Mock Draft Time

The Counselor is IN:

Saturday April 25 and Sunday April 26 is the NFL Draft. The Draft has become a huge deal for all NFL fans. Mock drafts are extremely popular. The Fantasy Sports Counselor is trying his hand at it below. If you would like to try your hand at it before Saturday's kickoff, you can join a Mock Draft Challenge at either Cowboys Pride or Sports Jabber, I know I did.

I will be blogging the draft live on FSC.

1. Detroit - Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia

Stafford is the consensus pick with this point. Detroit could also pick OT Smith or OLB Curry but I would bet on Stafford.

2. St. Louis – Jason Smith, OT, Baylor

Smith is a no brainer for the Rams after losing LT Pace to Chicago.

3. Kansas City - Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest

Curry is the best player in the draft. The Chiefs badly need to revitalize their defense and Curry may be the next coming of Derrick Thomas.

4. Seattle – Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia Mark

I am not confident with this pick. I could see them going with Crabtree to bring in their WR of the future to go along with Housh. I could see them pick a stud DL like Orakpo or Raji or Maybin. Many believe that they will pick QB Sanchez as the future replacement for Hasselbeck. But with their stud LT Walter Jones coming to the end of his career, I think they will go with Monroe.

5. Cleveland – Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

The Browns could also go many ways but with Edwards being shopped by Cleveland, they will need a go to receiver for Quinn. Crabtree is the best WR in the bunch and may be a steal at five. If Edwards is not moved, then they may go with a defensive line stud like Raji.

6. Cincinnati – B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College

The Bengals have plenty of needs. If Crabtree is still around, he might be too much temptation to avoid. Their biggest needs are their lines and Raji is a stud. With the allegations against him proven false, I think Raji will be their pick.

7. Oakland - Jeremy Maclin, WR, Mizzou

With Al Davis making the calls, you never know who he will draft. Davis does love speedy WRs. Maclin is the second best WR in the draft and he is plenty fast. There are faster WRs in the draft but none with Maclin’s abilities.

8. Jacksonville – Trade Pick to Denver

8. Denver – Mark Sanchez, QB, Southern Cal

After trading off Cutler, Denver needs a QB of the future. Denver will be a good destination for Sanchez and he could compete this year with Orton. It is more likely for Sanchez to ride the bench for a year and then take the reigns. They could focus on their defense but they are only going to trade up to get their QB of of the future.

9. Green Bay – Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas

The Packers will be very excited if Orakpo falls to them at nine. They are switching to the 3-4 and need a OLB/DE hybrid and Orakpo is the best one on the board.

10. San Francisco – Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State

Mike Singletary is a defensive kind of guy. He wants to improve the 49ers and he will do it with his stamp on them. Maybin has great potential and should be a great pick for the 49ers.

11. Buffalo – Everette Brown, DE/OLB, Florida State

The Bills need a pass rusher. Brown is quick and powerful enough to get to the QB.

12. Jacksonville - Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss

Jacksonville is looking for a stud lineman. They could have taken Oher at Eight but was still able to pick him up while trading down, paying less for him, and picking up an extra late round pick.

13. Washington – Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

LT Chris Samuels is not a spring chicken. Smith can come in and start at RT and develop as their LT of the future. They could take Oher here if he is still on the board.

14. New Orleans – Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
The Saints could go for a complimentary RB for Bush or a stud LB but I think they will try to fill their need in the secondary. Jenkins can play either CB or Safety but will probably be their starting CB.

15. Houston – Brian Cushing, OLB, Southern Cal

The Texans need to upgrade their safeties badly but should be able to find a major upgrade in the second round. They need a RB to help out Slaton and may be tempted by Wells. They could use another good DE to rush the passer but they did spend the money in free agency so that will not be their top priority. They also need a stud OLB and Cushing is just what they orders.

16. San Diego – Rey Maualuga, ILB, Southern Cal

The Chargers are looking for the best player available. Maualuga has been free falling on the draft board for a couple of months and this is a great value pick for the Chargers. Maualuga is a from USC and should fit in just fine in San Diego.

