Don’t let these guys slide in your fantasy football league draft.

Most of us do our homework in advance - bring a cheatsheet to our fantasy football league drafts - have a stack of fantasy football magazines, etc. etc. But how many of us go to our football drafts with a list of picks we target (place a premium on)? Probably not nearly as many.

I personally do. Why? Value.

I would like to share my current list of 10 players I target in every draft for the 2007 season …

Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia - Most fantasy football players don’t put as much of a premium on McNabb as I do. I do believe he will come back to form and put up huge numbers in 2007.

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seattle - High upside, low risk player. Solid, second tier quarterback who can be drafted in the middle rounds.

Brian Westbrook, RB, Philadelphia - An excellent multi-purpose back who will contribute 1,200 - 1,600 yards and 8-10 touchdowns. A healthy Donovan McNabb should help.

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville - Has a lot of Barry Sanders in him. Averaged 5.7 yards per carry in his rookie season.

Marvin Harrison, WR, Indianapolis - Year-after-year Marvin Harrison puts up consistently stellar numbers. You know what you’re going to get - that’s all you can ask for when drafting a player in the first 3 rounds.

Yahoo, ESPN, FOX Sports and CBS Sports

Your guide to the best free and fee-based online fantasy football leagues.

TIP: To see additional league details, hover your mouse over the check and minus icons in the chart.

.	Yahoo!	FOX Sports	ESPN	CBS Sports
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Live Stats Available
League Prizes
Player News and Analysis
Build/Use Your Own Logo
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League History
User Interface Rating	9/10	7.5/10	8/10	7/10
Overall Rating	8/10	7/10	8.5/10	8/10
	Play	Play	Play	Play

If I missed anything in this guide, or you have questions or comments, please let me know!

Grab some attention in your league.

You are getting set to draft your team, or you just finished. Something is missing. What?

Your team needs an identity. How do you do that? With your team name!!!

So what makes a good team name? A lot of things do. And truthfully, it’s whatever you make of it. I am here to give you ideas, not necessarily team names, but ideas that will make you go, “That’s it!”

MOVIES

Pop Culture films are always a great source. Sometimes the lines from the movies are greater than the movies themselves.

Star Wars- any variation of the many characters you might like
Anchorman- Gotta love the Sex Panthers!
Old School- so many great one liners at your disposal
Wedding Crashers-ditto
Gladiator- any war movie work, violence is good!
Kill Bill- cool characters
300

SEX

Anything sexual always gets a rise out of your cohorts in your league. Body parts, actions, and jokes work. Making fun of someone else in your league is always great too! If you have something to brag about, do it! My personal favorite is the “Pie Slammers.” A great spin off of that one is my favorite fraternity, “Slamma Lotta Pie.”

NICKNAMES

I can’t tell you what these could be. It could be self gloss. It could be something you like that someone else gave you. It could be a play off a nickname, something you can twist into trash talk.

FAVORITE TEAM

I am not a fan of a guy who is a Steelers fan calling his team the Steelers. But if you can be creative, say calling your team the “Terrible Towels,” that could work. Think outside the box. Boring sucks. And it doesn’t have to necessarily be NFL teams.

TRASH TALK

A favorite for many. Give yourself a name that not only angers the fantasy gods, but also will fire up everyone in your league and makes them want to beat you to smithereens! You can call out someone in your league, something like “John’s my bitch,” or perhaps something more subtle. Heck, you can change it every week depending on who you are playing.
Remember with this one though, it helps if you WIN.

ANIMALS

Easy one. Pick your favorite, or pick one that is unusual and attach a liner to it. For example, “Mighty Minnows.” Be funny, be bold. Try to stay away from simple ones like dogs and cats.

TOPICAL NEWS

This could be anything. Turn on “E” or Comedy Central for great ideas. Making fun or celebrities is also an eye catcher. Also it could be sports, baseball topics like Barry Bonds or steroids. Basketball things like gambling. Or even football things like Mike Vick or Pac-Man Jones.

MUSIC

A catchy line from your favorite song or a play on that group’s name will work. Be careful not to make it too long though.

HOMETOWN

Basically, where are you from? Teams are named where they are from, plus mascot, right? You can do the same! It can be your country, your state, your county, your city, your hood, or whatever.

Hope some of these ideas helped. If you have any of your own, post them below!!!

-Mike Tuck

Sleepless in Orlando, see my draft results.

