Friday Edition
August 24th, 2012
David’s Daily Digest
Some
Friday Foootball Fun
Week three of the preseason is under
way and my first fantasy football draft of the season is less than a day away,
so rather than regurgitating a bunch of known information (at least not
tonight), how about we talk more specifically about the draft.
Although this first draft is in a
custom league with a non-standard scoring format, a lot of the same fantasy
football strategy principles still apply here. This league is what we call a
quarterback league, but depth at all positions is still the key to winning. Let’s
put it this way, the teams with Brees and Rodgers did not win the title.
I am not going to get heavily into my
specific strategy or offer any confidential secrets that will guarantee fantasy
success, but rather offer my thoughts on those players I will be looking for in
this first draft and my subsequent drafts.
The
Arms
Everyone already knows about Brees,
Brady, and Rodgers, and I am seeing plenty of hype around the new boy from
Detroit (Matthew Stafford), so unless I am drafting early in any leagues or looking
for a quarterback with my first pick I probably won’t see any of these arms
available past mid 2nd round. Having said that, quarterbacks I like
and will be looking at are Matt Schaub, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Josh Freeman.
Each has shown the ability to be a big
passer and have a big-time target to throw to this season (Andre Johnson,
Stevie Johnson, and Vincent Jackson). Fitzpatrick and Freeman were down a bit
in 2011 with too many turnovers, but they still finished in the top 13 for
passing yards. Schaub was on his way to a big season before going down, I like
his chances in 2012 to stay healthy and play big.
The
Legs
The running backs at the top of the
fantasy food chain will likely be the same familiar names from a year ago (Rice,
Foster, and McCoy)and they will likely be sure to go early in most drafts. A few
interesting names that I will be watching and targeting past the first round include
Fred Jackson, Darren Sproles, and Reggie Bush. These guys will be particularly
effective in PPR leagues. All three are top 20 fantasy backs and should be
right back in the mix again in 2012.
A couple of ground gainers that could
scoop up some easy scores this season are (Broncos) Willis McGahee and
(Patriots) Steven Ridley. First I like Ridley to win the job in New England and
I think his explosiveness could lead to some big plays and big scores this
season. In the Mile High city, I believe Manning’s presence is going to bring
an up-tempo style to the offense and create more scoring opportunities for McGahee
in Denver.
The
Hands
Right now there is no receiver as good
as Calvin Johnson, but there a several names I like and players I will be
trying to grab in tomorrow’s draft. AJ Green just looks too good and appears
ready to build off his outstanding rookie campaign. Like Green, Julio Jones in
Atlanta looks ready to breakout big in his second year. If wide receiver Dez
Bryant can stay healthy, his size and ability could lead to a huge 2012 season
in Dallas. I have never been much of a fan of the offense in Oakland, but with
OTAs and a full training camp under their belts, Darrius Heyward-Bey should
rekindle some of the late season magic he found with quarterback Carson Palmer last
season.
A quiet name I will be looking to add
later in the draft are Steve Smith in St. Louis; he is quickly building a nice
rapport with quarterback Sam Bradford and could be looking at a nice comeback
with the Rams. A not-so-quiet name is Demaryius Thomas, He is another nice
mid-rounds pick up that has great upside with a healthy Manning under center;
his counter-part Eric Decker also has value should Thomas be taken.
One more name I will throw at there
for thought; I like the arrival of Cedric Benson in Green Bay. Their offense
has lacked consistency on the ground the past several seasons. Benson gives
them a real banger and with the focus in the air, there’s no pressure on Ced.
If he can leave his fumbling woes behind, he could be a real factor in fantasy
this season.
By David Ortega
