Draft took place on August 17th

League One Draft Order

1. Mike Anderson - Staff Team


2. Ken Maxwell - Message Board Team


3. Cecil Lammey - Staff Team


4. bostonfred - Message Board Team


5. Aaron Rudnicki - Staff Team


6. LHUCKS - Message Board Team


7. Dave Baker - Staff Team


8. Unlucky - Message Board Team


9. Clayton Gray - Staff Team


10. radballs - Message Board Team


11. Jason Wood - Staff Team


12. Ministry of Pain - Message Board Team

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   I was looking to come out of the gate with 3 RBs. Pick up a couple of solid WRs, and then just grab as many WRs as I could. In the Survivor format, having 7+ WRs means that somebody is going to perform. We don't have to worry about match ups and who to play, just have a ton of WRs and expect to strike gold somewhere every week. I planned on waiting until deep in the draft for a QB, and then to take 3 in total. In the Survivor format, I don't have to choose between 3 equally talented QBs each week; we just automatically get the best performance. I expected my roster to finish with 3 QB (No stars), 5 RBs (3 Studs), 8 WRs (the weakness of the team), 2 TEs, 2 PKs, 2 Ds.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   I was able to take my 3 RBs in the first three rounds. I never expected Jason Witten to be there are the bottom of the 4th/top of the 5th. I was prepared to take Steve Smith, but felt that Witten was the last of the premier TEs for this season. My WRs are weaker for it, but I believe it will pay off. I wanted to wait on my QBs, but as Kerry Collins and Jake Plummer were still there at the end of the 6th round, I changed gears to take one. I wanted Collins, but Maxwell snaked him one pick in front of me. Maxwell is evil, but if I had gotten Collins, I wouldn't have then gone on to waste my next 2 rounds on QBs as well.
   



3. You started the draft with three straight RBs. Why?
   With the first pick of the draft, you are looking at the 24th and 25th picks, and then sitting there and cringing as every viable RB is taken within the next 22 picks. Knowing that, the only way to go when you are at the top of the draft is RB/RB/RB. Any other course of action has you trying to find a worthwhile fill-in/injury starter/flex player from a pool of rookie RBs, RBs with injury issues, or unsettled/crowded backfields. Any other strategy from the top spot(s) leaves you with a real weakness at RB. After getting 3 Stud RBs, I wanted to get a pass catching RB since this is a point for reception league. I don't expect Kevin Faulk to really ever start for me, but if he can just have a week or two with a tremendous amount of catches, he will be well worth the pick. I wanted Stephen Davis as my 5th RB, well, at least a total flyer. Davis wasn't available, so I took Goings with the same mindset. Going RB/RB/RB allows you to almost ignore your RBs for the rest of the draft.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   Having 2 of my top 4 WRs with the same bye week in a survivor league might come back to haunt me. I wouldn't have done that, but with back to back picks at the end of the 8th/top of the 9th, I saw a huge drop off after Stallworth and Santana Moss, so I took both of them. My WRs are really pretty shaky, but it was expected, and the reason I took 8 of them. My plan from the start of the draft all but guaranteed a weaker WR corp.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   I guess the easy answer would be BassNBrew's, as his team is set up very much like my own. 3 Solid RBs out of the gate that should give him his two quality starters and guaranteed points from his flex, along with protection from an injury. I love the Stephen Davis pick in the 20th; I took Goings with the exact same thoughts. We both have Drew Bennett and Santana Moss, although his WRs are a little stronger since I took Witten over Steve Smith. He has Brooks at QB where I have Plummer, but both are in the same tier, then we just grabbed two other starters. Harrington won't remain the starter, and that will cost him, but overall, his team mirrors my draft strategy, and I would be just as happy with it.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   
   



