11.01 DT Bears
By Shannon O'Leary of FanEx
The Monsters of the Midway are back in the form of a young
talented team led by Brain Urlacher. This becomes kind of a
heart felt pick as I am a fan of Urlacher. When he was here
at UNM he did EVERYTHING they asked of him. He even ran the
ball some. This kid can motor and is a natural leader.
But last year there were others that stood up and served
notice. The line was tough and the secondary was decent. I
see these guys improving with age. They should be near the
top again in Fantasy Defense.
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11.01 DT Bears
By Guest Craig Brye
It's rather ironic that the Bears Defense has fallen to my
slot, considering I spent the better part of last season
debating with a good friend, a Chicago native, why I, a
Wisconsin native, thought the Bears didn't hold a candle to
the Packers. I'll save everyone the play by play and
sum up my side of the conversation like this...I don't
respect the Bears offense in the least, but I GREATLY
respect the Bears defense.
If you're going to draft a defense early enough to get one
of the top five, you're not going to go wrong with the
Bears. This is perhaps the most unsung bunch of
overachievers you've never heard of thanks to the deafening
roar of Urlacher, Urlacher, Urlacher. Don't get me
wrong, this guy is simply unbelievable and will change the
course of a game by himself. But the rest of that side
of the ball moves just as well and I'd even go so far to say
that LB Colvin is every bit as good as Urlacher. The
secondary lost Harris and Parrish to free agency and
Robinson is still waiting for his teammates to stop laughing
for breaking both wrists in the offseason, but that's not
going to slow these guys down at all.
The one big knock on the Bears defense I keep hearing is how
they're going to have to face Favre and Culpepper twice.
Even being perhaps the biggest Packers fan on the planet, I
never expect the Green and Gold to put up more than 24 and
always expect the Bears to force their fair share of
turnovers. A first place divisional schedule won't
make another 13-3 season very likely, but I remember a
defense a few years ago who literally carried a Raven
offense to a Super Bowl victory. The football fan in
me hopes the Bears go 0-16, the fantasy football fan in me
would take their Defense in a heartbeat.
11.01 DT Bears
By Guest Gus
Elmashni
I owned Chicago's defense in 4 of my leagues last year and
what fun that was! Practically every week the Monsters of
the Midway made a solid contribution to lucky fantasy teams.
Fantasy teams were even luckier if they had Chicago on their
rosters during week 16 when most playoff-based fantasy
leagues hold their league championships (shutout, 1 TD, 6
sacks, and 5 TO's against Detroit). That trend should continue next
season. As long as Urlacher is the main man, you cannot go
wrong with this defense.
True, the Bears schedule was soft last year playing against
weak offenses such as Atlanta, Arizona, Cincinnati,
Washington, Jacksonville, and Detroit
and Tampa Bay twice while they face stiffer competition next
season (St. Louis, Miami, Philadelphia, New England, and NY
Jets). However the Bears still play Green Bay, Minnesota,
Detroit, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta like they did last year and
also get a crack at Buffalo and Carolina.
Essentially you want a defense that will create
opportunities and not allow too many points. Who cares where
the defense is ranked. Most fantasy
leagues don't give points for yards allowed. Chicago was
good at turning over the ball and there is no reason why
they won't be good at that this upcoming season. Also O'
Leary drafted Chicago at just the right time since 4 more
defensive units were snatched after O'Leary's pick.
Bottom line: Chicago's defense will break many more hearts
as they did last year to Cleveland, San Francisco, and
fantasy owners who had to play against an owner starting
Chicago's D.
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11.02 QB Vinny
Testaverde
By TC Cannon of Fantasy
Asylum
There is no need to reinvent the wheel here. This is certainly a *need*
selection. I want to claim a super kicker here, but need to fill
the QB2 slot with someone.
The selection of QB Vinny
Testaverde as the 22nd QB is not exciting, eventful, or
impressive. My next drafted
player is scheduled for 28 picks from now at 13.06. Certainly all
semi-reasonable passers will be claimed before then. So it's
now or never to avoid the Quincy Carters of the league with
a hope-he-can player choice.
