Fantastic Voyage: EMQB's Fantasy Draft Rules for 2010

Jump at the chance to draft Jermichael Finley

As sure as Brett Favre's annual comeback, the fantasy football draft season is in full swing. Drafting your fantasy team online should be a crime (considering that eating high calorie junk food while drafting among rivals is a part of the unwritten code of fantasy geeks), and the team who selects Sidney Rice with their second round pick should provide plenty of laughs.

I have just finished two championship quality drafts (of course) and would like to break down the EMQB's rules to fantasy football drafting in 2010:

1. If you have a chance to draft Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, or Maurice Jones-Drew, please do:  This would seem like a no brainer. In fact, my son, in his very first fantasy football draft, went against my advice and drafted Andre Johnson with Peterson and MJD still left on the board. So much for the future of our country.

2. Draft Calvin Johnson because he will have a career year: I could give you a bunch of excuses on why he didn't have a great season in 2009. I will tell you this, Megatron will have a better statistical year than every receiver except the previously mentioned Andre Johnson. He is a bona fide freak of nature, and with the Lions new weapons in the passing game, he can't be stopped. I have selected him in both of my fantasy drafts so far and don't have an ounce of buyer's remorse.  Feel free to select Calvin in the second round and add a championship trophy to your mantle.

3. Jermichael Finley is as good if not better as Antonio Gates and Dallas Clark: If you take Finley's averages over the last 7 games of the 2009 season, he would have had 950 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. That is not including his two monster games, one for 128 receiving yards and a touchdown in week 4 against the Vikings and the other for 159 yards against the Cards in the playoffs. He could easily surpass 1,100 receiving yards and have 10-12 touchdowns in 2010. Gates has had his share of injury issues, and Clark has never been the main focus of the Colts offense. Finley is only 23 years old and hasn't had his best season yet. Gates and Clark probably have.

4. Nab Shonn Greene or Jamaal Charles if you can get one of the big three: If you can't achieve rule number one, than choose either Shonn Greene or Jamaal Charles in the second or third round. Charles is a former track star who could be the next CJ2K, and Greene is the beneficiary of the carries left over by the departure of Thomas Jones. Anybody who plays fantasy knows carries are money. Don't let the your opponents draft these guys and leave you crying alone in the dark later.

5. Plenty O' Quaterbacks: Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers are all elite fantasy quarterbacks. The fact is the difference between Eli Manning and Peyton Manning was about 3.25 points per game in 2009. Matt Shaub, Jay Cutler, Kevin Kolb, and Matt Ryan are all great starting options and will come much cheaper than the "elite" quaterbacks. Shop at the dollar store and not at Neiman Marcus.

6. Better late than never: There are so many receivers and runners with huge roles on their team still available late in the draft. Here's the current fliers on my menu: 

Arian Foster, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Michael Bush at running back

Jacoby Jones, Malcolm Floyd, the Bucs' Mike Williams, Laurent Robinson, Nate Burleson, Anthony Gonzalez, and Jabar Gaffney at wide receiver

Zach Miller, Chris Cooley, John Carlson, Dustin Keller, Ben Watson, and Tony Scheffler at the tight end position

These guys all have the benefit of personnel, coaching, or team changes that give them a huge role with their team. Many players with bigger injury risks and lesser roles will be selected before these guys, but trust me these guys have much bigger upside, and you can thank me later for telling you about them (just like my friend just did for telling him to pick up Chris Johnson in our keeper league -  two years ago).

7. Don't freak on the streak: Every draft has a streak. Players from the same position come flying off the board, and you're left with Derrick Ward as your second running back. Stay calm. Find value at another position. This year's crop of players is deep, and if you don't so flustered by a streak that you need medication, you'll be able to draft for value through most of the draft and not have to draft for need until the very end.

8. Survival of the fittest: Football often plays out like watching Animal Planet. The old and tired are devoured by the young and strong. With age and wear comes increased risk for injury for players. Players like Matt Hasselbeck and Donovan McNabb must be backed up with reliable fantasy options if you draft them as your starting quarterbacks. This forces you to spend a higher pick on a backup at a certain position, rather than drafting the best player available.

Other age and injury risks: Steven Jackson, Brandon Jacobs, Ronnie Brown, Clinton Portis, LaDanian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, Wes Welker, Chad Ochocinco, Hines Ward, Terrell Owens, Deion Branch, Kellen Winslow, Jeremy Shockey, and Todd Heap.

So there you have it. If you want to taste the playoffs like I have in each of the last four fantasy seasons, you will heed my advice. If you think I'm a blabbering idiot, you won't. Either way, I hope you learned something. Good luck in the realm of fantasy.

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