Empty the Bench

By Brian Spencer

On Tuesday, August 31, the dons of Empty the Bench joined friends and peers for the annual football nerd-out fest that is the ETB Fantasy Football League Draft. This year’s draft was one of the most challenging, stressful test of wills to date with 12 teams, 15 rounds of picks, and no kickers to thin the field out. Over the next few days we’ll reveal the results team by team, and take a quick look at how each one fared; compare and contrast with your league, and let us know your take in the comments section.

Disclaimer: many of our team names are lewd, childish, and downright stupid. We make no apologies for this.

Team:

Coleco Visionaries (Picked 8th Overall)

The Picks

1. (8) Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans
2. (17) Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts
3. (32) Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans Saints
4. (41) Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers
5. (56) Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers
6. (65) Knowshon Moreno, RB, Denver Broncos
7. (80) Donald Driver, WR, Green Bay Packers
8. (89) Justin Forsett, RB, Seattle Seahawks
9. (104) Pittsburgh, Team Defense
10. (113) Clinton Portis, RB, Washington Redskins
11. (128) Braylon Edwards, WR, New York Jets
12. (137) Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Indianapolis Colts
13. (152) Kevin Smith, RB, Detroit Lions
14. (161) Matt Moore, QB, Carolina Panthers
15. (176) Joshua Cribbs, WR, Cleveland Browns

Best Value:

Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers: Though we doubt Alex Smith can carry over the success from his mini-renaissance last season, Crabtree has a great shot at 1,000+ receiving yards in his second NFL season. In just 11 games as a rookie, the tenth-overall pick of the ’09 draft hauled in 48 catches for 625 yards and 2 TDs; not big numbers, and he didn’t once exceed 100 yards in a given week, but the steady, consistent production bodes well for his role as the ‘Niners WR1. If only he had a better QB…

Biggest Reach:

Kevin Smith, RB, Detroit Lions: You can argue that it’s “just” a 13th-round pick, but with Smith struggling through an underwhelming preseason as he works his way back from a significant knee injury, he likely would have gone undrafted or, at the very least, still been in there in the 15th round. There are whispers that he’s on the roster bubble, and even with uncertainty still swirling about Jahvid Best’s ability to step in and be the main guy as a rookie, the backup plan could very well be a combo of Maurice Morris and Aaron Brown, with Smith on the outside looking in. Then again, maybe this draft was just really strong and I can’t find another serious reach; maybe, as a Lions fan, I’m also just disappointed in Smith.

ETB’s Take:

The passing attack is filled with studs in Manning, Johnson, Colston, and Gates, and we think that some of the most successful teams this fantasy season will indeed have the common characteristic of enlisting at least two receivers producing at an elite or semi-elite clip. With Driver and Crabtree rounding out the top-four WR slots, Coleco is in fantastic shape here and, if he wants, can use one of those guys as trade bait to help shore up the running back situation without compromising his passing game.

You won’t find many players who wait until the sixth round to draft their first RB, and though he’s a pretty decent value there, Moreno as a RB1 would have me tossing and turning at night–especially when all I have is Forsett and Portis behind him. My guess is that Colston or Crabtree will be moved to shore up the backfield because Driver probably won’t bring much back, unless he’s paired with somebody else.

In his first year as a manger in the ETB league, Coleco Visionaries is in good shape to make the playoffs and contend but, like The Executive, absolutely must figure out what to do about that backfield.

Thoughts from Coleco Visionaries after the break…

Comments from Coleco Visionaries:

There are no two ways about it, I went WR heavy: of my 15 picks, seven were wide-outs. That being said, I am very happy with my results. The team has, by my ranking system, seven players from my top-50 list (Johnson, Manning, Colston, Gates, Crabtree, Moreno, and Forsett). People are down on Moreno and Forsett, but I think they are serviceable fantasy backs and will add sufficient value so that, with luck, my WR heavy team will be competitive. (“He’s looking to sacrifice a live chicken.” – Major League).

A word on my WR-based draft strategy: the league allows for the possibility to play up to four WRs each week. In a league with points-per-reception and greater scoring coming from TDs (12 receiving yards per point AND 15 rushing yards per point), I think a clear way to victory is a talented receiving corps that is going to get a lot of touches.

Side note, I really enjoy contrived sports terms like “looks” and “touches”. Why do talking heads need to create nouns for things which already have perfectly good words assigned? You know who I am talking about.

I know what you’re thinking, but my team isn’t all strength; its’ clear weakness is RBs. I realize that I defended Moreno and Forsett above, but they aren’t going to be fantasy stars unless something unforeseen occurs. For that matter, neither will Portis or K.Smith. Nothing I can do about RBs now other than make trades and utilize free-agency dollars wisely. With that in mind, I picked up Kareem Huggins two days after the draft and started praying for the Cadillac to get a flat tire. Hopefully, Huggins will compliment my sole RB1 – Knowshon – and the $5.99 lunch buffet of RB2/3s in my backfield.

As for my progression through the draft, I was very surprised that RBs were valued so highly. Going into draft night I was convinced that WRs and QBs would be the theme of the first two rounds. Alas, I was incorrect and second-tier RB1s went fast. It was probably a reach to take Manning with the 17th pick, but I viewed him as the best pick at that point: league rules give points per completion and Mr. Manning has been known to use the pass to get down the field.

The rest of my picks followed my strategy of getting good WRs and filling in holes when supply and demand curves intersected–see Forsett, Justin, 8th Round, and Portis, Clinton, 10th Round. Both of those RBs represent good value where selected, and hopefully Coach Shanahan realizes that the only solid back in his stable is Portis. Although, betting on Shanahan to make a fantasy-friendly coaching selection is long odds.

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