3. Your first two RBs are both Chiefs, and both were taken in the first four rounds. Why?
   
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   My pre-draft strategy was to get solid RBs in the first 2 rounds, and take a top rated QB in the 3rd round. I was hoping that some good WRs would fall through the cracks into the 4th round, and I would take another WR in the 5th round. The 6th and 7th rounds were going to be for lower tier starting RBs, or value WRs. I had the same strategy in the 8th and 9th rounds, with a possible handcuff block of a major RB on the MB team. After that is was filling spots with value players, saving my K & D for my final picks. Last year I won with Arizona and Atlanta as my defenses, so I wasn't too worried about who would be my D.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   I was able to stick with my first 2 rounds strategy. Peyton Manning was gone by the 3rd round so I selected Daunte Culpepper to lead my team. The MB team put a run on WRs, so by the time my pick came around in the 4th the best available IMHO was Roy Williams. I was expecting there to be some better talent available, but am still happy with Roy. With the run on WRs I knew that I would have to spend picks on 4 WRs before round 10. However, I was interested when Chris Brown fell to me in the 5th round so I snatched him up. I was able to get 3 more WRs and Chad Pennington, then targeted Reuben Droughns in the 10th round as LHUCKS had grabbed Lee Suggs in the 6th round. I wanted to possibly block the handcuff of Larry Johnson by the Isle of Misfit Toys. Johnson was drafted by that team in the fourth round, and looking over the MB rosters I decided Droughns would be a great potential starter in the 10th round.
   



3. You are one of a handful of teams that drafted eight WRs. Why that many?
   There was an early run on top WR talent, so I knew that I would have to go with more receivers than average. I targeted some young, unproven talent, along with some 2nd tier WRs that could put up big numbers. The new flex position in the lineup also led me to believe that I could get some value with WRs that are targeted frequently.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   My team's biggest weakness is at the WR position. I drafted 8 receivers to help alleviate this. The run started early for the MB team, and I was locked into my first 3 rounds strategy. My WR corps last year was full of young, unproven talent and I was able to take home the hardware. And last year my 2nd and 4th round picks (including my WR1 Steve Smith) were both out for the year after week 1, so WR was a concern, but not enough for me to change my first 3 picks.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   The team I like most is David Yudkin's team. He drafted a very strong team, starting off with a great QB corps with Collins, Vick, and Warner. I like his RB corps, led by Priest Holmes. What I like the most though are his shark picks of Mewelde Moore (8.11), Ryan Moats (21.02), and Alvin Pearman (22.11). He also has potential starter Mike Anderson and Fred Taylor. Handcuffing Pearman to Taylor was a great move. His WR corps is chock full of superstars and rising stars. Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens lead this great group. I like his pick of Roy Williams in the 5th, and the late round flyer on Mark Clayton in the 15th. I felt that I was the favorite to repeat as champion of this league, but I know that I will have to hold off a very strong Team Yudkin in order to do so.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   I think there are four top backs this year - LT, Alexander, Edge and Priest. I hoped not to get Priest from the four spot, and got Edge which I expected. In the second, I was hoping to get a top 5 receiver, and in the third, I wanted to take the best player available, hopefully a running back. I felt that it's imperative to have at least four top quality receivers because you have to start three, and they're much cheaper and higher quality options for the FLEX spot than running backs because to have a quality RB in your flex spot would cost you three of your first five picks, and you'd end up being too weak at receiver to consistently cover bad weeks by your backs and/or bye weeks.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   In the third round, the last stud WR (Owens) was taken two picks before me. The best RBs remaining were the rookies, and I didn't like any of the QBs enough to take them, so I took Gonzo. That was best player available, although Horn was close, but it meant I had to piece together a RB2BC, which I did by taking the three main Jacksonville backs, and also meant I couldn't field as strong a WR corps as I could have if I'd gotten Owens.
   



