1) Trent Richardson is vastly overrated, despite what the Fantasy Experts tell you.
In the 2 public leagues I drafted in, Trent Richardson went in Round 3, Pick 9 (10-Man) and Round 2, Pick 2 (12-Man), making his ADP (Average Draft Position) 21.5. In my 8-Man League (my friends league and the league I personally care about most), he went in Round 8, Pick 3 (45th Overall), which I feel is more appropriate. Spread that out over 10-12 men, and he is a late 4th, early 5th round pick. What has TRich done to endear himself to fantasy owners? He had knee surgery before the preseason started, hasn't taken one carry against live NFL defenses, and plays for Cleveland. Until the Cleveland Browns add more pieces to make themselves appear to be a more formidable NFL Offense, I don't understand why he's getting picked over fellow RBs like Fred Jackson, Doug Martin, Matt Forte, Darren Sproles, or Michael Turner. I have seen him picked ahead of dynamic WRs like Julio Jones, Roddy White, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, & AJ Green. In my 12 man league, he even went ahead of Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski. I have been off this bandwagon since he was picked by the Browns and I distanced myself even further when I found out about his surgery. Do yourself a favor....if you have Richardson as your RB1 or RB2, lower your expectations and make a move to shore up your RB depth, because this guy is going to be a headache. He is destined to have a few good games, but he plays 6 times against top run-stuffing teams in his own division in Pittsburgh, Baltimore & Cincinnati this year and EVERY YEAR. The Browns will try to feature him, but I still don't think Cleveland will be good enough to finish better than 4-12 or 5-11, meaning they will be playing from behind more than 75% of the time. If he landed in your lap in a flex or backup spot, you had a good strategy because your fantasy season is not hedged on the middle of the pack numbers Richardson is bound to put up this season.
Players drafted behind Richardson I like better: Doug Martin, Rashad Jennings, Donald Brown, Reggie Bush, Willis McGahee, Fred Jackson
2) Hopefully, you were able to get in on the high-flying Falcons passing game.
In the 3 drafts I participated in, Julio Jones and Roddy White came off the board very early, and rightfully so. Jones is sporting an ADP of 20.3 and White's has been 25.7. They were each taken in the 1st half of the 3rd Round of my 8-Man League and I feel like these owners have set themselves up for great success. I didn't get a piece of the Atlanta WRs in my friends league, and I will be looking to make a deal for one of them at some point this season. In my 12 team league, I grabbed Julio with the 1st pick of Round 3 and in my 10 team league, I got Roddy in Round 3, Pick 3. I also took Matt Ryan in my 10 teamer with the 3rd pick of Round 5. I am all-in on the Falcons passing game this year. The New Orleans Saints are vulnerable this year with their well-documented off the field issues and the boys from the ATL are primed to be a Saints-esque offensive squad. Big point totals, big downfield plays and fast paced offense should be the trademark of this team in 2012. Even Tony Gonzalez has great potential as a Late Round, Top 10 TE. Harry Douglas is a deep league sleeper as the 3rd WR. That leaves the man behind center, Matt Ryan. Ryan has sky rocketed up draft boards since the early preseason, going as early as Round 3 as the 6th QB off the board. He is entering his 5th season at the helm of this passing game and has the talent around him to exceed his fantasy ceiling. I have advocated to friends all preseason long that if they miss out on the consensus Top 5 QBs (Rodgers, Brees, Brady, Stafford, Newton), Ryan is the next guy to target. Atlanta is my preseason pick to win the NFC South and grab a 1st round bye in the NFC Playoffs, and their offense will be the major cause.
3) You had to notice the drop off in talent at the RB position once you got past the Top Tier.
The days of going RB-RB with your first 2 picks are behind us. The NFL has transitioned to a pass-first game and the running game has become a method of ball control rather than the focal point of most professional offenses. Once the Top 7 or 8 RBs come off the board, you have to be prepared to take WRs or a QB or you will fall behind the rest of your league immediately. Depth at every position has become the winning formula for fantasy football, and the drop off in talent between RB1's and RB2's is as massive as I've ever seen. You can't use a 2nd round pick on guys like Steven Jackson, Michael Turner, Ahmad Bradshaw, or Frank Gore anymore. These names are available later in drafts as the amount of talented WRs and TEs has grown to a point where these are legit 2nd round moves. If you were able to grab an elite RB, you probably were better off grabbing a WR1 or QB with your next pick and filling in your RB depth with lesser known names. In my 8 team league, I had Aaron Rodgers as my keeper, and my first pick (#6 overall) was spent on Darren McFadden. After McFadden, I didn't pick another RB until the 6th round. In my 10 team league, my first pick (#3 overall) was LeSean McCoy. My next RB came in Round 4. I did go RB-RB in my 12 team league, but I had to reach to grab my 2nd RB rather than sift through the trash 3 rounds later. My point is this: in 2012, the best fantasy teams will be those who diversified their draft picks. Going RB-QB-WR in any order is a great strategy because your overall success will be based on your balance at each position. The major point is this: don't concern yourself with having 2 elite RBs at the expense of your WR corp or your QB.
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