SOFA Classic Draft

[Pancake]

Hi WW,

 

Mind if I grill you on your thought process for a couple of your draft selections? I really study up on your draft because you have great insight and you have been dead on with a couple players in the past. For instance, in 2008 draft you drafted Thomas Jones in the 4th round as the 20th overal RB taken and he ends up ranking as the 4th best RB.

 

Round 1 I think I get it in that you had several RBs ranked similar that you liked so you went for your #1 WR off the board knowing that one of the RBs would be waiting for you just a couple picks away. Suppose that Slaton AND Portis where off the board....whould you have gone RB in the 2nd round, and if so who?

 

Round 3 - Did you have Pierre Thomas targeted before the draft? What other RBs did you have targeted for the 3rd round that you are that you are "High" on. If you have other drafts going on and dont want to divulge any positions I understand.

 

Round 6 - you took your 3rd RB (Julius Jones) before a drafting a starter for TE or QB. Whats your thoughts on Julius Jones this year and was this just too good of value (starting RB with relatively small RBBC concerns) to pass on. Are you "covering" for P. Thomas as you dont feel super confident in him?

 

Thanks so much WW!

[WJW]

I'm a value based drafter at the core. So I never enter a draft with my heart set on or targeting any specific players. Sure, I like some more than others and that can sway me with the players available are fairly equal in value. But in the first third of a draft I'm going off of value.

 

Round 1 - I was pretty sure I was taking a top 3 WR with my first pick because this is a RB hog league. Always has been. So I knew 7-8 of the 9 pick ahead of me would be RBs. Well 9 were so I was thrilled to land Johnson.

 

Round 2 - You are right, I wanted Slaton or Portis with pick 2.03 - but if they were both gone that would have left me either Moss or Fitz and I would have taken one of them. If all four were gone I would have been disappointed and likely settled for RB Barber, RB Williams or WR Jennings.

 

Round 3 - As I said above, I don't target players going in. But after I got Portis at 2.03, and having AJ, I did plan on getting the best available RB because I knew a ton of WRs would go off the board and that's where the value would be. I was hoping for K. Smith, R. Grant or P. Thomas. So I was pleased that Thomas lasted because I was not wanting to reach for any other backs at that spot.

 

Round 6 - When the big 4 QBs went I knew I'd be waiting on my QB, which is typical for me. Witten and Gates were off the board and those are the only two TEs worth a high pick IMO, so I knew I'd just dive into the very deep TE pool later for a starter then grab one of my sleepers late. I had 3 WRs and you can start 3RBs so I wanted to get another solid RB. I've always been a fan of the Jones brothers and I think Julius is in a great situation in SEA this year. Jones is a starter with only a TD vulture behind him and will catch a good amount of passes (PPR league). I knew it was him or some part-timer or backup RB at that point so I gladly took him at 6.03. Maybe a bit early for him, but i had a high 6th round pick and couldn't afford to not get a solid #3RB in this league.

[jaxfactor]

Round 6 - I've always been a fan of the Jones brothers and I think Julius is in a great situation in SEA this year. Jones is a starter with only a TD vulture behind him and will catch a good amount of passes (PPR league). I knew it was him or some part-timer or backup RB at that point so I gladly took him at 6.03. Maybe a bit early for him, but i had a high 6th round pick and couldn't afford to not get a solid #3RB in this league.

 

 

I got him with pick 6.13 in Weapons. I was actually looking at him with the 5.4 pick but desparately needed another WR. I just knew he wouldn't be there at 6.13 as that's the way this draft has been going(16 teamer). If you're targeting someone, they'll almost every time be off the board with your next pick so you find yourself jumping early on someone you really like. I was ecstatic when JJ fell to me at 6.13 and from what you're saying, WW, I should feel pretty good about him.