13.01 PK Sebastian Janikowski
By Shannon O'Leary of FanEx
Taking my second kicker is much like taking my second
defense just prior. I am looking for some home run weeks.
The often troubled Janikowski has just the leg to deliver,
(As long as he keeps it clean).
Teamed up with Elam I am hoping for double digits from my
kicker for the majority of the year. Oakland offense
shouldn't sputter too much this year with the loss of
Gruden, but if they do then that may mean more field goal opportunities
for Janikowski.
They decision to go with a kicker over another long shot at
receiver was a tough one, but you know the kicker should get
you some points.
As Mr. Dodds stated earlier in the draft, this is a value
pick.
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13.01 PK Sebastian Janikowski
By Guest Kevin Kidd
of FantasySpecs
Sebastian Janikowski, the 6-1 by 255 pound hulkster becomes
the 7th kicker chosen in FAD, which is exactly where I
currently had him on my board. The Raiders change at the
Head Coach position should not hinder the offensive likes of
Gannon, Brown, & Rice even with their advancing
ages-which means plenty of opportunities for Janikowski.
While some may question the choosing of a second kicker in
the 13th round with his depth somewhat shallow at the RB and
WR positions, I would personally welcome the 1-2 punch of
Elam and Jani in this particular scoring format. Shannon got
the most bang for his buck considering what's left at those
other positions.
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13.02 PK Ryan Longwell
By Greg Kellogg
of Komments.com
Everyone says kickers are a crap
shoot and for the most part they are correct. There
are a few that have performed consistently over the past few
years though.
Until last year, Ryan Longwell was the most accurate kicker
in the NFL. Eleven misses changed all that and knocked him
from the top 10 kickers for the first time in his career.
That's right, since 1997 Longwell has finished 10th, 6th,
10th, 2nd and 21st in this scoring system. Based on
those numbers alone, one can see that 2001 was an
aberration.
But when considering kickers one should also consider the
potential opportunities that kicker will have. Last
season Longwell attempted 31 FGs and 45 extra points.
That is an awful lot of opportunity.
If he can return to his previous career average of 84.7%
accuracy, those same 31 kicks would turn into 26 made FGs
with five less misses - a number that will place him solidly
in the Top 10 once again.
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13.02 PK Ryan Longwell
By Guest Terry
Martin
Most kickers look and
score about the same. Unless PK Longwell can correct his
2001 scoring dip, he will be replaced in Packerville. It's a
what-have- you-done- for- me- lately league and Longwell
seems a high risk-high reward kicker.
13.02 PK Ryan Longwell
By Guest Michael
Traynor
Just as Greg stated, up until last year, Longwell was the
most accurate kicker (by percentage) in NFL history.
In addition to being accurate, he put up consistently high
point totals.
The "high accuracy" and "high points"
figures ARE mutually exclusive - right Kris Brown?
Having a new snapper/holder combination hurt Longwell last
year. But, as is taken for gospel that a new offensive
coordinator can take a year to get used to, the same may be
said about a new snapper/holder combination. Now that
Ryan's had a year to get used to them, I fully expect him to
be back at the top of the kicker rankings.
This was a very solid pick.
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13.03 RB
Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala
By William Del Pilar | Ryan Bonini of KFFL
This was purely a "safe" pick. We were actually
after Amos Zereoue to back our round 3, Jerome Bettis pick,
but The Prognosticator, Tony Holm, stunned us when he
took him at 10:02. We had targeted him for the 11th/12th
round. While it really threw us, we weren't in a panic mode.
While we felt Bettis was a reach in the third round, we also
felt, we could take either Zereoue or Fuamatu-Ma'afala as
the secondary option. In truth, both backs have played
backup and third down back to Bettis and can get the job
done. However, Zereoue fits the change of pace style more so
than Fuamatu-Ma'afala. The original goal for the team in
2001 was to have Fuamatu-Ma'afala back Bettis up and to get
Zereoue the ball about 5 times per game. In the beginning of
the season, Zereoue was listed as the No. 2 back but both of
them saw time due to Bettis injuries.
