There are plenty of reasons to hold your fantasy draft as late as possible. You want to make sure starting and backup roles are nailed down around the league, and you want to have a chance to see rookies play in the preseason. And you want to make sure one of your two tight ends in a no-transaction league doesn't get his knee shredded in mid-August.
That's the hand I've been dealt in the extended-format experts draft I've been participating, a no-transaction, best-ball league started by Alan Satterlee of Fantasy Football Warehouse. The team you draft is the one you're committed to for the entire season. I figured I was in good shape at tight end with Jermichael Finley and Dustin Keller, but Keller is done for 2013, so I'm scrambling to find somebody in the 21st round. The pickings are slim.
Slim or no, my final two picks will be a second tight end and a second kicker. Gotta have someone to not only cover byes but be a functional option should you lose another player to injury. After all, there are still two preseason games left for each team.
Regarding some of my recent picks: After seeing the latest Lions game, I wouldn't have drafted Mikel Leshoure. Doesn't seem like he factors into the team's plans. Joique Bell might have been a better choice there. On the bright side, Daniel Thomas could be a steal, as he seems headed for part of a committee in Miami. He's looked OK in the preseason. Austin Collie was a total flier, but I think he can win the No. 2 job in San Francisco.
The draft can be seen at this link. 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
4.02 Rashard Mendenhall Fantasy Draft Master
4.03 Rob Gronkowski KFFL
4.04 Vincent Jackson Football Guys
4.05 Wes Welker CBS FF Today
4.06 Cam Newton Rotowire
4.07 Darren McFadden Draft Sharks
4.08 Torrey Smith Fantasy Football Warehouse
4.09 Hakeem Nicks FFToolbox
4.10 Jordy Nelson Yahoo! Sports
4.11 Danny Amendola BFD
4.12 Dwayne Bowe The Huddle
5.01 Marques Colston The Huddle
5.02 Peyton Manning BFD
5.03 Vernon Davis Yahoo! Sports
5.04 Antonio Brown FFToolbox
5.05 Giovani Bernard Fantasy Football Warehouse
5.06 Reggie Wayne Draft Sharks
5.07 Jason Witten Rotowire
5.08 Shane Vereen CBS FF Today
5.09 Tony Gonzalez Football Guys
5.10 Tom Brady KFFL
5.11 Eric Decker Fantasy Draft Master
5.12 Pierre Garcon Fantasy Index
6.01 Matt Ryan Fantasy Index
6.02 Matthew Stafford Fantasy Draft Master
6.03 Ryan Mathews KFFL
6.04 Andrew Luck Football Guys
6.05 Cecil Shorts CBS FF Today
6.06 Mike Wallace Rotowire
6.07 Steve Smith Draft Sharks
6.08 Colin Kaepernick Fantasy Football Warehouse
6.09 Robert Griffin III FFToolbox
6.10 Stevie Johnson Yahoo! Sports
6.11 Kenny Britt BFD
6.12 Eddie Lacy The Huddle
7.01 Chris Ivory The Huddle
7.02 James Jones BFD
7.03 Russell Wilson Yahoo! Sports
7.04 Greg Olsen FFToolbox
7.05 Tony Romo Fantasy Football Warehouse
7.06 Miles Austin Draft Sharks
7.07 Ahmad Bradshaw Rotowire
7.08 Tavon Austin CBS FF Today
7.09 T.Y. Hilton Football Guys
7.10 Mike Williams KFFL
7.11 Greg Jennings Fantasy Draft Master
7.12 Andre Brown Fantasy Index
8.01 Golden Tate Fantasy Index
8.02 Daryl Richardson Fantasy Draft Master
8.03 Lance Moore KFFL
8.04 Michael Floyd Football Guys
8.05 Ben Tate CBS FF Today
8.06 DeSean Jackson Rotowire
8.07 Josh Gordon Draft Sharks
8.08 Anquan Boldin Fantasy Football Warehouse
8.09 Danario Alexander FFToolbox
8.10 Jonathan Stewart Yahoo! Sports
8.11 Vincent Brown BFD
8.12 Jared Cook The Huddle
9.01 Brandon Pettigrew The Huddle
9.02 Ronnie Hillman BFD
9.03 Denarius Moore Yahoo! Sports
9.04 Chris Givens FFToolbox
9.05 DeAndre Hopkins Fantasy Football Warehouse
9.06 Mark Ingram Draft Sharks
9.07 LaMichael James Rotowire
9.08 Justin Blackmon CBS FF Today
9.09 DeAngelo Williams Football Guys
9.10 Kyle Rudolph KFFL
9.11 Seattle Seahawks Fantasy Draft Master
9.12 Jermichael Finley Fantasy Index
10.01 Eli Manning Fantasy Index
10.02 Antonio Gates Fantasy Draft Master
10.03 BenJarvus Green-Ellis KFFL
10.04 Bryce Brown Football Guys
10.05 Ryan Broyles CBS FF Today
10.06 Jermaine Gresham Rotowire
10.07 Jay Cutler Draft Sharks
10.08 Alshon Jeffery Fantasy Football Warehouse
10.09 Bernard Pierce FFToolbox
10.10 Jacquizz Rodgers Yahoo! Sports
10.11 Owen Daniels BFD
10.12 San 49ers The Huddle
11.01 Denver Broncos The Huddle
11.02 Fred Davis BFD