17. NY Jets – Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB, Ohio State

The Jets could try to move up for a chance at QB Sanchez or go after a WR like Heyward-Bey. Thomas Jones is aging and Wells can be RB of the future for the Jets.

18. Denver (f/CHI) – Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU

The Broncos need a stud DE. Jackson is a speedy intense defensive playmaker. It is a chance that they may have selected Jackson at 12 if they had not traded up.

19. Tampa – Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State

The Bucs have not have a QB to get excited about for many years and Freeman appears to have the skills of a Pro QB. The Bucs could easily try to fill some of their Defensive needs with this pick but I think Freeman is too inviting for them to pass up with this pick.

20. Detroit (f/DAL) – Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee

The Lions could easily go OL with this pick. I think they will look to help their poor defense with a pick like Ayers.

21. Philadelphia – Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia

The Eagles need a stud TE and RB to compliment Westbrook. Moreno will be a great change of pace to Westbrook and Moreno will be an every down back if Westbrook is injured. Moreno is a good blocker and could be on the field with Westbrook as a WR.

22. Minnesota – Eben Britton, OT, Arizona

The Vikes are looking OL and CB help. Britton is a rock solid RT. They could look at Center or CB Davis but I think they will go with a tackle.

23. New England – Clay Matthews, OLB, Southern Cal

The Patriots need to develop youth in the linebacker corp. Matthews is a really good OLB and may be better than his highly touted USC counterpart- Cushing.

24. Atlanta – Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State

The Falcons need a top notch TE. Pettigrew is the best in the class. He can catch and block which is a plus in this TE class. They will be very excited if Pettigrew is still available at 24.

25. Miami – Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois

The Dolphins could draft any numerous players with this pick. They could pick a DL or LB. It is likely that they will check out the WRs at this level. With Davis still out there, I think Parcells will try to shore up his secondary with this pick.

26. Baltimore – Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland

The Ravens need a WR that can make plays. Heyward-Bey is a very fast but also big target. He should have been off the board much earlier. This pick will help Flacco instantly.

27. Indianapolis – Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss

The Colts need a run stopping tackle to help plug the leak up the middle. Jerry is a perfect fit for them. They could pick a WR at this spot but I think they will go with Defense.

28. Buffalo (f/CAR via PHI) – Alex Mack, C, California

The Bills can go a lot of different ways with this pick. I think they will be looking to pick up a good lineman. Mack can play several different roles on the OL.

29. New York Giants – Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers

The Giants need a WR that can makes plays for them like Burress used to. Britt is a big WR like Burress. They may choose to go with WR like Harvin.

30. Tennessee – Evander Hood, DT, Missouri

The Titans need to find a DT after losing Haynesworth. Hood is not at that level yet but he was a stud at Mizzou and should develop into one with the Titans.

31. Arizona – William Beatty, OT, Connecticut

Beatty has a ton of potential as a O-Lineman. Arizona is looking for the best player to draft.

32. Pittsburgh – James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State

The Steelers pick up a steal (literally) with picking Laurinaitis at the very end of the first round.

The Counselor is OUT:

Tashard Choice's Blog

The Counselor is IN:

Tashard Choice has a blog through the Dallas Cowboys' website. He mentions in his first post that our friends at the Blogging The Boys website helped him create his blog. I am excited to read what Choice will have to say as the off season turns to preseason into the regular season.

The Counselor is OUT:

Roy Williams could save the Cowboys

The Counselor is IN:

The Dallas Cowboys need Roy Williams or someone like Roy to get back on track in 2009. I am not referring to the Cowboys previous hard hitting safety. I am not talking about their current wide receiver. The Roy Williams I am focusing on is the national champion North Carolina basketball coach.

Coach Williams lead the Tar Heals to another national championship in the big March Madness tournament. I watched the Coach manage his team and their strengths continually during the season and their Final Four March. He knows how to work the referees and the press. He gives all the positive accolades to his players while taking responsibility for what went wrong on the way.

Coach Williams is not a players coach but he is also not dictator on the court. He brings a balance with coaching where he is respected by his players and they want to play their best for him and their selves. He can motivate his team and control their behaviors without throwing chairs. I am not a Wade hater but Wade will need to change his approach if he wants to bring the Boys back to their glory. The Cowboys tried the dictator approach with Coach Parcells and it did not work for the Boys either.