Despite perceptions of Zereoue being the clear cut No. 2 RB,
in the end, the numbers showed otherwise. When you compare
the numbers last season, Fuamatu-Ma'afala actually posted
the better numbers rushing and Zereoue posted slightly
better numbers receiving. However, the key difference and
the reason, Zereoue was viewed as the better prospect,
because he had a better average in both rushing and
receiving. However, Zereoue was injured last season and
missed time, while Fuamatu-Ma'afala was also hurt at times
and his average reflected his injuries as he played through
them. In other words, we believe his injuries hurt his
numbers.
Rushing
Att
Yards
AVG
TDs
Fu-Ma
120
453
3.8
3
Zereoue
85
441
5.2
1
Receiving
Rec
Yards
AVG
TDs
Zereoue
13
154
11.8
1
Fu-Ma
16
127
7.9
1
So what does all of this mean? It could be interpreted many
ways but the bottom line is that the team needs all three
RBs in order to make sure their running game does not lose
steam if one goes down. What we've done is secure two heads
of a three man RB crew that will feature Bettis as the
starter and Zereoue sharing some carries as the change of
pace RB. However, if Bettis goes down, then Fuamatu-Ma'afala
in theory assumes his role and we've lost minimal numbers
... hopefully. We don't think Zereoue at 202 lbs. can assume
the full time starters job if Bettis goes down based on the
style offense the Steelers run and how he's shown himself
not to be durable. He’s also nursing a serious injury this
off-season.
We felt Zereoue would slide to us because of this current
injury. Zereoue was suffering through stomach pains, which
were very severe. After having a CT scan done, a spot was
found on his liver. It turned out to be a parasite, which
can be treated with medication, and Zereoue spent several
days in the hospital undergoing tests. He's started jogging
and a full recovery is expected as he's put on the 15 lbs.
he lost. However, there's always a risk with an injury like
that and he's not expected to have a full recovery until
training camp. In essence, while we originally targeted
Zereoue to be our fantasy back up to Bettis, we're not
unhappy with Fuamatu-Ma'afala based on how the situation in
Pittsburgh is set up and how our hand has been dealt this
draft. Remember, this is all predicated on the basis
"if" Bettis gets hurt which we hope doesn't
happen.
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13.03 RB
Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala
By Guest Lee
Hauenstein
This pick is a reasonable pick. Ma'afala is
Bettis' back up and last year he netted 450 yds rushing, 127
yds receiving in parts of 13 games. Bettis was injured some
last year and Ma'afala filled in well when given the
opportunity.
This pick sort of reminded me of the same situation I was in
last year in my league. I had Marshall Faulk and knowing he
may miss a couple games, I drafted Canidate. This could be
the same situation for Del Pilar and Bonini. By the way, one
of the weeks Faulk went down Canidate had 190 yds rushing
against Carolina. This was a good safe pick guys.
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13.04 TE
Todd Heap
By David Dodds of Footballguys.com
I traded down in the 12th with the hopes that this this
player would still be on the board.
Only a few teams utilize the TE position like Baltimore
does. Shannon Sharpe departs and leaves his 811yards
on the table.
In fact when looking at who is going to catch the ball in
Baltimore, one scratches his head after Travis Taylor.
Well I tell you who is going to catch the pigskin. His
name is Todd Heap.
Heap enters the year at the same weight as last season, but
has definitely gotten stronger after a grueling offseason
workout program. The coaching staff has already talked about
moving him wide on certain formations because of the
matchups he will cause most teams.
Don't be surprised when Todd Heap has at least 700+ yards
and 5 TDs this season. I know I won't be. And
since I have been eyeing him since the 10th round, I am very
happy to get him in the 13th.
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13.04 TE
Todd Heap
By Guest Lenny
Pappano
Mr. Dodds should be arrested for larceny,
because he stole The Ravens TE. In 2001, Heap was
fortunate enough to learn from the most prolific receiving
TE ever to play the game, Shannon Sharpe. Now it's Heap's
turn to show what he learned.
Last year's first-round pick had a respectable rookie
season, netting 16 grabs for 206 yards and 1 TD. Not bad
considering he was a second-stringer who suffered a high
ankle sprain in the season's second game that sidelined
him for three weeks. The stat to note is his 12.9-yard
average per catch, more fitting of a wide receiver than a
tight end.
