2011 Draft Prep: Our 14-team mock draft
Bragging rights are always at stake whenever you get your department together for a Fantasy Football draft. And that's what we've done here.
We took 14 members of our Fantasy staff at CBSSports.com and got together for the first of two drafts in this format. The idea is to draft early in the preseason and then again before the start of the regular season to see what has changed. All the owners will draft in the same position, and we'll find out if anyone changes their mind when their pick comes around a second time. This first draft was started on Aug. 8. You can view the results below.
In a 14-team draft, it is important to get quality starters in the right spot because your bench won't be filled with potential stars like in a 10- or 12-team format. And when you reach for a sleeper, you better make sure he can be a starter for you at least once or twice during the season -- and be productive.
You can comment on my picks and everyone else in the league on our Fantasy Football Twitter feed (@CBSFantasyFB) and post your comments on our Fantasy Football Facebook page. Remember, bragging rights are at stake, so tell us who you think has the best team.
Our draft order is as follows:
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1. John Garcia Jr., Fantasy Writer
2. Michael Hurcomb, Editor
3. Dave Richard, Senior Fantasy Writer
4. Jeff Lippman, Fantasy Writer
5. Jamey Eisenberg, Senior Fantasy Writer
6. Jeff Tobin, Associate Managing Editor, Fantasy Sports
7. Kevin Goodwin, Fantasy Writer
8. Sergio Gonzalez, Fantasy Writer
9. Bill Passonno, Fantasy Writer
10. Adam Moore, Fantasy Writer
11. Al Melchior, Data Analyst
12. Scott White, Fantasy Writer
13. Peter Madden, Editorial Director, Fantasy Sports
14. Ed Gauna, Fantasy Writer
In this league, all touchdowns are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, TE, K, DST and a FLEX (RB/WR/TE). There will also be five reserve spots for a 14-round draft.
| Draft Results | |||||
| Adam Moore | Al Melchior | ||||
| Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 | Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 |
| Peyton Manning | 1.10 | Darren McFadden | LeSean McCoy | 1.11 | Michael Turner |
| Steven Jackson | 2.05 | Matt Forte | Calvin Johnson | 2.04 | Greg Jennings |
| Miles Austin | 3.10 | Marques Colston | Peyton Hillis | 3.11 | Peyton Manning |
| Ryan Grant | 4.05 | Brandon Lloyd | Matt Ryan | 4.04 | Jahvid Best |
| Owen Daniels | 5.10 | Jason Witten | Steve Johnson | 5.11 | Dallas Clark |
| Pierre Garcon | 6.05 | Marshawn Lynch | Jonathan Stewart | 6.04 | Kenny Britt |
| Hines Ward | 7.10 | Eli Manning | Deion Branch | 7.11 | Sidney Rice |
| Steve Smith | 8.05 | Braylon Edwards | Marcedes Lewis | 8.04 | Lance Moore |
| Ronnie Brown | 9.10 | Ricky Williams | C.J. Spiller | 9.11 | Danny Woodhead |
| Davone Bess | 10.05 | Antonio Brown | David Garrard | 10.04 | Darren Sproles |
| Stevan Ridley | 11.10 | Ronnie Brown | Roy Helu | 11.11 | Ryan Fitzpatrick |
| Donovan McNabb | 12.05 | Jason Campbell | Mike Williams | 12.04 | James Jones |
| Dolphins | 13.10 | Giants | Falcons | 13.11 | Lions |
| Mason Crosby | 14.05 | Josh Brown | Garrett Hartley | 14.04 | Matt Bryant |
