Better late then never. Last week I had my first fantasy football draft of the season and then analyzed my picks here at Pride of Detroit. With all of the news coming out of training camp in the time after part I, I completely forgot about the rest of my picks that I had planned on analyzing as well.
Looking back, I saw my first post and will now get on to my second one. Wasting no time, let's get right into it, here's picks 10-16 from my draft.
After having a rough season of fantasy football in 2005 because of a weak amount of depth at the quarterback position, I decided that I would load up on starting-caliber QBs this year as a change. In the second round I drafted Jake Delhomme, who has the great targets of Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson to throw to. Most of the positions had been filled up on my roster, so I figured it was the right time to take a backup quarterback.
After looking through who was available, I ended up choosing Cowboys QB Drew Bledsoe. Bledsoe has great players to catch his passes in Terry Glenn, Jason Witten, and Terrell Owens if he can get back to full health and stay out of trouble. Also, Bledsoe could easily take the starting role on a fantasy football roster if needed.
11. Keenan McCardell (Chargers) - 121st Overall
With all of the starting spots on my roster filled, it was time to find some good backups. At the wide receiver position, Keenan McCardell was the best still available. He's got a new quarterback that may limit his statistics at the start of the season, but with Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson on the field, he may have defenders worrying about someone else.
12. Chris Brown (Titans) - 144th Overall
Finding a solid backup at the running back position gets tough once the later rounds hit. Looking down the list revealed that there were some pretty good players still left on the board. I ended up drafting Chris Brown, the back from the Tennessee Titans. Brown had a decent season in 2005, and will be right back up there again in 2006. The biggest thing about Brown is that he's good if you need him for a week here and there, and also because he is good trade bait. Somewhere in a league a team will be in need of a running back, and you can get some good players in return for Brown.
13. Steve McNair (Ravens) - 145th Overall
As I said earlier, this season I really wanted to bulk up on QBs to avoid having to trade for one halfway through the season. After selecting Jake Delhomme and Drew Bledsoe in previous rounds, I decided to go out and take Steve McNair with my 145th pick. I was somewhat surprised that McNair was still available as he is a great player. Sure, he may have been injured the last couple of seasons, but in a system similar to the one he succeeded in with Tennessee, he will be great again. It doesn't hurt him that he has Derrick Mason and Todd Heap as his targets either. The way I see it is that McNair can be a backup or a starter if he was needed.
14. Vernon Davis (49ers) - 168th Overall
The sixth overall pick in the actual NFL draft was Vernon Davis. Davis was a stud at Maryland and was one of the best pass catchers in the entire ACC. My hope is that he brings some of that success into the NFL. It may be a risk to take a rookie tight end that is on a team without much talent around him, but if Davis turns out to be a great player, then the risk will provide a great reward.
15. Frank Gore (49ers) - 169th Overall
You wouldn't normally see back-to-back 49ers selected in a fantasy draft as they are one of the worst teams in the NFL. But, all records aside, they have some talent on their team that can provide you with a few good backups. After selecting Vernon Davis, I didn't waste any time and took Frank Gore with my very next pick. I felt that there was a need for one more running back to add some depth. Gore was by far the best available, and is somewhat of a steal to get him with the 169th pick overall. Just as Chris Brown, Frank Gore can be a solid backup or trade bait for even more-talented players.
16. Kansas City Chiefs Defense - 192th Overall
The final pick of the draft is usually known as Mr. Irrelevant. In the case of this fantasy draft, it would have to be known as "Team Irrelevant." I still needed a backup defense for the Steelers, so I decided to go with one of my sleepers, the Kansas City Chiefs. This defense added Ty Law in the offseason, and has a chance to make a name for themselves.
There you have it, the 16-man roster is filled up, and now it's time to make those last changes in order to build yourself a championship-caliber team. Until the season starts, this is the last segment involving fantasy football you'll see. So, make sure you check back at previous updates to get yourself ready for your own draft.