suspension is just too long for me. When Henry gets back up to speed he is still a #3 WR. Maybe the best #3 WR in the game but as a #3 you still have to guess which game will be the occasional big game out of Henry.

Rd. 18 - Vikings

I love this pick. Its not that I think the Vikings are a top 5 DEF or anything. The reason I love this is because Rob shows his expertise and patience by loading up on skill positions knowing he can secure a great DEF late in the draft.

Rd. 19 - Chris Henry - RB Ten.

By round 19 there is really nothing exciting left to take. I think this is an excellent pick for Rob. I feel you can't be too strong at RB. Most of these late round picks are strong waiver wire candidates. I like that Rob took a shot with a RB here instead of another WR. It doesn't hurt that Tennessee has one of the best O-lines in the NFL. If one of the starters or even both get hurt, Rob has a nice potential fantasy starter.

Rd. 20 - Nick Folk

Folk is a kicker. Ok, OK, I usually don't get too in to predicting kickers but I do have some positive things to say here. Folk has been the forgotten kicker because he was battling for the position with Grammatica throughout most of the pre-season. Folk officially won the job but stayed pretty low on the fantasy radar. Dallas is a great team for kickers. Nice offense that scores a lot. Nice veteran fantasy move on Rob's part to not waste a 16th or 17th round pick on guessing which kicker will have a good year.

Overall Review - I think Rob had a nice draft. He selected many potential high scoring players. I won't nitpick which late picks I disagree with as most of the late picks are just kind of guesses and personal preferences. The one big problem I have with Rob's draft was probably at either round 5 or possibly even round 3. We have a difference in strategy. I think many people have gone a little WR crazy lately. I will stand by my fantasy football strategy of securing 3 starting RBs at all costs. My thinking is that if all three work out and seem to be scoring well regularly, you have the option of starting all three using the one flex position in WCOFF. The best fantasy football players are still only right a little better than 60% of the time after rounds 3 or 4. What I mean by that is that there are always a few duds no one saw coming (2006 examples - Shaun Alexander, Cadillac Williams, Lamont Jordan, Randy Moss, Jamal Lewis, both CAR RBs etc). Some high picks just don't work out due to injury or just poor production. If you have at least three starting RBs and one doesn't work out you can still be just as competitive by starting 4 WRs and only 2 RBs. I learned this lesson big time in WCOFF last year after drafting 3 RBs with my 1st 3 picks (LaDanian Tomlinson, Reggie Bush, and DeShaun Foster). By the time we were competing for the Championship and the 200K, Foster had become a bench rider and we were able to recover at WR with a late pick - (Mark Clayton), and a free agent (M. Furrey) who were huge in our playoff run and eventual Championship. It is much easier to "get lucky" later in a draft at the WR position than at the RB position. It is also a lot easier to find a gem WR in the free agent market than it is to find a startable RB off the waiver wire. Starting out with only 2 reliable RBs forces a team to get lucky either with a late round backup pick getting significant playing time or both starting RBs producing well all year long. Many managers, including Rob tend to draft with the plan of starting 2 RBs and 4 WRs. This can be potentially explosive for fantasy scoring but is just too risky for my tastes. Outside of that one glaring difference in drafting strategies I loved Rob's picks. If Rob's team can stay healthy or he can find a reliable 3rd RB in Leon Washington or one of his later picks or even free agency I think he has a great shot to win his league and compete in the Championship round for the 300K.

In our last review we take a look at first time drafters in the WCOFF, as Greg Ambrosius and Tom Kessenich of Fantasy Sports magazines drafted from the seventh spot in Las Vegas. Greg and Tom are no strangers to FF however, as in addition to having played for years and been in countless industry drafts, they are the founders and operators of the NFFC (and NFBC). Jesse Herron, one of the new owners of WCOFF will give his comments.

Greg Ambrosius’ draft from the seventh position, Saturday, September 8

1.07 Larry Johnson, RB, KC

2.06 Steve Smith, WR, CAR

3.07 Javon Walker, WR, DEN

4.06 Carson Palmer, QB, CIN

5.07 Laveranues Coles, WR, NYJ

6.06 Julius Jones, RB, DAL

7.07 Jeremy Shockey, TE, NYG

8.06 DeShaun Foster, RB, CAR

9.07 Wes Welker, WR, NE

10.06 James Jones, WR, GB

11.07 Ron Dayne, RB, HOU

12.06 Brian Leonard, RB, STL

13.07 Dallas Clark, TE, IND

14.06 Jake Delhomme, QB, CAR

15.07 Miami Dolphins DS

16.06 Nate Kaeding, K, SD

17.07 Marty Booker, WR, MIA

18.06 Green Bay Packers DS

19.07 T.J. Duckett, RB, DET

20.06 Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC

And here are Jesse Herron’s comments on Greg’s draft:

1^st Round: RB, Larry Johnson, KC – I am sure Greg was pleased to see LJ drop to the 7 hole. LJ has the potential to be a top three back and will serve as a solid foundation for the team.