And, while I admire Vinny (and root for him), I can not
recommend him as a FF passer. He's entering his Blanda-era
and should he struggle or fall victim to another
injury, the Jets will turn to Chad Pennington for long term
duty. Then again, VT seems the best available choice, and
should not be needed often. (BTW, during Warner's October
bye week, it's Browns at Jets.)
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11.02 QB
Vinny Testaverde
By Guest Fred
Tierney
I really like this pick!!! I believe the
New York Jets will do better during the 2002 season. QB
Testaverde, RB Martin, and WR Chrebet will prosper with two
speedy wide receivers starting. In this league you get
the best performances of your players. There will be
some weeks when Vinny outscores Kurt Warner. Those
weeks Terry will make out like a bandit. Not counting
the bye week, I predict he will be used a minimum of four
weeks.
Testaverde will get 18-22 passing TDs and this will prove to
be a very good value pick.
I like how TC trades up to get his preferred players.
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11.03 DT Browns
By William Del Pilar | Ryan Bonini of KFFL
Defense in the 11th round is definitely not something we
typically do but it appears we're getting into the place
kicker and defensive team run at this time. With that in
mind, we decided it would be best to lock up our top defense
with an up-and-coming group that not only did well last year
but also has a chance to improve this year. A scary thought
considering they were a top rated defense in the FanEx FAD
last season! That defense is the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns are coming off a monster year that saw
them score 5 TDs through defensive and special teams play.
While the Browns weren't a playoff team last year, their
defense played remarkably well for fantasy teams and they
were very opportunistic. Head coach Butch Davis appears to
be molding the Browns after the former Super Bowl champion
Dallas Cowboys from the mid-90s, which was a team that had
very dominating defensive play. Their claim to fame was
speed, speed and more speed! That suits well in that it can
create havoc and force turnovers, which is what wins fantasy
games for owners. While the Browns ranked a poor 22nd in the
league in total yardage per game (331.1 YPG), this team was
aggressive in causing turnovers 30 interceptions and 9
fumble recovers.
Furthermore, they improved during the off-season. The
additions of LB Earl Holmes and S Robert Griffith bring
additional veteran savvy and big play potential to this
group, while giving the Browns an upgrade at two need areas
on defense. The Browns were without DE Courtney Brown most
of 2001 because of injury problems, so his return to
full-strength will also be a big plus. This team has a solid
nucleus of veteran players and a nice mixture of younger
players to continue to improve this year. With their
aggressive style of defensive play, more TDs can be
anticipated in the upcoming year in addition to them
bettering themselves in their poor ranking against the run
(138 YPG in '01). We're not too concerned about LB Jamir
Miller possibly holding out for more money and feel it will
be resolved. If not, it's a big loss but the truth is that
Miller under-achieved since entering the NFL and the Browns
chose to make him a star and tailored schemes and plays
around him. He needs the!
m as much as they need him and for his own NFL future and
glory, so we feel they'll work something out.
We looked at adding our fourth RB and even looked at a fifth
WR here, too but the players we discussed should slide at
least another round to us while we're not sure Cleveland
would have. We also pondered PK Jeff Wilkins and felt he
would not last but liked the value of the Browns defense
better even though defenses can be suspect. Our own track
record the last two years has hurt us (Ravens defense in
2001 and the Rams defense in 2000) but we're confident with
this pick and waited about four rounds longer than we have
the last couple of years in making the pick.
|
11.03 DT Browns
By Guest Terry
Martin
These guys are really good. However, selecting the Cleveland
Browns as anything more than a backup is shocking.
These guys are the type that would love me in their league.
I wouldn't have drafted anyone on their team except David
Boston and maybe as a late pick Kerry Collins-I am a New
York Giants fan.
Ryan and William do a lot of fine work for the fans with
KFFL. What do they know that I don't know? They know a
lot - but Cleveland over Philadelphia and St. Louis?? Maybe
Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh are worse then I
believe. Does Cleveland have the easiest schedule?
