CCFFL Arena League Draft Results

We had a twelve round draft and below is the results for anyone in the process of drafting who wants a second opinion…

Round 1
Rich – Raul Vijil (wr – spokane)
Joe – Nichiren Flowers (wr – san jose)
Simon – Donovan Morgan (wr – philly)
Scott L – Trandon Harvey (wr-arizona)
Mackelly – Rodney Wright (wr – san jose)
Paul G – Bret Smith (wr – kansas city)
Sean – PJ Berry (wr – new orleans)
Paul C – Nick Davila (qb – Arizona)

Week 1 Highlights

San Jose

Mark Grieb returned for the Sabercats and was amazingly efficient, going 21 for 25 for 222 yards and 6 TDs.  He should be considered a good QB1 and only the potent Sabercat running game stops him from being an elite QB.  Grieb will end up in the Top 10 but not in the Top 3 for fantasy scorers.

That same running game allowed Chad Cook to chalk up 21 yards and 3 TDs.   Don’t expect that weekly from Cook but the Sabercats are historically one of the stronger running teams.

The receivers are always good in San Jose, and Rodney Wright was the go-to guy (12 for 123, TD) with Nichirin Flowers getting the end zone looks (6 for 46, 4 TDs).  Both of these guys are great prospects, as is Samora Goodson, who will have good games in this offense.

Visualizing the Stats – Rushing TDs per Game 2010

Here are the leaders in Rushing TDs in 2010:

OK, so before the lost year when the AFL went to that very dark place Dan Alexander was an absolute freak of nature, racking up rushing TDs at a rate never before seen. And lo and behold, after the lost 2009 season, Dan Alexander picked up right where he left off and should be the first fullback off the board. Other leaders in the rushing TDs per game are QBs such as Ryan Vena, Nick Hill, and Collin Drafts. Many leagues give more points for QB rushing TDs than passing TDs, so raise up Vena, Hill, and Drafts in your rankings accordingly. Of the rushing QBs, I would take Vena. Other solid choices at Fullback after Alexander is gone are tried and true veterans Josh White and Odie Armstrong.

Blast from the past – Draft Strategy

I thought this might bring back some memories… it sure did for me.  I think the strategy is still sound, although people are free to disagree (and lose).

Arena Fantasy League Draft Strategy (circa 2005)

Every fantasy expert knows that starting off an advice column with a conditional statement excusing the writer from any responsibility for what they have written, or apologizing to the reader in advance for the application of that same advice is for the weak.  It’s not the same as saying “Don’t try this at home” or “These acts are performed by professionals” when imparting tips on how best to wrestle bears, ride killer whales or date the fairer sex.  This is fantasy advice, much less harrowing on the fright scale.  But as a wise friend has told me, “Draft strategy opinions are like noses.  Everyone’s got one.”  (Only he didn’t use “noses” if you get the insinuation.)

So without going further, I feel compelled to state that the best draft strategy is one you won’t doubt.  One that comes from within your intuition.

But if you don’t have that intuition for this great game that is Arena Football, this draft strategy is one that works.  One that has worked.  One that will work again.  Follow it at the risk of great reward.  Ignore it at the risk of great calamity.  Now THAT sounds more like rigourous fantasy advice on the Arena game.

A few years back, when I first started playing fantasy Arena Football, we waited until after Week 1 to draft.  The players were unknowns to us, the game was something we hadn’t scrutinized, the scoring was unbelievable.  Picking tenth in that first ever Arena draft, I noticed the QBs getting plucked from the available players and used a simple strategy that I employ in any fantasy selection process.  Pay attention, because this is the first key point to any fantasy draft.

Don’t get caught reacting on the tailend of a run on a position.

When 8 QBs went in that first round, I did what I thought was sound and simple.  I selected the two best WRs on the board with picks 10 and 11, figuring that those two WRs had to be more valuable to me than the 10th best QB.

I never regretted that strategy because over the years I have learned something about Arena Football: Offensive Specialists are to Arena Football what a blue-chip RB is to the outdoor game. Without a good one, or two, it’s a long season.