3. Sixteen of your 22 players have a bye on week 5, 7, or 9. What is your bye-week philosophy?
   I think bye week management is overrated, even in Survivor. Yes, I have a lot of players on bye those weeks. But there will be some guys who are decimated by injuries those weeks (there always are), and other guys who are in trouble with byes the same week, I want to field the strongest possible team, and I want to make sure I have enough starting caliber players at each position to field a full starting team during any given bye week. If you look at my byes, while there may be several the same week, my best players are not off at the same time - my week 5 byes are Gonzo, Mewelde Moore/Moe Williams, a kicker and a D. My week 7 byes are a QB, the three Jacksonville backs, Eric Shelton, and my bottom two receivers. My week 9 byes are Rod Smith/Ashley Lelie, my backup TE and my backup kicker. So yes, there's a lot of bye weeks in common, but no single week is that bad.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   My team does have a lot of byes during weeks 7 and 8, but I think it's strong enough at the other positions to make up for that. I could have taken Chad Johnson over Marvin Harrison, which would have been a better bye week match, but I'm just more confident in Harrison having a good year than Johnson. If I can survive that two week elimination period, I think my team is a lock for the cutoff.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   LHUCKS had the best draft in my league. He got a steal in the fourth with McNabb, the Barber/Ahman combo with Suggs and RiWi backing him up is top notch, Horn/Bruce/Kennison are all great values, Clark and both Tennessee TEs was a great play, and I like the Panthers D a lot this year. The only thing I didn't like was the Barber pick at 1.6, which didn't seem like a great value. Honorable mentions go to JoeT and BassNBrew. JoeT got two good backs and got a steal in Henry, while getting three top notch receivers and still getting a Favre/Delhomme combo that I love. BassNBrew has three good QBs, a pair of TEs I like a lot, three good backs, and still managed to get four solid receivers.

   Of the staff members, I think Shick!'s is best - he got three quality backs and still managed to get Driver, Lelie, and enough decent sleeper WRs to fill the third WR spot and occasionally contribute to flex.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   I think there is a significant drop-off after the top-5 RBs this year so I wanted to be drafting in the top-5 to ensure that I got one of them. Once I got the #5 spot, I pretty much knew I'd be drafting Deuce McAllister unless one of the owners drafting ahead of me passed on one of the top 4. After that, I planned to take the best available RB in the 2nd round, and really hoped that Ahman Green would be there for me. Drafting in the 5 spot ensured that I'd be able to land at least two of the top-18 RBs (assuming Peyton Manning and Randy Moss would go before the 2.08 pick). Then, in the next 3 rounds I wanted to get 2 very good and reliable WRs that I could count on every week and hopefully a 3rd starting RB to protect against injuries and bye weeks and hopefully contribute to the flex spot most weeks. After that, I simply planned to look for best player available and do my best to avoid any major bye week conflicts.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   Yes, I was pretty much able to stick with the strategy. Unfortunately, Ahman Green went 1 pick before me in the 2nd round and I was forced to take Jamal Lewis, who I had ranked much lower given the point per reception rule. I was very happy to be able to land Javon Walker and Nate Burleson with my 3rd and 4th round picks and think they can both be top-10 WRs this year. Ronnie Brown was a great value in the 5th round, and then Thomas Jones was too good to pass up in the 6th. I didn't intend to draft 4 RBs with my first 6 picks, but all 4 are going to be starters for their team and that should give me one of the strongest RB groups in the league. I took a gamble and passed on a QB in the 7th for my WR3 in Moulds even though I knew a QB run was likely coming. I had Tom Brady targeted as my QB1 but missed him by 1 spot. By building such a strong RB group, I had to weaken myself at other positions, primarily QB and TE. Will have to wait and see if that strategy was successful or not.
   