Coach Williams was able to get the most out of a greatly talented team. The Cowboys were one of the most talented NFL teams last year but could not make the playoffs. 2009 promises to return a greatly talented team even without T.O. but I have to wonder if the Cowboys will be able to get the most out of this team. They need a balanced approach when it comes to coaching like Roy Williams would bring.


The Counselor is OUT:

Buy and Sell: Team Values

The Counselor is IN: by Michael Kaplan

In fantasy baseball, some teams have great hitting and some have great pitching and it is important to know, whether you are drafting or picking up new players, which teams have which. For example, there is a player like Aaron Rowand who can hit 27 homers in Philadelphia one year and 13 in San Francisco the next year. The Giants might just have the perfect storm for mediocre hitting stats.

Buy: Hitting Gold Mines- There are some teams in which every hitter could help your fantasy team. An obvious example of this type of team is the Boston Red Sox. The only reason Jed Lowrie is owned in 26% of Yahoo leagues is the jersey he suits up in every day. He is a reasonably good hitter, but he found success in fantasy baseball at the end of last season because when he got a hit it was an RBI, when he got on base it was a run, and when he popped up to left field it was a home run. A combination of the team and around a player and the stadium he plays in can seriously boost a player’s fantasy value. A less obvious team that could have this effect is the Texas Rangers. Anyone on that team could easily have a 20 home run season and they will have tons of RBIs and runs with good hitters around them. A long shot to fill the role of a hitting gold mine team is the Houston. They have the players to lead the pack such as Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee, players who need to have another good year, such as Miguel Tejada and Ivan Rodriguez, and players who need to break out this year, like Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn, Kaz Mutsui, and Geoff Blum.

Pitching Powers- A couple of different factors makes a team a pitching power. It could be good offensive support or it could be a good bullpen to back up starters and vice versa. On a pitching power, the fifth starter may be valuable to your team. One obvious example of this is the New York Mets because they have everything needed: great run support and the best setup man and closer combo in the league with J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez. If a pitcher on that team has a strong seven innings, they will get the win. Their last starter Mike Pelfrey could get a lot of wins if he pitches as well as he did last year. I would also buy Oliver Perez and John Maine. A less obvious pitching power is the San Francisco Giants. With five great starters that combine for seven Cy Young awards, they have a terrific staff. They improved bullpen pitching during the offseason and their hitting could spark this year with a fast and young offense. A long shot pitching power is the Cleveland Indians. They have added Anthony Reyes and Carl Pavano to the rotation. Fausto Carmona needs to have a comeback year and Cliff Lee just needs to keep doing what he was doing after last year’s Cy Young award.

Sell: Hitting Disappointments- Some teams just disappoint every time you try to invest in their hitting. A clear hitting disappointment is the Pittsburgh Pirates. There are big names like Nate McLouth, Adam LaRouche, and Ryan Doumit, but I would sell them all. The stadium is over 400 from left center to right center, which makes it very tough to hit home runs. A couple of teams that have big names but could disappoint are the Atlanta Braves and the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the Braves, a good hitting catcher and a third string fantasy first baseman cannot lead an offense and their third baseman is getting too old. With the D’Backs, Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds will not hit as well now that there are scouting reports on them. Chris Synder, Chad Tracy, Stephen Drew, and Conor Jackson are all mediocre and the addition of Felipe Lopez won’t add enough offensively.

Pitching Flops- Some pitching staffs just have the perfect storm of bad features to hurt their pitchers in every way. The Colorado Rockies might be that perfect storm this year with average hitting, over hyped and aging pitchers, and an incredibly shaky closer. Huston Street was basically taken out of the closing spot last year after blowing so many saves in close games, which the Rockies are sure to be in with the small amount of run support they will receive. None of their starting pitchers had under a 3.96 ERA which means they will probably let up about four runs a game with good relieving pitching, which is unlikely, and the offense might not be able to keep up with that.
An outside chance pitching flop is the Milwaukee Brewers. Their closing role has been uncertain for a couple of years and Hoffman might be over the hill. Also, their whole starting staff has been over glorified this offseason.

