Survivor I - Willis McGahee Commentary

NOTE: this draft was completed on 7/24

Recent Stats

YR	RSH	RSHYD	RSHTD	REC	RECYD	RECTD	FPT	RANK
2004	284	1128	13	22	169	0	207.7	9

Positives - After taking the running back reins in week 5 of last season, McGahee never looked back. He topped 100 yards in 7 of his 12 starts, and despite playing behind Travis Henry the first third of the season, finished as a top 15 RB. Henry has moved elsewhere, and the ship is squarely in McGahee’s hands to sail. There is really no one behind him to steal significant carries. McGahee is ready to roll.

Negatives - The knee! In his final college game, McGahee suffered a terrible knee injury, which required surgery in 2003. He is now more than 2 years removed from the injury, and will be called upon to carry the load all season. McGahee proved he could tough it out with injuries last year, always coming back on the field for more. But there are some injuries you can’t come back from. He will also be facing a lot of 8-man fronts with an inexperienced QB at the helm. In a league with no pickups or trades, losing McGahee would crush a team’s chances of winning.

Draft Strategy - It’s not my birthday, but our Survivor league left me a big gift by passing on McGahee. With an ADP of 6th overall, I thought for sure he would go, and planned accordingly. But when he fell in my lap, it was an easy switch in tactic to grab him here. I was thrilled with a Westbrook/McGahee tandem picking at the end of the order. My only concern here is that both players have durability question marks. Since we are stuck with the team we draft, losing either player for even a few weeks would be a huge blow to my odds of winning.