3. All of your WRs have different bye weeks. What that planned or merely chance?
   My goal in any survivor draft is always to spread out my bye weeks as much as possible within a given position. It is usually very difficult to avoid doubling up on at least one bye week for the WR group simply because of the value that presents itself. In other words, I usually won't pass up on a WR who I think is clearly better than another simply because he has the same bye week as another WR on my team. Things worked out perfectly for me in this draft as I was able to draft 7 different WRs that I like without duplicating a single bye week. Thus, without injuries, I will have at least 6 WRs lining up for me each week to fill 3 spots (plus the flex if a 4th one does well).
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   My QB group did not turn out quite as well as I would have hoped and may wind up hurting me. I simply waited too long to fill those spots because of the value that presented itself at other positions, especially RB. With the flex spot in this league, we will be starting 6 players from the RB and WR positions each week and I felt it was critical to build up as strong of a group as possible there. The turning point for how my team turned out was probably the 6th and 7th round picks. Many people appeared to be waiting on the QB position so there were still some very good QBs available. Thomas Jones seemed like too good of a value to pass on at that point though, and I knew I wouldn't have to worry about drafting another RB for awhile so I could build up my QB position with the next few picks. Then, in the 7th, I faced a tough decision as I really wanted to have a solid WR3 that I could rely on to get me points each week and I thought the remaining few would be gone by the time I was up in the 8th. To draft Moulds, however, meant that I would have to gamble on a decent QB1 sliding to me in the 8th. At the time, there were still 5 QBs available that I would have been thrilled to land, but unfortunately they all went off the board between my picks. It was a calculated gamble that didn't really work out and my top-2 QB combo of Leftwich/Carr is probably one of the weakest in the league. In retrospect, I probably should have locked up a QB1 in the 7th and then looked for the best available QB or WR with the 8th pick.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   I would probably have to choose Chris Smith's team. It cost him 5 of his first 9 picks, but he was able to lock up 4 starting RBs with different bye weeks that should give him a very strong base each week. He also got a tremendous value landing Culpepper with the 30th pick overall, and did a great job of backing him up with Griese and the Brad Johnson handcuff. Obviously, he had to pass on some top notch WR talent to build up such a strong group at RB and QB, but Chambers, Moulds, and Burress all should be the #1 WR option on their respective teams and could finish in the top-25 if things work out. To advance far, he may need to hit on one or two of his sleeper WRs like Reggie Williams, Bryant Johnson, or Ernest Wilford. I think getting Stevens in the 12th round could wind up saving his TE spot, and his PK and DEF spots look solid. If I could make a change to his team during the draft, I probably would have passed on Brandon Jacobs and taken an extra WR given how strong the rest of his RB group already was. But, as long as none of his top-3 WRs gets hurt, he should be able to last a long time.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   My initial strategy was to go RB in three of the first four rounds while taking a solid WR#1 in the third round. I would then make up for the likely deficiencies at the other positions by drafting depth given the relatively deep roster allowance of 22 players. I feel one of my strengths is finding value at both QBs and WRs late in drafts and I wanted to play to that strength. I had originally allotted the following roster spots for each of the positions: 3 QBs, 5 RBs, 8 WRs, 2 TEs, 2 PK, 2 DEF.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   When McNabb slid to me in the fourth round I had to alter my strategy slightly as I had planned on grabbing a Brady/McNair-like combo originally. When I took McNabb I new I would only go two QBs deep, which would allow for more depth at RB or possibly WR. In hindsight I believe the move will prove to serve me well as I'm pleased with my RB depth and very pleased with my WR strength.
   



3. You are one of a few teams with three TEs. Why?
   One of the keys to survivor play in my opinion is to avoid zero weeks and given the injury risk that both Troupe and Clark present I felt it was much more important to grab Kinney than it was to grab another D, WR or RB, which were the other positions I was considering with my last pick. Chow had stated repeatedly that he plans on using both TEs heavily so although the Kinney selection may appear to be a handcuff, it could in essence be viewed as a 3rd tight end in my opinion.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   I really like my team, but if I had to choose a biggest weakness it would be my RB depth as I do not have a solid 3rd RB as some other teams do. That being said, I'm very high on Suggs and Ricky Williams and think they'll be a solid 3/4 punch.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   I like David Yudkin's team. He's got three starting QBs, three starting RBs that have some serious upside and a solid set of WRs with TO and Harrison at the top. A lot of upside on this team with respectable depth…a nice combination to have in this format.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   The only pre-draft strategy I had revolved around drafting for survivor leagues in general. One of my considerations is always to pick players with the least amount of injury risk and the least amount of risk with losing their starting spot. In a survivor league, having a top guy get hurt or lose their starting job can be disastrous. As far as my draft position was concerned, I figured I might draft RB/RB/RB in the first three rounds, but my strategy, as it always is with me, was only to draft the best player that made sense at the time. I go with the flow and while I often think several rounds ahead, I revise my thinking as the draft unfolds. My other strategy was based on the format, especially involving the flex spot where you can potentially start three RBs in any given week, and the fact that you get one point per reception. I usually feel as though many owners ignore the points per reception aspect too frequently. So I wanted to get RBs that could catch a bunch of passes at the same time as get a lot of carries.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   With my first pick, I was very pleased to obtain Domanick Davis. He's a guy with potential to be a top scorer as well as having consistency. When it came to my second round pick, my thoughts of drafting RB in the first three rounds went by the wayside. The last RB I really liked was taken at the spot before mine and I decided on the spot to take Torry Holt. I like Holt a ton and felt it was a great opportunity to snag a top WR. My only fear was then having trouble getting two more starting RBs, but I was actually lucky enough to get three more.
   



