KFFL Fantasy Analysis Draft: Team RTSports.com

August 21, 2008 @ 15:39:37

By Nicholas Minnix
Edited by Tim Heaney

I am here to independently evaluate each team in the KFFL Fantasy Analysis Draft. I'm not necessarily going to be kind, but I will play fair. I asked each participant to provide me with a few answers to specific questions and their best/worst picks of the draft.

Company: RTSports.com
Drafter: Jeff Paur
Pick: 1:7

Table: RTSports.com's roster

Player	Tm	Pos	Rnd	Pk	Ovr
Frank Gore	SF	RB	1	7	7
Braylon Edwards	CLE	WR	2	6	18
Chad Johnson	CIN	WR	3	7	31
Tony Gonzalez	KC	TE	4	6	42
Selvin Young	DEN	RB	5	7	55
Julius Jones	SEA	RB	6	6	66
Donovan McNabb	PHI	QB	7	7	79
Nate Burleson	SEA	WR	8	6	90
Deuce McAllister	NO	RB	9	7	103
Sidney Rice	MIN	WR	10	6	114
Jason Campbell	WAS	QB	11	7	127
Chicago Bears	CHI	D/ST	12	6	138
Leon Washington	NYJ	RB	13	7	151
James Hardy	BUF	WR	14	6	162
Shayne Graham	CIN	K	15	7	175
Randy McMichael	STL	TE	16	6	186

This team doesn't strike me as very intimidating. San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore could be a PPR monster, so that's not a bad way to go in the first round.

In this PPR format, Cleveland Browns wideout Braylon Edwards finished as the fourth-highest scoring receiver last year. Based on that logic, the pick seems reasonable. I wouldn't consider him before the third round, honestly. I don't understand why everyone believes that the Browns are for real. Derek Anderson has a lot to prove to me before I believe he's the real deal. I'll buy this for Paur's team, though.

Denver Broncos running back Selvin Young has become a nouveau gamble, for obvious reasons. In the last couple of seasons, the fellow who enters the year as Denver's lead back hasn't emerged at the end of it in the same chair. Obviously, such a fact isn't necessarily sound reasoning for avoiding the top candidate this year. Young's lack of durability is good reason, though.

I'm even less of a fan of Seattle Seahawks running back Julius Jones. He hasn't shown me anything since his rookie season. He doesn't hit the hole hard, he's indecisive and he'll be sharing time all season. He went about where he usually goes, though.

Paur took Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice in the 10th round, suggesting he was a player on the fantasy expert's radar. Initially, he wasn't:

"I didn't target Rice, but at the time of the I pick felt he had the most upside of the receivers remaining, especially with the good reports regarding [Vikings quarterback] Tarvaris Jackson. I do think Rice could be a real sleeper, though."

Fair enough. He has upside in his bench receivers, so there's no knocking that. Buffalo Bills receiver James Hardy (hamstring) should have trouble adjusting to the rigors of the NFL and has had problems remaining on the practice field; he could end up being waiver wire fodder, but it's not a bad pick.

Best: Nate Burleson, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks

Worst: Tony Gonzalez, tight end, Kansas City Chiefs

I don't know that Burleson is the best choice. His stock is rising because of the news that wideout Bobby Engram (shoulder) is out for a while, and receiver Deion Branch (knee) remains a question mark. It wasn't great value, though, just a fair pick at the time.

I'd actually give the nod to Paur's selection of Philadelphia Eagles passer Donovan McNabb as his best choice. He returned value there, and the upside is great. McNabb's touchdown pass-to-interception ratio down the stretch of last season was outstanding. He's primed for a bounce-back campaign, and he came just a few picks before the next tier of low-end passers. McNabb also went 25 picks after the Browns' Derek Anderson, the last signal caller selected.

Totally agree on Gonzalez. That pick in the fourth round was obviously the result of the seeming run on the position. The Dallas Cowboys' Jason Witten and the San Diego Chargers' Antonio Gates came off the board with the two picks prior to Paur's. Gonzo is a consistent performer, but the Cleveland Browns' Kellen Winslow is a better choice. He obviously didn't want to do that with Edwards in tow. He let other the drafters force his hand.

The pick of Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell in the 11th round, and not at the end, where he should go, if he goes, competes for this honor. It's especially hard to take Campbell that early when McNabb is your No. 1. I expect McNabb to bounce back in a big way this year, but one needs more insurance than Campbell. The Gonzo pick had a snowball effect, though. New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister probably won't find his way to my roster in any league, but if he does, it won't be in the ninth round.

The scariest thing about this team is the lack of depth at running back. If Young or Jones don't pan out, which is definitely a concern, who can he play after Gore?

Grade: C

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Nicholas Minnix

KFFL's baseball editor plays in LABR and Tout Wars and won the FSWA Baseball Industry Insiders League in 2010.

The University of Delaware alum is a regular guest on Sirius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio and Baltimore's WNST AM 1570. Follow him on Twitter.

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