Can the Browns take advantage of their opponents?
I believe this pick was made one or two years too soon.
Well, I will keep reading their articles, emails, and
information. I will be monitoring other sources about
the Cleveland Browns.
Maybe Ryan and William are very big Cleveland Browns fans.
11.03 DT Browns
By Guest Dan Grogan
of Grogan Sports
After last season, it might be difficult to call the Browns
a "sleeper" defense. They led the league with 33
interceptions and the turnovers played a big part in the 37
points scored by this defense. This team made huge strides
in the sack department as well. After just 26 sacks in
2000, Cleveland had a very respectable 43 last year. I think
head coach Butch Davis has a lot to do with this turnaround,
but you can't dismiss a couple of stalwarts on the D-line in
Courtney Brown and Gerald Warren. They've added a sold
safety in Robert Griffith from Minnesota during the
off-season as well.
Cleveland is in a very appetizing division too. Baltimore
could be going with an inexperienced QB in Chris Redmond,
the Bengals will feature either Jon Kitna (22 INTs last year) or Gus Frerotte and erratic Kordell Stewart
will be at the helm again in Pittsburgh. The Browns will
have two games each against these guys.
Bottom line: Nice pick!
|
11.04 PK Jeff Wilkins
By David Dodds of Footballguys.com
All said, I still believe the value is at kicker right now
in the draft. Most would argue that it is wasteful to
take PK Jeff Wilkins here, because I already have
Vanderjagt, but I disagree.
Value is value.
As the PK panic resumes in the coming picks, I believe I
have a strong chance to get the same player at the other
skill positions the next round (see my analysis at 10.09
Vanderjagt)
In Jeff Wilkins, I get a great kicker who plays on an
outstanding offense. It's a given he will have some
huge weeks.
Consider these stats from last year:
- 10 games with 4 or more extra points.
- 8 games with 2 or more made FG
- All 6 of his misses came from 40-49 yards
- Was 23 for 29 in FGs, hit all 58 EPs
Also, in 2000 Jeff did not miss a FG attempt (17 for 17) nor
an extra point (38 for 38) in the 11 games he played.
Let the criticism begin for already taking my second kicker.
Value Based Drafting tells me neither of these players
should have even been on the board this late.
It's probably safe to predict though that I will not be
taking my third kicker anytime soon.
|
11.04 PK Jeff Wilkins
By Guest Dan
Jiacopello
A Very good kicker on the best offense in the league, OUCH!
Nice job Dodds! I could go on a say how he should of
waited longer to take a kicker, but why when you can get
someone as dominant as Wilkins... it is a wise selection.
11.04 PK Jeff Wilkins
By Guest Jym Hansen
of Komments.com
You have Mike Vanderjagt, so why not take Jeff Wilkins?
Wrong!
This is VBD gone horribly bad. PKs do not have that
much value. Sure they score a lot of points.
Sure it looks great on paper. However, try to trade
one of these guys. The difference between number 1 and
number 12 is around 10% in any scoring system. That
means less than one point per game. Who will trade for
a PK when there is that small of a difference? No one.
It doesn't happen unless you find a total dummy. There
is no reason, no matter the value, to draft two PKs like
this.
Add to the fact that many PKs are picked off the free agent
list during the first and second week. John Carney,
Paul Edinger, Adam Vinatieri, and Jay
Feely all hit many free agent lists last season. They
were 4th, 6th, 9th and 10th on the full season list.
Most coaches are keen enough to know they can wait and get a
top notch PK. Not many are going to trade the quality
of RB and WR in the draft at this point to get one.
There is no reason to.
Jeff Wilkins is a great PK. There is no way to argue
that. He will have a great season. It just
doesn't make sense to draft two PKs thinking you could trade
one away. If he was so high on everyone's list, then
try to
trade that pick away letting people know you will take
Wilkins. Just don't let your feelings be hurt when
they just walk away laughing.
|
11.05 WR Freddie Mitchell
By Chris Dolfi of FanEx
Ok, ok... even I admit Fast Freddie Mitchell is a stretch at
11.05, but I simply couldn't bring myself to join in on the
Defensive or Kicker runs. I still needed a backup TE,
but the remaining TEs all have questions for me, so I took a
backup at another position that I needed depth - WR.
