Here are my predictions for the 2010 keepers for your team and everyone else’s.
BOB CASTRONE
Can the former Buckeye recover from a rough rookie season and be solid keeper for Castrone.
5th ROUND : Beanie Wells, RB (ARI) – Mr 9 wins per season has a handful of big names littered throughout category one. Johnson in 1, Rivers in 2 and Wells in 3. In reality, it has to come down to Rivers in the second or Wells in the 5th. Bob’s been living in Robioland for a long time, so he appreciates both my good looks and charm, as well as the value of a QB. If he believes Wells is a #2 back, then the 5th round may be hard to pass up, even for a stud arm like Rivers.
8th ROUND : Chris Johnson, RB (TEN) – Since grabbing C.J. in 2008, Bob has won 18 games. He’s won so much lately, he’s even found a woman to marry him, although I’m not sure what roll fantasy sports played in that process. Having said that, Johnson ran for 2,00 yards last year. That’s all you need to know. Bob’s got one more year to finally win a title with one of the best keepers in the history of this league.
14th ROUND : Packers, DST (GB) – Shiancoe in the 11th is a solid keeper, especially if 85-year-old Brett Favre comes back. If he does, you’d have to consider him a low-end #1 TE. However, Green Bay looks like a Super Bowl contender thanks to a top-five defense.
RICH CALDERON
4th ROUND : Antonio Gates, TE (SD) – Calderon rolls into category one with some talent. Fitzgerald in 1, an improved Bowe in 2, however, he can just grab wide receivers worthy of those two if he just drafts them in those rounds. What’s the fun in that? The most intriguing keeper option is Donnie Brown in the 5th. He should get more looks this season, but Addai did nothing to show that he wasn’t about to surrender his starting spot to some rookie. Look for Calderon to play it safe and take Gates in the 4th. Pussy.
9th ROUND: LaSean McCoy, RB (PHI) – Last year, we all thought Calderon was sitting pretty with Steve Slaton, a first-rd worthy back in the 10th rd. Of course, Slaton was one of the biggest flops of ’09 (finishing 23rd among backs). One year later, Rich is nearly sitting in the same spot. This time, he has LeSean McCoy in the 9th. With Westbrook gone, McCoy is the man in Philly. Can he be a #1 worthy back? Will Andy Reid call running plays? Will this itch on my ass ever go away? So many freaking questions.
13th/14th ROUND: Matthew Stafford, QB (DET) – Stafford’s won’t get a starting spot (73 interceptons as a rookie will do that), but since Calderon redshirted him in 2009, he’s got him for three more years.
ROB MASTERSON
5th ROUND: Ray Rice, RB (BAL) – In some cases, there is no mystery. Rice was once of the best picks in 2009 (third best back) and there is no reason why he won’t continue his success over the next two years. What’s even better is that Rob could have kept Ray in the sixth rd last year, but passed. It paid off. He’ll have him an extra year now. Side note: The best/scary part about the Ray Rice pick was that Matt passed on him one pick earlier to take Willie Parker. Just imagine, if Neatock took Rice instead, we’d be talking about the greatest champion team of all time.
7th ROUND: Sidney Rice, WR (MIN) – How about a double serving of Rice? Obviously when we’re talking about any Vikings receiver, I’m going to assume Favre comes back. In that case, money, money, money. Rice is a top-10 receiver that Masterson picked up early last season on the waiver wire. They only other option would be Pierre Thomas, but he needed to escape New Orleans. That backfield is just too crowded.
13th ROUND: Michael Crabtree, WR (SF) – The 49ers receiver sat out half the year, but once he got some playing time, he looked like a solid No 2 receiver. Personally, I don’t expect him to rise to a No 1 pair of hands quite yet, but no shame if Rob wants to pencil him in as his #2 receiver along with Rice.
ERIC VOZZOLA
2nd ROUND: Ronnie Brown, RB (MIA) – Every year it seems like Eric has no good options in category one. Right off the bat, it’s a guarantee that he’s not keeping Westbrook, Owens or Cutler. the only viable option is Ron Brown (coming off another season ending injury) in the second, Addai in the 3rd or Steve Smith in the 4th (for one more year) aren’t to shabby, so don’t be shocked if Eric ignores the homtown kid. Hell, Addai is probably the better back, but here’s my thinking…Brown’s backup (Williams) is on his way out. Addai’s backup (Brown) is just getting started. Who’s going to steal more carries?