The past few days I have been under the weather (not sure how since I live in Orlando and its 100 degrees outside). I spent a good part of the day sleeping so tonight I was wide awake (still not feeling well). I knew I needed to blow some time so I decided to signup for a Yahoo! draft. I have provided an overview of the league as well as commentary on each of my draft selections.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW:
Teams: 10
Scoring Type: Head-to-Head 
Playoffs: Week 15 and 16 (4 teams) 
Roster Positions: QB, WR, WR, WR, RB, RB, TE, K, DEF, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN 
Stat Categories:
Passing Yards (25 yards per point)
Passing Touchdowns (4)
Interceptions (-1)
Rushing Yards (10 yards per point)
Rushing Touchdowns (6)
Reception Yards (10 yards per point)
Reception Touchdowns (6)
Return Touchdowns (6)
2-Point Conversions (2)
Fumbles Lost (-2)
Offensive Fumble Return TD (6)
Field Goals 0-19 Yards (3)
Field Goals 20-29 Yards (3)
Field Goals 30-39 Yards (3)
Field Goals 40-49 Yards (4)
Field Goals 50+ Yards (5)
Point After Attempt Made (1)
Sack (1)
Interception (2)
Fumble Recovery (2)
Touchdown (6)
Safety (2)
Block Kick (2)
Points Allowed 0 points (10)
Points Allowed 1-6 points (7)
Points Allowed 7-13 points (4)
Points Allowed 14-20 points (1)
Points Allowed 21-27 points (0)
Points Allowed 28-34 points (-1)
Points Allowed 35+ points (-4) 
Fractional Points: No 
Negative Points: Yes 

Two days later and the grades are in … see how we did didn’t.

The draft is over and I’ve had a chance to look over all the teams in great detail. My team grades are based upon each teams good picks, bad picks and overall grade. Keep in mind, just because i’m saying the pick was “bad” is not the same as saying the player is bad. It simply means the player the team picked in that particular slot was bad. Let’R rip …

Coachbox Fantasy Football
www.coachbox.com
Good: Lee Evans, Ahman Green
Bad: Edgerrin James, Plaxico Burress
Grade: C+

College Football News
www.collegefootballnews.com
Good: Reggie Brown, Matt Hasselbeck
Bad: Eli Manning, Donte Stallworth
Grade: C-

DailyDose.com
www.dailydose.com
Good: Steve Smith, DeMeco Ryans, Santonio Holmes
Bad: Deuce McAllister, Kevin Jones
Grade: B+

Fantasy Football Experts
www.fantasyfootballexperts.com
Good: Marc Bulger, Jerricho Cotchery
Bad: Clinton Portis, De’shaun Foster
Grade: B

Fantasy Football Today
www.fftoday.com
Good: Mark Clayton, Brett Favre
Bad: Joseph Addai, Ladell Betts
Grade: C-

Fantasy Insights
www.fantasyinsights.com
Good: Alge Crumpler, Alex Smith
Bad: Randy Moss, Chris Brown
Grade: C

Fantasy Online Sports
www.fantasyonlinesports.com
Good: Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson
Bad: Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris
Grade: C-

Sports Grumblings
www.sportsgrumblings.com
Good: Roy Williams, Jonathan Vilma
Bad: Jamal Lewis, Julius Jones
Grade: B-

USA Today Sports Weekly
www.usatoday.com
Good: Javon Walker, Sean Jones
Bad: Willie Parker
Grade: B

YouthFF
www.youthfantasyfootball.com
Good: Brian Westbrook, Deion Branch, Kevin Curtis
Bad: Brandon Jacobs, Jason Witten
Grade: B+

110% Football
www.110football.com
Good: Thomas Jones, Shawne Merriman
Bad: Marques Colston (buyers remorse)
Grade: B+

Use the comments below and let us know how you think we did!

Draft results as well as commentary on how 110% Football did.  

This is a follow-up to my post yesterday. The draft results can be seen below. I wasn’t able to snag Frank Gore but I was lucky enough to have Peyton Manning fall into my lap.

A quick breakdown of the league:
# of Teams: 11
# of Roster Spots: 16
# of Starters: 10
Starters Required: QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, TE, PK, DL, LB, DB
League Scoring: [view]

Here is my pick-by-pick commentary on how I think 110% Football did in the draft: 

1.07 Manning, Peyton IND QB
As you know from my previous posting, I was targeting Frank Gore with this pick. While I was somewhat disappointed to see Gore go right before my pick I was pleased to see Peyton Manning fall to the 7 slot. This pick was really a no-brainer after looking over the talent left on the board.  
  
2.06 Jones-Drew, Maurice JAC RB
Some of you may view this pick as a reach but Maurice Jones-Drew is a tough son of a gun. This guy is on the upside of his career sharing time with a veteran in Fred Taylor who is on the downside of his career. Jones-Drew is also used more inside the red zone as witnessed by his 15 touchdowns in 2006 to Fred Taylor’s 9.   
  
3.07 Colston, Marques NOS WR
This is a pick I would like to have back. I was hoping Reggie Wayne or Steve Smith would slip to me here but that didn’t happen. I was debating over Colston and Larry Fitzgerald and I ended up selecting Colston based on the quarterback position. I hope this pick doesn’t come back to haunt me.  
  
4.06 Jones, Thomas NYJ RB
The Chicago Bears made a big mistake in my opinion - Thomas Jones is one of the more underrated players in the NFL. The New York Jets happens to be an excellent fit for the veteran runner. I am expecting Jones to accumulate 1,200 and 10-12 touchdowns this year.  
  
