Last year's champs were the only team in the league that could ignore running backs early in the draft, and were able to grab producers at other spots early on. Matt Ryan has a year of experience under his belt and the Falcons added one of the best tight ends of our generation to his arsenal- he should put up top ten numbers this year. With three bona fide elite running backs in the lineup each week, Beer Dean is once again the team to beat. The only weakness is wideout- Eddie Royal could benefit from the Brandon Marshall drama, but counting on Derrick Mason for starting WR numbers is risky.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Joel Robinson from Mystery Science Theater 3000
Celebrity doppelgänger: Mats Sundin (when he was on the Nordiques)
3. Megatron (Mike Jackson)
Megatron or the Suit Killers both make strong cases to be the preseason top pick. Of the three elite squads, Megatron certainly has the best QB of the bunch in Tom Brady. What's more, the wideouts are the real strength of the team, with Roddy White and Calvin Johnson starting, and Braylon Edwards a great #3. Megatron went for sleepers at wideout as well, taking rookies Darrius Heyward-Bey and Percy Harvin. Reggie Bush is not an ideal #2 running back, but there are worse players starting in the spot in this league.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Macauley Culkin
This expansion team is already near the upper echelon of R-Time, after a solid draft that left VI with no significant holes. Schaub is good pick for QB, and the team has tremendous depth at RB. I love Darren McFadden, even at the fifteenth overall pick. The receiving game is a bit more shallow, but Ted Ginn or Steve Smith (the other Steve Smith) won't be too terrible on the bye weeks. A true title contender, this team should win at least eight games and be in the thick of the end-of-season trophy races.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Glenn Beck
Technical errors may have stymied this team's draft strategy (it's unlikely that they really wanted two defenses, much less one of them in the seventh round), but they emerged with a strong team nonetheless. For the third straight year, Manning was the first QB to be drafted, and out of default more than anything. You can't fault SINS for the pick; Thomas Jones and Darren McFadden were the next best running backs still left by this pick. They then loaded up on running backs in the next three rounds, getting Knowshown Moreno and the universally disdained Larry Johnson and Jamal Lewis. Add in keeper Ray Rice, and SINS has a nice assortment of running backs who will get carries this year. The receivers are subpar beyond Anthony Gonzalez- I don't like Roy Williams that much, and Lance Moore shouldn't be more than a spot starter for anything but a desperate team.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Henry Rollins (when he wears glasses)
6. Eat Gilberts Grapes (Brad Gilbert)
I liked Frank Gore more than any other available running back in the first round; he doesn't have a history of a backup pushing him for carries (unlike Tomlinson and Jacobs), no recent history of injuries (Westbrook), and is three years younger than Clinton Portis. He'll also benefit from what should be a better 49ers offense this year. There wasn't much at QB besides Tony Romo, but if the Cowboys have their way, he'll be passing less this season. TJ Houshmandzadeh will be 32 and entering a new system with a quarterback I do not like, but the Seahawks will be pressed to show a return on their big investment and should give him plenty of chances. Pierre Thomas is a great RB2, but I'm not sure about Willis McGahee's prospects, and it's unclear how Shonn Greene will factor into this season. EGG should be tough, but there isn't much upside.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Luke Wilson
7. Ja (Jason Schafer)
Ja had a decent draft, especially in the later rounds. I like the move to trade away Schaub to get the top pick; even if LT is not the back he was three years ago, he was the best player on the board, and a much better running back than would have been around by pick #12. LenDale White slipped to the fourth round, and his addition should make for an adequate RB2 as long as he steals TD opportunities from Chris Johnson. Greg Jennings and Lee Evans will be solid receivers, but there is little depth; the only other receiver who could potentially start is Steve Breaston, who doesn't even start for his real team. Donald Brown comes in with a lot of hype and could start over Breaston in the flex, but it's unknown what role he will play in Indianapolis's offense early on.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Joe Girardi
8. Taking the Reins (Joe Otten)