3. Four of your first five picks were RBs. Why?
   One of the last things I thought would happen is that I would draft a 4th RB before my 2nd WR. But when the 5th round rolled around, I saw a lot of WRs that I liked but only a couple of RBs I also thought that DeShaun Foster had tremendous potential to put up monster numbers and could be a difference maker for me. After all was said and done, I was pleased with my WRs, so I think the move will help me.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   I have two glaring weaknesses. First is the lack of a top back-up QB. JP Losman was taken very late, but I feel that with Evans and Moulds, the Buffalo QB could put up big numbers on occasion which, after taking Palmer, is all I need. The other weakness is my lack of a top TE. With Chris Cooley and Jeb Putzier, I don't have the kind of TE that most others teams have. I just hope this ends up not being a significant liability.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   After reviewing the teams, there is one team that stood out for me as the team to beat (after mine, of course ;-)). And that team was Clayton Gray's. He has strength across the board with the possible exception of TE. I like his QBs (Favre, McNair, Bledsoe), RBs (Portis, CMart and Benson) and WRs (Coles, Andre Johnson, Boldin and Muhammad). Very, very strong.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   I decided to take a lower draft spot in order to land Randy Moss in round 1 and Steven Jackson in round 2. If I had had a high draft spot, I would have targeted Priest Holmes. For round 3 and beyond, my strategy was to fill in my starters with as many top tier players as possible. I will ignore K and D until the last 4 picks of the draft. (two at each spot) With the flex position and 1 point per reception, all starting players are key. I want a strong, balanced team.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   I didn’t quite stick with the plan of filling out the starters first. I landed R. Wayne in round 3, and so I focused on getting quality at other positions before going back to WR. Also, I had to go a little heavy at RB since I didn’t have a 2nd RB after three rounds. Barlow in the 4th, Bettis in the 6th,and Duckett in the 7th. I did nab my QB, Bulger in the 5th. I waited a little longer than I anticipated for a TE, but I think I landed two solid ones with Heap (8th) and LJ Smith. (11th) I am very happy with the talent I was able to draft.
   



3. You drafted five RBs before your third WR. Why?
   As I mentioned in #2, I only had 1 RB after three picks, but I had two awesome WRs in Moss and Wayne. My strategy became filling up with RBs and waiting on WRs until late, but getting quite a few. I had planned all along to draft 6 RBs and 7 WRs. I figure Moss and Wayne will count for my team nearly every week, so I’ve got 5 more WRs, from which I only need one to count. Therefore, I can wait. So, I targeted RBs that are either starting (Barlow), or RBs that have potential for multi-TD games. Bettis and Duckett may not start, but they can go off for 2 or 3 TDs in a game. They will also get carries anyway, but if Staley or Dunn are out, these guys can be workhorses. Because I don’t have to decide when to start them, these types of RBs are more valuable. Brandon Jacobs may fit the same role – goalline RB that would takeover in case of injury (although I still like Tiki).
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   I don’t see any weakness on this team. Perhaps the #3 WR and D, but those won’t hurt very much. I’m deep at QB, RB, TE, and my top two WRs are awesome. I have quality and depth across the board.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   Hands down, I’d take David Yudkin’s team. He’s loaded everywhere. Collins, Vick, and Warner at QB. Priest Holmes and Taylor, with value picks of Mike Anderson, M. Moore, and A. Pearman. His WRs are great: Harrison, Owens, and Roy Williams. Solid TEs in Wiggins and Watson.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   I wanted to pick up two RBs and two WRs to start the draft. After that, my goal was to add quality players regardless of position. That said, I wanted to wait a little while on QBs and TEs and wait a long while on PKs and Defs.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   Definitely. However, I was tempted a few times to go QB earlier. I'm glad I resisted as picking up Favre in the eighth round is excellent value.
   