5.07 Barber, Marion DAL RB
I was hoping Anquan Boldin would be available with this pick but I was targeting Marion Barber as well. In a league where running backs are extremely important, I wanted to lock up a solid second tier guy as soon as I could. Barber has the potential to be a top 8-10 back if he earns more playing time.  
  
6.06 Moss, Santana WAS WR
I thought long and hard about selecting Calvin Johnson with this pick but the upside for Santana Moss is greater than the upside for a rookie wide receiver. The only concern I have with this pick is the lack of experience at the quarterback position in Washington.  
  
7.07 Glenn, Terry DAL WR
Glenn is definitely a player who is getting up there in age but he hasn’t shown signs of losing speed. The Dallas Cowboys offense has begun to gel; Tony Romo prefers throwing to Glenn - that’s enough reason for me to believe he will have another solid campaign.  
  
8.06 Davis, Vernon SFO TE
Being the huge 49ers fan that I am, I have been following Vernon Davis’s maturation process and no one player has improved any more during the offseason than Vernon has. I expect defenses to have all kinds of problems stopping this guy, especially when he is one-on-one with a linebacker. The 49ers new offensive coordinator Jim Hostler has made it a point this offseason to focus the offense around Frank Gore and Vernon Davis. Expect 800 yards and 8 touchdowns.  
  
9.07 Merriman, Shawne SDC LB
Jerricho Cotchery is one of the hardest working wide receivers I have seen in some time and I would have loved to get him with this pick. Unfortunately, he was selected so I went with Merriman - he’s a beast. I expect at least 15 sacks this season.  
  
10.06 Jordan, Lamont OAK RB
A couple of years ago Jordan was considered one of the top 10 fantasy football running backs … then he joined the Raiders. I don’t see the offense getting much better this season but it certainly can’t get any worse. This selection was based on acquiring a starting running back in the 10th round - good value.  
  
11.07 Vinatieri, Adam IND PK
Moving into the latter part of the draft I decided to lock up the most consistent kicker in football. He may not be the top point scorer at years end but he will be near the top.   
  
12.06 Dawkins, Brian PHI S
I was targeting S Sean Jones with this pick but he got selected a few picks before me. Dawkins was my #2 guys and I’m happy with the pick because I know what I’m going to get with Dawkins - a consistent tackling machine.  
  
13.07 Bruce, Isaac STL WR
I selected Isaac Bruce with this pick after missing out on Santonio Holmes (who is one of the top up-and-coming receivers in the league). Bruce is on the downside of his career but it’s hard to pass on a guy in the 13th round who resides in the same offense as Marc Bulger, Torry Holt and Steven Jackson.  
  
14.06 Garcia, Jeff TBB QB
Jeff Garcia will provide me with a serviceable backup to Peyton Manning. The nice thing about taking Peyton is his durability - although Tarik Glenn’s retirement does cause some concern.  
  
15.07 Hali, Tamba KCC DE
As a rookie Hali racked up 58 tackles along with 8 quarterback sacks. This guy has a great motor and I expect even more from him in 2008.  
  
16.06 Walker, Mike JAC WR
This was a low risk, high reward pick. Rookie Mike Walker is a big time player who has been flashing his skills throughout training camp. If he can unseat incumbent Reggie Williams, Walker has a chance to be this years Marques Colston. 

I will be writing a follow-up article to this one letting you know which of the other franchises I think did well - and those who didn’t.

Expert fantasy football league since 2000.

Tonight at 8pm EST the yearly Sports Grumbling Fantasy Football Shootout will take place live via online chat. The random selection order was set and I will be drafting 7th out of 11 teams on behalf of 110% Football. Below is the draft participants and order:

1.01 DailyDose.com
1.02 Fantasy Football Experts
1.03 Fantasy Football Today
1.04 Coachbox Fantasy Football
1.05 Fantasy Online Sports
1.06 Sports Grumblings
1.07 110% Football
1.08 College Football News
1.09 USA Today Sports Weekly
1.10 YouthFF
1.11 Fantasy Insights 

 I am doing some research and debating on who will be available at the 7th spot and I’m not optimistic. Here is how I think the first 7 picks will go:

1.01 DailyDose.com - RB, LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego
1.02 Fantasy Football Experts - RB, Steven Jackson, St. Louis
1.03 Fantasy Football Today - RB, Larry Johnson, Kansas City
1.04 Coachbox Fantasy Football  - QB, Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
1.05 Fantasy Online Sports - RB, Frank Gore, San Francisco
1.06 Sports Grumblings - RB, Shaun Alexander, Seattle
1.07 110% Football - ??

If the draft follows in this form, I will be disappointed. Who am I targeting? Frank Gore. My other options at this point in the draft are Brian Westbrook, Willie Parker, Marc Bulger and believe it or not I will take a long look at Maurice Jones-Drew. It would be wise for me to consider Reggie Bush as well.

Either Monday or Tuesday I will post the results of our live draft and also provide some commentary on which teams did well and which didn’t. Hopefully 110% Football is part of the former.