With less than two weeks to go before the NFL season kicks off the busiest weekend of the year for fantasy drafts is set to begin. Once again, Sportsnet.ca has answered the call. We’ve featured mock drafts, position rankings and player notes over the last four weeks.
We’ve tackled the rookies, the return of Brett Favre and offered plenty of fantasy strategy. Today, we offer the final necessity for your fantasy draft: A cheat sheet.
A cheat sheet alone won’t guarantee a solid draft. You have to make sure that you field a competitive team with plenty of depth at the playmaker positions and a balance of safe and risky picks.
In the first five rounds, fantasy managers should nab at least two running backs and two wide receivers. You can then either draft an elite quarterback or an additional elite wide receiver to round out the top five picks.
In the next five rounds, fantasy managers should focus on talent and depth. Even if you already have an elite quarterback, grab a solid backup option such as a Matt Schaub, Carson Palmer, or even Brett Favre. Then draft plenty of solid running backs. I prefer the consistent workhorses such as Jamal Lewis, Pierre Thomas and Willie Parker before nabbing the riskier options such as Ahmad Bradshaw, Ray Rice and Fred Jackson.
In the later rounds, fantasy managers should focus on sleeper wide receivers such as Earl Bennett, Nate Burleson and Lee Evans before even thinking of drafting a kicker or team defence. There are also some solid sleeper tight ends such as Greg Olsen, Visanthe Shiancoe and Dustin Keller.
Finally, in the last three rounds, fantasy managers have permission to focus on their defences and kickers.
In a 16-round draft, fantasy managers should finish with: two quarterbacks, five running backs, five wide receivers, two tight ends, one kicker, and one defense.
Good Luck!
The 2009 Sportsnet.ca Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet:
1) ADRIAN PETERSON, RB, VIKINGS
2) MATT FORTE, RB, BEARS
3) MICHAEL TURNER, RB, FALCONS
4) DREW BREES, QB, SAINTS
5) MAURICE JONES-DREW, RB, JAGUARS
6) STEVEN JACKSON, RB, RAMS
7) CHRIS JOHNSON, RB, TITANS
8) TOM BRADY, QB, PATRIOTS
9) DEANGELO WILLIAMS, RB, PANTHERS
10) LARRY FITZGERALD, WR, CARDINALS
11) STEVE SLATON, RB, TEXANS
12) FRANK GORE, RB, 49ERS
13) RANDY MOSS, WR, PATRIOTS
14) ANDRE JOHNSON, WR, TEXANS
15) LADAINIAN TOMLINSON, RB, CHARGERS
16) CALVIN JOHNSON, WR, LIONS
17) BRANDON JACOBS, RB, GIANTS
18) MARION BARBER, RB, COWBOYS
19) PEYTON MANNING, QB, COLTS
20) KURT WARNER, QB, CARDINALS
21) STEVE SMITH, WR, PANTHERS
22) BRIAN WESTBROOK, RB, EAGLES
23) CLINTON PORTIS, RB, REDSKINS
24) KEVIN SMITH, RB, LIONS
25) RODDY WHITE, WR, FALCONS
26) PHILIP RIVERS, QB, CHARGERS
27) GREG JENNINGS, WR, PACKERS
28) REGGIE WAYNE, WR COLTS
29) THOMAS JONES, RB, JETS
30) TERRELL OWENS, WR, BILLS
31) ANQUAN BOLDIN, WR, CARDINALS
32) DONOVAN MCNABB, QB, EAGLES
33) MARQUES COLSTON, WR, SAINTS
34) TONY ROMO, QB, COWBOYS
35) DWAYNE BOWE, WR, CHIEFS
36) MATT SCHAUB, QB, TEXANS
37) AARON RODGERS, QB, PACKERS
38) RYAN GRANT, RB, PACKERS
39) JAY CUTLER, QB, BEARS
40) WES WELKER, WR, PATRIOTS
41) MATT RYAN, QB, FALCONS
42) BEN ROETHLISBERGER, QB, STEELERS
43) MATT CASSEL, QB, CHIEFS
44) LARRY JOHNSON, RB, CHIEFS
45) TONY GONZALEZ, TE, FALCONS
46) JOSEPH ADDAI, RB, COLTS
