Draft Day Eve
The butterflies are fluttering. The best players are kept. My first draft pick is not until the 6th round. Am i concerned? A little. I am taking part in 2 leagues this year. My new league is a keeper league. Quite a bit different from a normal league draft.
I have a few good players to keep on my team. But did I keep the right ones? Did I make the best trade I could have to get those players? This is my first attempt at a keeper league. I inherited a team from a guy that left on not-so-good terms. I heard that he screwed the team a little by trading the best player before he left. I'm not worried about that, more so the fact that I have 4 big name players and that's it. Since this is a keeper league, rookies go fast. Doesn't help me that there are a handful of projected "great picks" out of this years rookie class or that we have a team in the league drafting from scratch - meaning he will get the first few picks all to himself. I may try to pick up a rookie or 2, but I have been mainly researching the middle of the pack players. Players that will make in impact on my team but don't have to be the big name, stud players everyone wants.
My "regular league" draft is next weekend. The rules are very different so that will, in turn, mean a different style of draft. In this one, I'm looking for players that are going to have that big year. The kind of year that makes the football world stand up and take notice. I got lucky last year. I drafted Arron Rodgers and Ray Rice. Both were projected to have so-so years, good but not great. Both players exploded and had stats that blew other players at their positions away. And yet, I limped into the play-offs and exited in the first round.
Drafts and leagues are not all about having the big names and stats on your side. Its about knowing what to do and when to do it. Sure, its a good feeling to have a stud running back starting against a less then stellar defence. But that feeling can quickly sink to the pit of your stomach when he smashes into the pile to get a first down and gets up limping. The feeling drops from your stomach to your toes when you see him being helped off the field and into the locker room before halftime. Then you look over at your bench players. And there he is. That running back you took in the late round only because you had a roster spot to fill and you can't take a punter. And there he sits. Running circles around the best defence in the league. Racking up rushing yards, passing yards and touchdowns. There is no worse feeling then losing a game by only a few points and have some back up player putting up huge numbers, taking up space on your bench. Don't even get me started on bye weeks.
So, then, we go into draft day. These lessons, seemingly learned, time and again. How will this years draft pan out? We all get thrown off our game when a big name player lands in our draft spot. Looking all shiny and new. "Pick me, pick me" he'll yell, hoping up and down with his hands in the air. Take a closer look at that player. Its easy to pick based on name alone. And very easy to pick based on last years stats. Look at his legs.....was he over used last year? Look at his hands.....does he work hard and earn his place on the team? Look at his face....is he happy with his contract and ready to fill his role or does he have something to prove?
Good luck to everyone drafting this weekend. Lets save the complaining for the post-draft blogs.
Mike the Tripp
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