PigSkinPosse Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 So 2004 is a very significant year in fantasy football. All this talk about how you had to get a running back in the first round. Not anymore. The NFL’s increased emphasis this season on defensive pass interference have made quarterbacks a choice position again. It’s not a given anymore running backs automatically will be the first five picks in 2005. If you go by a standard scoring system of six points for a rushing or receiving touchdown and four points for a passing touchdown, eight quarterbacks rank ahead of all running backs with the exceptions of Holmes and Alexander. It’s not just Manning. Daunte Culpepper and Donovan McNabb have fired 27 and 22 touchdown passes, respectively. Their stats make them worthy of high first round status, too. Now wouldn’t that be nice, to find a reliable starting running back in the sixth round whose name isn’t William Green or Eddie George. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylive5 Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Don't think this season will change the attitude of anyone in two of my leagues since QB's are already rated high. However, QB's get 6 for a passing TD in both those leagues. In my long time local, there have been at least 2 QB's drafted in the first round since day one. I took Culpepper as the 3rd pick in my long time league, and AGreen as the 3rd pick in a new local. Needless to say, I am much happier in the league I took Culpepper in, even though he has been a touch down since Moss went out. I have never understood the 2 RB with the first two picks mode of drafting. I don't have anything against it... I just don't understand it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeohiostate Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Most leagues only start 1 QB, however, 2 RB's, the RB's will always be a proirity for most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMD Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 The better value in other positions from RB is only great for FF. We came off a 2003 season that had hardly any RBs injured and that typically spells a big draft year for them the next summmer. But since you always need 2 RBs and there are rarely more than 20 that appear worthy, they will always be coveted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 the rb-rb deal in the 1st 2 rounds never had anything to do with the level of production....it's the dropoff that stuck out at the rb position that wasn't as substantial at the qb position... you put together a more competitive team when you have 2 rb's, because you can always get a decent qb later... even brooks has been a decent qb if you have 2 quality backs and a stud wr... it's all a crapshoot anyways.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaterMan Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Next year I'm getting one of the top 3 QBs, then a RB, then playing the waiver wire and I'll pick up another Droughns or Julius Jones or Dom Davis again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furd Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 No. I'd love to see 2 of 3 quarterbacks go in the first round next year. More for the rest of us in the first 2 rounds I'll draft the equivalent of a Marc Bulger in the 5th round or so. Its not about total points. (See above) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilthorp Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 No. I'd love to see 2 of 3 quarterbacks go in the first round next year. More for the rest of us in the first 2 rounds I'll draft the equivalent of a Marc Bulger in the 5th round or so. Its not about total points. (See above) 576263[/snapback] Agreed...outside of the two top QB's, and perhaps McNabb, the rest of the QB's are such a crap-shoot. I mean Bulger, Green, Brooks, Favre, McNair (before this year), Hasselbeck---are on such even terms. Next year, you can argue to throw Leftwich, Carr, Plummer, Brees?? in that middle tier. The value is still at RB in both of my leagues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phenom Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 People will always value RB's because they fear change. If you pick a QB or WR in the first round owners are afraid of the ridicule from the other guys that maybe "this guy doesn't know what he's doing!!!". Everytime I have had a top QB I have made the playoff's. Last year I banked on Rich Gannon coming back and having a good year and my whole season tanked. I think QB is the hardest position to find consistent production. You don't pick up too many QB's off the waiver wire that is going to throw for 250 yards and 2 TD's every week. Even Big Ben who has been proclaimed as the next great one hasn't been that consistent this year. Only has passed over 200 yards once and hasn't passed over 2 TD's in any game yet. But every year there are at least 3 to 4 RB's you can pick up off the waiver wire or draft late that produce good numbers. This year it's Droughns, Pittman, Jerome Bettis, Emmitt Smith. I'm in about 10 leagues and the one's that I have either Mcnabb (1 league), Manning (1 league), Culpepper (2 leagues) I have a winning record. And in the league with Manning I'm 9-2 and killing teams. Yeah I hate Manning Captain Hook! The other leagues where I got 2 RB's like Edgerrin and Fred Taylor or Shaun Alexander and Rudi Johnson and ended up with Bulger as my value QB. I have either a losing record or barely a .500 record. I'll go with one of the top 3 QB's and take my chances with RB's in the later rounds.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 People will always value RB's because they fear change. If you pick a QB or WR in the first round owners are afraid of the ridicule from the other guys that maybe "this guy doesn't know what he's doing!!!".Everytime I have had a top QB I have made the playoff's. Last year I banked on Rich Gannon coming back and having a good year and my whole season tanked. I think QB is the hardest position to find consistent production. You don't pick up too many QB's off the waiver wire that is going to throw for 250 yards and 2 TD's every week. Even Big Ben who has been proclaimed as the next great one hasn't been that consistent this year. Only has passed over 200 yards once and hasn't passed over 2 TD's in any game yet. But every year there are at least 3 to 4 RB's you can pick up off the waiver wire or draft late that produce good numbers. This year it's Droughns, Pittman, Jerome Bettis, Emmitt Smith. I'm in about 10 leagues and the one's that I have either Mcnabb (1 league), Manning (1 league), Culpepper (2 leagues) I have a winning record. And in the league with Manning I'm 9-2 and killing teams. Yeah I hate Manning Captain Hook! The other leagues where I got 2 RB's like Edgerrin and Fred Taylor or Shaun Alexander and Rudi Johnson and ended up with Bulger as my value QB. I have either a losing record or barely a .500 record. I'll go with one of the top 3 QB's and take my chances with RB's in the later rounds.............. 576285[/snapback] the only owner in my league that had a top QB and was winning had Culpepper...and that was because he was putting up astronomical numbers....plus he ripped someone off for S Alexander...also having Edge I was stacked at RB and traded some of my depth for Manning early on and have balanced the force quite well...and seem almost unstoppable as the playoffs approach... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomfin2000 Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 I will definitely re-evaluate the way I draft. Every draft I try to stock up on RBs and every draft I end up with crap at RB anyway. Next year I'm going to take the best player available each round, regardless of position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 A top-tier player, regardless of position, is always a wise choice. In our draft this year Manning, TO, Moss, and Culpepper all went in the first round along with the usual assortment of top-tier RB's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rattsass Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 The position of running back is also being devalued because the days of a workhorse solid 30 carry a game back seem to be fading. This season in particular it seems there has been so many teams dividing touches between more players than usual, whether by injury or choice. Quarterbacks may be in vogue in next years draft, but the point has already been made that outside of Manning, Culpepper and possibly Mcnabb there will still be no point in drafting a QB early, because the group is bunched together well behind the top tier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 the idea is to move ahead of the trends....it seems almost every other year there are a plethora of RB injuries...and the year that there aren't, you get a bunch of stud-like performances... and honsetly, I almost don't know how I didn't see the QB position pretty much being the hot commodity this season with the new rule skewing with the way defenses gameplan... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cunning Runt Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 I've given this lots of thought and think I am definitely going kicker, kicker in the first two rounds next time around. Couldn't work any worse than drafting Barlow, Suggs, and Heap in rds 2-4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolverines Fan Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 If I get pick between 7-12, I will think about a stud qb, if one is there, but nothing definite for me on that. I'll probably change my mind between now and then. I know one thing: I am putting Chris Brown on my do not draft list. I'm not going through this injury thing with him again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Rodriguez Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 IMO, next years FF draft won't be much different. There will still be a couple of elite QBs that will go in the first round (Manning, Culpepper, and maybe McNabb). After that, there's about 8 QBs who are pretty much the same. Top RBs will continue to be highly sought-after. However, the pecking order will almost certainly change. IMO, LT will be the 1st pick in most drafts. After that, things get a bit fuzzy. If Alexander remains with the 'Hawks, he'll #2. It's tough say where Priest will go because of his injuries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TecmoBeast Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 i haven't compared stats, but i really think stud WR's value has went up. seems like a few stud WRs have had down years like Holt, Ward, Chad Johnson. Moss being injured. alot of older guys decreasing in stats like Rod Smith, Keyshawn, Jimmy Smith, Moulds I feel like a top-notch WR is more valuable next season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 I think the biggest surprise this year has been the performance of a few RB's I didn't even consider drafting because they were "over the hill". Namely Jerome Bettis, Curtis Martin, and Emmitt Smith. It figures, the one year I decide I'm not drafting one of those duds again, they go off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conrad Mazian Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 the idea is to move ahead of the trends....it seems almost every other year there are a plethora of RB injuries...and the year that there aren't, you get a bunch of stud-like performances.... 576405[/snapback] And how would you propose doing that? As DMD says, it's supply and demand - every team needs 2 RBs (at least) but only 1 QB. In your standard 10-12 team league, that leaves a LOT more depth at QB than at RB when all is said and done. I have no problem with someone drafting a Manning, CPep, or McNabb (or Moss/Owens) in the first, but you'd better be seeing a drop-off in RBs before you do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donutrun Jellies Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 Antonio Gates. Okay, so he's not relevant to this topic, but I love him ... as for next year, I can see going with a top 2, maybe 3 qb if the top 6 rbs are gone by the time I draft ... would I serpentine and do Manning and TO and leave RBs to 3 and 4??? Not prior to this year I wouldn't have ... Next year??? Hmmm. Probably not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 Antonio Gates. Okay, so he's not relevant to this topic, but I love him ... as for next year, I can see going with a top 2, maybe 3 qb if the top 6 rbs are gone by the time I draft ... would I serpentine and do Manning and TO and leave RBs to 3 and 4??? Not prior to this year I wouldn't have ... Next year??? Hmmm. Probably not. 577318[/snapback] If you got the chance to go Culpepper / Moss you might skip the RB in Rnds 1/2. That's the only reason I can think of to leave the RB to round 3. You'd only get the chance to get that combo if you drafted 1.10 and 2.01, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmanwater Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 3 Words: Barlow Second Round Enough Said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squeegiebo Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 As always for me, it will depend on draft position. If I'm drafting in one of the first 5 or 6 slots, I'll continue to take a RB. Below that, I'll look at a top tier QB or WR. My best team this year is the one in which I drafted 11th (or was it 10th?) and went Harrison - Manning - CuMar - T. Jones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudolefty Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 Peyton has elevated his already elite status to sure-fire 1.1 pick next year. It's funny to cite this as a "career year" for a player in his prime with still many productive years ahead, but I can't see even Peyton surpassing the types of TD nos. he's putting up this year. I think CPep should be 1.2. He was outscoring Peyton earlier in the season before Moss went down. It's amazing to me that he is still second in my league in fantasy points, even with Moss down. McNabb is a definite first-rounder and an elite QB, but I'd opt for a top-tier RB before taking him. Some of the elite defenses (like Pitts. and Balt) have shut him down and I think this will continue to be the case until he gets another solid receiving threat to go with TO. Beyond the big three, I think there's a lot of value out there for productive QBs that can be had in rounds 3 and beyond. Jake Plummer and Trent Green have quietly put up big nos. and probably lasted through the mid- to late- rounds this past year. Bulger is serviceable. I think Pennington and Hasselbeck will have bounce back years. Still, I can't see any of those QBs going before any of the first or second-tier RBs and top tier-WRs. To me, this year's surprise RB is Tiki Baraber. Who would've though he'd be the leading fantasy RB this year (at least in my league)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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