2^nd Round: WR, Steve Smith, Car – Surprising that the best WR would fall to 2.06. Paired with LJ, this team is off to a tremendous start.

3^rd Round: WR, Javon Walker, Den – I don’t like the decision to go WR here. Walker is solid, but RB2 was a much greater need at this point. I would have reached for either Deuce McAllister or Ahman Green here as I think you need RB2 to be a solid weekly contributor.

4^th Round: QB, Carson Palmer, Cin – No question of the talent as Carson is clearly a top tier QB. The hole at RB2 bothers me every round it remains unfilled, but there is no question Palmer will be a solid franchise QB.

5^th Round: WR, Laveranues Coles, NYJ – Coles makes a very solid WR3, but now the hole at RB2 is almost impossible to overcome. It is much easier to find value at WR from this point forward….not so much at running back.

6^th Round: WR, Julius Jones, Dal – Finally, the hole at RB2 is covered. Julius is an intriguing pick. It all comes down to his role in the Cowboys offense. Could be a great pick here and could also be a bust.

7^th Round: TE, Jeremy Shockey, NYG – Shockey is good tight-end and the right pick here.

8^th Round: RB, DeShaun Foster, Car – I like this pick, particularly given the lack of RB depth. This team needs Julius Jones or Foster to step up with a big year to be competitive. We will see the rest of the draft, but I believe the success of this team clearly depends on Foster and Jones at this point.

^9th Round: WR, Wes Welker, NE – Welker is a popular sleeper pick this season. Personally, I am not on the bandwagon as I feel Brady spreads the ball around too much for Welker to be a consistently strong play. That being said, he makes a very solid WR4.

10^th Round: WR, James Jones, GB – Greg’s first Homer Pick! Actually, that’s not the case. James Jones was a stud all pre-season at Green Bay and appears to have the confidence of father time – Brett Favre. If he gets regular playing time, Jones will be a staple in the starting lineup.

11^th Round: RB, Ron Dayne, Hou – Here’s banking on Ahman Green breaking down. If he gets in the lineup for the Texans this pick could work out – as this team is short on running back talent.

12^th Round: RB, Brian Leonard, StL – Leonard has talent and I like him as a sleeper should Steven Jackson come up lane. Good speculation pick here.

13^th Round: TE, Dallas Clark, Ind – Obviously, the value could not be missed here in the thirteenth round. Personally, with a solid TE in Shockey – I might have waited on TE2 as you are merely drafting depth. With that being said, Clark is a very solid TE2.

14^th Round: QB, Jake Delhomme, Car – A necessary pick for bye week purposes and to cover the fear of Carson getting hurt.

15^th Round: D/ST Dolphins – A top 5/6 defense in the 15^th round is a solid choice. We have this team in the NFFC, so hard to disagree with this one.

16^th Round: K, Nate Kaeding, -- A top 5 kicker in the 16^th is understandable. Should be solid once again.

17^th Round: WR, Marty Booker, Mia – Speculation play on a bad offense. If he repeats 2006, this was a great pick.

18^th Round: D/ST Packers – Ok, truly just a homer pick. If they get points for the amount of time on the field – I like this pick. Otherwise, why not wait and pick them up on the wire for $1.

19^th Round: RB, TJ Duckett, Det – I like Duckett, but he never seems to find the field. The last two rounds are to fill rosters and try to get lucky – maybe he did.

20^th Round: WR, Dwayne Bowe, KC – I love this pick. Great steal in the 20^th round.

All in all, Greg did a great job at the WCOFF. His team is solid and will be very competitive. I worry about the lack of RB depth as it could be his Achilles’ heel. I predict a record of 6-5 with approximately 1,400 points through week 11. We will be watching for him on the leader board.

Our thanks to all the participants for their time and comments on their counterpart’s draft. This is very interesting information and while there are differences (league size, ppr for RB, defensive scoring and roster size) in each competition, since the lineup is the same, the draft objectives should be the same. I found it very interesting the Champions of each event had the philosophical difference about strong three RB versus strong four WR, because both approaches can work – the goal is still to optimize your team’s scoring. Personally I tend to side with aiming for the strong receiving corps, because it is unusual for top receivers to appear throughout the year, while there are usually running back changes (usually due to injuries) all year long. Since both competitions utilize the Flex position, strength at either RB or WR (or even TE) can be effectively utilized.

I will post a short follow up after the regular season has played out in both the NFFC and WCOFF and see how these four teams did in their quest for fantasy football’s premier championships.