10:03 PM CDT on Monday, August 27, 2007
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Perfection is a relative term. And believe me, I’m not referring to my relatives. Especially my in-laws.
As much as you and I would love to field a fantasy team piloted by Peyton Manning, anchored by LaDainian Tomlinson and Steven Jackson in the backfield, with Chad Johnson, Marvin Harrison and Antonio Gates catching passes, that’s about as likely as George Clooney having trouble finding a date on Saturday night.
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Unless you’re playing in a league of monkeys throwing darts at a draft board, you simply must accept that many of the players you covet most will be stolen by your competitors. That’s why they are no longer your friends.
Our challenge, therefore, is to secure the best value with every pick, methodically assembling a team that will dominate from Week 1, withstand an injury to one or two key players, and peak during the fantasy playoffs.
With that lofty goal in mind, I’ve once again done the research for you – analyzing the average draft position of each player from several mock draft sites to determine the best pick in each round – resulting in the 2007 Perfect Draft.
As always, we start with a few key assumptions. First, we’re in a 10-team league using a standard scoring system that starts 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K and 1 Def. Second, we are drafting from the middle (fifth) position in a zig-zag format, meaning LT is long gone by the time we pick. Third, because all drafts play out differently, we’ll need a little luck along the way. And finally, our goal is nothing short of total domination and the abject humiliation of our opponents.
Now, with the fifth pick of the 2007 Fantasy Draft, we select …
Round 1 – Joseph Addai, RB, Indianapolis: We’re in great shape with the Colts workhorse in our backfield. He can’t help but rack up yardage and scores in that offense, and there’s no one threatening to share carries. If he’s gone, Fast Willie Parker is the pick.
Round 2 – Chad Johnson, WR, Cincinnati: If Travis Henry falls to us here, we raise our fists and declare victory. Otherwise, we take the top fantasy receiver in the land, and pray that our competitors allow at least one top RB to fall to us in the next round.
Round 3 – Cedric Benson, RB, Chicago: As tempting as it may be to load up at WR with Reggie Wayne, we must secure our RB2 with Chicago’s workhorse. Edgerrin James is arguably a better option but is probably gone.
Round 4 – Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans: Pass on Peyton Manning three rounds earlier and get the next best thing. We’ll love his creampuff schedule during the fantasy playoffs. If Brees is gone, Marc Bulger will be just fine.
Round 5 – Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota: Let’s grab the 2007 Rookie of the Year while we can and shore up our backfield at the same time. We may keep him on the bench for a couple of weeks, but it won’t be long before Peterson gives us fits when making our start/sit decisions.
Round 6 – Reggie Brown, WR, Philadelphia: DeAngelo Williams, my leading candidate for Breakout Player of the Year, may prove to be a better pick. But we’ll take Donovan McNabb’s go-to receiver here instead. We’re stacked at RB.
Round 7 – Tony Romo, QB, Dallas: He may have slipped to us in the next round, but let’s not risk losing one of the steals of the draft. We now have two of the top six QBs in Fantasyland.
Round 8 – Brandon Jackson, RB, Green Bay: Tatum Bell may fall in our lap here, especially if our competitors are leery of his shin injury. If not, Jackson has the inside track on the Packers’ starting job, with Vernand Morency still nursing a strained knee.
Round 9 – Vincent Jackson, WR, San Diego: A potent end zone target, Jackson will be a prime beneficiary of Philip Rivers’ continued development. If he’s gone, we take Bernard Berrian, Chicago’s home-run threat.
Round 10 – Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh: Let’s scoop up another sleeper to round out our receiving corps. Let someone else spend big on Hines Ward. We’ll take the more explosive receiver who will out-produce the veteran in his third year.
Round 11 – Jason Witten, TE, Dallas: We gambled a bit waiting on our tight end, but Witten is severely undervalued this year. He’s poised for a sensational season running deeper routes for his dynamic quarterback and good friend Romo.
Round 12 – Drew Bennett, WR, St. Louis: There are several intriguing options here, including, possibly, Warrick Dunn. Bennett offers terrific upside in the Rams’ passing game, particularly given the worries over Torry Holt’s slow recovery from off-season knee surgery.
Round 13 – Jaguars defense, Jacksonville: Waiting on our defense allowed us to stock up at the other positions. Meanwhile, the Jaguars give us a formidable unit at a great price.
Round 14 – Brandon Marshall, WR, Denver: A steal this late, Marshall should develop a solid bond with fellow second-year player Jay Cutler.
Round 15 – Owen Daniels, TE, Houston: We need a backup to Witten, and Daniels offers significant upside after a surprising rookie campaign.
Round 16 – Adrian Peterson, RB, Chicago: This is the time to backup our top RB, but there’s no clear handcuff to Addai. The “other AP” has looked good when given the opportunity, and could fill in admirably if Benson is injured or wears down. A flier like Packers WR James Jones is another decent pick here.
Round 17 – Nate Kaeding, K, San Diego: I don’t always insist on waiting for the last round to take a kicker; but when a sure thing like Kaeding is going to be there, it only makes sense.
There you have it. Great players at every position, no major bye problems, and, best of all, no Raiders, Browns, Bills, Titans, Chiefs, Dolphins or Bucs.
Here’s hoping your draft is perfect, too.