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-Digger's Daily-

Tonight I participated in my first fantasy football draft. I usually draft up to 3 teams. It was a snap decision as I entered a random ESPN 10 team free public league (usually join private leagues). Generally speaking, I seldom enjoy drafting 1st/2nd or 8th-10th because way too many players get gobbled up by other owners between picks. All things considered, if you can't draft from the middle of the pack then going early is preferred. As luck would have it, my New York Muggers drafted from the second position. After my first pick, Atlanta Falcons RB Michael Turner, most of my early wish list players were long gone before the Muggers second selection was on the clock.

Here's how the New York Muggers roster filled out round by round (round #/overall pick #):
1/2 RB - Michael Turner (Atl) - wanted Pederson, he went #1.

2/19 WR - Randy Moss (NE) - happy to sign Moss this deep.

3/22 RB - Clinton Portis (Was) - one of my favorite backs and was best of the rest at 22.

4/39 TE - Tony Gonzalez (Atl) - altered thinking and went after my fav big game TE.

5/42 QB - Matt Ryan (Atl) - not expecting big numbers from week to week, missed out on bigger names.

6/59 WR - Eddie Royal (Den) - explosive play maker, expecting big numbers and td's, nice pairing with Moss.

7/62 WR - Anthony Gonzalez (Ind) - should get plenty of opportunities with Peyton tossing.

8/79 RB - Jamaal Lewis (Cle) - not sure what to expect this year after a flat '08.

9/82 D/ST - Minnesota Vikings - took a gamble & played a hunch taking Vikes D. I like their speed and ability to cause turnovers. Offense should keep these guys well rested for a change.

10/99 RB - Julius Jones (Sea) - not a great pick, went for depth. Seattle will be much better creating opportunities for Jones if he can produce. Was terrible last year.

11/102 QB - Eli Manning (NYG) - Eli was still available, I'm a Giants fan, what the heck? If no-name receivers step up then he might be my full time starter. Brees & Brady were my top 2 choices (both drafted very early).

12/119 D/ST - Chicago Bears - needed solid backup D/ST for Vikes.

13/122 K - David Akers (Phi) - didn't want any Eagles but Akers was a solid pick here (wanted Gostkowski).

14/139 WR - Chris Chambers (SD) - why not? he was still available and plays for a big play offense.

15/142 K - Nate Kaeding (SD) - should get plenty of chances to put up points, might end up as #1 K.

16/159 TE - Visanthe Shiancoe (Min) - needed a backup for Gonzo, will have a career year as Favre loves his TE's.

In retrospect, only a couple of picks might come back to haunt me. Romo was still available when I selected Ryan. As a Giants fan, no way did I want Romo. Instead of Anthony Gonzalez, perhaps another RB would have been a better choice (Ward, White & Benson remained). However, getting Jamaal with my next pick for depth purposes might offset my second guessing. Jones will probably ride the bench unless he gets off to a quick start. Seattle picked up vet Ed James to back up or replace a less than stellar Jones.

All in all I'm pretty satisfied considering how may players were taken between draft picks. Muggers should be in good shape barring injury. No single team stands out above others right now. Of course, this can all change once games are actually played.

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