Why Freddie Mitchell though ?!? A guy who had only 21
catches for 283 yards and a single TD simple isn't worth
this high a draft slot, right? Well, yes and no.
You're right in that a player with those kinds of numbers
normally goes undrafted or is picked near the bottom of the
16th. But you're wrong if you think Mitchell will put
up similar numbers this year.
With the remainder of the Eagles WR corps being Na Brown and
Todd Pinkston, even the Eagles realize they need to give
Mitchell the chance to blossom into the kind of WR that
everyone knows he has the talent to be. Todd Pinkston
simply doesn't run good enough routes or make the tough
catches to end up as the Eagles #2 WR this season. Na
Brown is so bewildered by the Eagles playbook it's a mystery
how the guy finds the ability to set an alarm clock.
Mitchell proved he has more talent than both of those jokers
last year in the rare situations that the Eagles gave him to
shine. Expect those chances to rise dramatically in
2002. The entire Eagles passing game has gotten better
with another year of playing together under their belts, and
Mitchell will improve with the rest of that squad. So
ignore any depth charts you see that list Mitchell as
anything but the #2 WR - because that will be his spot when
it really counts - during the season.
Should you take Mitchell at this spot? Probably not.
He should be able to be had in the 12th or 13th round in
most leagues. But call it a gut feel, call it
prognosticating, call it what you like - I happen to think
that one of the savvy FanEx owners is thinking like I am,
and that Mitchell might not have been available for my next
pick - or that I may be forced into taking a Defense or
Kicker with that pick anyway depending on the length of the
runs at those positions.
|
11.05 WR Freddie Mitchell
By Guest David Grey
of
David Grey's Fantasy Football
WR Freddie Mitchell has a year under his belt and
will get a chance to produce and possibly win the #2 WR
position. He could be a solid sleeper that could
produce solid numbers and makes a solid backup WR (And Dolfi
already has a solid group of WRs). Mitchell probably
could have been taken in a couple rounds (Especially since
the draft is in the kicker and defense run), but at this
point in the draft, you never know who will go when (Thus if
you really have a feeling about a player, don't wait too
long to pull the trigger).
The only other downside I see for Mitchell on this squad, is
that Eagles TE Chad Lewis is already on this team.
Thus if Mitchell gets pressed into duty, two Eagle receivers
could be starting weekly, which some owners try to avoid.
But if Mitchell is ready to step up his game, he could be a
pleasant surprise in a good Eagles offense and put up some
solid fantasy numbers.
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11.06 DT Eagles
By Jerome Hickerson of TalkFootball.com
Drafting
a defense in this scoring system is almost a total
crapshoot. It is possible to rank defenses into tiers, but
anyone who thinks it is possible to accurately project
defensive scores hasn't spent much time retroactively
looking at their projections.
It is
somewhat possible to project trends and this allows us to
somewhat project tiers for defenses. The Eagles, I
believe, fall into a tier of defenses, along with the
Rams, the Buccaneers, as well as a couple of other teams.
I selected the Eagles over the Rams simply because I felt
that I had enough invested into the Rams -- sometimes it
makes sense to diversify. The defensive changes for the
Eagles this year might make this pick questionable, but
only time will tell. I think the gamble is worthwhile.
I
thought about waiting and taking a defense later, but I
felt that the other players I want are more likely to be
available later than a decent defense.
|
11.06 DT Eagles
By Guest David Gonos
of FantasyRef.com
With the loss of LB Jeremiah Trotter ( which was
a horrible mishandling by Andy Reid and management) I think
the Eagles D is headed for the lower-side of the Top 12
defenses in the league. The signing of Shawn Barber
will not quell Trotter's absence. Injuries ruined his
season last year. At the time of this article, LB
Hardy Nickerson is being courted along with the Green Bay
Packers. Carlos Emmons is the only returning linebacker from
2001. Not good.
Hugh Douglas and Corey Simon anchor a top-notch line.