| In the first draft I wanted to lock up a top-tier quarterback before filling out my roster. This time around, I focused more on filling out the meat of the roster with quality options before deciding on my quarterback. And I am really glad I did because I was able to lock up all my starting skill positions and still get a No. 1 quarterback in the seventh round. In the later rounds I tried to add depth by taking players that I believe will still play a pretty significant role on offense. Of course, I also threw in a few sleepers. | In the redraft for the 14-team league, I pulled the trigger one round earlier to draft a quarterback. I didn't like the running back or receiver options available in Round 3, so I went ahead and took Peyton Manning, whereas I drafted Ryan the first time around. The other big difference in my strategy the second time was that I went for a tight end much earlier. In the first draft, I took Lewis in Round 8, while I got Clark in Round 5 in the second draft. I usually don't like to get a tight end early, but given that the good No. 2 receiver options were already off the board, I decided to go after a Top 5 tight end. | ||||
| Post your take on this team: Facebook | Twitter | Message Board | |||||
| Bill Passonno | Dave Richard | ||||
| Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 | Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 |
| Maurice Jones-Drew | 1.09 | Andre Johnson | Arian Foster | 1.03 | Ray Rice |
| Greg Jennings | 2.06 | Larry Fitzgerald | Mike Wallace | 2.12 | Vincent Jackson |
| Mike Williams | 3.09 | Ahmad Bradshaw | Knowshon Moreno | 3.03 | Reggie Wayne |
| Matt Schaub | 4.06 | Ryan Mathews | Santonio Holmes | 4.12 | Jeremy Maclin |
| Mike Tolbert | 5.09 | Matt Ryan | Antonio Gates | 5.03 | Fred Jackson |
| Beanie Wells | 6.06 | Vernon Davis | Kenny Britt | 6.12 | Michael Bush |
| Michael Bush | 7.09 | Julio Jones | Eli Manning | 7.03 | Jimmy Graham |
| Brandon Pettigrew | 8.06 | Pierre Thomas | Matthew Stafford | 8.12 | Jay Cutler |
| Rashad Jennings | 9.09 | Kyle Orton | Darren Sproles | 9.03 | Plaxico Burress |
| Jacoby Ford | 10.06 | Ben Tate | Javon Ringer | 10.12 | Ryan Torain |
| Greg Little | 11.09 | Jacoby Ford | Robert Meachem | 11.03 | Mark Sanchez |
| Ravens | 12.06 | Zach Miller | Donald Brown | 12.12 | Patriots |
| Alex Smith | 13.09 | Dolphins | Bears | 13.03 | Jamie Harper |
| Nate Kaeding | 14.06 | Ryan Longwell | David Buehler | 14.12 | Rob Bironas |
| Unlike in the first draft, Jones-Drew did not fall to me in Round 1, and I wasn't overly impressed with the leftover options. With that in mind, I opted to draft elite receivers with my first two picks and then select running backs who possessed decent upside since I knew everyone would then be scrambling for receivers. I'm pleased with Bradshaw as my No. 1 running back, but I’m even more comfortable with Mathews as my potential No. 2 option as opposed to Tolbert or Wells from the earlier draft. | No one can touch my receivers, my tight end has tons of upside and my running backs are pretty good for a 14-team league. But to get all of that, I had to give up any shot at a quarterback. I made a big mistake passing on Eli Manning or Joe Flacco in Round 7 and paid for it when I had to settle for Cutler in Round 8. Cutler isn't too far off from Manning or Flacco but I'm not naive enough to think he's going to be a great Fantasy passer. I'll have to make a trade in this league if I'm going to win it ... or Cutler's going to have to have an amazing year. | ||||
| Post your take on this team: Facebook | Twitter | Message Board | |||||
| Ed Gauna | Jamey Eisenberg | ||||
| Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 | Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 |
| Tom Brady | 1.14 | Michael Vick | Ray Rice | 1.05 | Jamaal Charles |
| Darren McFadden | 2.01 | Roddy White | Larry Fitzgerald | 2.10 | Mike Wallace |
| DeAngelo Williams | 3.14 | Knowshon Moreno | Vincent Jackson | 3.05 | Miles Austin |
| Jeremy Maclin | 4.01 | Antonio Gates | Ben Roethlisberger | 4.10 | Mark Ingram |