6th ROUND: Ricky Williams, RB (MIA) – In category two, things aren’t much prettier. Winslow is a decent option in the 6th, although he’d probably be there in the 6th if he just wanted to draft him. The Saints D isn’t a terrible option, but you only keep a D if they are top five. The Saints aren’t. This leaves Ricky. Can you really “keep” insurance? Why not, he did finish sixth among backs last year.
13 ROUND: Brett Favre, QB (MIN) – Quietly, this was one of the better picks in the 2009 draft. Favre looked like a kid again wearing Vikings purple over Jets green. Not sure if Eric can pencil him in as a starter now, but like Jeff when Masterson had chcks over, he’s a viable option off the bench if the starter can’t get the job done.
MOLLY COOMER
2nd ROUND: Marques Colston, WR (NO) – Colston is Molly’s only legit option in category one, but the scary part is, he’s a #1 receiver and he’s probably Molly’s worst keeper. Let that sink in for a minute.
9th ROUND: Rashard Mendenhall, RB (PIT) – You know you’re doing something right when you get to let Matt Forte go back into the draft, even though he has a year of eligibility left. The fact is, Mendenhall and Forte are about the same, but Rashard is three rounds later and has two years of keeper eligibility left. Come on people, this isn’t complicated.
11th ROUND : Miles Austin, WR (DAL) – She cut him, but picked him back up and since there is no rules that force Austin out of this spot (that will change in 2010), Molly will have two #1 receivers without even making a pick. Can you say best keeper class in 2010? Will she get a tattoo that says this on her ass, right next to the tattoo that says, “Burrier is my Bitch?”
RICHARD BURRIER
2nd ROUND: Michael Turner, RB (ATL) – While his numbers dipped in 2009, Turner is still a low-end No 1 back. It helps that Burrier drafts at the bottom of the second round, which only increases his value. After Turner, there are no other solid options. Put it this way, if he didn’t keep Turner, Larry Johnson would be his next best keeper option in Category One. For the record, Larry Johnson hates Fags.
10th ROUND: Brent Celek, TE (PHI) – Rich doesn’t have any studs waiting for him in the second category, but potential is scattered about. He could go Manningham or Driver in the 7th, or Avery in the 9th. Driver is the most proven, but how much longer can he go? Manningham is the most talented of the trio, but Smith is the No 1 guy in NYG. In the 10th, Burrier can play it safe and grab a top-five TE in Celek, although with McNabb in D.C., you never know what will happen in Philly.
13th ROUND : Mark Sanchez, QB (NYJ) – You have to keep him, but like most Category three quarterbacks, you can’t really start him…at least not if winning is your thing. Although, watching Burrier lately in fantasy sports, I’m not sure if winning IS his thing. Too bad Rich couldn’t keep the redshirt on Sanchez, then he’d have something.
MATT NEATOCK
3rd ROUND : DeSean Jackson, WR (PHI) – Mock the defending champ for many things, but you can’t mock him for his keeper abilities. For the third year in a row, Matt walks into a season stacked. D-Jax was a great grab in the third last year and he gives Matt no other choice.
9th ROUND: Aaron Rogers, QB (GB) – Maybe he keeps Braylon Edwards in the 6th. He did spend a record-breaking $70 on him as a free agent. At the very least, Edwards has two years of eligibility left. Still, can Matt really pass up a top-five quarterback in the 10th rd? No, he can’t.
14th ROUND : Hakeem Nicks, WR (NYG) – Not a ton of options in category three (most people don’t). Chester Taylor is a good back, but he’s gone from backing up Peterson to backing up Forte. At least with Nicks, he could slip him in as a No 3 WR and get some stats out of him.
ROBIO MURRAY
2nd ROUND: DeAngelo Williams, RB (CAR) – The lone bright spot on my 2009 season. He’s still a mid-level No 1 back, even though I’d kill for a Stewart ACL tear. I got him for one more year. He better make it good.
9th ROUND: Steve Smith, WR (NYG) – Okay, not bad. I don’t consider Smith a No 1 receiver, but a solid No 2 pair of hands in the 9th is nothing to sneeze at. If he can do what he did in 2009, I’d touch myself in my happy place like I am now.
