2011 TLB Draft Rankings

Who's keyed up for football? I'm frigging ecstatic that the season kickoff game is mere days away. After all the unrest, all the questions of if this season was even going to happen, it's here! Been a flurry of football activity the last few weeks and it's been difficult to keep up with all the transactions, developments and separate the hype from actual talent.

And here we are post draft, seeing who managed to cram that football knowledge into their brain and make use of it. Another year of close drafts, well except for a few. Let me step up to my soapbox and ask how could so many of my TLB brethren allow themselves to go into the season with an autodrafted team. Sad. What could possibly be more important than this draft? Work? Feh. Previous Labor Day plans? Nope. Wife giving birth? I say no! You gotta get to the TLB Draft!!! So I've got a chip on my shoulder about these autodrafted teams. I'll try to judge them fairly, but it's definitely somewhat of a downgrade to my mind.

Last season I managed to have three of the four playoff teams in my top four including ranking our eventual (sigh) champion Adam at the top.. So maybe these rankings deserve a little more consideration. Maybe...

1. Team Vipperman - Had to give it to Nick this year. He crushed the draft. Great RB depth, solid receivers and players in the late rounds that could turn into lottery tickets. Only trouble may be if those long shots don't pan out and his starting lineup goes down to injury. But that's a serious doomsday scenario and pretty unlikely I'd guess. 
2. Leesburg Leghounds - Another great draft for our reigning champ, the damnable Leghounds. No less than four of his receivers I actively intended to draft. So yeah, I'm a little high on them. The knock comes against his running back group. Excellent starters, but unproven depth. Adam always prides himself on digging up an unknown treasure, but can his streak go on forever? Dunno. Hope not, I can't survive another year of him jawing about winning, especially with two trophies in hand. The thought makes me ill. Oh and Jared Cook? Not sure if he pans out. Might be a little bit of a deep sleeper for this 10 man league.
3. Warchant - It's safe to say Warchant went in with pretty much the same draft strategy as me. The problem I have is that he seemed to do it a little better than I did. The most potent starting receivers in the league, bar none. His starting RBs also have loads of potential, but both are injury risks and not 100% proven commodities. Still, a chance for serious firepower there. Bench is hit or miss, in my opinion, but not without prospects.
4. Evil Penguin - Feel pretty good about my squad. Got a bevy of RBs in my stable, so confident there, but I need the top guys to really break out if I'm gonna claim the TLB trophy once again. My starting WRs are exceptional as well, but don't feel great about my depth. Some potential, but no guarantees. Also I'm a little afraid Big Ben may not be able to withstand the beating he takes with that ragtag O-line in front of him. Oh and I waited to long to get a marquee D, which could haunt me all season long.
5. Dallas Danglers - Actively debated whether to put Mike or myself at number four, but decided to go with me because "Fuck that guy!" But it is somewhat close. He has solid WRs in the starting slots, with some upside guys on that bench. Hoping that his T.O. pick does not come back to haunt this league this season, but thinking about it... it probably will. Still, I'm not sold on Beanie Wells as a starter, but sadly think Hightower will plug in that slot and be potent. 
6. Va Sixpack - Sixpack managed to get in before the end of the draft and not get completely boned by the autopick. Reasonable running backs, but a spotty WR core, but some potential upside. Also if Vick remains uninjured and can repeat his success from last season that could be enough to win. But that IF is pretty big.
7. GAC Nation - Hate ranking my bro so low, but it's not a great squad. I don't believe in Sanchez and can't figure out what the Cards' D is doing on an actual team without a bye week involved. Quality receivers and solid starting RBs with some RB depth that has some potential upside. Plus even if things don't go his way he'll be able to console himself by living in fucking Hawaii. 
8. Heaven's Own - An autodraft victim, but came away with a fairly strong starting squad. His bench is sketchy however, Don't like that WR depth at all, but bench RBs seem like they could be ok with a couple of lucky breaks. 
9. Innsmouth Fisheyes - Autodraft did a number on the Fisheyes. Do not love the Deangelo Williams, Johnathan Stewart  or Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon pairings. Kind of makes it hard to win when your players are stealing points from one another. Also the three QB draft is kinda pointless in our 10 team league. 
10. East River Rats - The Rats also fared poorly at the hands of the computer. Another three QB draft, bleh. The Rats RB core is filled with guys that I personally believe have their best days behind them, could be trouble. And Garrett Hartley is also a painful pick as he's gonna be out for as much as 10 weeks. Brutal auto draft chicanery when you have to go to waivers to even complete the team for the first game. 

So there it is. For all the world to see. Looking forward to a good season and hoping to apply a liberal beating to each and every one of you reading this. Bawr!