Question & Answer Poll - 2002 Season
Fantasy Football Index because that is what everyone uses and it give me a good idea of what the other guys in the draft are thinking.
Footballguys.com-Lots of good content/articles. Customizable applications with frequently updated stats and projections. Large collection of FF "experts" opinions, not just one guy�s opinion.
Antsports.com-They host online mock drafts and they tabulate the average draft position for each player so you can get a good idea of where players typically are going in other drafts.
2. What is your strategy come Draft Day? Do you look for a certain position, i.e. RB's? Do you shy away from certain Teams? Which ones? Is one position deeper this year than another (position)?
My draft strategy changes from year to year depending on the depth at each position. Generally I�m a big RB guy, and this year is no exception. I believe WR is fairly deep this year and RB slightly thin, so I will be targeting RB�s early and WR�s in rounds 4-6.
I don�t necessarily stay away from specific teams, per se, but I tend to shy away from teams with inept offenses (obviously)
3. Who is the most overrated Quarterback this year and why?
Michael Vick -- I�ve seen him ranked as high as #11 in some peoples rankings, which is way too high for him (the top backup in a 10 team league and a starter in a 12 team league, give me a break). While I believe that possibly by the end of the year he could be a decent spot starter, I don�t think he has the weapons to put up big numbers consistently throughout the year. Willie Jackson is a good #2 receiver, he�s not a #1 and Brian Finneran as your #2 receiver, come on now�.
4. Who is the most overrated Running Back this year and why?
Priest Holmes -- I believe he will still have a decent year, but he won�t be a top 5 running back like he�s being projected to be. He was 29 last year (old for a RB), he had a breakout year, and defenses will be out to stop him this year because aside from Tony Gonzalez, he�s the Chiefs only weapon. I see him falling back to earth with numbers more like: 1,300 total yds and 7 TD�s, not top 5 RB numbers
5. Who is the most overrated Wide Receiver this year and why?
Terry Glenn-She has really never put up good fantasy numbers before with Bledsoe throwing to her, she�s as soft as they come, and Antonio Freeman, GB #1 last year, had mediocre numbers. Favre spreads the ball out well with Ahman Green a spectacular receiver out of the backfield. I see Glenn with 70 catches, 1100 yds, and 6 TD�s. Not bad, but not great for the #12 ranked WR overall.
6. Pass along one (can't share 'em all!) Sleeper pick this year and why?
A sleeper only because he is ranked so low due to his injury history, but Fred Taylor as the #14 back? If, and that�s a big if, he stays healthy, he�s a top 5, maybe even a top 3 back at years end. The savvy owner who picks him up in round 3 or 4, provided he has a solid #1 back, may ride Taylor to the championship. I see 1600 total yds and 13 Td�s. Not bad for a #2 back.
7. In which Round do you start thinking about a Kicker or Defense? Or do you let the others dictate that, when there's a run on one or both of these positions, do you then jump in?
To be honest, I don�t even think about a Kicker or Defense at all. Being that both positions are so unpredictable from year to year, I wait until round 13 or 14 before I even begin to consider a Kicker or Defense. Looking at the rankings this year, the 10th ranked kicker is John Carney of NO. I�d take him. In fact, I had him last year in both of my leagues, got him as my backup kicker in both, and he ended up putting up top 5 numbers. Plus, there are always a number of good undrafted Defenses and Kickers that always end up as good if not great FA pickups throughout the year (Cleveland and Chicago last year to name a few). So basically, after laughing at the guy who takes Mike Vanderjagt in the 8th round and the Steelers Defense in the 9th, I�ll be taking my #4 RB and backup QB, and take my chances with John Carney in the 14th.
8. Who do you think has the possibility of not being drafted at all, yet could be a potential quality Free Agent sometime during the season?
Inevitably every year a few feature backs go down with injuries or ineffectiveness, only to have they�re undrafted backup come in and put up monster numbers. Two years ago it was Mike Anderson, and last year it was Shaun Alexander and Dominic Rhodes. This year will, I�m sure, be no exception. A few guys that could go undrafted, yet put up big numbers given the chance, are Clinton Portis in Denver, Deshaun Foster in Carolina, and Dorsey Levens in Philadelphia. I chose Portis and Levens because of the obvious injury history of the starters ahead of then and Foster because he is flat out better than Lamar Smith and I feel will eventually take the job over from him.
9. Among those who performed well last season, who will fall the farthest in terms of production from last year to this year and why?
I have two guys in mind. I believe Garrison Hearst, with his injury history and the emergence of Kevan Barlow, won�t come close to the 1500 total yards he got last year.
The other guy is Marty Booker because the Bears are a defensive, grind it out team. Plus, Booker signed a huge contract in the offseason, and as we see way too often, mediocre players that have breakout years and subsequently sign big contracts in the offseason, are prime candidates for failure. Plus Marcus Robinson is healthy and David Terrell is a pretty good player, somebody�s numbers are going to have to suffer. Instead of the 100 catches, 1100 yds, and 8 TD�s like last year, I�m thinking more like 50 rec., 600 yds, and 4 Td�s.
10. Final Score of the Super Bowl?
Before I give you my choice, let me explain myself. The growing trend, it seems, is mediocre teams from the year before, playing fairly easy schedules, and the growing parity in the league, allows for some not so great teams to be fairly successful the following year. We saw it with the Patriots and the Bears last year. This year will be no different. As the league�s top two defenses collide, Bill Cowher�s vaunted defense and a rejuvenated Kordell Stewart are too much for Coach of the Year Steve Spurrier�s prolific offense. The Pittsburgh Steelers eek out a 17-13 win as Shane Matthews� last ditch effort on a 50 yard flea flicker attempt to Rod Gardner is broken up in the end zone by Chad Scott as time runs out.