Before he left college, he lead Arizona State in every
major receiving category at his position (115 catches for
1,685 yards and 10 TDs) and his size, agility and great
hands have landed him comparisons to Tony Gonzalez. Heap
could easily become a dangerous safety valve for the young
Chris Redman.
While this may not be Heap's Pro Bowl year, there will be
a couple in his promising future. He's a top 10
tight end this season, with the potential to sneak into
the top 5 if things go his way. Put an asterisk next to
this kid's name and get him on your team. He could wind up
being the Ravens top receiving threat.
13.04 TE
Todd Heap
By Guest Mike
MacGregor of
Pro Football
Analysis.com
David and Lenny have already hit on most of the key points
about Todd Heap, so what do I have to add? Well, if Heap
is supposed to be the next great TE, and all signs seem to
indicate that is the case, then I figured it would be
interesting to do a little comparison of results for other
top TEs in their 2nd year in the NFL. With my trusty Stats
Inc. Handbook, here is what I found:
G GS Rec Yd TD
Ben Coates NE
16 3 20 171 3
Bubba Franks GB
15 15 36 322 9
Tony Gonzalez KC
16 16 59 621 2
Freddie Jones SD
16 16 57 602 3
Shannon Sharpe DEN 16 9 22 322
1
Wesley Walls SF
16 0 5 27 0
Frank Wycheck WAS 9 1
7 55 1
Gonzalez and Jones really stick out for the yardage while
Franks went nuts last year for the TDs. Overall, those who
started 15 or 16 games did quite well. The others, less
so. Heap is certainly entrenched as the starter so his
odds look pretty good to do some damage this season.
The things that make me skeptical of Heap have little to
do with him as a player. It is the overall Baltimore
Ravens offense which doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy
feeling. Sure he is the starter, but the Ravens just seem
to be staring down the barrel of a 4-12 season. Chris
Redman at QB. Jamal Lewis returning from an ACL injury. No
proven receiving threats. Too many player losses to count.
Its been quite a fall from grace for this team. How
productive can Heap be with all of these (perceived)
negatives around him?
Some may feel these team negatives, such as having no
threat at WR, is a big positive for Heap. That could very
well be the case. Someone has to catch the ball sometime,
right? Why not the talented Todd Heap? Why not indeed. For
a low risk fantasy position after you pass on the top 4-5
guys, Heap is quite a good choice for the 11th TE taken
and 13th round of this draft.
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13.05 DT Patriots
By Chris Dolfi of FanEx
Prevailing wisdom tells me to grab a kicker here, but with
most of the more likely Top 10 candidates gone, I'll pick up
one or two in later rounds to make up for it.
Two of the FanEx teams that draft between now and my next
pick at 14.10 still haven't selected a defense. Of the few
good defenses remaining, they would be sure to be gone
before my next pick. The same can't be said of the
remaining kickers. I will get one of several that are
lumped together at this point on my draft board.
I had two defenses in mind for this pick - Miami or New
England. Both had solid sack numbers (NE 40, Mia 37).
Both had similar turnover numbers (NE 29, Mia 25). And
Miami actually held a slight edge in my thought process with
more forced fumbles last year (16 to 11 for NE). Some
could argue that Miami has an easier schedule because the NE
Patriots will face the "Super Bowl Champ"
schedule, but that doesn't mean nearly what it once did,
with really only 2 games on a teams schedule being linked to
their record.
So why New England over Miami? To be honest, I felt that New
England remained solid at more positions in the off season
than Miami did on defense. Miami loses 2 defensive
ends, and I'm not convinced that won't hurt their sack
numbers for 2002. So I happily snap up a Patriots team
that won games last year on the basis of their defense.
New England's slow, methodical offense ensures that their
defense is more often well rested than not, which doesn't
hurt either.
So while I pass on completing a starting lineup by skipping
kicker yet again, I think the one-two punch I have with New
England's and Oakland's Defense and Special Teams will prove
more valuable than any of the kickers on the board would be.
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13.05 DT Patriots
By Guest Mathew
Cummings
The Patriots had a great "Bend but don't
Break" defense last year with a mixture of solid
veterans and young players coming into their own.
Their defense has remained predominantly intact, but this
pick is not without some risk. Their MVP of their
defense last year, Roman Phifer, has not yet signed a
contract with them, although they do expect him to sign
shortly.