It's hard to believe how low people were on Donovan McNabb in the middle of last season considering the turnaround he made and the lofty draft rankings affixed to him by experts- he'll anchor TTR once again this year. The receivers on this squad should be good; I really like the value Donnie Avery and Torry Holt can give out of the fifth and seventh rounds, respectively. Combined with Santana Moss and Antonio Bryant, there's no need for concern in this area. I am wary of the running game here- I don't really like Brian Westbrook (pairing him up with McNabb is a good move though), and Marshawn Lynch's suspension puts TTR on the spot for the first three weeks of the season.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Dirk Nowitzki
9. Soak-n-Suds (Joe Curtin)
Drafting a starting QB this year was going to be difficult, but going with Eli Manning is not the direction I would have gone; the Giants are built on their ground game, and the receiving corps for the G-men is non-existent. Soak-n-Suds is also plagued by a running game that is filled with backs who are being pressed by their backups for carries- Joseph Addai and Willie Parker both have highly-drafted younger players behind them, champing at the bit. The strength of this team lies in their receivers- the two starting wideouts are first-round material, but it gets thin after that.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Joe Mauer
10. Brooklyn Goldsmiths (Joshua Bolden)
The Goldsmiths entered the draft in a tough spot, picking one spot after the top five running backs were all projected to be gone (and ultimately were taken). Ronnie Brown is a reach for the first round, but the running game won't be a problem this year like it has been for previous incarnations of this team. QB is set for now with Aaron Rodgers, but watch out if he gets hurt- Brett Favre is waiting in the wings as the backup. Question marks surround the wide receiver position as well- Brandon Marshall, Chad Ochocinco, and DeSean Jackson aren't exactly three players with their heads screwed on the right way.
Celebrity doppelgänger: WSJ-featured organic farmer Felix Ballarin
11. Roarin' Rob (Rob Green)
Roarin' Rob has been a strong team in the early going in both previous seasons, but fell apart once bye weeks and injuries piled up. Is this year's team built to last? MJD is a no-brainer at RB1, but Thomas Jones, the #1 pick, is being pushed by Shonn Greene and Leon Washington for carries, and is now 31. The receivers are led by Bernard Berrian, who would be a better pick if he got points for tackling the cornerbacks who will be picking off 3-4 passes a game from Favre. The rest are veterans who have seen better days- Donald Driver and Muhsin Muhammad, who combine to be 70 years old.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Perez Hilton
12. City of Champions (John Schafer)
From Madison Square to Marcy, from the championship to the cella
r, no team took a bigger step down than CoC. I don't dislike this team's draft, at least in the later rounds, but as of right now, the lineup has a big hole at WR2 and W/R. Chris Henry is a good pick, but starting him at wideout early in the season, when he will be fighting for receptions from three other good receivers, could be a recipe for some fractional point weeks. Derrick Ward will likewise be fighting for carries in Tampa, though he is at least on paper the starter. If the cards fall in the right place for CoC, they could be tough, but too many uncertainties will likely send them out of contention.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Homer Simpson
13. Bad Newz Kennels (Mike Manos)
They may be ranked near the bottom, but BNK made strides given the total lack of keeper picks they had going into the draft. By #5 they had no choice but to take Portis, and their second round selection of Terrell Owens wasn't bad either. Roethlisberger at QB won't carry you to the playoffs, but he is durable and should have plenty of opportunities to throw TDs. Hines Ward and Jerricho Cotchery round out the receiving corps- they are both decent picks who should put up consistent, though unspectacular numbers. It's not all wine + roses for BNK, however- there is almost no depth, and bye weeks and injuries could make it tough for this team to fight for a playoff spot.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Bobby (r.) from Saturday Night Fever
14. TWSS (Mike Lorentz)
TWSS managed to push BNK out of the cellar position, if only by default. Matt Cassel was likely to start for some team in a 14-man league, but he had no business being drafted in the second round, especially when it meant passing on Matt Ryan or even Carson Palmer. The receiving corps is decent, but after Brandon Jacobs, there is no running game to be found- TWSS will probably be forced to start Darren Sproles, with no guarantee on the number of carries he might get. The selection of T.J. Duckett in the seventh round was the worst pick of this draft. TWSS will probably win more games than Manos did last year, but they won't escape being a lottery pick next year.
Celebrity doppelgänger: Dennis the Menace
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