| Percy Harvin | 5.14 | Brandon Jacobs | Mark Ingram | 5.05 | Percy Harvin |
| Marshawn Lynch | 6.01 | Mike Tolbert | Ryan Torain | 6.10 | Josh Freeman |
| Kellen Winslow | 7.14 | Joe Flacco | Ryan Williams | 7.05 | Greg Olsen |
| Reggie Bush | 8.01 | LaDainian Tomlinson | DeMarco Murray | 8.10 | Javon Ringer |
| Kyle Orton | 9.14 | Robert Meachem | Roy Williams | 9.05 | DeMarco Murray |
| Mike Sims-Walker | 10.01 | Steelers | Greg Olsen | 10.10 | Isaac Redman |
| Derrick Mason | 11.14 | Roy Williams | Nate Burleson | 11.05 | Jason Snelling |
| Packers | 12.01 | Brian Robiskie | Cowboys | 12.10 | David Garrard |
| Cadillac Williams | 13.14 | Dustin Keller | Matt Hasselbeck | 13.05 | Cowboys |
| Matt Bryant | 14.01 | Stephen Gostkowski | Alex Henery | 14.10 | Adam Vinatieri |
| After missing out on some quality wide receivers the first time around, I made a concerted effort to get a stud receiver early and took White with my first pick of the second round. Since I drafted a No. 1 quarterback with my first pick (Vick), I concentrated on getting as many quality running backs as I could. Getting the top-ranked tight end (Gates) and DST (Steelers) also helped, and I used my remaining picks on some sleeper wide receivers who have the potential to be steals. | I went with the same strategy of taking a running back and two receivers with my first three picks, but clearly Draft 1 (Rice, Fitzgerald and Vincent Jackson) was a better start than Draft 2 (Charles, Wallace and Austin). I'm pleased with my starting lineup in the second draft, but taking Harvin in Round 5 left me without a capable No. 3 running back. If I had the chance to do it over I would have gone with a running back instead of a receiver in that spot. | ||||
| Post your take on this team: Facebook | Twitter | Message Board | |||||
| Jeff Lippman | Jeff Tobin | ||||
| Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 | Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 |
| Jamaal Charles | 1.04 | Chris Johnson | Michael Vick | 1.06 | LeSean McCoy |
| Reggie Wayne | 2.11 | Tom Brady | Hakeem Nicks | 2.09 | Hakeem Nicks |
| DeSean Jackson | 3.04 | DeSean Jackson | Ryan Mathews | 3.06 | Mike Williams |
| Wes Welker | 4.11 | Santonio Holmes | Dez Bryant | 4.09 | Tony Romo |
| Dallas Clark | 5.04 | Tim Hightower | Joseph Addai | 5.06 | Joseph Addai |
| Brandon Jacobs | 6.11 | Sam Bradford | Jimmy Graham | 6.09 | Jonathan Stewart |
| Tim Hightower | 7.04 | Aaron Hernandez | Julio Jones | 7.06 | Kellen Winslow |
| Jay Cutler | 8.11 | A.J. Green | Danny Woodhead | 8.09 | Malcom Floyd |
| Sam Bradford | 9.04 | Nate Burleson | Malcom Floyd | 9.06 | Deion Branch |
| Steelers | 10.11 | Tashard Choice | Jason Snelling | 10.09 | Thomas Jones |
| Ricky Williams | 11.04 | Packers | Jordy Nelson | 11.06 | Jordy Nelson |
| Jacoby Jones | 12.11 | Mike Williams | Cam Newton | 12.09 | Matt Hasselbeck |
| Delone Carter | 13.04 | Toby Gerhart | Giants | 13.06 | Saints |
| Dan Carpenter | 14.11 | Alex Henery | Adam Vinatieri | 14.09 | Sebastian Janikowski |
| Charles was available to me in Draft 2 in a similar spot as Draft 1, but instead I went for Chris Johnson, who I feel is the more sure bet. Because of who was available to me -- namely Brady -- in the second round, I chose to take a quarterback much earlier in the latest draft. I focused more on my quarterbacks and receivers because I am less comfortable with the crop of running backs available this year. My strategy was to grab plenty of receivers and a quarterback trade chip and possibly trade for a proven rusher down the road. | The big change for me this time around was choosing McCoy in the first round rather than Vick. With the sixth pick, I felt I needed one of the top-tier running backs, and I still landed a huge-upside quarterback in Romo. I missed out on the higher-end tight ends, but my strategy had me waiting on that, though I ended up picking one slightly earlier than I had originally planned. | ||||
