Five Drinks Into Fantasy Sports: Fantasy Football Drafts

ROUND 1:


Tom's Take:


Okay, so  the first round is probably the round you have the least amount of freedom in. In later rounds you can make reaches, or possibly even some steals, but in the first round you really have to play it safe in my opinion. You want your first round pick to be an elite player who will guarantee you consistent production. In previous years, that meant a top tier RB, but the NFL is changing to a pass first  league. There are four or five  elite QB's that are head and shoulders above the rest, and if you don't get one of them, you're in trouble. There are only a few RB's that I think are worth risking one of these top QB's, only four in fact, so this year I'm designating the first round to getting an elite QB, so that at the very least you know you'll have 20 plus points week in and week out. With that said, here is my top ten Fantasy Football Draft picks.

1. Ray Rice: Honestly I like Lesean McCoy more than Ray Rice, and I think Arian Foster has higher upside, but for me Ray Rice is the safest pick. He has been elite for a few years now, and I don't see anything standing in his way of continuing his streak. With the #1 pick you want as little risk as possible, and Ray Rice represents the safest pick here.

2. Arian Foster: He has the highest upside of any Fantasy RB in my opinion. When he's good, he's very good and could possibly win weeks for you on his own. His history of injuries scares me just enough to back off of him with the first pick, but if he falls to me with the second, I will be very happy.

3. Lesean McCoy: I love Lesean McCoy, but I think last year's TD's were somewhat a fluke. Vick will get more rushing TD's and Shady will get less, but McCoy is still an elite RB, and worthy of a top 3 fantasy pick.

4. Aaron Rodgers: I see a gap between Lesean McCoy and MJD, at least in terms of fantasy production, so this is where I'll place my first QB. Aaron Rodgers is the best Fantasy QB in the league, if not the best current  QB in the NFL. The Packers had like no running game last year, and they still don't, but Rodgers puts up big numbers regardless. I expect him to once again be the top fantasy QB, and I think there'll be a decent gap between him and #2.

5. Maurice Jones Drew: I think he's the best real life RB on this list, but the Jags aren't a productive enough offense for MJD to be a number 1 Fantasy player. He's no slouch though, and he's probably the last RB I feel confident will be a top 10 Fantasy RB this year.

6. Tom Brady: Tom Brady always has the chance of being the most valuable fantasy player of the year, and if that's his ceiling, his average is to still be an elite QB. I've already explained that I think the top four or five QB's are more valuable this year, and I see no reason to wait to grab an elite QB. Chances are, you'll start a panic and the next few picks will be QB as well, meaning when it comes back to you, there'll still be some good WR or RB choices.

7. Drew Brees: I'm a little shaky on the Saints this year, which is the only reason I have Brees after Brady. But don't kid yourself, Brees is an elite QB who is definitely worth a first round pick this year.

8. Calvin Johnson: Megatron. My only worry for Megatron is the Madden curse, but otherwise he's the best fantasy WR in the league by quite a bit, and easily worth this first round pick. My only advice is not to pair him with Stafford, since I don't like the idea of putting too many eggs in the Detroit basket.

9. Matthew Stafford: Again, if you have Megatron already, don't pick Stafford. Otherwise, he was an elite WR last year, with the top WR in the league to throw to. If the other QB's are already taken, grab Stafford now, and I'm sure there'll be a decent RB or WR to grab in three more picks.

10. Rob Gronkowski: This is probably my craziest call, but I really like Rob Gronkowski. He was crazy good last year, and he has the talent to do it again. Plus have you ever had a tight end who could consistently get you 20 points? It's an amazing feeling, since usually I'm lucky to get 6 from a fantasy TE. Once you've experienced it, you'll never want to go back.