Fantasy Football, the Preseason thread

Sorry to those who just raised their hackles because of this. Anyway, thought it might be a good idea to start a catch-all Fantasy Football thread. To start off with, what magazine(s) do you buy? I'm a Fantasy Index fan, but I'm open to sugggestions.

 

I subscribe to ESPN Insider, so I don't need any magazines.

 

I think I get Fantasy Football Index, but I think they are all pretty much the same.

I get them to look at the mocks and the lists to see who could still be around when I am picking.

I just need someone to talk me out of blowing two picks on the Detroit players. Williams and Kitna playing for Martz... I mean they are going to be losing most games right? They are going to be chucking the ball, right?

I won two of my three leagues last year with Stepen Jackson, Westbrook and Bulger. I like to try (don't we all) try to nab a player right before he breaks out. For example, I think Lee Evans will have a better season than Harrison or Moss.

On my hit list so far:
Evans
Malroney
Santonio Holmes
Big Ben
Kitna
Roy Williams
Andre Johnson
Reggie Bush

 

I lucked out last year. I snagged Bush in the fifth round and Drew Brees in the eighth, and our league switched to a two-keeper system this year (instead of one). So Bush costs me a first-round pick, but I get to keep Brees for an eighth. Oh Happy Day!

Anyhoo, as long as he isn't dinged up too bad I'm gunning for Randy Moss. After the debacle last season, I think he has great sleeper potential as a fourth or fifth rounder.

As for lists, I make my own on sheets of notebook paper. Position by position, with the top QB, top two RB, and top three or four WR or TE for each team. Then I go through and rank them with a one, two or three.
One is franchise players, guys like Stephen Jackson, LT, Larry Johnson or Peyton Manning. Guys you can't do without. There might be 15 names on that list.
Twos are starters, guys who will contribute and be valuable but aren't quite "must-haves". Guys like Moss, Brady, maybe Reggie Bush or Deuce McAllister. Most of the draft is these guys.
Threes are rookies you aren't sure about (like Adrian Peterson), third receivers or backup RBs who might make the leap, QBs on bad teams with solid potential or who just suck (Kitna would either be this or a low two; David Carr would be a three), or total garbage. Basically, your roster fillers and late-round fliers.

 

93DEvils ---

I like Evans, too, but not more than Harrison. Value-wise, yes. Evans in the fifth is better than Harrison in the second.

I'm the driver if not sitting shotgun on the Kitna bandwagon. I think he's the most underrated player in fantasy today...

My guys:

1) Kitna
2) Vernon Davis
3) Thomas Jones
4) Anquan Boldin
5) Travis Henry

I think all will be vastly higher than advertised

 

I've been thinking about getting out the past two years, but there I was picking up a FF Index at the store. I make sheets of top Qbs, Rbs and Wrs and project what I think they will get. A lot of people don't take into account coaching changes and players in a new system. I HATE the playoff format 99.9% of leagues use. Our league is a total points at the end of the year and we play through 17 weeks.

Also, try Draftsharks.com. I've seen several websites, but they seem to be pretty good in picking 1st round busts and sleepers.

 

I've done Yahoo leagues for a long time, but I'm going to do my first in-person draft in a week or two. I'm looking forward to actually having to prep for it. Any suggestions?

 

Well worth the money, even if it's just for Karabell and Buster Olney on a (mostly) daily basis.

 

I've been in a big-money, 14-team league for three years now. We play on CBS Sportsline, have our own league page, stories, previews, live fantasy scoreboard, etc. It's a blast.

Our entry fee is $100 per team, $5 a trade and $10 per add/drop. The guy who won last year got a check for a little over $1,400.

I have the ESPN and CBS Sportsline mags, but I check out other ones on the shelves.

Our league is a two-keeper max league, and those keepers take your first and second round picks (if you have them, or just one if you have one). So prepping for our draft is very tough. I've started doing mock drafts with our team in various positions pick-wise (we're keeping one player this year, Willie Parker) and try to strategize from there. It's a lot of head games, but it usually puts me in a position to draft well and how I want.

 

Just had my 12-team draft this week:

Here are my starters (I drafted first)

QB - Rivers
RB - Tomlinson, T. Bell
WR - Harrison, Chad Johnson, Andre Johnson
TE - Winslow
K - Wilkins
D/ST - New England

How did I do? It's a touchdown and yardage league.

 

Without seeing everyone else's rosters, it's hard to make that call. If Bell and Andre Johnson have good years, it looks like potentially very good.

 

This was the first year I didn't buy one (or three), for that reason. Far better than any magazine and up to date.