3. You are one of only a few teams with three defenses. Why that many?
   After missing out on an elite defense (and I knew I would since I didn't want to take a defense earlier), the best bet is to stock the position with midrange defenses. With three on the roster, I'm much more likely to have at least one of them jump up with a great effort. Since we automatically get the best score, I don't have to guess which one will perform each week.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   My reserve RBs are far from stellar. I probably should have taken Fred Taylor in the fourth round, but it just seemed like that was too early. Also, doing that would have meant that my goal of taking two WRs in the first four rounds would not have been met.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   It would have to be Jason Wood. Beside the fact that he grabbed three players two picks before I was set to snatch them up, I like the balance he has on his roster at QB, RB, WR, and TE. He even has an excellent defense. His roster is solid everywhere.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   My pre-draft strategy was to maximize value with every pick. My original plan included filling out my first two to three running backs, three to four wide receivers, and a tight end before I took my first quarterback. This draft strategy was not necessarily tied to my draft position, but I was really expecting to go either WR/RB or RB/WR with my first two picks from the 10 spot.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   My strategy drastically changed with my second round pick for a couple of reasons. First of all, I was very happy to get a player of Willis McGahee's caliber at the 1.10 selection, but the guy I really wanted, Randy Moss, was selected two picks before him. I really like Torry Holt's prospects this year and would have taken him with my second round pick, but his bye week conflicted with McGahee's. I decided that it was too early for any other receiver at 2.03 and I wasn't thrilled with the other running backs on the board at that point. I opted to go with the premier quarterback in the league in Peyton Manning.
   



3. You waited until the last two rounds to take backup QBs. Why?
   Since I used such a high pick on the best and perhaps most durable quarterback in the league, I decided to continue to wait on a second starting quarterback until there were only a couple of them left. For some reason, back up quarterbacks in this league came off the board very late. So, I just continued to wait and ended up being able to get two other starters with my last two picks in the draft. I decided that another starting quarterback would be more valuable than taking Manning's backup in Jim Sorgi. I was only planning on taking one more quarterback after I took Manning, but with my last pick I couldn't see any other position that I could substantially improve my scoring in than creating some additional quarterback security.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   My team's biggest weakness is running back depth. It's very difficult to take a quarterback so early and not have some weakness at either the running back or wide receiver positions. I thought I got decent value where I selected all of my running backs ( Willis McGahee at 1.10, Michael Bennett at 3.10, Duce Staley at 7.10, Travis Henry at 9.10, and Anthony Thomas at 19.10). However, the biggest mistake I made during the draft was taking Brandon Lloyd at 10.03 instead of Mewelde Moore. I should not have let Moore pass me by because then I would have had the security of locking up the Minnesota backfield. In any case, if Staley comes back relatively healthy, Bennett keeps his starting job, and Henry gets a decent amount of playing time, then I will be okay here.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   Yudkin's team in league 2 looks very strong to me. He's got a ton of upside with all three of his quarterbacks in Collins, Vick, and Warner. His running backs are above average with super stud Priest Holmes, Fred Taylor, and Mike Anderson with others who have a shot at some decent playing time. He rounds it out with one of the best receiving cores in either league with Harrison, Owens, and Roy Williams. No significant bye week problems so the only thing I see bringing this team down is if Fred Taylor misses any significant time.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   The key to winning this type of league is keeping yourself in the game. Meaning, you don't want to overload any one week with a lot of key bye absences nor do you want to find yourself one injury away from all loss of depth at a position. My goal was to draft the best available players early, and make sure I had bodies at the RB and WR position to carry me as the season wears on.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   I was pleased, although I had hoped not to have any significant bye issues in the first four weeks (when it's single elimination). But when Kevin Jones made it back to me in the 2nd round, I couldn't pass on his talent just because of the week 3 bye. I met my goals of rostering six RBs and seven WRs. The only position that didn't quite turn out as planned was QB, where I had thought Jeff Garcia was 50/50 to start but now it appears Harrington may hold onto the job for awhile.
   



