Boom or Bust Squad

[mroban]

I am in a fairly unique league - its a keeper league with an auction and player salaries. Each year you have to give players an $8 pay raise to keep them. Each team has $200 and drafts 18 players at auction. So its a pretty full roster. You can keep it unbalanced as long as you maintain enough to field a starting team. You arent required to keep 18 players on your roster during the season, but no reason why you wouldnt. Anyway, as a keeper league, getting top talent cheap and being able to keep them for a few years is obviously a key strategy. I won a championship in 2005 after getting Larry Johnson for $1 the year before and crushing everyone when he took over for the Priest (ah, memories). Hitching my wagon to LJ after that hasnt proved to be that effective (combined with Fast Willie Parker!):

 

Okay, so Ive retooled but its pretty risky(for this year):

 

QB: Warner, Leinart and Favre - these are obviously not keepers. But Warner is a big injury risk. Leinart a possible keeper for next year.

 

RB: Slaton (kept him for $13 this year), Beenie Wells, Moreno, Michael Bush and Bernard Scott. - might not pan out for this year, but I dont think Wells is as big a risk as some think (he might miss a game or two). I got the 2 top rated rookie RBs to go with Slaton. If Slaton doesnt have a soph slump and either Wells or Moreno (or both) live up to expectations, I could have a huge season. If not, well - Plan B. But I have both at $20 and $18 respectively so the future is bright regardless. If Bush can be an okay RB2 I am covered whether or not Scott emerges this year (or goes to jail).

 

WR: Andre Johnson (keeper at $41, no bargain), Reggie Wayne, and a collection of "ifs" in Steve Smith (NYG), Chambers, Burleson and Williamson

 

TE: Tony Gonzalez and (right now) Alex Smith. - cant imagine that Tony G doesnt have a great season. But its a new team and he is a year older. But he is motivated to make the playoffs and I think he has another year (or two) in the tank. But risk there too of course.

 

So in sum, I think this team has enough studs to make a run if they all perform and stay healthy. Plenty of risk but solid for the future. Needs: perhaps a more solid WR3 as the season progresses but with a WR1 and WR1a shouldnt be too hard (and usually plenty of quality emerges on the waiver wire too). Future looks bright too!

 

thoughts? I went into my auction looking to achieve exactly this kind of team (I could have gotten McNabb for $11 though instead of the $21 I paid for Warner. By contrast Brady and Peyton went for well over $30 each). Adrian Petersen was kept for $71. Last year I traded Ryan Grant for Andre Johnson. Grant would have cost me $36 this year versus $41 for Andre Johnson. Johnson was not really replaceable (other top WRs all kept by other teams and surely Andre would have been kept too). So instead I keep a top 3 wideout and replace Grant with Wells/Moreno. Pretty good management I think.

 

Lets see how it unfolds. Sorry for the long post.

[LayLow]

Looks like a risky team...but at least you should end with a few good options for keepers next year.

[mroban]

Looks like a risky team...but at least you should end with a few good options for keepers next year.

 

Its definitely risky. I thought the best value for stud players were the top WRs. If you go that way, you cant really afford to buy expensive RBs. So I figured rather than just buy mediocre RBs like Julius Jones and hope for the best, Ill go for the best rookies and if they dont hit it this year, I can build for next year. We will see. Hopefully Warner has one more big year in the tank and Beanie stays healthy.