Of course, these same reports have been circulating for the
past month. If he does not sign, don't be surprised if
this defense takes a dip from last
year.
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13.06 TE Wesley Walls
By David Dodds of Footballguys.com
Yes. He is old. At age 36, TE Wesley Walls does not
have much left. But in the games he has played in the
last three years, he has been productive.
Consider:
2001: 13 games, 43 receptions, 452 yds, 5TD
2000: 8 games, 31 receptions, 422 yds, 2TD
1999: 16 games, 63 receptions, 822 yds, 12TD
What am I hoping for here?
I would love the average of these years:
12 games, 46 receptions, 567 yards and 6TD
Walls may not be a pretty pick here, but he looks to have a
few big games and in this format that is better than the TE
that gets 30 yards each week.
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13.06 TE Wesley Walls
By Guest
Clearly a low risk - high reward pick this late
in the
draft. Already having Heap on your roster, who will be
counted upon heavily in Baltimore's main 2 TE formation,
will make Walls a low risk. If Walls was the only TE
on this roster, then it would be a very risky pick coming
off a major injury. With the injury and perhaps the
time it takes to return to form, he is a backup and needed
only for 1 week of the year. If he plays to the form
we expect from him, the form that made him a top 3 TE a
couple years ago, then this will be a pleasant problem of
deciding who to start each week.
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13.07 TE Eric Johnson
By John Hansen of The
Guru Report
Very quietly, TE Eric Johnson emerged as a force for the
49ers last year. At times, he looked like the reincarnation
of former great, Brent Jones.
A year later, Johnson should be even more comfortable in the
49er offense, and his QB should have more confidence in him.
Johnson is a smart player who knows how to find the seam up
the middle, so he should pose a serious threat there, as
opposing defenses roll their safeties to the outside to stop
the 49er WRs, namely, Terrell Owens.
He's probably not going to be consistent enough to bank on
as my starter, but he could be in this offense. Otherwise,
he's an excellent high-upside choice as a fantasy backup in
2002 and he'll do for me here since I waited so long to take
my first TE.
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13.07 TE Eric Johnson
By Guest MB Martin
Hansen is hoping for a sleeper here. TE
Eric Johnson had an ok rookie season but to say - "Very
quietly, TE Eric Johnson emerged as a force for the 49ers
last year. At times, he looked like the reincarnation of
former great, Brent Jones." - that's more than
wishful thinking.
Overall Hansen looks solid at QB & RB. WRs are a little
thin and now his TE is looking to be 2nd to 3rd tier in
terms of production. At this point it's hard to really
argue with this pick but it's not anything to get excited
about.
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13.08 RB Tony Richardson
By Chris Rito of FF
Mastermind
and Carlos Panizo of STATS,
Inc.
I personally had not planned on selecting 5 RBs in this
draft, but this choice being available in the FAD format is
just too juicy to pass up. We debated Richardson vs.
Canidate with the 12th round pick, and selected the
boom-or-bust, all-or-nothing guy. Richardson (like Canidate)
is another guy that will get spot duty for us potentially,
and a player (like Canidate) that will be huge in case of
injury to the guy in front of him.
Our "starting" RBs in the FAD thus far have
received mixed reviews - most did not like Emmitt, but most
seemed to like William Green and Tiki Barber. Question - if
you could get a guy that scored a TD every 20 times he
touches the ball and that had scored as many NFL TDs as
Emmitt, Tiki and Green combined in 2001 in round 13,
wouldn't you take him?
Richardson scored seven times in 2001, scoring in 6
different games. He did this while playing much of 2001
dinged, too. In fact, before he was dinged, he was carrying
the ball more than NFL leading rusher Priest Holmes!
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13.08 RB Tony
Richardson
By Guest Mark Horan
Recognizing the RB position as
the relative weakness of their team, Rito and Panizo have
done a nice job late in the draft in adding a couple of RB
flyers in Canidate and Richardson. It was only a year ago
that many owners, myself included, had Richardson slotted
high on our sleeper lists. Richardson is a capable NFL
back who, should Priest Holmes go down with injury, has
the ability to put up nice numbers in the KC system.
