I figured my personal fantasy football team isn't necessarily front page material.  However, the way my primary fantasy draft shook out is a story well worth telling.

A few details to get out of the way first.  The league was originally started in high school, but disagreements over how the league was run, not to mention some general unpleasantness, caused the league to disintegrate.  We combined our high school league with a college league one of my friends had started two years ago.  This was the first draft of the Conglomerated Keeper League, and I only knew four other guys in the ten-team league.

Our league is pretty standard.  It's hosted by ESPN, has basic scoring rules, and allows us to keep 3 players in the same round they were drafted in.  This causes a run on rookie running backs and receivers in the middle rounds, but it's well worth it.  For example, last year I picked up Chris Johnson off waivers in week 2.  Had our original league not folded, I would have been able to keep him for a 17th round pick.  That's quality.

When the draft order was determined, I immediately went to work.  I drew the 8th pick overall, which is a perfect place to be to grab an elite WR before the run starts.  I knew that I was going to take a receiver like Larry Fitzgerald or Calvin Johnson, but I would be hard pressed to get a decent running back to anchor the team.  The only problem was that all of the decent RBs would be gone by the beginning of round four.

I decided to try my luck and swing a trade, which I did.  I traded my fourth and seventh round picks for a third rounder, giving me picks 8, 13, 25, and 28 overall.  This would surely give me a shot at one of the 2nd round RBs and a chance to grab an elite QB in the third round.

As the draft started, it went exactly as I expected; the first seven choices were running backs.  I had my pick of the wide receiver crop, which has five or six dynamic choices.  I chose Larry Fitzgerald and waited for the draft to roll around to my second choice.

Unfortunately, the only running back I was interested in (Frank Gore) went directly after I chose Fitzgerald.  Because I expected one of the middle first round RBs to fall (like LaDanian Tomlinson or Steven Jackson) to 8 or 13, I was in a bit of a bind.  I could either reach for an RB I could get in the third round (like Steve Slaton or Marion Barber), or I could grab another WR.

Why grab another WR?  Because the four picks between my first and second rounders were Gore, DeAngelo Williams (who I hate this year), Drew Brees, and Randy Moss.  I had the opportunity to grab someone like Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, or Greg Jennings, where I would really be set at WR.  I decided on Megatron (Calvin Johnson), and vowed to pick up a RB in the third.

As the draft went on, so did the running backs.  Jacobs, Barber, Slaton, and Brian Westbrook all went before my next pick.  The only running backs that seemed to be falling were Ryan Grant and Clinton Portis.  I determined that, because I was in a league with at least 5 hardcore Packer fans besides myself, Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Grant would both be surefire third round picks.  If I wanted Rodgers (and believe me, I did), I had to take him at 25.  So that's what I did.

With another pick at 28 only two choices away and my sights firmly set on Clinton Portis, I thought I was set.  Braylon Edwards went at 26, leaving only one person in my way. 

Then the 27th selection came through.  It was Clinton Portis.

Now I was really in a bind.  I could have taken Ryan Grant and hope for the best, but he really shouldn't be a top running back on a fantasy team.  But something told me that running back wasn't a good place to go right now.  Upon checking my rankings, there was a better option.

Tom Brady was still available.

Now, I know what you're saying: You have two top-5 WRs and a top-5 QB, why would you pass on a top-15 RB?  Given the way the draft went, I should have been happy to land Ryan Grant at the end of the third round.  But I didn't like the prospect of having two high picks from the same team.  I figured that taking Tom Brady would at least allow me to swing a trade for RB help before the season started.

So I pulled the trigger on Tom Brady and waited for someone to send me a message while I sat out of the fourth round.  Sure enough, the guy who had taken Steve Slaton was interested in one of my QBs.  In all honesty, Slaton would have been enough for me to give up one of my QBs, but the owner offered his fifth round pick as additional bait.

This offer could not have been any better.  I pounced on it and had him take Anthony Gonzalez (an underrated WR who will put up good numbers with Peyton Manning and the Colts), and just sat back and watched the rest of the league scramble for halfway decent players to fill their holes.

To shorten the rest of the story, I'll jump right to the end where my trade partner made the announcement.  The deal was met with a smattering of confusion and disarray, with just a hint of jealousy.

Without further ado, here's my final roster at the conclusion of the draft, with some notes underneath.

• QB: Tom Brady, Mark Sanchez
  
  Brady wasn't my top choice, but at 28, he was excellent value and figures to put up great numbers.  Mark Sanchez was my 13th round pick; I will stash him on my roster until he develops into the franchise QB everyone expects him to be.  If he bombs out, it costs me nothing. 
  
• RB: Steve Slaton, Darren McFadden, Donald Brown, Ray Rice, Derrick Ward, Earnest Graham, Jamal Lewis
  
  Slaton went at number 21, and Houston doesn't seem to be taking goal line carries away from him.  Barring injury, he'll be everything Reggie Bush was supposed to be.  Darren McFadden is a huge gamble, but if he's healthy, he can hit the home run with the best of them.  Donald Brown was a sixth-round pick, but he'll be excellent value if/when he takes the starting job away from Joseph Addai.  Ray Rice made me break my own rule of not drafting Raven running backs, but at 98, his value was too much to pass up on.  Derrick Ward and Earnest Graham are solid handcuffs who figure to produce decent numbers in a run-heavy ball-control offense.  Jamal Lewis might not even end up with the starting job by season's end, but his history of production made him a safe choice.
  
• WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anthony Gonzalez, Donnie Avery, Domenik Hixon
  
  In a league that starts 3 receivers, I might be a little thin on depth, but nearly each one of these guys is the top option on his team.  Fitzgerald and Johnson need no introduction.  Anthony Gonzalez will fill the role that Marvin Harrison left and is liable to go off for 1,000+ yards and 6+ scores.  Donnie Avery is a fast receiver who is dynamic both after the catch and on long throws, and hopefully St. Louis' quarterback woes won't affect his production too much.  Domenik Hixon isn't the most athletic of receivers, but he's the de facto #1 on Eli Manning's Giants.
  
• TE: Dustin Keller
  
  Keller doesn't get much press, but he figures to out-produce fantasy studs like Chris Cooley, Owen Daniels, and even Dallas Clark.  He gets his catches, and its only a matter of time before they turn into yards and scores.
  
• D/ST: Miami Dolphins
  
  A team that boasts Joey Porter and Jason Taylor will get plenty of sacks and (hopefully) turnovers.  Combined with Ted Ginn, Jr. returning kicks, the Dolphins are a bit of a sleeper in fantasy football.
  
• K: Jason Elam
  
  Yes, he's old.  But he plays in a dome at home and in warm-weather cities during divisional games away.  Combined with the scoring threat that Roddy White has become and the machine Michael Turner has always been, he'll put up enough PATs to justify being drafted.

So, what do you fellas think?  Did I do well with my trades, or should I have stuck with my draft slot and worked from there?

Poll

What grade does this team deserve?

10%

A

6 votes

51%

B

31 votes

23%

C

14 votes

6%

D

4 votes

8%

F

5 votes

60 votes | Poll has closed