Fantasy Football Expert Mock Draft: Round 1

The Football Fan Spot Experts League Draft kicked off this week and I, Justin Mertes-Mistretta, was lucky enough to represent The Sports Bank. With the first round in the books, here are the results:

(Keep in mind, the scoring is as follows: non-PPR, 6 pts for any TD, 1 pt for every 10 yards rushing/receiving and 1 pt for every 25 passing yards)

Round 1 Pick 1

Ryan Lester- Lester’s Legends

Pick: RB Adrian Peterson MIN

I believe Peterson, Chris Johnson, and Maurice Jones-Drew are pretty much on the same level. I expect Chris Johnson to see a decrease in his workload after such a heavy one last year. MJD proved he could be the feature back, but doesn't get enough help. Meanwhile, Peterson had a monster year despite Favre & Co. taking the lead role in the offense. I think the Vikes run more and pass less this year, which should be huge for All Day.

Round 1 Pick 2

Vin Sadicario- FF Toolbox

Pick: RB Chris Johnson TEN

Coming off a huge 2009 season, Chris Johnson is the number one player on my draft board this season. While Johnson may not carry the ball 358 times again this season, he is a threat to score whenever he touches the ball. Johnson will once again be the focus of the Titans offense in 2010, and should put up great fantasy numbers all season long.

Round 1 Pick 3

Jeff Malloy- Beast or Bust

Pick: RB Maurice Jones Drew JAC

The third spot in a re-draft league is a great position this year. You get the last of the top 3 RB's, you don't have to agonize over the decision, and any way you slice it you are a getting a Beast. MJD, ADP and CJ2K are all so close it is really tough to pick a front-runner. Not that we had the choice here, but we'll take the guy who is second only to LT2 in touchdowns since entering the league in 2006.

Round 1 Pick 4

Steven Lourie- Football Fan Spot

Pick: RB Ray Rice BAL

No surprises in the top 3, no surprises here either. Rice is one of 4 (5 if you count Frank Gore, but I don't like his inconsistency) running backs in the NFL with great talent, solid health, and a good shot at 300+ carries. He had 2000+ total yards last year and has a good shot at doing that again this year.

Round 1 Pick 5

Hunter Ansley- Draft Zoo

Pick: RB Frank Gore SF

I'm not a huge fan of the fifth pick, but I think Gore is the best option here. He had 1120 yards and 10 TDs on the ground in only 14 games last season, and he really seemed to turn it on over his last four games, scoring four touchdowns and averaging 113 rushing yards in that span. With the upgrades on the O-line, he could be in for a big year. Plus, I've never taken Gore before, so there's that.

Round 1 Pick 6

Sam Arker- Rothstein Sports

Pick: RB Michael Turner ATL

This pick is weighted heavily on not being a PPR league, where Turner's value drops significantly. He is the best player available at this point.

Round 1 Pick 7

Eric Stashin- Rotoprofessor

Pick: WR Andre Johnson HOU

He's the elite WR in the game and is just too valuable to pass up at this spot in the draft. If healthy, he's a virtual lock for 100 receptions. Of the RB still on the board, there are just too many question marks to consider taking them over Johnson.

Round 1 Pick 8

Scott Carasik- Scardraft

Pick: WR Calvin Johnson DET

Taking a WR here wasn't my first plan of action, but since I have sleepers at other spots, I feel it's smart to at least get one good WR for the team.

Round 1 Pick 9

Steve Adler- Fantasy Daddy

Pick: RB Steven Jackson STL

With seven games with 100 or more yards rushing in 2009, Jackson was able to carry the offensive load for the Rams and many fantasy teams. With an improving offensive line, SJAX may be able to break the 2000 all purpose yards in 2010. A great value pick at #9.

Round 1 Pick 10

Paul Greco- Fantasy Pros 911

Pick: WR Randy Moss NE

Was leaning towards Larry Fitzgerald, but with an early mock draft its hard to tell whether or not the quarterback situation is going to stable. That being said, I did not want a risky/shaky pick here so I'll go with a guy I feel can get 1,000+ yards through the air and double digit touchdowns.

Round 1 Pick 11

Walter Cherepinsky- Walter Football

Pick: RB Shonn Greene NYJ

Shonn Greene had an incredible playoff run. He was the better back at the end of the season, and New York's offensive line is still as powerful as ever (Alan Faneca secretly was the worst player on that unit). I'll be really surprised if Shonn Greene doesn't hit at least 12 touchdowns this year - and the sky's the limit if Mark Sanchez improves.

Round 1 Pick 12

Justin Mertes-Mistretta- The Sports Bank

Pick: QB Drew Brees NO

In a league that awards 6 points for every passing touchdown, I couldn't pass up on Brees this late. The RBs left on the board all have upside, but none of them are safe #1 RBs in my mind. In the first round, it's all about minimizing risk. Brees is a lock to finish as a top-5 QB.

Round 2 >>

Round 3 >>

Round 4 >>

Round 5 in progress....

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