Not a weakness for the Eagles.
Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor are the returning starters in
what was a GREAT secondary. Now, it looks merely above
average with two aging vets and a first rounder in Lito
Sheppard fighting for time. Sheppard could add to Brian
Mitchell's special teams to make them more dangerous than
normal.
All in all, I'm not crazy about the Eagles at all this year.
I would have grabbed the Rams D at this spot... But then again, Jerome Hickerson
stomped a mud-hole on my team last year in The Dirty Dozen
Championship game. We should give him the benefit of
the doubt! :-)
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11.07 WR Brian Finneran
By John Hansen of The
Guru Report
I recently wrote an article that took a look at last year's
sleepers and what made them such and for each 2001 sleeper I
offered a player I thought would 2002's version. For
Chicago's Marty Booker, my 2002 version was WR Brian
Finneran. Here's that writeup:
Marty Booker, Chi
2001 achievements: 1071 yards, 8 TDs
How he became a sleeper: Booker showed some flashes
prior to 2001, but his emergence was still quite a surprise.
Like Boston, he was in his third season, and the two years'
experience was definitely a factor because he clearly
benefited from a greater awareness of the game and opposing
defenses this past year. In addition, Booker was able to
take over a starting job because the Bear roster, other than
veteran Marcus Robinson, was filled with young, unproven,
and inexperienced WRs. Physically gifted with good size and
decent speed, it was simply a question of putting it all
together for Booker, and he did in 2001.
This year's Booker: Brian Finneran. Although he
doesn't have a veteran QB to aid his development the way
Booker did last year, Brian Finneran is similar to Booker in
several ways. Booker the year before last caught 47 passes
for 490 yards and 2 TDs. Finneran last year was real close
to those numbers (491 yards and 3 TDs) but did so with only
23 catches and was much more explosive. Booker was entering
his third full season and had a tremendous opportunity on
the Bears. Finneran did play three games in 1999, but for
all intents and purposes, this coming year is his third year
as a regular on his team's roster, and he definitely has a
great opportunity on the WR-poor Falcons.
Like Booker, who developed his skills his first two years in
the league, Finneran looks like he's ready to be a starter
in the NFL. At times last year, Finneran, a huge target at
6' 5", was the team's best receiver, logging in two 90+
yard games, scoring 3 TDs, and averaging an impressive 21.3
yards per catch. With big-play potential and an obvious
advantage in the red zone, Finneran could easily come out of
nowhere and lead his team in receiving yardage and TDs this
season, just as Booker did in Chicago last year.
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11.07 WR Brian Finneran
By Guest Deb DuBois
of Fantasy Insights
WR Brian Finneran is not a bad choice overall this late in
the draft. As a starter for now for Atlanta he has the
chance to show how much he can shine. The Falcons have
tuned up the team at RB with the addition of DUNN, which
should take some pressure off of VICK at QB.
This team has the potential to go far and with a great coach
named REEVES at the helm, it could happen this year. Passing
is going to be a big part of this game for the Falcons this
year, giving guys like Finneran the chance to prove their
worth is a great way to go.
Overall, I am surprised he did not go sooner, this team I
think will be glad they took a chance on him.
11.07 WR Brian Finneran
By Guest Hunter Catlett
This is an excellent 11th Round selection. WR Brian
Finneran has a very nice upside and, as an 11th round pick,
little downside.
John Hansen already has his regular core group or WRs.
That allows him, with this unique scoring system, to look
for players who don't have to be that consistent, but can
put up big numbers occasionally. Finneran appears to
fit that bill. He showed brief flashes of big-play
potential last year in a limited role. This year he
looks to be a lock to a starting WR for the Falcons.
And while QB Vick will surely struggle, his athleticism and
cannon-like arm will produce big-plays. On the days
when Vick is hot, Finneran should put up very big numbers.
He stands about 6'5" and averaged over 21 yards a catch
last year. That sure does sound like a good target for
young passer to look for. Given this scoring format, I
am surprised he lasted this long.
|
11.08 DT Rams
By Chris Rito of FF
Mastermind
and Carlos Panizo of STATS,
Inc.
As Dodds said in his earlier analyses, there will be a
preponderance of D and K taken in the last few picks. So,
even though there are only a handful of WR or RB we still
like...they will likely be there in later rounds as everyone
loads up on their K and D over the next few. The value is to
be had at these positions.
While I like several relatively unheralded defenses to make
a splash this year, there is little doubt about the Rams
defensive prowess. They are a speedy and revamped unit that
flies all over the field and has a policy of attack, attack,
attack. It also does not hurt to have the NFL's most
prominent offense on your sideline; opposing offenses are
often forced into playing catch up, making them pass on all
three downs and often forcing the issue to stay in the game.
Nothing like playing with a 21 point lead to make any
defense better!
The only real question is how the loss of defensive
assistant Ron Meeks to the Colts will affect this young
unit. While Meeks is a solid coach, I do not think that
Lovie Smith's system will get upset too much in 2002. This
young unit will only get better as they learn the NFL game
and get another preseason together under their collective
belt.
Yes, the Rams will on occasion give up some points. But the
Rams' style and situation will allow them ample
opportunities to get sacks and cause turnovers. It also is
nice that the team speed and their athletes have shown a
tendency to turn those turnovers into TDs in recent years.
Again, a defense isn't sexy, but when you can get a top 5
player at a position (as I think the Rams will be in FAD
2002) late in round 11, all you can do is smile, smile,
smile!
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11.08 DT Rams
By Guest Don Pinchin
of
Fantasy Football
Bookmarks
Team Rito Panizo may very well have gotten a
steal in the selection of the St. Louis Rams defense with
the 11.8 pick. Lovey Smith took over a Rams Defense
and executed a dramatic turnaround from the year
before.
The drafting of key defensive players and the signing of a
few key free agents solidified what had been a very weak
part of the Rams team. When all these
young players start to really figure this game out, after
having had at a full year under Lovey's tutelage and having
a better comprehension for his system he employs, the
results could be devastating for opposing offenses. I
thoroughly expect this defense to start acting instinctively
this year as opposed to thinking about where and what they
are supposed to do. When that happens the Rams'
defense will start to rack up some serious points for Team
Rito Panizo. Its not often that you get real excited
about an 11th round draft pick but in this case I think it
is warranted.
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11.09 WR Az-zahir Hakim
By Greg Kellogg of Komments
Since his sophomore NFL season,
Az-Zahir Hakim has been a hit or miss type receiver.
During the 1999 season, Hakim had three multiple TD games
(including one 4-TD monster) and one single TD outing.
In 2000, he had only one multiple TD game, but he topped 100
yards three times and scored at least one TD in two of those
games. The 2001 season brought a lessening of his role
due to his inability to hang on to the ball (eight fumbles)
and a departure from the Rams.
Detroit is in it's second year of the implementation of a
West Coast Offense, similar to the one Hakim left in St.
Louis. His familiarity with this offense will help
ensure his status as Detroit's number one option this
season. No one has ever doubted Hakim's raw talent, in
fact, he earned the nickname of "Little Rev" with
the Rams. A moniker based on his game's uncanny resemblance
to superstar WR Isaac Bruce (also known as the Reverend),
What I am looking for is not steady production but a player
that can explode for 20-30 points in any given week.
Hakim fits that mold perfectly.
|
11.09 WR Az-zahir Hakim
By Guest Erik
Sabadie
Two years ago, Hakim was the ultimate player to
have in a league with auto-lineups. It seemed he had
explosive stats every 4th game. The question is, how
will Hakim respond with increased responsibilities in
Detroit?
