Ok, folks, here’s my team in our 12 man Points Per Reception League. With the 5th pick I surprised the league by selecting Buffalo’s RB Marshawn Lynch. Bills brass and QB Trent Edwards intend to significantly increase Lynch’s touches this year. Perhaps as many as ten more per game. That elevated him, in my thought, above the RB’s taken shortly after, Joseph Addai, Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Larry Johnson, and Ryan Grant. Clinton Portis tallied a paltry 8 FFB points Thursday night vs. NY. I look for that trend to continue with Washington’s sluggish offense under reluctant new coach Jim Zorn.
I could have taken Addai, but Marshawn will be Buffalo’s main weapon. Addai must compete with many other weapons, and a far more ambitious schedule vs. the run. Lynch will face an easier plate of run defenses.
In round 2 I took the best WR still available, Houston’s Andre Johnson. I hope he can stay healthy. RB Jamal Lewis was a pleasant surprise, falling to me in round 3. I really coveted Falcon’s new RB Michael “the burner” Turner. I jumped on him with a warm and fuzzy grin on my face in round 4. No worries about a QB yet.
Round’s 5 and 6 landed me Atlanta’s Roddy White, another receiver I wanted , and reliable Chief TE Tony Gonzalez. So far, so good.. I was looking at Baltimore’s RB Ray Rice in Round #7, but I went with San Diego WR Chris Chambers, hoping Rice would slide a round. He did.. I happily added him to my roster in Round 8.
In Round 9, I handcuffed QB Philip Rivers to Chris Chambers. Satisfied with my RB‘s, I selected receivers in rounds 10 and 11. I got two with huge upsides, Saints WR Robert Meacham, and Eagles starting WR DeSean Jackson. I just might be starting Jackson this Sunday if the field is playable.
With most top defenses gone by round 12, I landed the Birds D. I’m Ok with that. They have an upside. Round 13 brought the most heckling of the draft, when I picked WR Courtney Taylor of the Seahawks. With all the injuries to Seahawks WR’s, Courtney was projected as a starter. I was right. My sports psychologist helped me through the abuse. I’m glad he was there. With round 14, I grabbed the QB I had coveted all along, Arizona’s Kurt Warner. Matt Leinart had been taken in the 10th round. I was fearful that Leinart’s proud owner would handcuff Warner at the end of the draft, so I stole him at #14.. The last 2 picks rounded off my team with Eagles kicker David Akers and Buffalo’s QB Trent Edwards. Edwards will hopefully dump off a few more passes to my first pick, Marshawn Lynch. ……Bookend Buffalo Bills….Mission Accomplished!


Our draft was over three weeks ago, so some of these players would have gone much higher if the draft was now. Especially Warner. We all had to scratch our heads and make some reaches and guesses.
My only regret was not taking the available Larry Fitzgerald when I grabbed Andre Johnson. He would have hooked up very nicely with Kurt Warner in San Francisco this Sunday. But, few regrets, otherwise. Our teams all look like winners until the play begins. Well, some of our teams. There is always some dead money in the league.
The number of dream team players that see little or no pre-season action seems to be growing each year. QB’s Peyton Manning and Tom Brady never took a pre-season snap, but they were snapped up early. Antonio Gates is in the twilight zone. Injuries are disguised by teams more and more. It really is becoming a crap shoot, no matter when you draft. Opening day will open up many eyes…..I can’t wait!