3. You selected Zack Crockett. What does this Survivor format do to his value?
   In this kind of league, any points are helpful. Because we have no roster moves, you really want your backups to be able to chip in a few points here and there. With Crockett, HC Norv Turner is on record saying he will remain a goal line runner despite the signing of Lamont Jordan. Ideally, Crockett has one of his classic three rushes for 2 TDs in a week when my main runners fall short of expectations.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   I have two main worries as I see it. When I selected Jeff Garcia I honestly felt I was getting a 3rd starter, giving me great coverage in conjunction with Trent Green and Matt Hasselbeck. But after a 2nd consecutive preseason flop along with another efficient outing from Harrington, I now doubt that Garcia will be a real challenge for the job this year, at least through the first six to eight games. My second area of concern is the quality of my WRs. I've learned from prior Survivor leagues that quantity is key over quality, but after my first two WRs (Michael Clayton and Larry Fitzgerald), I have no one I see as capable of helping me on a weekly basis. As to whether I could've corrected the situations, with a deep and competitive field, every team has to roll the dice in some way and this was somewhat of a conscious decision.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   I was impressed with what Clayton (Gray) was able to accomplish. He's got three NFL starting QBs with entrenched positions, has two top 15 RBs with the potential for two more rookie starters (Gore and Benson), and has excellent WRs including Coles, Boldin, Andre Johnson and Muhammad. He has no major bye week issues either. If he simply chose another WR late instead of a 3rd defense, he would be the clear preseason favorite.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   My predraft strategy was to get 3 RB come hell or high water. 3 RB that I could start every week with 1 filling up the flex position. Since I was picking 12th I knew that if I did not pick a 3rd RB on the 3rd/4th round turn that I would spend time chasing and wasting picks in the middle rounds.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   I was able to stick with this strategy. I was excited when "Cadillac" fell me to me in the 3rd round. I was able to lock up my backfield and still grab a top flight WR in Darrell Jackson. I felt the first 4 rounds went exactly as I wanted them to.
   



3. You have only four RBs. Why so few?
   After I locked up "Cadillac" there was no more value at the position for the rest of the draft. We only have to start 2 RB so I will never be short handed in the position with my 3 headed monster. Westbrook will be huge with 1 PPR in this league. I cannot endure a lot of injuries but really in this league no one can, I also had to spend time chasing WR in the later rounds to try and catch up. My WR may not look impressive on paper but I feel they will all have different explosive weeks which is what this format is designed for. Matchups are not a consideration in Survivor format.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   My teams biggest weakness is probably the WR2 and WR3 positions although Chambers and Evans combined should fill the WR2 position nicely. It's Robinson, Randle El, Pathon, Parker, and (Sleeper) Brandon Jones that need to step up. It's not as bad as some would like to think. I also would have liked a good 4th RB but wouldn't we all? Some have questioned my QB picks but I think again that I will get the best Vick has to offer in this format and I am high on Griese and the Bucs offense in general. I would have loved to have gotten Fitzgerald in the 5th but Jason Wood snatched him right before I picked.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   None, I like mine the best of course and I am going to win the Survivor challenge. Seriously, everyone in my conference has flaws in their team, Ken Maxwell has a great chance with the WR he drafted, if he survive week 5 without the KC ground game he has a good chance to be there at the end.