| Post your take on this team: Facebook | Twitter | Message Board | |||||
| John Garcia | Kevin Goodwin | ||||
| Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 | Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 |
| Adrian Peterson | 1.01 | Adrian Peterson | Aaron Rodgers | 1.07 | Aaron Rodgers |
| Drew Brees | 2.14 | Peyton Hillis | LeGarrette Blount | 2.08 | DeAngelo Williams |
| Brandon Marshall | 3.01 | Brandon Marshall | Dwayne Bowe | 3.07 | Dwayne Bowe |
| Daniel Thomas | 4.14 | Ben Roethlisberger | Felix Jones | 4.08 | BenJarvus Green-Ellis |
| Brandon Lloyd | 5.01 | Steve Johnson | Vernon Davis | 5.07 | Ryan Grant |
| Pierre Thomas | 6.14 | James Starks | Chad Ochocinco | 6.08 | Chad Ochocinco |
| Mike Thomas | 7.01 | Owen Daniels | Braylon Edwards | 7.07 | Steve Smith |
| Lance Moore | 8.14 | Mike Thomas | Willis McGahee | 8.08 | Hines Ward |
| Zach Miller | 9.01 | C.J. Spiller | Kevin Kolb | 9.07 | Matt Cassel |
| Brandon Jackson | 10.14 | Greg Little | James Jones | 10.08 | Marcedes Lewis |
| Maurice Morris | 11.01 | Donovan McNabb | Todd Heap | 11.07 | Ravens |
| Chargers | 12.14 | Jared Cook | Patriots | 12.08 | Roy Helu |
| Colt McCoy | 13.01 | Chargers | Denarius Moore | 13.07 | Nate Washington |
| Billy Cundiff | 14.14 | Dan Carpenter | Josh Brown | 14.08 | Garrett Hartley |
| My team changed right at the top after taking Peterson at No. 1 overall again because Brees didn't fall to me in the Round 2 as he did last time. Instead, I took Hillis to ensure a solid running back corps and took the best receiver available in Marshall, who I took with the same pick last time. After that I was able to get Roethlisberger and Steve Johnson as my No. 2 receiver instead of Lloyd -- a better option this season. My bench was similar, so I feel that I improved with Draft 2 considering the running back situation was ideal and the quarterback drop-off was minimal. | Picking seventh I wanted to make sure I got a stud quarterback, and both times I got Rodgers, who is the best in the business in my opinion. After that I took the same strategy in both drafts, going for the best running back then best receiver available. I ended up with DeAngelo Williams and Bowe, so pretty close to my first team. I was able to get some of the same players in both drafts and overall think I have a competitive squad. | ||||
| Post your take on this team: Facebook | Twitter | Message Board | |||||
| Michael Hurcomb | Peter Madden | ||||
| Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 | Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 |
| Chris Johnson | 1.02 | Arian Foster | Roddy White | 1.13 | Steven Jackson |
| Ahmad Bradshaw | 2.13 | Drew Brees | Rashard Mendenhall | 2.02 | Calvin Johnson |
| Philip Rivers | 3.02 | Cedric Benson | BenJarvus Green-Ellis | 3.13 | Felix Jones |
| Anquan Boldin | 4.13 | Anquan Boldin | Tony Romo | 4.02 | Wes Welker |
| Fred Jackson | 5.02 | Beanie Wells | Austin Collie | 5.13 | Matthew Stafford |
| Plaxico Burress | 6.13 | Willis McGahee | Mario Manningham | 6.02 | Reggie Bush |
| Santana Moss | 7.02 | Santana Moss | Rob Gronkowski | 7.13 | Lee Evans |
| Tony Gonzalez | 8.13 | Davone Bess | LaDainian Tomlinson | 8.02 | Kevin Kolb |
| Lee Evans | 9.02 | Tony Gonzalez | Jacquizz Rodgers | 9.13 | Marion Barber |
| Michael Crabtree | 10.13 | Colt McCoy | Isaac Redman | 10.02 | Cadillac Williams |