47) JASON WITTEN, TE, COWBOYS
48) RONNIE BROWN, RB, DOLPHINS
49) PIERRE THOMAS, RB, SAINTS
50) WILLIE PARKER, RB, STEELERS
51) SANTONIO HOLMES, WR, STEELERS
52) JAMAL LEWIS, RB, BROWNS
53) VINCENT JACKSON, WR, CHARGERS
54) TJ HOUSHMANDZADEH, WR, SEAHAWKS
55) BRETT FAVRE, QB, VIKINGS
56) RAY RICE, RB, RAVENS
57) ANTONIO GATES, TE, CHARGERS
58) ROY WILLIAMS, WR, COWBOYS
59) ANTONIO BRYANT, WR, BUCCANEERS
60) DALLAS CLARK, TE, COLTS
61) CHRIS COOLEY, TE, REDSKINS
62) CARSON PALMER, QB, BENGALS
63) BRANDON MARSHALL, WR, BRONCOS
64) DERRICK WARD, RB, BUCCANEERS
65) REGGIE BUSH, RB, SAINTS
66) LENDALE WHITE, RB, TITANS
67) OWEN DANIELS, TE, TEXANS
68) CHRIS HENRY, WR, BENGALS
69) CEDRIC BENSON, RB, BENGALS
70) DESEAN JACKSON, WR, EAGLES
71) JONATHAN STEWART, RB, PANTHERS
72) GREG OLSEN, TE, BEARS
73) LANCE MOORE, WR, SAINTS
74) KELLEN WINSLOW, TE, BUCCANEERS
75) HINES WARD, WR, STEELERS
76) MATT HASSELBECK, QB, SEAHAWKS
77) BERNARD BERRIAN, WR, VIKINGS
78) BRAYLON EDWARDS, WR, BROWNS
79) PEYTON HILLIS, RB, BRONCOS
80) CHRIS WELLS, RB, CARDINALS
81) EDDIE ROYAL, WR, BRONCOS
82) AHMAD BRADSHAW, RB, GIANTS
83) DUSTIN KELLER, TE, JETS
84) LEON WASHINGTON, RB, JETS
85) ELI MANNING, QB, GIANTS
86) LAVERANUES COLES, WR, BENGALS
87) DONNIE AVERY, WR, RAMS
88) ANTHONY GONZALEZ, WR, COLTS
89) ZACH MILLER, TE, RAIDERS
90) DERRICK MASON, WR, RAVENS
91) CHAD OCHOCINCO, WR, BENGALS
92) FRED JACKSON, RB, BILLS
93) MARSHAWN LYNCH, RB, BILLS
94) JOHN CARLSON, TE, SEAHAWKS
95) DARREN SPROLES, RB, CHARGERS
96) KNOWSHON MORENO, RB, BRONCOS
97) TORRY HOLT, WR, JAGUARS
98) JERRICHO COTCHERY, WR, JETS
99) LEE EVANS, WR, BILLS
100) TONY SCHEFFLER, TE, BRONCOS
101) KYLE ORTON, QB, BRONCOS
102) LE’RON MCCLAIN, RB, RAVENS
103) EARNEST GRAHAM, RB, BUCCANEERS
104) KEVIN WALTER, WR, TEXANS
105) DONALD BROWN, RB, COLTS
106) NATE BURLESON, WR, SEAHAWKS
107) SANTANA MOSS, WR, REDSKINS
108) JEREMY SHOCKEY, TE, SAINTS
109) DONALD DRIVER, WR, PACKERS
110) DAVID GARRARD, QB, JAGUARS
111) TED GINN JR., WR, DOLPHINS
112) DOMENIK HIXON, WR, GIANTS
113) BO SCAIFE, TE, TITANS
114) SAMMY MORRIS, RB, PATRIOTS
115) JUSTIN GAGE, WR, TITANS
116) STEVE BREASTON, WR, CARDINALS
117) EARL BENNETT, WR, BEARS
118) PATRICK CRAYTON, WR, COWBOYS
119) TRENT EDWARDS, QB, BILLS
120) SHAUN HILL, QB, 49ERS
121) WILLIS MCGAHEE, RB, RAVENS
122) PERCY HARVIN, WR, VIKINGS
123) CHAZ SCHILENS, WR, RAIDERS
124) CHRIS CHAMBERS, WR, CHARGERS
125) BRENT CELEK, TE, EAGLES
126) JOSH MORGAN, WR, 49ERS
127) MICHAEL JENKINS, WR, FALCONS
128) RASHARD MENDENHALL, RB, STEELERS
129) VISANTHE SHIANCOE, TE, VIKINGS
130) BOBBY ENGRAM, WR, CHIEFS
131) JAMARCUS RUSSELL, QB, RAIDERS
132) JERIOUS NORWOOD, RB, FALCONS
133) JAKE DELHOMME, QB, PANTHERS
134) JUSTIN FARGAS, RB, RAIDERS
135) BRANDON JACKSON, RB, PACKERS
136) MUHSIN MUHAMMAD, WR, PANTHERS
137) MICHAEL BUSH, RB, RAIDERS
138) LAURENCE MARONEY, RB, PATRIOTS
139) MICHAEL CRABTREE, WR, 49ERS
140) PITTSBURGH STEELERS, DEFENCE
141) STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI, K, PATRIOTS
142) RYAN LONGWELL, K, VIKINGS
143) NEW YORK GIANTS, DEFENCE
144) ROB BIRONAS, K, TITANS
145) MASON CROSBY, K, PACKERS
146) KRIS BROWN, K, TEXANS
147) NEIL RACKERS, K, CARDINALS
148) FRED TAYLOR, RB, PATRIOTS
149) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, DEFENCE
150) TIM HIGHTOWER, RB, CARDINALS