11.03 Vick Ballard Yahoo! Sports
11.04 Danny Woodhead FFToolbox
11.05 Jordan Cameron Fantasy Football Warehouse
11.06 Martellus Bennett Draft Sharks
11.07 Pierre Thomas Rotowire
11.08 Josh Freeman CBS FF Today
11.09 Tyler Eifert Football Guys
11.10 Emmanuel Sanders KFFL
11.11 Fred Jackson Fantasy Draft Master
11.12 Kendall Wright Fantasy Index
12.01 Dustin Keller Fantasy Index
12.02 Darrius Heyward-Bey Fantasy Draft Master
12.03 Johnathan Franklin KFFL
12.04 Andy Dalton Football Guys
12.05 Roy Helu CBS FF Today
12.06 Brian Hartline Rotowire
12.07 Sam Bradford Draft Sharks
12.08 Greg Little Fantasy Football Warehouse
12.09 Cordarrelle Patterson FFToolbox
12.10 Sidney Rice Yahoo! Sports
12.11 Kenbrell Thompkins BFD
12.12 Alex Smith The Huddle
13.01 Carson Palmer The Huddle
13.02 Aaron Dobson BFD
13.03 Rod Streater Yahoo! Sports
13.04 Ben Roethlisberger FFToolbox
13.05 Coby Fleener Fantasy Football Warehouse
13.06 Robert Housler Draft Sharks
13.07 Michael Vick Rotowire
13.08 Rueben Randle CBS FF Today
13.09 Brandon LaFell Football Guys
13.10 Mohamed Sanu KFFL
13.11 Zac Stacy Fantasy Draft Master
13.12 Mikel Leshoure Fantasy Index
14.01 Christine Michael Fantasy Index
14.02 Keenan Allen Fantasy Draft Master
14.03 Philip Rivers KFFL
14.04 Michael Bush Football Guys
14.05 Matt Schaub CBS FF Today
14.06 Malcom Floyd Rotowire
14.07 Isaiah Pead Draft Sharks
14.08 Markus Wheaton Fantasy Football Warehouse
14.09 Joe Flacco FFToolbox
14.10 Jeremy Kerley Yahoo! Sports
14.11 Knile Davis BFD
14.12 Robert Woods The Huddle
15.01 Brandon Myers The Huddle
15.02 Ryan Tannehill BFD
15.03 Chicago Bears Yahoo! Sports
15.04 Shonn Greene FFToolbox
15.05 Stephen Hill Fantasy Football Warehouse
15.06 Jake Locker Draft Sharks
15.07 Nick Toon Rotowire
15.08 Joique Bell CBS FF Today
15.09 Baltimore Ravens Football Guys
15.10 New Patriots KFFL
15.11 Ryan Williams Fantasy Draft Master
15.12 Knowshon Moreno Fantasy Index
16.01 Austin Collie Fantasy Index
16.02 Marcedes Lewis Fantasy Draft Master
16.03 Dion Lewis KFFL
16.04 Andre Roberts Football Guys
16.05 Cincinnati Bengals CBS FF Today
16.06 DuJuan Harris Rotowire
16.07 Mike Tolbert Draft Sharks
16.08 Houston Texans Fantasy Football Warehouse
16.09 Joseph Randle FFToolbox
16.10 Phil Dawson Yahoo! Sports
16.11 Jon Baldwin BFD
16.12 Stephen Gostkowski The Huddle
17.01 Matt Bryant The Huddle
17.02 E.J. Manuel BFD
17.03 Bilal Powell Yahoo! Sports
17.04 Davone Bess FFToolbox
17.05 Greg Zuerlein Fantasy Football Warehouse
17.06 Julian Edelman Draft Sharks
17.07 Arizona Cardinals Rotowire
17.08 Zach Sudfeld CBS FF Today
17.09 Brandon Weeden Football Guys
17.10 Justin Tucker KFFL
17.11 Donnie Avery Fantasy Draft Master
17.12 St. Louis Rams Fantasy Index
18.01 Green Bay Packers Fantasy Index
18.02 Nate Burleson Fantasy Draft Master
18.03 Dwayne Allen KFFL
18.04 Julius Thomas Football Guys
18.05 Marcel Reece CBS FF Today
18.06 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rotowire
18.07 New York Jets Draft Sharks
18.08 Blair Walsh Fantasy Football Warehouse
18.09 Jarius Wright FFToolbox
18.10 Jacoby Jones Yahoo! Sports
18.11 Minnesota Vikings BFD
18.12 Braylon Edwards The Huddle
19.01 Rashad Jennings The Huddle
19.02 Ed Dickson BFD
19.03 Matt Flynn Yahoo! Sports
19.04 Denard Robinson FFToolbox
19.05 Kendall Hunter Fantasy Football Warehouse
19.06 Zach Ertz Draft Sharks
19.07 Robert Turbin Rotowire
19.08 Matt Prater CBS FF Today
19.09 Stepfan Taylor Football Guys
19.10 Latavius Murray KFFL
19.11 Marcus Lattimore Fantasy Draft Master
19.12 Steven Hauschka Fantasy Index
20.01 Daniel Thomas Fantasy Index
20.02 Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Draft Master
20.03 Riley Cooper KFFL
20.04 Cleveland Browns Football Guys
20.05 Santonio Holmes CBS FF Today
20.06 Zach Miller Rotowire
20.07 Carolina Panthers Draft Sharks
20.08 LaRod Stephens-Howling Fantasy Football Warehouse
20.09 Atlanta Falcons FFToolbox
20.10 David Ausberry Yahoo! Sports
20.11 New York Giants BFD
20.12 Terrance Williams The Huddle
21.01 Stedman Bailey The Huddle
21.02 Dan Bailey BFD
21.03 Brent Celek Yahoo! Sports
21.04 Randy Bullock FFToolbox
21.05 Kenny Stills Fantasy Football Warehouse
21.06 Mike Nugent Draft Sharks
21.07 David Akers Rotowire
21.08 Sebastian Janikowski CBS FF Today
21.09 Garrett Hartley Football Guys