He will likely be the slot receive between Schroeder and
Crowell, so the role won't be different, but he should see
more balls thrown his way. The Rams could spread the
ball to all 5 receiving options on any given play, where the
Lions will be focusing on their receivers. Look for
Hakim to have a very nice 700 yard, 3-4 TD season, with 2-3
explosive games. Hopefully, for Hakim, the fact he has
inexperienced QBs tossing the ball is offset by the fact the
Lions will be behind in a lot of games.
|
11.10 DT Packers
By Duane Cahill of Pitt
Tribune-Review
When choosing a defense, you can pretty much
throw touchdowns out the window. From season to
season, most good D/STs are going to score just about five
touchdowns for you. Last year, 18 of the 31 NFL teams
(58%) scored between four and six touchdowns.
Defensive TDs are a crapshoot. Safeties? Don't
even get me started. Vegas odds on a safety in any
given game are generally about 50-1.
Besides TDs, the only rewards in the FanEx scoring system
are garnered from sacks and turnovers. The Packers
have their entire defense returning from last season
(replacing Bernardo Harris with Robert Jones) and finished
behind only Pittsburgh (55) and New Orleans (53) in total
sacks for the season with 50.
The Steelers D predictably was the first one off the board.
Comparing turnovers between the other two -- Green Bay 39,
New Orleans 30. No contest. In addition, the
Saints were one of the teams that did NOT have solid TD
production, with only one defensive TD. I'll take the
Packers far earlier than I've ever before selected a defense
and sleep comfortably tonight.
|
11.10 DT Packers
By Guest Dustin
Koehler
Guess this is the time in the draft when you
start looking defense as evidenced by recent selections.
Team defenses are an unpredictable position, in my opinion.
That's not to say you don't have a general idea what teams
may do well and what ones may just plain suck, but
predicting the top teams is a crapshoot. I usually
wait until the last 3-4 rounds in any
draft to select one. The disparity between teams isn't
that great regardless.
Now on to Duane Cahill's choice, the Green Bay Packers.
Decent team that improved itself in the off-season by picking
up DE Joe Johnson to add to the already solid core of
players. A Hardy Nickerson signing could certainly
help this team in the middle where it is currently be held
by 2nd year man Torrance Marshall. If Leroy Butler
can't return, look for Bhawoh
Joe to pair up with stud Darren Sharper at safety. GB
finished tied for 2nd in the NFL with 39 takeaways last
season. Good enough for me. Not really a sexy
pick, but it'll do.
|
11.11 WR Antonio Freeman
By Tony Holm of The
Prognosticator
With this pick I was looking for one of two
things, a flashy guy capable of some spotty big games, or a
guy that is an end zone threat. If you draft an 11th
round pick that contributes a few weeks to your FAD team,
you've got a decent selection.
There are so many misnomers surrounding WR Antonio Freeman I
don't know where to begin. For starters, he is not
that old. Of all the big name free agent WRs he is
actually the youngest, younger than Derrick Alexander and
Keenan McCardell. Unlike Derrick Alexander and Keenan
McCardell, Antonio Freeman was a 1st round fantasy football
draft player a scant 3 years ago.
To look at some of his recent seasons tells you the guy has
been to the brink and back. His 1997 and 1998 seasons
were monsters. 1,243 yards with 12 TDs in 1997
followed by 1,424 yards and 14 TDs in 1998. The trend
that pushes Freeman way down into the depths of a fantasy
football draft is since those seasons, his numbers have
steadily declined falling to a rock bottom 818 yards with 6
TDs last season. I'm not sure, but 818 yards and 6 TDs
really isn't all that bad. In fact, Freeman had a nice
game vs. the Ravens last season where he caught 9 balls for
138 yards and a TD. What actually makes Antonio
Freeman special, and the reason why I'm selecting him here,
is his propensity for TDs. Many don't realize what a
TD magnet this guy really is and the FAD rewards greatly the
possession receiver who has a nose for the end zone.
Over his career he has averaged a TD every 7.3 receptions.
Let me repeat, every 7.3 receptions he's in the end zone for
six and that is where his fantasy value comes to being.
Everyone knows Freeman's last two seasons haven't been
stellar but do you know what his TD per receptions ratio was
during that span? 7.6.
