Where are you willing to Pick Peyton Manning, in a 12-team league?

Question

I'm pulling out nosehairs trying to figure this out.

I contend that if you take Manning too early, your RBs and WRs will suffer significantly in quality. It hurts your team overall. Premium feature backs are too few.

Does taking Manning turn your overall team into a Ferrari, or a Ford Festiva with a really, really good stereo?

Why take Manning in the first round when you can have Brees/Palmer/Brady/Bulger in the third round?

Agree, or disagree. Convince me.

[Most compelling answer gets 11 points...]

Answer 1

In a standard league, Manning is a reasonable pick from the 11th. There's simply too much upside in Rudi Johnson, Willie Parker, Brian Westbrook, Shaun Alexander and Joseph Addai to pass them over so that, come the second round, your #1 RB ends up being Thomas Jones, Edgerrin James or Cedric Benson.

If you are picking 11th or 12th in a 12-team draft, it is very reasonable to pick the #1 QB vs. a second-tier RB.

My argument is that if you pick Manning, you have to package him with one of the top two Colts receivers, either Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne in the second round. Accept the fact all of your eggs are in Indy. Every TD combination awards you at least 10 points, even more depending on the yardage total.

If you can pick up Anthony Gonzalez in the 10th round all the better. Although, I wouldn't touch Dallas Clark; who can get excited over 367 receiving yards with 4 touchdowns in a season?

There's nothing wrong with waiting on another QB, but once the 'run' occurs, you could find yourself left out. Carson Palmer is going as early as 20 and as late as the third round, where the Killer Bs reside -- Brees, Bulger and Brady. I'm not sold on the Jon Kitna hype; first-tier QBs dry up in the third round.

BTW, in my league, passing TDs score six points just like rushing and receiving TDs. That being the case, Manning is a top six pick overall. In this same league, no points are rewarded for receptions, so wide receivers are left on the board until either late second round or the start of the third.

Answer 2

If your playing with default yahoo scoring I would rather have a top tier running back. Yahoos scoring has changed to score more for RB's and WR's and hurts QB points. Manning can win you a league nearly by himself if he throws 45 TDs. But how likely is that to happen. I would prefer a guy like Westbrook or Rudi Johnson over him but would take him ahead of a risky RB such as a Lawrence Maroney or a Cedric Benson. If hes there in the second round it would be a great pick. Good luck with your draft.

Answer 3

Simply my 2 cents, but I don't take Manning in the 1st, knowing someone else will. Quite simply, your consistent point production comes from the RB & QB positions. If you do not go RB the 1st 2 rounds, you will never make up those points unless you are extremely lucky. QB or WR in the 3rd, depending upon how many QB's are still sitting there. Very similar to a baseball draft, if you pass on the best available point producer after round 2, you are crazy. But - WR's are wildly inconsistent from week to week, and while they can put up huge weeks, those are normally when you just bury someone as opposed to just winning with a strong QB/RB team. Instead of winning 78-65, you win 95-65. And in some of my drafts, depending upon where I was sitting, I have taken a top 2 D (CHI or BAL) at 5 or 6. They score more on average than just about any WR out there. People may scoff in the draft room, but I just laugh and talk smack as my early RB's, WR, QB & D taken in the 1st 5 rounds outscore their whole team. And if there is a WR you just can't pass on, you can usually come back in the 7th and 8th and take Rivers and Romo with back-to-back picks, since most teams aren't looking at QB #2 since they shorted themselves by taking a QB in the 1st 4 rounds. Rivers & Romo have different bye weeks, and you can play some sever butt-whupping matchups with that tandem at QB, points-wise. And the laughter that you can get outta watching guys take maybes at RB as you get solid, no-doubt contributors is.... priceless.

In the end, brother Crash, pass on Manning and let someone else pay for it. Don't forget, if Indy is ahead by a couple of games, Manning may well play a quarter, maximum, and take a seat to avoid injury before the playoffs. I love playing Manning's owner in the playoffs, because the MAX he will get will be about 140 yds passing and 2 TD's - great for Wrecks Grossman, sub-human for Peyton.

