2014 TLB Draft Rankings

Toughest draft to date. No doubt. The keeper adds the need to balance the players with immediate value with the guys with long term potential. I noticed a lot more speculative picks this season, which means, of course, that a lot of you were doing your homework. I'd expect nothing less from a league this competitive.

Now about these rankings... What do I look for when rating a team. I look for a solid squad top to bottom. I think RBs and WRs are more important than QBs and TEs. Why? You start a bunch of RBs and WRs and when they get hurt it affects your team much more aversely. Which is why depth is so important. Someone waiting in the wings when injury strikes, is very important. Some of you may have different philosophies. I encourage you to do your own competing rankings. I'd love an alternate viewpoint. I'd also like someone else to have first hand knowledge of how difficult this shit is. Oh and someone else to hear the low ranking teams complain about how I rated them. I'd share that responsibility in a heart beat.

Getting on with it, here are the rankings. It's close. Everyone has a good team and can be in the hunt. Also we've learned that having a good draft doesn't win you a title. You gotta manage the team for an entire season, making the right moves, evaluating players every week to even have a shot at the title. Anyway here you go.

• 10. Va Sixpack - The good is that the two time champ has great Qbs, the best TE in the game and aa okay set of RBs. I'm just not sold on his WRs. I don't think there is a true WR1. A lot of guys who will have a good week and then go missing the next. Ohh and I hate to say it, but I don't think the Steelers' D is going to be a top 15 defense this year. I hope I'm wrong, but aside from Shazier, they haven't looked great.
• 9. Duke Dawgs - The "Surrogate" draft that was only approved to keep me from drafting between an aurtodrafter. I like Doug Martin, he's looked good, D. Thomas is a lock, but everyone else has a question mark next to their name. Still a couple of those late round rookies pan out and the defending champs could be right back in contention.
• 8. Heaven's Own - This draft is rated low solely on the absis of RB question marks. His WRs are in the argument for best in the league. (Megatron will maybe give him the edge.) But all those injury prone running backs make me nervous. Still if Gronk plays most of the season Kev's a real threat.
• 7. GAC Nation - This ranking feels a little low, but I'm not sure who I'd downvote. Gabe has solid RBs and good depth. His WRs are a little rough around the edges tho. Also GAC Nation is married to the Redskins. If Washington succeeds so will Gabe. They've looked pretty damn rough in the preseason tho. Also G pulled the trigger on Josh Gordon way early in my opinion. We'll see if he even gets to play.
• 6. Innsmouth Fisheyes - Scard of Lynch after several seasons of heavy carries, especially going all the way to the SB last season. Starting WRs are impressive. I wanted Keenan Allen to fall another two spots so I could grab him. I'm also intrigued by Dexter McCluster, who has always looked like he should be doing more. Maybe he will as a Titan. If so, the Fisheyes will see the playoffs.
• 5. FSU Warchant - Steady Cal has another good draft. He has some serious PPR RBs, although I'll never get over the way Trent Richardson fouled my team last season. That may be why Warchant is so low. Another strike is Cal dropping his kicker. I judge complete teams. I understand the wait and see approach at play here, I just deduct points for missing positions.
• 4. Evil Penguin - The more I look at my team the less I like it. The questions just jump out at me. Gio hasn't looked his best this preseason. Will Vereen be boom or bust every week? Am I really going to start the Bills defense regularly? Can any of my rookie players become the lottery winner I want them to be? That said, it's still pretty good. No?
• 3. Dallas Danglers - Solid list top to bottom. Romo has to stay healthy or Mike will be hitting the waiver wire hard for a replacement. I'm not all in on Zac Stacy with Bradford down for the season, but there's some potential on the bench. Harvin is also a boom or bust play. He could be gold or he could be pyrite. We'll have to wait and see.
• 2. Leesburg Leghounds - Nobody puts more effort into the draft than Adam. It paid off. Solid RBs and a good starting lineup of WRs. He could use one of his long shots to pan out to give him a little breathing room there, but it seems likely one will. I am a little amused by all his preseason moves tho. It shows a little lack of confidence in some of his picks.
• 1. Team Vipperman -  Nick is looking to put the Asterisk to bed. He did his homework and comes out with a pretty great draft. Solid RBs, although maybe missing a little depth there. A top tier receiving corps. that looks devastating. He's got Charles Clay in at starter... Dolphin fandom does odd things to a man. Rudolph will be there soon enough, I'm sure. And the Seahawks' D. The Commish has set himself up well for a second title run. 

That's it folks. I know at least half of you are upset. Sorry.  It's close. I mean last season if I recall correctly in the last few weeks of the regular season six teams were still in the playoff hunt. That's insane! it came down to the most ridiculous tiebreakers to decide who made it. (Completely ridiculous because they didn't break my way.) So there you go. Here's to 10 years in the TLB!

