I'm participating in an experts draft for a league started by Alan Satterlee of Fantasy Football Warehouse. It's an extended-format or "slow" draft with a 12-hour clock, and it's like the leagues we published in our magazine -- no roster moves or lineups to set. The only commitment is building the best team you can in the draft.
I drew the 12th spot in the drafting order, which doesn't seem too bad this year. I'd like to select Adrian Peterson or Doug Martin, but once you get by those guys, I'm not sure Jamaal Charles or C.J. Spiller are that much better than the runners at the bottom of the first round. I opened the draft with Alfred Morris, who might be just as good as the players I'd have taken at 5 or 6.
I started the 2nd round with Dez Bryant, who we've slotted just behind Calvin Johnson. That was almost two days ago; we've been putting the "slow" in slow draft since then. My picks should come up again in a few hours, and I think there are a lot of appealing options left. I'll select two of them, then hope another quality duo makes it back to me at 5-6.
UPDATE: My pick just came up at the end of the 3rd round. I was looking at a block of receivers I liked -- Roddy White, Randall Cobb, Victor Cruz -- and Cruz was there for me. Leading off the 4th, I wanted another running back. Montee Ball -- 22nd among running backs in our latest PPR rankings -- was the best available, and I grabbed him.
Straight off our PPR rankings, I went against the grain on those running back choices. If Ian Allan was drafting, He would almost certainly have come out of it with three wide receivers, and possibly four (straight off the rankings, Bryant, Green, Cruz, and Danny Amendola would be on his team).
Based on what I've seen him do in the FanEx drafts and auctions, he is a little more comfortable than I am relying on the depth at the running back position, selecting some No. 2 or third-down types of backs and counting on one of them being elevated into the lineup due to injury, or putting up solid numbers on receptions.
I want to be able to start a clear franchise, No. 1 runner at one of those running back spots, which is why I opted for Morris (when our overall rankings would have suggested going with two WRs). Had I passed on Ball at 4.01, and with 22 picks off the board before my next pick, the remaining running backs left to me at 5.12 would have been backup or No. 2 types -- Pierce, Rodgers, that ilk. It's not a roster I'm comfortable with, so I went with Ball.
In contrast, I am comfortable that there will be another one or two of our top 20 or 25 PPR wideouts there for me at 5.12 and 6.01. The depth at that position is strong; there are enough players left that I think the receiver I get then will be a lot closer to Amendola than the running back I'd have taken will be to Ball. We'll see how it works out.
The draft can be seen at this link. If you've got an opinion on who I should take with my next two picks, feel free to post it below. Here's how the draft has gone thus far.
1.01 Adrian Peterson The Huddle
1.02 Jamaal Charles BFD
1.03 Doug Martin Yahoo! Sports
1.04 Calvin Johnson FFToolbox
1.05 C.J. Spiller Fantasy Football Warehouse
1.06 Ray Rice Draft Sharks
1.07 Marshawn Lynch Rotowire
1.08 Arian Foster CBS FF Today
1.09 LeSean McCoy Football Guys
1.10 Trent Richardson KFFL
1.11 Aaron Rodgers Fantasy Draft Master
1.12 Alfred Morris Fantasy Index
2.01 Dez Bryant Fantasy Index
2.02 A.J. Green Fantasy Draft Master
2.03 Brandon Marshall KFFL
2.04 Matt Forte Football Guys
2.05 Jimmy Graham CBS FF Today
2.06 Demaryius Thomas Rotowire
2.07 Steven Jackson Draft Sharks
2.08 Julio Jones Fantasy Football Warehouse
2.09 Chris Johnson FFToolbox
2.10 Larry Fitzgerald Yahoo! Sports
2.11 Reggie Bush BFD
2.12 LeVeon Bell The Huddle
3.01 Drew Brees The Huddle
3.02 Darren Sproles BFD
3.03 Maurice Jones-Drew Yahoo! Sports
3.04 David Wilson FFToolbox
3.05 Lamar Miller Fantasy Football Warehouse
3.06 Randall Cobb Draft Sharks
3.07 Roddy White Rotowire
3.08 DeMarco Murray CBS FF Today
3.09 Andre Johnson Football Guys
3.10 Stevan Ridley KFFL
3.11 Frank Gore Fantasy Draft Master
3.12 Victor Cruz Fantasy Index
4.01 Montee Ball Fantasy Index