There we sat, 9 of the 12 team owners at one rather large table at Buffalo Wild Wings. All accompanied by our over-sized lap tops that have not seen the light of day since the early 2000's. We cannot risk having to sacrifice our draft room views with the smaller screen like a netbook offers, and we all know the iPad does not play well with live interaction, so there I was...my black Acer in tow, ready to rock n' roll.
I made sure to keep a steady watch of the facial expressions around me. Bidding up on certain players where I could, giving others the nudge they needed to blow their monies a little bit quicker than they otherwise would have. You see, it is all about strategic approach in an auction style draft.
You absolutely cannot let your emotions get the best of you under this format. Trust me, I have learned the hard way. Drafting at least one representative of the Cincinnati Bengals every year, even when they were not worth a shit.
This year, I wanted A.J. Green so badly, and everyone knew it.....and I knew that they knew it. When he was nominated, everyone kept bidding the price up, waiting for me to pull the trigger like they were expecting I would, only to find that I did not bid on him at all. It took everything I had, but I was quite pleased with myself as I looked around the table to see the levels of disappointment on everyone's faces.
Much like my associates, I took the exact same approach with multiple Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers players, bidding up on the likes of Matt Forte, Aaron Rogers and many others, knowing there were tons of fans in my league. In my case, it mostly worked to my advantage!
About half way through the draft, we did have a major auto draft incident that resulted in excessive screaming and unnecessary drama. One of the team owners got up to use the facilities, mid-draft, only to return to find that he had paid $10 for Vincent Jackson. Needless to say, he was furious and after his pissing match with the league commish, he sat in silence for the remainder of the draft. I told you my league is intense!
All in all, despite the obvious outburst, the draft was a success. Being a part of a 12 team league is definitely difficult as there are not a ton of great players at every position to go around, but that is what makes it so fun. Having to draft a minimum of 17 players per team also makes this difficult....
Last year, I drafted Rob Gronkowski for $1....on auto draft.....by accident.....and I was super pissed. He was a nobody, but I did some reading on him after my little mix-up and decided to hold on to him. Best. Idea. Ever. This year, I paid $20 for him (yes, I admittedly over paid), knowing that I will utilize him more so as a WR than a TE in our flex position (our flex position allows for RB/WR/TE, it is awesome!).
That is the beauty of the 12 team league and the limited $100 salary cap. It forces you to expand your knowledge of the game and keep an eye out for those up and comers, not just the obvious super stars. You can really only have your heart set on 2-3 big name players in an auction draft format, especially one as deep as ours. From there, your willingness to stick to your allocated values per position, and ability to fight off any emotional attachments you may have to certain players, will allow you to succeed.
And now {insert drum roll}, I give you the 2012-2013 members of The Lady Killer:
- QB's - Drew Brees, Robert Griffin III
- RB's - Demarco Murray, Peyton Hillis, Ben Tate, Mark Ingram (a little weak at RB overall, but if Jamaal Charles does not bounce back as planned, Hillis will shine. And we all know Arian Foster is prone to injuries, so in goes Ben Tate who is fully capable...)
- WR's - Jordy Nelson, Dez Bryant, Jon Baldwin, TO (it was my last pick, for $1...I had to!)
- TE's - Rob Gronkowski, Coby Fleener, Martellus Bennett (TE's are my favorite position, and I love how they are evolving into a much larger role in offenses across the NFL...)
- K's - Mason Crosby, Jason Hanson
- D/ST - Jets, Falcons (whom I will most likely drop and pick up a D/ST with a better match up during certain weeks)
I am feeling pretty good, not going to lie. I have to say though, I am having a really hard time with one thing in particular, and you may be able to help me out.... My biggest struggle at this point, as I patiently await the official start to the NFL season, seems to be this: do I change my team name to Breesus Christ?!
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