Answer 4

Yes, you are right, you MUST choose a RB for the first two rounds or you will suffer and start asking yourself, "Oh man, who am I going to pick now? Samkon Gado!" don't put yourself in this situtation!

If you ask me though, their are MANY quality QB's so I would actually go by the following:

Round 1: RB
Round 2: RB
Round 3: WR
Round 4: WR/RB
Round 5: QB

This is what I did and I got a pretty good quality team, nothing wrong with Eli Manning, Drew Brees, or Philip Rivers as my starter.

Answer 5

well if i had like the 7th pick n peyton was still around i would get him because he puts up numbers like a running back. but i would take him as soon as i could except for the first 3-5 rounds cause u gota take LT, jackson, gore, and LG although ive seen him drop down to 8th because he wont be too good this year but is great trading bait. well a 12 team league is weird cause weird things could happen. if you do happen to take peyton in the first you loose great qbs, but what about rookies like lawerence moroney for the pats. he drops very low to the 2nd. also recievers will be around too, so dont be worried about them. rbs are the main thing. but peyton can make your team a ferrari, because he puts up huge numbers. i think reggie wayne will breakout this year and with marvin on the other side and peyton the qb, u have excellence there.

Answer 6

In a 12 team league I would take a RB in the first round, when it comes back around to you then I would consider a QB, then look for your 2nd RB in the 3rd rnd. It may depend on the rest of the league, if they're taking QB's left and right then you might have to take one sooner than later too. There will be good RB2 in the third round. Eli and Rex is not who you want at QB.

Answer 7

Ok well this is the real answer.

You don't take Manning in the first round. I completely agree with you. Taking a QB in the first 2 rounds is just plain stupid.

The RB situation looks like this. Between LT and Julius Jones (who was the 25th best running back in ESPN leagues) there was a margin per game of around 10 pts or so. Give or take on how well each of them did. This was on a running back most people have in their starting leagues.

The QB situation is this. Manning throws up huge numbers each any every year, but is he really worth it? Between him and the top 10 QB's last year, there was a margin of around 4 pts per game, after it was said and done.

The reason the QB is so much small of a cat is because this is going off of fantasy points. Its not in real life. You only start one QB where as you start 2 in Yahoo! and most of the time 3 in ESPN.

You don't take Manning. Honeslty his points spread against a guy like Vince Young (who happened to be number 10) wasn't worth it. You can easily take Young in the 7th round or so, depending on how stupid your drafters are. I would much rather have a guy like Parker, then Henry. Guys like LT and McGahee. The RB is the key to winning any FF league.

Its so much easier to draft Palmer as your 3rd round pick and maybe miss on those top WR. They aren't really that great compared to guys who can singly handly win a game in FF this year. With the new points scheme, the RB makes himself even that much more valuable.

There is no reason to take Manning. He honestly isn't worth it.

On the other hand. If I had already taken one of the top 5 RB's and Manning was still there in the second round, and you could still get a good 3rd round RB...would you take him then?

Good luck!!

Answer 8

No sooner than my 3rd round pick. The RB field this year is sooooo small that you can easily pick up those extra points Manning would give you with 2 good RBs picked up in the first 2 rounds. Or you can get a really good kicker and defense in the first 2 rounds and then if Manning is still there in the 3rd round; pick him up. Definitely.

Answer 9

I like nothing more than having two top running backs after two rounds, but if I had pick 16-18 and he was still available I'd take him. At that point, RBs get a little dicey, and even though he's not always the top scorer he's the most consistent player in the game.

Answer 10

depends on if you know he diamonds in the rough. I would suggest taking RB, RB, then QB. The QB position is deep. Although he was my overall pick last year, I had to hustle & bustle for RB's late in the season Barber III, & the big guy from the giants. I ended up winning, but had I drafted correctly I would have not had to do that.