The knock you'll hear is that he's slow and can't separate
from the defender off the line anymore, but his 7.6 number
doesn't help make that argument. In fact, if you ask
NFL scouts this same question they'll tell you that he is
going to surprise some folks, as he hasn't lost as much as
many are making it out to be.
Wherever he ends up it will be to a team that needs a WR and
that will be good for Antonio Freeman. The Kansas City
Chiefs seem to be the current front-runners for his services
but it wouldn't surprise me if the Patriots take a look, and
I'm still waiting for the Eagles to do something with all
that cap room. After all, Andy Reid came from Green
Bay and brought much of that offense with him.
Freeman most certainly could turn into a ripe melon on me
but in the 11th round I'm willing to take a chance on one of
the great fantasy WRs to have played this game as my WR#4.
I expect a modest rebound year with 1,000 yards and 8 TDs.
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11.11 WR Antonio Freeman
By Guest Jym Hansen
of Komments.com
WR Antonio Freeman is
questionable right now, but he will find a team.
If he had been on a roster now, he would not have
made it this far.
Freeman
has been in the Top 20 for the past five seasons, until last
year. He fell
from elite status last season, but still remained in the Top
30. That was a
horrible season with many problems for Freeman.
Things will get better this season.
Look for him to be signed very soon.
818
yards and 6 TDs last season was horrible.
If he improves just a little, he cracks the Top 20
again. If he
can really catch on, he returns to the Top 15 and maybe the
Top 10. He is
getting older and the odds are against him, but he will
catch on again. He
should come close to 1,000 yards and get two more TDs.
This
was a wise and valuable pick.
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11.12 DT 49ers
By Emil Kadlec of FF
Pro Forecast
The 49er defense was a nice surprise down the stretch last
season, as their pass and run coverage were solid enough to
produce a few shutouts and they only gave up 51 points over
their last five games. Look for them to be amongst the
leaders in points given up for the second straight year but
they probably will only finish in the middle of the pack in
sacks, pretty much the way they finished last season since
they didn't add any pass rushing help. Since they will be
bringing back at least nine starters (only loss of note from
last season was S Lance Schulters, former Bear S Tony
Parrish replaces him), they should at least finish with
similar fantasy numbers or hopefully improve a little over
last year.
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11.12 DT 49ers
By Guest IM Fletcher
I really like this team. Emil Kadlec may have established
his club with the best RB corps in the FanEx FAD. Definitely
a club that "looks good on paper" although a QB
over a WR many rounds back might have been the way to go
with the fragile Griese as the starter here.
Now onto the San Francisco D pick. While the 49ers D
finished strongly last year, I am not so sure one can expect
a repeat performance from this group in 2002. Exit Carolina
(Weinke/Huntley) and Atlanta (Chandler/MSmith) and enter
Seattle (Alexander/Dilfer) and Arizona (Boston/Plummer) four
times this year...enough said? Well maybe not for some. How
about no bumbling, fumbling, rumbling Saints team to play
down the stretch to pad those stats? Then there is no real
pass rush threat on this club as previously pointed out by
Emil. But this is a very good offensive Football team and
good offenses can make good defenses often in FF.
I will still never understand the lack of respect that guy
up in New England gets though...Bill 'only' has three Super
Bowl rings based on his defensive prowess, yet the Patriots
still go undrafted. BTW, the Akers pick (12.01) next by Emil
was golden.
11.12 DT 49ers
By Guest Mike
Krueger of FFToday.com
You have to admire Steve Mariucci and Co. for the job
they've done in bringing the 49ers out of two seasons of
salary cap hell (4-12 & 6-10) and back to a very
respectable 12-4 mark with a legitimate shot to represent
the NFC in the Super Bowl this season. We all know about the
high-powered offense, but the key to their turn-around has
been the improving play of their young defensive crew.
They finished 9th in points allowed, and 4th in INTs a year
ago... not bad for the youngest defensive unit in the
league. They do lose safety Lance Schulters this year but
the addition of Tony Parrish should help heal the wound.
Overall this is a solid pick here in the late rounds which
could turn out to be a gem should a San Francisco sack
specialist emerge in 2002.
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