Check out more of Michael Kaplan's help at http://bestfantasysportshelp.com.


The Counselor is OUT:

Ten Fantasy Auction Strategies for Keeper Leagues

The Counselor is IN:

An auction keeper league is a very different creature than a straight draft league. Because of the differences, the strategies are vastly unique.


Here are Ten strategies to consider:

1) Know the other owners and their draft tendencies, if this is a live auction (my favorite style). It is important to know who will bluff you to drive up the price on a player and who will drop out when they hit their ceiling price. You need to note who is a fan of a team because some of these fans will desperately attempt to get players from his team to the point of over paying for them. Some players will typically spend their money very fast to get the top players and then pick up dollar players and some will horde their money to the end in an attempt to pick up the late auction sleepers.

2) Don't draft like a fan. It is fun to have players from your favorite team on your fantasy team but do not overspend for them. If other owners know you are a fan of a team, they will intentionally throw out players for you to overspend on. Do take advantage of the other fans in your league but do not let yourself be abused with it.

3) Know what players were kept and what players let go from last season. A team will let a player go from their team for a couple of reasons. They either did not like the player for the salary which they had them at (or at all) or they did not have room for them on the keeper list. In my keeper auction league, some teams just miss that a player is a future stud and they will let him go. But other owners have so many good players that they can not keep them all. If a team does not know how good a player is, it is a good chance they will not bid on them so you might be able to get a deal on the player at the end of the draft. If a team lets a player go because of they did not have room for them, it is a good chance that they will attempt to get this player back so you can throw that player out early in an attempt to get this team to overbid for him.

4) Know the positions that are short on quality players and the teams that need them and know the positions that have an abundance of quality players for the teams that need them. If most of the good 2nd basemen were kept but there are several teams that still need that position then you should adapt the projected price for those players even if you must overpay for them. If there are 20 quality Outfielders and only 15 Outfield positions left, then you can wait and pay below market value for your needs.

5) Mix up the players that you throw out for bidding. During the auction, teams take turns throwing out players. A common strategy is to throw out players that you do not want. This is a sound strategy to keep those players hidden that you want but it can bite you if you get stuck with the player that you throw out. Other teams will notice if you do not bid on any of the players that you throw out. You should mix it up and throw out some players that you really would like at different stages in the draft. If the player is sleeper, then do not throw them out. If you throw out a stud pitcher like CC Sabathia and bid high on him, then you will not lose much because the salary is always going to be high for a Top Tier player.

6) Spend some of your money early, in the middle rounds, and some for sleepers. You need to be able to spend some of your money for those studs if you want to win but you do not want to run yourself down to a dollar a player after just bidding on 2 players (I have seen this). You need a balance approach to how you spend money. It is not bad to have a few positions left with $1 max but you do not want a lot of them.

7) Never bid an extra dollar on a player that you are not happy with. I completely understand the desire to bid of a team up. But if you bid out of your comfort zone, you are playing a game of Russian roulette with your auction money and may get stuck with a player that you do not want.

8) Stay focused even with distractions. An auction is a much longer type of draft than a straight draft. You have to prepare for the marathon and be ready for it.

This time of the year there are lots of distractions on the TV during an auction (or even a draft). Between the Final Four Tournament, NBA games, MLB Pre-Season, and NFL Draft discussion, it is easy to get your mind off of the auction. Use this to your advantage over those not paying attention and do not get caught up in it. If you have to watch the big game, DVR the game. This time is for the auction only.

9) Know how much money each of Owners have and how many positions they will need at all times. As the draft goes on, you should know who can out bid you on certain players and if they have a need for that player or if you can steamroll for a certain player.

10) Have a good time and relax. There is no reason to join a fantasy league unless you are doing it for the pleasure. The auction is a huge part of fun. Don't be so relax that you overly consume adult beverages (recipe for a disastrous draft) but you do not want to be so tense that you miss the very reason you joined the league. Have FUN!


The Counselor is OUT: