First Draft Roster

I had the eighth pick of the first round. I knew that three players I was going to target would be gone but possibly one might slip, he didn't. So I drafted in this order:
R1P8: Larry Fitzgerald
R2P5: Andre Johnson
R3P11: Pierre Thomas
R4P2: Darren McFadden
R5P1: TJ Houshmansadeh
R6P12: Matt Schaub
R7P8: New York Giants D/ST
R8P5: Jason Elam
R9P12: Percy Harvin
R10P1: Rashard Mendenhall
R11P2: Matt Hasselbeck
R12P11: Miami D/ST
R12P5: Matt Prater

I admit I have more Matts on this team than likely any real NFL team. Wasn't intentional but now I have two QB/WR combinations to score double points if they hook up. That's a ten point play when they do, twenty if it is over fifty yards. In my league that's a ton of points.

My RBs could be huge or less than average. With Oakland you are going to see McFadden slowly become the full time RB as they fade Justin Fargas out to the bench. He is the starting stud and he was draft high (and paid tons of money) for more than riding the pines while a average RB racks up one yard per carry. McFadden will be THE MAN in Oakland. Pierre Thomas will also carry the load in New Orleans. He is by far a better RB than super man Reggie Bust...I mean Bush. Proving he can't stay healthy more than a couple of games in a row he will promptly start off the season injured leaving all of the rushing attack to Thomas. With Drew Brees to keep the offense honest Thomas should rack up double digit TDs easily.

My WRs are deadly. Two from last year's team return to my team this season in Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson. I am expecting big numbers from both, at least fourteen TDs each and one hundred catches which would put them into the 1,400 yard category. That is where I am starting with their numbers, where they will end up should be higher than that. I also was able to get T.J. Houshmanzadeh and young rookie potential player Percy Harvin. With Favre at the helm he could be a breakout player and great insurance if one of the top three veterans go down for a week or two.

My QBs are serviceable as they aren't really the stud QBs like Brady, Manning, or Brees but they have quality talent around them. I am expecting twenty TDs from each and it won't matter which is into the lineup that week. I'll go with the hot hand.

Kickers, well they are kickers, all of the top ten are within a handful of points of each other and I got the highest ranked kicker on my list.

D/ST I nabbed the third highest ranked D/ST on my list and while I was really angling for a coup and getting one and two or two and three I just wound up with three and a good RB instead in Rashard Mendenhall. Fast Willie Parker won't be able to stay healthy all season. Mendenhall's season was cut short last year leaving owners to wonder what could have been.

Mendenhall is in the ideal situation. Great team, balanced offense, no pressure to carry the load from the beginning. He can work his way into the offense and if he takes over the starting job and one of my two RBs falter I've got a great replacement.