2010 Fantasy Football Mock Draft

Before each season we try rep our fantasy knowledge, err, get in a little pre-league draft practice reps with the mock  before we take on the real thing. It’s slowly becoming a tradition here at DW for every sport and every season. Since there’s only five of us, we have to draft for multiple teams, but we try to make each pick based on how we’d want the first three rounds to go for a given team. Some of the picks make more sense than others, but just like real drafts, some people throw out the ADP rankings and go with their gut/guy! If you get nothing out of this, we hope you at least enjoy the team names, and the sh** we talk on some of the players!

ROUND ONE

#1 Huge Fake TD’s – Chris Johnson

Not sure there’s much to say here.  2500 total yards last year, over 2,000 on the ground.  Made Big Fat Lendale White’s 15 TD’s from the previous year expendable.  One of the fastest guys in the NFL.  And in tandem with VY, the Titan backfield is ridiculous with the variety of spread plays they can run.  Everyone has CJ and his golden grill #1, and so do I.  But my grill has diamonds.

#2 Just Win, Maybe – Adrian Peterson

I haven’t finished higher than 10^th place since 2002, coincidentally the last time the Raiders were good hence the team name. I get “rewarded” with one of the top draft picks every year, and it never helps probably because the snaking draft order system, which is the gayest thing in the world if you ask me. I guess AP is going to be solid this year especially with Favre losing his number one receiver, so he should be getting more carries and probably even be involved more in the passing game too! It’s a shame on my team he’s more likely to get hurt all my first rounder picks do…

#3 Richmond Rapists – MJD

So, this is an easy pick. The back up to this pick is obviously Ray Rice, however I would only think about taking him in a keeper league situation. MJD is a TD machine and great building block for my draft in the later rounds.

#4 Bloodfart – Frank Gore

The 49’ers are getting better, so the Bloodfarts will get better as well.  Alex Smith has continued to improve (when healthy), the addition of Michael Crabtree at WR and the blossoming of Vernon Davis at TE will only help make the run respectable.  Frank Gore runs like his teachers are chasing him, and that’s definitely a good thing for fantasy owners.  He still feels he has a lot to give, and a lot to prove.

#5 Scott Pilgrim vs. Your Mom – Aaron Rodgers

Let me start by saying I suck at fantasy football.  Now that I got the waiver out of the way, let me explain why I selected Aaron Rodgers so high in the mock draft.  Did you not see last season?  Yes, I totally just explained my reasoning with a question, and that makes me totally awesome.

#6 Washing Headskins – Ray Rice

Great to see a player like this fall! When I saw I was drafting six, I was going to pull the trigger on Aaron Rodgers, but having Rice fall to me instead is a great consolation price. Hard to make the sixth position a great draft spot, but this certainly helps.

#7 Ixnay on Heyward Bey – Steven Jackson

There’s no reason to believe Steven Jackson won’t get to 1400 yards like he did last year, on the worst team in football.  If Bradford can crack the 1^st team at QB, and the WRs can produce, it may open up the run game for closer to 1600 yards and 10 TDs.  No RB in football runs with the same type of ferocious abandon that SJax brings, even when down 30 points.  Imagine what might happen if the game is close, or they have a lead!

#8 McNair’s Shotgun Offense – Michael Turner

He was a monster when he was healthy, but the question on him seems to be, can he stay healthy for an entire season as the featured back? It really killed my playoff run when he shut it down last year. I pondered taking Brees, but it’s hard to pass on backs that aren’t in a time share situation when they are all flying off the board these first few rounds.

#9 Get off my Ditka – Andre Johnson

Torn with this pick, I really wanted to take a solid running back, but couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger on Mendenhall, or DeAngelo. Both of those guys seem over valued at 9. I’m taking the best player on the board pts. wise, and figuring out the rest as the draft unfolds.

#10 Manning Vs. Food – Drew Brees

Best QB under 6’0” in the history of football at this point.  Go ahead, name another QB who has the respect Brees has, and a SB ring to boot (sorry Flutie), in the last 30 years who matches his stature.  None.  The consummate general, Brees has every weapon necessary on offense to make it happen: Great WR’s in Colston, Meachem, and Henderson; a very good, and versatile, RB combo in Thomas and Bush; a very tough match-up TE in Shockey. If the Defense can band together again this year, Brees will lead this high octane offense to another great finish.

#11 Ben’s Bathroom Bandits – Rashard Mendenhall

Yes! I got my boy! Good thing Rashard wasn’t part of Ben’s bathroom escapades, so he can start helping out my fantasy team Week 1. I think he should be solid since they no longer have Santonio, and Ben will be hanging out in bathrooms during his suspension. Hopefully Mendenhall can take advantage of those extra carries he gets early on and solidify himself as an elite back.

