Sporting News Experts Draft -- This time it's for real

Just completed the draft with my fellow Sporting News experts that we'll play out this season. For the first time ever (in my six-year association with the magazine/web site), I had the first pick in the 12-team league.

Here's what I was able to do...

Round 1: Adrian Peterson, RB -- A no brainer, especially considering the worries associated with CJ2K and Arian Foster.

Round 2: Tom Brady, QB -- Rodgers, Rivers and Vick were gone. No complaints here.

Round 3: Steven Jackson, RB -- As I've written, I think S-Jax is a steal in the mid-2nd round or later. He should be huge this year as the workhorse of the Rams' improved offense. My backfield is now stacked.

Round 4: Santonio Holmes, WR, Jets -- The problem with going RB/QB/RB -- especially in a 12-team draft -- is that you miss out on the top-tier wideouts. Holmes was the best WR left on the board, in my opinion.

Round 5: Austin Collie, WR, Colts -- Boom or bust pick. I predict boom.

Round 6: Lance Moore, WR, Saints -- Could be Drew Brees' top receiver this season, especially if Colston isn't fully healthy.

Round 7: Owen Daniels, TE, Texans -- Dallas Clark almost fell to me. I like Daniels in a bounce-back season.

Round 8: Pierre Thomas, RB, Saints -- As much as I think Mark Ingram will dominate, Pierre is still expected to play an important role in New Orleans' offense.

Round 9: James Starks, RB, Packers -- Ryan Grant's starting job is anything but secure. Starks is the guy threatening his security.

Round 10: Johnny Knox, WR, Bears -- I'm expecting him to win back his starting job early on. Won't need him till Week 9, so there's plenty of time for Roy Williams to wear out his welcome.

Round 11: Eagles DST -- The run on elite units had started, and the Eagles are at the top of my rankings.

Round 12: Mike Williams, WR, Seahawks -- Yeah, I know. I wasn't jumping up and down about this pick either. Trust me...the draft board was awfully bare by this point.

Round 13: Kyle Orton, QB, Broncos -- Love him as a backup. I only need him to hold onto the starting job till Week 7 (Brady's bye).

Round 14: Aaron Hernandez, TE, Patriots -- His teammate Gronkowski almost made it to me. Hernandez is a good consolation prize, especially in a backup TE role.

Round 15: Brandon Gibson, WR, Rams -- I'm actually more excited about Gibson's potential than Williams'; but I figured I could wait until this round to bag him. He should be a starter for Sam Bradford, which makes him a decent WR5 with upside.

Round 16: Stephen Gostkowski, K, Patriots -- One of the very best.

Round 17: Cadillac Williams, RB, Rams -- S-Jax's handcuff.

Roster summary:
QBs - Brady, Orton
RBs - AD, S-Jax, Pierre Thomas, James Starks, Cadillac
WRs - Santonio, Collie, Lance Moore, Knox, Mike Williams (Sea), Gibson
TEs - Owen Daniels, Aaron Hernandez
K - Gostkowski
DST - Eagles

I hate 12-team leagues, because the pickings get so slim by the time you reach the double-digit rounds. But unlike the mock I did with this group a couple weeks ago, I'm pretty pleased with how this draft turned out. Sure, I could use some more WR firepower; but if Collie dominates this year like he did early in 2010 -- and keeps his head clear in the process -- I'll be just fine.

My Sporting News Mock Draft -- From the 10 Spot

Just wrapped up my first official mock draft of the season. This one was with my colleagues at the Sporting News' Fantasy Source. As usual, they stuck me with a crappy draft slot (10 out of 12), re-confirming what we all already knew... They fear the Fool.

I'm not happy with my overall draft, which means it's probably awesome. Here's what I was able to cobble together.

1.10 Michael Turner -- Best RB still on the board, in my opinion.

2.03 Calvin "Megatron" Johnson -- It was a toss-up with Steven Jackson, who I think is being way overlooked this season. S-Jax ended up lasting until the mid-3rd round.

3.10 Jahvid Best -- Good value here, but didn't realize till later that I had just picked a second Lion. I won't make that mistake when I'm drafting for real.

4.03 Tony Romo -- Vick, Rodgers, Brady, Rivers, Brees, Peyton all gone. Either take Romo, or play catch-up at the QB position all season.

5.10 Daniel Thomas -- Had to shore up the RB position, even though I'm light at WR. While I'm down on the rooks this year, I believe Thomas will be a true bell cow.