CATEGORY THREE: Steve Breaston, WR (CAR) – The other option is Matt Ryan in the 15th (for two more years), but at this point, I just don’t see him bumping himself up to a top-six quarterback. No matter what, I’m drafting another quarterback. With Boldin off to Baltimore, Breaston gets the starting nod in Arizona and he should see plenty of single coverage across from Fitzgerald. I won’t start him, but he should be a decent option off the bench.
JEFF GREENBLATT
4th ROUND : Cedric Benson, RB (CIN) – Score one for the Greenblatt. Benson has saved his career in Cincy and can be counted on for another top-10 season and maybe just maybe make Jeff the first full-blooded Jew champion in Robioland (sorry Bob, you’re only half Jewish).
No keepers in Category 2 – Jeff has the Vikings D in the sixth, but that’s about it. The rest of category two is filled with mid-level receivers like Mason and Chambers. Meachem isn’t a terrible option at WR, but in this league, the 7th round is an important pick and you don’t want to waste it.
No keepers in Category 3 – He’s not keeping a kicker and he’s not keeping all-around bust, Kelley Washington.
DON VOZZOLA
1st ROUND : Maurice Jones-Drew, RB (JAX) – Don actually has some options early.He has a top-three back, but he’ll need to use a first-rd pick on him. If he doesn’t keep him, he won’t get him. He’s also got Ryan Grant, who had a nice bounce back year, in the second. In the third, he has Romo. He won’t find a QB with his numbers around in the third in 2010, if he gives up on Tony. In the end though, my guess is…MJD is just oto good to let go, even as a first-rd pick.
10th ROUND : Percy Harvin, WR (MIN) – Let me throw out a surprise name for you first…Reggie Bush. After a surprisingly good playoff run, along with the fact that punt return touchdowns will now go to the player, instead of the defense, Bush is an attractive keeper in the 6th. However, Percy was a solid #2 receiver as a rookie and should get better in 2010. Don also gets him in the 10th. Percy is also a former Gator and former Gators are what he thinks about when he’s along at night.
No keepers in Category 3 – Maybe Kyle Orton, but why keep him? He’ll probably be available to draft if Don really, really wants him. Besides, this is where he can draft Tim Tebow.
COLBY HALL
2nd ROUND : Peyton Manning, QB (IND) – Since Colby wasn’t bad enough last year, he’ll pick fourth in the first round and miss out of grabbing Brady or Brees. However, getting Eli’s brother deep in the second will make him feel better about life. The only other possible option would be Moreno in the 4th, but there would need to be some really good reports coming out of Denver for that to happen.
10th ROUND : Felix Jones, RB (DAL) – Colby’s got two solid options in the second category. He can roll with Felix Jones in the 9th for one more year, or grab the league’s top tight end with Vernon Davis in the 10th. It’s a tough call. For now, I’m leaning towards Jones, only because I hear that Felix will get the starting nod in Dallas this year. If he ever got 15-18 touches per game, he’d be a top-10 back. Of course if I ever made more money, I’d could afford more strippers, so there’s that.
11th/12th ROUND : Jeremy Maclin, WR (PHI) – Mr. Hall reshirted the Eagles receiver. As far as I remember, he never inserted him into the starting lineup, thus he still has three years eligibility left for the Pounders.
GRIFF COOMER
1st ROUND : Steve Jackson, RB (STL) – While it’s never sexy to use a first-round pick on a keeper, the fact is, Steven Jackson, won’t fall to Griff at the 11th pick. With so many good running backs being kept this year, Griff has little choice here, unless he knows something I don’t know or if he’s planning on tanking this season to “earn” the top pick in 2011, just so he can draft Chris Johnson.
8th ROUND : Matt Schaub, QB (HOU) – He’s not mentioned with the big boys like Manning, Brady or Brees, but his numbers certainly stack up. Sproles would have been a good option, but then the Chargers drafted another running back, so Sproles’ value disappears.
15th ROUND : Jamal Charles, RB (KC) – With the way he ran the ball last year, Charles may have been the best pick of the draft. He alone led Griff to the title game in 2009. While Charles will be a great keeper and Griff can go ahead and declare him a starter in ’10, I’m not ready to call him a sure-fire #1 back right now. Maybe one day though.
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