#12 Blood, Sweat, and Beers – DeAngelo Williams

I love, simply LOVE, having the 12^th pick in drafts. It sets up great in later rounds, and helps avoid or initiate position runs. There is a ton of talent on the WR front this year, so I’m going to take two running backs as my teams building block. I know about DeAngelo’s time share with Stewart, but feel good about solid point production all season long.

ROUND TWO

#13 Blood, Sweat, and Beers – Ryan Mathews

Tough choice here, I should have taken Greene perhaps, but I’m a sucker for the upside with Mathews. What can you do?

#14 Ben’s Bathroom Bandits – Jamaal Charles

Is there any reason to pick anyone in KC? I dunno if there’s one guy he is it, but since I got second in the league last year I feel like taking some risks this year. Plus rounding out my backfield early is always one of my goals. Jamaal will get the carries, but will the Chiefs be too far behind in games for him to be running? They might, but I don’t care. It’s a solid risk reward I’m willing to live with.

#15 Manning Vs. Food – Cedric Benson

Talk about comeback player of the year in Ced Ben!  Stayed fairly healthy and ran like he hadn’t in his first 4 years in the NFL! Now the Bengals offense has confidence and adds TO at WR and Germane Gresham at TE as passing threats… making the run even more respectable.  And the Bengals Defense is gaining quite the rep around the league, so the Bengals could find themselves with a lead often and keeping the ball on the ground.

#16 Get off my Ditka – Shonn Greene

BOOM, couldn’t hit the draft button fast enough. We saw enough last year in the playoffs what Greene can do in the backfield, pretty ecstatic to pair this dynamic RB, with Andre Johnson. This has the potential to be a serious 1-2 punch combo.

#17 McNair’s Shotgun Offense – Randy Moss

I’m not sure what to make of Moss, but when people doubt him he usually comes up big. I didn’t really want to pick him here, but the clock was running down and I had to act fast. Shonn Greene and Charles is who I wanted with this pick, so I was pretty disappointed when I saw both of them swooped up before my turn. Since the Pats are always on TV, I may as well have someone on my team that I can root for…

#18 Ixnay on Heyward Bey  – Peyton Manning (Manning vs Food is upset by this, I see a trade coming)

Peyton has somehow taken a lack of running game and still worked it into an advantage for the Colts.  They developed two very good receivers in Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie to complement the veteran super star Reggie Wayne, and you can’t forget Anthony Gonzalez is supposed to be back at full strength.  I see a lot of 4 receiver sets, with Dallas Clark coming off the line or acting as a 5^th receiver on the inside.

#19 Washing Head Skins – Matt Schaub

Peyton going right in front of me made me bite the bulletin for a QB, I didn’t expect to see a nearly as valuable QB lasting the entire turn back to me. I flipped a coin here between Schaub and Tom Brady….I might end up regretting not going with my gut.

#20 Scott Pilgrim vs. Your Mom – CJ Spiller

I knew I took a big risk going high on Rodgers, and I knew the consensus strategy in fantasy football is to get a good back in the early rounds, but since I was already on the path to being a fantasy stunt double who throws caution to the wind, why not continue to play Russian roulette with my picks?  Hence CJ Spiller.  All the great/good backs were off the board, so the risk/reward factor was in play with this selection.  He might not get any carries, or he might be Matt Forte during his rookie season, we’ll have to wait and see.  Should I have gone Jahvid Best here?

#21 Bloodfart – Miles Austin

When I first heard about Miles Austin, I heard he was a great return man and was playing the slot receiver position.  So I immediately pictured a guy no bigger than 5’10” and easy to bring down.  The I saw Austin in action when he was blowing up around week 4 last year, and he’s 6’3” with all that speed and great hands.  And with those hands he’s apparently caught a great booty as well, but that’s a different story that you can probably find on TMZ or something…

#22 Richmond Rapists – Pierre Thomas

Tons of WR’s left, so I went for Pierre Thomas. Almost no competition for his carries in the backfield, and Payton is on recording saying he thinks 20 plus carries a week is doable. That’s enough for me to take the plunge late in round-2. Happy to pair him up with MJD as well.

#23 Just Win, Maybe – Brandon Marshall

I’m still the guy that sucks at fantasy, so I may as well pick up soon to be disgruntled WR Brandon Marshall. If Ginn Jr. can put up big numbers with Henne, oh wait, he didn’t, what!?! Damn this might not be a good draft. Like I said before the snaking drafts suck, and never helps out people like me who finish close to the bottom every year.

#24 Huge Fake TD’s – Ryan Grant

Aaron Rodgers is turning into Peyton Manning right before our eyes, folks.  He’s using Greg Jennings and James Jones to key his pass attack beautifully.  You know what that means?  That’s right, Ryan Grant is back in effect!  After a season of mostly struggles ad injuries, Grant is looking to take advantage of the Packers pass attack and the pass-heavy defenses they will see as the outright #1 RB in GB this year, with Brandon Jackson taking a handful of carries to lighten his load.