6.03 Stevie Johnson -- Solid WR2, though not without risk. The WR pool was fairly well drained.

7.10 Johnny Knox -- Never been a fan, but he'll be Cutler's No. 1 target, without much doubt. That's worth a 7th rounder.

8.03 Jay Cutler -- Panic pick. Huge buyer's remorse on this one. Not only am I a Cutler-hater, but I probably grabbed him way too early. Clock was ticking down, and I couldn't decide on a TE vs. WR, and, well, gagged.

9.10 Jacoby Ford -- A Raider, yes. A No. 1 WR with big upside? Yes.

10.03 Marcedes Lewis -- Finally got my TE. If he shows up like last year, he's a steal.

11.10 LaDainian Tomlinson -- The Jets say Shonn Greene will be the workhorse. I've heard that before. LT may still have a few surprises in store for us.

12.03 Plaxico Burress -- A shot in the dark.

13.10 Arrelious Benn -- If you believe the Bucs' offense is going places (and I do), the second-year wideout could be a big part of that.

14.03 Bears DST -- Meh.

15.10 Shane Vereen -- Pats have high hopes for him. So do I, now.

16.03 Nate Kaeding -- Grabbed him to start the run on kickers.

17.10 Donnie Avery -- If he's healthy, could be Bradford's top target.

There you have it. Can't say I'm proud of this one. I'll get better.

My first real draft of 2009: Sporting News Experts League

Just completed my first "real" draft of the season as part of the Sporting News Fantasy Source writers. We'll play this one out for fame and fortune.

I had the 9th position in the 12-man, non-PPR league. We start 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 DEF, no flex. Here's what I did, along with my rationale:

1. Randy Moss (WR - NE) -- First WR off the board. Took a chance that the RB I wanted would still be there on the swing-back.
2. Brian Westbrook (RB - Phi) -- Cha-ching! There he is. Westbrook is outstanding value at this position. Yes, there are injury concerns, but I'm still loving him here, over the other options such as Slaton, Portis and Barber. But if he kneels down at the one again...
3. Wes Welker (WR - NE) -- Moss and Welker on the same team? Why not? If Brady goes down, I'm hosed. Otherwise, I like my chances.
4. Tony Romo (QB - Dal) -- Very disappointed Rivers was taken five picks earlier. It was Romo vs. Warner, so I went with the younger legs.
5. Thomas Jones (RB - NYJ) -- I have a hard time getting excited by Jones, but the guy is an every-year workhorse, and he was absolutely the best value on the board.
6. Chris Wells (B - Ari) -- You know how much I love Beanie...
7. Kellen Winslow (TE - TB) -- Was really hoping Felix Jones would make it back to me, but he was scooped up 3 picks too soon. Winslow is a nice value here, 3 rounds after Witten, Gates and Gonzo. But I debated long and hard over Greg Olsen instead.
8. Kevin Walter (WR - Hou) -- Struggled with this one, but had to round out my starting WRs. This pick could go either way. I also gambled that LeSean McCoy (Westbrook's handcuff) would last until my next pick. I lost that gamble.
9. Percy Harvin (B - Min) -- You know how I love Percy...
10. Chris Henry (WR - Cin) -- Wouldn't be surprised if he's starting over Coles by October.
11. Jamaal Charles (B - KC) -- Good RB depth with a chance of becoming a starter. Charles is expected to be a bigger part of KC's new pass-oriented offense, which doesn't fit Larry Johnson's talents as well.
12. Steve Breaston (B - Ari) -- Shocked he's still on the board. Almost took him 2 rounds earlier. Minor knee injury might be why he slipped, but Breaston makes an outstanding WR5. I guess I have to start rooting for AZ to trade Boldin now...
13. Chicago Bears (DEF/ST - Chi) -- 7th unit off the boards might just be the best one.
14. Jerome Harrison (B - Cle) -- Some say James Davis is pushing Jamal Lewis harder. I happen to like Harrison's chances more.
15. David Garrard (B - Jac) -- If all goes according to plan, I'll only need Garrard during Romo's bye week. And what do you know? The Jags play the Rams in Week 6!
16. Kevin Boss (B - NYG) -- As backup TEs go, Boss is pretty salty.
17. Lawrence Tynes (K - NYG) -- John Carney was a scoring machine for the Giants last year. I also love his Week 10 bye.

There you have it. Solid starting QB, 3 very-good-to-great RBs, excellent WRs from top to bottom, and an elite TE, DEF and K. I like my chances with this team.

I'd love to hear your comments.