With Manning and Harrison
anchoring their squad, I believe the choice by Rito and
Panizo to carry five RBs makes great sense. While Smith,
Green, and Barber certainly leave something to be desired
as RBs 1-3, each are capable of the occasional big game.
Canidate should also have some opportunity, given Faulk's
propensity of late to get dinged up, plus mop-up duties in
the occasional STL blowout. Should Priest Holmes miss a
start here or there, Richardson provides now a fifth RB
who could put up a big game or two. Under the FanEx
scoring system, 2-3 nice outings for each of these guys
could fill the #1 RB slot very nicely for a full season.
Even if Holmes stays healthy, another season of 6+ TDs
from Richardson might be enough to fill the #2 RB slot at
least adequately on occasion. To pick up a RB who can
contribute to that degree represents great value late in
the thirteenth round.
Admitting to my bias as a RB
first owner, the idea of going QB-RB with your first two
picks is anethema to me. Having gone in that direction,
though, Rito and Panizo have done a really nice job of
patching together a RB corps that should at least keep
them competitive, and perhaps dominant should the injury
bug bite in the right direction.
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13.09 DT Dolphins
By Jerome Hickerson of TalkFootball.com
There
was a strong temptation to grab a #4 WR at this point, but I
see so many that I rate similarly that I decided grabbing a
quality #3 defense made more sense.
The Dolphins are a consistent defense. With the addition of
a solid running back, look for the offense to spend more
time on the field, allowing for a better rested defense
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13.09 DT Dolphins
By Guest Matthew
Cummings
With the Eagles DF on your roster, usually you
check off defense and look for depth in other areas. On this
team there is solid depth at QB, RB, and TE. Perhaps a WR
might have been a better pick here (only 3 on the roster at
this pick), but the Dolphins are a DF worth
starting every week. They do not face a high powered offense
in their division with the departure of the Colts, adding to
the appeal of this pick. The owner can play the
matchups very nicely here, but I really wonder if a WR would
have looked nicer at this selection.
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13.10 RB LaMont Jordan
By Duane Cahill of Pitt
Tribune-Review
For most of the owners, getting a LaMont Jordan is a shot in
the dark -- a player that could potentially be a star only
given a definitive set of circumstances. For those
owners, Jordan is a roll of the dice.
Because I drafted Curtis Martin in the first round, Jordan
is simply an insurance pick for my team. Instead of hoping
that he could possibly get a few starts for me, my hope is
that I'll never have to use him. In the event that I
do however, I am very confident that he will put up starter
numbers week in and week out.
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13.10 RB LaMont Jordan
By Guest Michael
Bicknell of SkillPositions.com
You can read what was said with the 13.12 TE Shockey pick at
the end of this round that there is no bust players in this
round. You're only hoping to hit on one, so there is
virtually no real downside.
With this in mind, this pick really stands out to me. LaMont
Jordan could start for a lot of teams. He has a lot of
talent and skills. The problem is, he plays behind All-Pro
RB Curtis Martin.
Still, Martin is no youngster, and he has had a lot of
carries over his career. The Jets want to make an effort at
giving Martin more of a breather during games, and when
Jordan makes an appearance, there is little dropoff.
For this pick, and especially since Mr. Cahill already has
Martin, this makes a lot of sense.
I believe Jordan has a future, and it's hard to keep a good
player on the bench. Martin will still dominate in the
offense, but should anything happen, there is a player there
to step up, for both the Jets, and Duane Cahill's fantasy
team.
In this game, it's always wise in later rounds to consider
back-ups to your high picks, especially when there is a
quality back-up there.
13.10 RB LaMont Jordan
By Guest Matt
Holderness
This late in the draft you sometimes look for those guys to
take a risk on and hope you get the steal of the draft.
This could be true for this pick, but this pick is also a
very safe pick.
One key in successful drafting is depth. If you have the
luxury of drafting a running back who has a very capable
backup you should go after him. Ask owners of Faulk and
Edgerrin James how important this can be. RB LaMont Jordan
showed flashes last year when he was given the opportunity
including a 46 yard score against the Oakland Raiders in
week 17.
In the 13th round this can be about as safe of a pick Cahill
can make.