ROUND THREE

#25 Huge Fake TD’s  – Tom Bunchen

Cmon now, wouldn't you rather see a picture of Gisele's TD's!?!

Ala Peyton and the Colts, the Patriots have abandoned the run game as a franchise and will mainly rely on the passing game this year.  No surprise there.  Randy Moss is still a threat at the age of 33, Wes Welker can run routes on one leg in his sleep, and now there’s a Welker clone in Julian Edelman joining the mix.  Did you hear they signed Tory Holt as well?  Oh, and Brandon Tate is a young speedy return man with size who will look to work his way into the passing game as well.  Lots of weapons for an elite QB like Tommy-boy.

#26 Just Win, Maybe – Beanie Wells

I was lucky with Beanie last year. I snatched him from the waiver wire, and wanted to continue this relationship. I’m a little worried that he won’t find much running room now that Warner and Boldin are gone. If I was the opposing team, I’d probably load up the box against him, but he still should have plenty of upside, and showed he belongs last year.

#27 Richmond Rapists – Reggie Wayne

And the gamble not to take a WR with my previous pick pays off! Seriously Reggie Wayne in round three? This feels like a serious coup, Wayne is never hurt, always gets a ton of catches, gets his yards, and is good for 10 TD’s…..fantastic safe pick to add in round three at WR.

#28 Bloodfart – Knowshon Moreno

It was either a QB or a RB to join Frank Gore and Miles Austin on the team, and I went with Moreno even though he was coming off a really disappointing season.  The Bloodfarts are hoping that Moreno is able to live up to the early first round hype and tear a whole in AFC West defenses 6 times this year.  If not, it’s going to be a long year for Kyle Orton and the Marshall-less WR corp.

#29 Scott Pilgrim vs. Your Mom – Barry Sanders … J/K, Matt Forte

Let’s just say I needed an insurance policy on my CJ Spiller experiment, and if anyone should be Matt Forte, it’s Matt Forte.  Right?  I suck at fantasy football, did I mention that already?

#30 Washing Head Skins – DeSean Jackson

Blown pick, plain and simple. Time was ticking down, I got panicked and went with the upside with Desean…..Bad move, Megatron and Roddy White were better options, not to mention Larry Fitz in round three is hard to pass up as well. I might get lucky in the end, but as is, this is a bad, bad play on my part.

#31 Ixnay on Heyward Bey – Larry Fitzgerald

Wow, Fitz in the bottom half of the 3^rd round!!  What a steal, and a sad, sad day for Larry Fitzgerald fans.  But seriously, does anyone know who will be throwing the ball in that offense?  Leinart might be the starter, unproven as he is, while a former Pro Bowler gone missing in Derek Anderson might also get the nod.  Can you start two QBs?  Add to the mix the departure of Anquan Boldin on the opposite side, and we may see our first quadruple team defense on a WR this year.  And that’s if the MCL strain heals quickly and fully.

#32 McNair’s Shotgun Offense – Calvin Johnson

He regressed a little last season with a plasma TV type season, but hopefully he comes back healthy and returns to Megatron form. I think having a running back that demands some respect from opposing defenses will help him out a little. Also, now that he has a season plus now with the same QB can’t hurt, especially when he saw 8 different QB’s during his rookie season. Teaming up Moss and Calvin should be an ultimate WR duo that will beat most opponents top receivers…

#33 Get off my Ditka – Phillip Rivers

Thought about passing on Rivers and taking a stab at Romo in the next round, but wasn’t sure if either of them would still be on the board. I took Rivers and will immediately address the WR position in the next round. The Romo vs. Rivers comparisons will be interesting to keep tabs on for the rest of the year.

#34 Manning Vs. Food – Roddy White

Slim picken’s but I like Roddy White over Colston just because of the durability and the like of multiple weapons in the Falcons passing offense.  The Saint’s passing game is too loaded.  White saw the most targets in football last year, including a dozen or so in the end zone.  Matt Ryan will come off a sophomore slump to use Roddy’s size and speed to his advantage and use him in the vertical passing game that Michael Turner will open up with his hard running inside.

#35 Ben’s Bathroom Bandits – Marques Colston

Crap, I really wanted Rivers. I always am one or two picks below the guy I want. Maybe that’s why I suck at fantasy. Or maybe it’s because I never have a backup plan! Colston should be good again this year. If he stays healthy, Colston IS a number 1 receiver, and everyone knows Brees likes to get him the ball early and often.

#36 Blood, Sweat, and Beers – Greg Jennings

Hey Rodgers has to get the ball down field right? Somebody has to score TD’s right? I know Jennings is coming off a down year, but I’m not selling. This pick has serious potential, and I’m more than happy to take the guarded risk…….especially the limited talent left on the board after him.