Who you should have kept

Since I already have the audacity to write a column on who's draft was good each season, I figured I'd double down and tell you guys who your keeper should have been. Why not? Clearly I'm completely full of shit, why not share it with everyone. I'll follow this year's draft order, since that's how Nick laid it down earlier. Also for the record, I'm not trying to dog anyone, just trying to get the fantasy ball rolling. It's been too quiet around the TLB heading into the season.

1. Leesburg Leghounds - Kept: Demarco Murray. : Should have kept: Brandon Marshall. Well, frankly, I'd say Adam nailed his keeper. It's hard to argue with a 1-2 round RB with the 6th pick. But, for the sake of argument, I said Brandon Marshall. Marshall is also going at the end of the 1st, start of the second round and he's significantly more dependable. He's a little more costly with a second round pick, but since Adam has the first pick, he's only giving up the 20th overall pick for a nigh guaranteed top WR. Still, he's probably right to go with Murray, all told. Curse him and his fantasy prowess.
2. FSU Warchant - Kept: Peyton Manning. Should have kept: DeMaryius Thomas. This is another nit picky one. It's hard to fault Cal for keeping the top QB on most boards with a 4th round pick. Still Demaryius Thomas is the second overall wideout on a lot of preseason boards and a 3rd rounder for him is money in the bank. 
3. Dallas Danglers - Kept: Percy Harvin. Should have kept: Antonio Brown. Mike is hoping that Harvin puts together an injury free season. If he does, Mike is a genius. Harvin will be fantastic for a 14th round value and maybe the best keeper of them all. If, however, he is actually Percy Harvin and doesn't play a full season, he's still pretty good value, but Antonio Brown in the sixth is also really great value, with a lot fewer question marks. I will admit to having a flagrant pro Steelers bias however.
4. Heaven's Own - Kept: Drew Brees. Should have kept: Eric Decker. Drew Brees in the third isn't bad value. He's a lock to be a top 5 QB every year. Plus Kevin is a Saints fan, so it makes perfect sense. Still Eric Decker could be set to have a big season as the only reasonable target for the Jets. It's a little more risky, but only costs him a 7th rounder. 
5. GAC Nation -Kept: Adrian Peterson. Should have kept: Danny Woodhead. OK, this looks ludicrous as I type it out. AP or Danny Woodhead is really no comparison. Gabe gave up his 5th overall pick for a guy who is probably going to be picked 3rd overall at the latest. Not a bad play. Plus AP is a machine. Still, giving up that first pick is tough. That's why you keep Woodhead, who had a decent season last year and looks to likely have an even better one on the horizon. 
6. VA Sixpack - Kept: Aaron Rodgers. Should have kept: Jordy Nelson. Aaron Rodgers in the second is safe and reasonable. Can't say anything bad about that pick. Still Jordy Nelson in the 8th, however, is a bit of an upgrade in my opinion. 
7. Innsmouth Fisheyes - Kept: Knowshon Moreno. Should have kept: Julio Jones. Knowshon had a great season last year, no doubt. With a 12 rounder it seems like a smart pick to keep him if you get that type of production. The problem is that his knees probably aren't going to allow it. Also he's Dolphin now and their Oline is sketchy at best. Still he did look ok in the third preseason game. Julio Jones struggled with injury and had a rough season in 2013. He's gonna be out to prove that was a fluke.
8. Team Vipperman - Kept: Eddie Lacy. Should have kept: Jimmy Graham. Fine, Eddie Lacy in the fourth is a home run. Can't deny that. But I'm second guessing here, so Jimmy Graham in the second is what's up. The single best tight end in the league in the second round. You gotta lock that down. 
9. Duke Dawgs - Kept: Leveon Bell. Should have kept: LeSean McCoy. If Le'Veon Bell had of not looked like ass in the preseason last year, I'd be the one keeping him this year. It's frustrating for me. Still he's a money pick in the 11th. but LeSean McCoy with the 9th overall pick is pretty damn money too. Champagne problems for the defending champs. 
10. Evil Penguin - Kept: Alshon Jeffrey. Should have kept: Giovanni Bernard. Yep, I even second guess myself. (Although, frankly, that's not unusual.) I antagonized on which of these two too keep. Alshon developed into a top tier receiver, which is hard to ignore with a 14th round pick. Gio in the 6th is also a great pick. Matt Forte in the second round was also in the mix. 

Anyway, hope you enjoyed my nonsense. Despite writing this early, I'm refusing to release it until after the draft. Can't let you guys know what I really think about later round players.