| Tashard Choice | 11.02 | Jerome Simpson | Johnny Knox | 11.13 | Rob Gronkowski |
| Saints | 12.13 | Bears | Montario Hardesty | 12.02 | Montario Hardesty |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | 13.02 | Lance Kendricks | Lions | 13.13 | Rams |
| Jay Feely | 14.13 | Billy Cundiff | Stephen Gostkowski | 14.02 | Mason Crosby |
| I kept pretty much the same draft strategy. I went with three running backs, one wide receiver and one quarterback in the first five rounds. One thing I did do different was grab a fourth running back in Round 6 because I thought McGahee was too good to pass up. Also, I feel there are more quality Fantasy sleepers at wide receiver, which is why I waited a little longer to go after my second and third receivers, and I feel my strategy paid off. | I'm happier with my combination of Jackson and Johnson over White and Mendenhall with my first two picks. What I did the second go around that might pay off is investing in Stafford and Kolb later instead of Romo earlier. I like the potential upside of one of Stafford/Kolb over Romo. | ||||
| Post your take on this team: Facebook | Twitter | Message Board | |||||
| Scott White | Sergio Gonzalez | ||||
| Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 | Early August | Rd.Pk | Aug. 31 |
| Andre Johnson | 1.12 | Rashard Mendenhall | Michael Turner | 1.08 | Maurice Jones-Drew |
| Frank Gore | 2.03 | Frank Gore | Matt Forte | 2.07 | LeGarrette Blount |
| Shonn Greene | 3.12 | Shonn Greene | Cedric Benson | 3.08 | Philip Rivers |
| Jahvid Best | 4.03 | Dez Bryant | Marques Colston | 4.07 | Mario Manningham |
| Jermichael Finley | 5.12 | Matt Schaub | Jason Witten | 5.08 | Pierre Garcon |
| Josh Freeman | 6.03 | Daniel Thomas | Sidney Rice | 6.07 | Jermichael Finley |
| A.J. Green | 7.12 | Danny Amendola | Joe Flacco | 7.08 | Austin Collie |
| James Starks | 8.03 | Brandon Pettigrew | Danny Amendola | 8.07 | Michael Crabtree |
| Matt Cassel | 9.12 | Mike Sims-Walker | Mark Sanchez | 9.08 | Rashad Jennings |
| Jerome Simpson | 10.03 | Johnny Knox | Thomas Jones | 10.07 | Jets |
| Devin Hester | 11.12 | Devin Hester | Jets | 11.08 | Donald Driver |
| Eagles | 12.03 | Eagles | Marion Barber | 12.07 | Maurice Morris |
| Danario Alexander | 13.12 | Chad Henne | Justin Forsett | 13.08 | Kendall Hunter |
| Neil Rackers | 14.03 | Neil Rackers | Sebastian Janikowski | 14.07 | Nate Kaeding |
| In this second version of the draft, Andre Johnson was no longer available to me with the 12th overall pick, which changed the entire complexion of my draft. The drop off to Calvin Johnson and White is enough in my eyes that I decided to go running back with my first three picks. It's a deep league. I didn't want to have to worry about starting a Woodhead-type player down the line. I also made sure to get a relatively safe quarterback because I knew I wouldn't get a high-end backup in a 14-team league. My wide receivers suffered in the process, but if Bryant does what he should and either of my two Rams or two Bears live up to their potential in those pass-heavy offenses, I should get the production I need from the position. | After selecting three running backs in the first three rounds in the first draft, I went running back, running back, quarterback in this one, changing my approach only because I was able to land one of the quarterbacks in my top tier (Rivers). In hindsight, however, I was not able to duplicate my running back strength from the first draft. Having no real No. 3 running back in Draft 2 vs. "settling" for Flacco as my quarterback for Draft 1, I was happier the first go-around. | ||||
| Post your take on this team: Facebook | Twitter | Message Board | |||||