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13.11 PK Martin
Gramatica
By Tony Holm of The
Prognosticator
I decided to take a shot at an unpredictable
player position by carving glyphs in black sand while
chanting an ancient fantasy football mantra in an ancient
tongue. After 3 days and 2 nights the sand turned to
glass and in that glass were the words,
"Gramatica".
I can only assume Martin and hope I'm not making a big
mistake by not taking gymnast brother Billy as the football
gods weren't specific.
Wrestled with a number of players here but decided to take
the plunge on my first kicker as there are only a couple
left before we fall into the next tier. By my
calculations, of all the remaining positions, the kicker is
the one that will receive the most attention from here till
the end of the draft.
When comparing Gramatica to the remaining Kickers he had a
comparable 2001 to many of them. But the Bucs offense
sputtered last year and as a result, so did Gramatica.
I don't think he ever got his leg going and like a Running
Back, the more a Kicker kicks, the better he gets.
I am a huge Jon Gruden fan (would love to see him coach the
American World Cup team!) and with their player movement
since he arrived, I think the Bucs are going to be a much
improved team and that will raise Gramatica to a very good
fantasy Kicker. Jon Gruden is more of a risk taker
than Tony Dungy and you will see Gramatica lining up for
more big kicks this year because of it.
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13.11 PK Martin
Gramatica
By Guest
Text |
13.12 TE Jeremy Shockey
By Emil Kadlec of FF
Pro Forecast
Shockey -- a finalist
for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation's top tight
end after finishing the 2001 season with a career-high 40
receptions for 519 yards and seven touchdowns -- is already
better known than either of New York's current tight ends,
Dan Campbell and Marcellus Rivers, who combined for 13
catches last year. And not without good reason.
Even though he left the University of Miami a year early,
the 6-4, 255-pounder closed out his career ranked sixth on
the school's all-time list at tight end with 61 receptions
for 815 yards and 10 touchdowns. Only current Green Bay
Packer Bubba Franks (12) had more touchdown catches as a
Hurricane. As for character.
Even though he could have legally denied it when teams asked
him about his past at the combine, Shockey, who had minor
marijuana charge removed from his record years ago after
taking part in a court-ordered program, went ahead and told
teams about the incident anyway.
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13.12 TE Jeremy Shockey
By Guest Michael
Zangrilli
In the future, many expect Shockey to be one of
the premiere TEs in the NFL. As a rookie, that odds
are against him being productive are slim. Consider
some other rookie TEs:
Becht 144yds/2TDs; Brady 252/2; Cleeland 684/6; Coates 95/1;
Dilger 653/4; Franks 363/1; Gonzalez 368/2; Heap 206/1;
Keith Jackson 869/6; Freddie Jones 505/2; Sharpe 99/1
You get the idea by now - a few put up some great numbers,
but for the most part, even those who are tremendously
talented, the stats aren't great.
So - what are Shockey's chances? Many say he's more
ready for the pro game than most TEs. He's got nice
size for a pass catching TE - 6'4" 255lbs.
Similar to Pollard and Gonzalez. How will he fit into
the Giants offense? That's a good question that I'm
not sure I can answer, mainly because they do things that
befuddle me.
I saw Mohr Sports when Jay Mohr called Shockey.
Shockey said he'll score 10 TDs, mainly because Jay egged
him on. Regardless of that, here's what I expect from
Shockey in 2002: 422/4, putting him around 15th for TEs.
13.12 TE Jeremy Shockey
By Guest Michael
Bicknell of SkillPositions.com
It's possible Emil could be getting tired of me reviewing
his picks, but probably not, since I like most of what he's
done.
Looking back, Emil already grabbed TE Freddie Jones, who
will be his starter most the season, except his bye week.
Jones should do well. So this pick is primarily a back-up.
Next, let's look at the position of this pick. There are no
bad picks in the thirteenth round, just good ones. When a
player is selected here, they are not expected to be great,
so if they pan out well, it's just a bonus.
Regarding Shockey as the pick, he has a ton of talent and
ability. But, he's a rookie. He should come on more as the
season progresses. He could come on immediately, but let's
be realistic here, and assume he will not.
Overall, this is a fine pick for a player in a minor
position. You have to have a backup tight end, and Shockey
fills the slot with a player with great potential, and will
at least be serviceable when called upon, if it's not too
early in the season. And he could really start to perform
come fantasy playoff time.
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