Sep. 2, 2011

2011 Draft Prep: A lot of it is location

By Jamey Eisenberg | Senior Fantasy Writer
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There are many ways to approach Draft Day, and it all depends on the type of owner you are. Just make sure that when the draft starts you have a plan depending on where you pick in Round 1.

Everyone has a favorite strategy they like to use, and you really can't go wrong as long as you have a plan. As we'll always tell you, follow what works best for you. Remember, it's your team, but if you're looking for some tips, we're here to help.

This offseason, I took part in several mock drafts and drafted in various spots in Round 1 to try different strategies and what works best. What I found is you can build a solid team as long as you have an idea of what positions you want to target in certain rounds depending on where you start.

For example, if you pick toward the end of Round 1 and take the two best wide receivers with your first two picks, you can lock up two important spots on your roster at a position that lacks depth. You can then load up at running back over the next few rounds while still landing a quality quarterback and tight end.

If you draft early in Round 1, you should take one of the top four or five running backs and then target two elite wide receivers in the next two rounds. My goal in every draft is to come away with two Top 10 wide receivers with my first three picks, otherwise I'm not excited about my team.

What I'm not a fan of is taking a quarterback in the first round. There is definitely an advantage to having Michael Vick, Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady on your team, but then you could be chasing talent at your second wide receiver spot or even your second running back.

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Again, it's all a personal choice. You can also find yourself going after the best available player in each round, and that could work out great when someone you really want falls in your lap.

Below is a look at six drafts I took part in recently, and you can see how each team turned out with the rosters and respective draft picks. I'd be happy with any of these teams because I had a plan when the draft started, and in most cases I got the players I wanted.

Analysis: I knew going in I would take Foster with the first pick, and it was just a matter of the two receivers who would be available to me with my next two selections. I love the duo of Wallace and Jackson, and now I don't have to worry about drafting a receiver for a while. As you can see, I didn't follow that script because I couldn't pass on Welker in Round 5 -- he can still be an excellent flex option in this format. I grabbed my second running back with Best in Round 4, and I went with Tolbert as my flex option in Round 7. You will find that I target Best and Tolbert often in these drafts. Graham is one of my favorite players this year, and I like taking chances on rookies like Murray with a late-round pick. Ryan is also the type of quarterback I target because he has tremendous upside.

Analysis: Foster fell to me at No. 3 overall following the news of his injured hamstring, but I'm not worried about him missing Week 1. Just in case, I knew I had to get Tate with a late-round pick, and I was happy to see him there in Round 11. I went in with the approach of best player available with this draft, which is why I took Blount after Johnson fell in my lap in Round 2. That's why I went with Romo in Round 4, Marshall in Round 5, Tolbert this time in Round 6 and Davis in Round 7. I feel very confident in this roster, especially with some promising reserves in Starks, Ringer, Moss and Burress. If Foster plays to the level he's capable of then this team should easily be in playoff contention.

Analysis: I approached this draft with the plan to take two running backs with my first two picks, but something every owner should prepare for is a standout quarterback falling in Round 2. That happened in this draft with Vick following a run on running backs and receivers. Vick is my No. 1 quarterback, and the chance to pair him with Charles was too good to pass on. I knew taking him there would likely leave me hampered at either No. 2 running back or wide receiver, and I'm not sold on Ochocinco as a weekly starter. My top three running backs are solid, and I have one of the best tight ends in Finley. But based on my receiving corps, I was forced to spend three picks on reserves with upside in Garcon, Evans and Burleson. All three have the potential to start over Ochocinco for the season and, with Evans and Burleson, they are tremendous value picks on Draft Day.

Analysis: The more I look at this draft the more I like it. When the draft ended, I wasn't thrilled because taking Brees in Round 4 left me reaching a little early for running backs, especially Hightower. But I should be able to get by with Turner, Hightower, Tolbert and Stewart for the majority of the season, and if Rashard Mendenhall struggles then Redman would be a steal. My receiving corps is tremendous with Johnson, Jennings, Burress and Brown, especially if the latter two live up to early expectations. And Olsen and Kolb provide trade bait since I don't really need them early in the season. When drafting in the middle of Round 1 you have to be prepared to do things you might not expect, but don't be afraid to jump on bargains when they present themselves like Brees and Davis did here.

Analysis: The plan for this draft was to take a quarterback early, and the way the draft was falling, I felt confident Vick or Rodgers would be available in Round 2. That's exactly what happened, and the gamble paid off after taking Johnson in Round 1. Again, I went after Best, Tolbert and Graham, and Ingram is another player who continues to find his way onto my roster. I like having three or four running backs from that group of Best, Ingram, Tolbert, Hightower, Felix Jones and Shonn Greene because I like the upside for all of them. I'll need one of my late-round receivers to be consistent with Brown and Green unproven, but they have plenty of potential. And if Jennings is healthy and something happens to Maurice Jones-Drew then he could be a steal in Round 11. Taking Thomas in Round 8 was to get the handcuff to Ingram just in case the rookie falters.

Analysis: This might be my favorite draft of the six here, and obviously I'll be rooting for the Lions hard in 2011 with Stafford, Johnson and Best. I love taking two receivers if you pick toward the end of Round 1, and with Johnson and White I will be hard to beat at those spots. I still drafted four quality running backs in Best, Greene, Hightower and Mathews, and Ringer still presents upside given the potential ramifications of the Chris Johnson holdout. I took a breakout quarterback candidate in Stafford and again landed Graham at tight end. When you draft Stafford you should take a safe backup like Flacco or Eli Manning in case Stafford gets hurt again. And when you draft receivers like Johnson and White you can afford to take a flier on a player with upside, which I did with Little in Round 12. If Little plays big as Cleveland's No. 1 receiver then I can trade him during the year.

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