Let's face it: Your 2006 fantasy football team may not have done so well and you want to exact some revenge this year.
You're hungry and want to win a championship. Most of all, you want to knock off the smarmy guy, who, last year, snickered when you took Clinton Portis in the first round.
Well, the road to the championship starts in the first round.
The First Round: Running Backs, Running Backs, Running Backs
Okay, now go back and read that subtitle again. Make sure it has sunk in and taken root.
The first pick, if you're lucky enough to be in that position, is an easy one. There is no better running back in football today than LaDainian Tomlinson. He's arguably the best running back in football history. He'll break sixty-yard runs, catch passes and, on occasion, even throw for touchdowns. It should go without saying that, if you're in that coveted first position, you take the man who scored 31 total touchdowns last year.
If you're not as lucky, and you find yourself at slot number six or seven in the draft, it's important to remember not to panic. Even at seven or eight, chances are, you're going to get a stud. Let's focus on this, the poor guy who languishes at pick number seven, because he already thinks his season is lost.
According to many mock drafts, the first three runnning backs, Tomlinson, Larry Johnson, and Steven Jackson are going to be long gone before it's your turn to pick. Shaun Alexander will most likely be taken fourth, even after his shortened 2006 season due to a foot injury. Again, remember not to hit that shiny, red panic button just yet. Chances are, you'll have your choice of Frank Gore, Willie Parker or Brian Westbrook. Any one of those backs can be the beginning of your team's solid foundation for 2007.
If you're one of those types that wants to find the running back poised to have a breakout season, don't look past Indianapolis Colts' Joseph Addai during the middle part of the first round. With the departure of Dominic Rhodes, Addai promises to figure in even more with the high-powered Colts offense, led by Super Bowl XLI MVP, Peyton Manning.
Don't discount Rudi Johnson of the Bengals, either. He's definitely worth a first round pick in the middle part of round one. He's not the type that will catch many passes, as is the case with Tomlinson or Westbrook, but he will post solid numbers for you every week.
Now, don't think that I'm hating on Clinton Portis, because nothing can be more untrue. He suffered through an injury-plagued 2006 season, and, with Ladell Betts looking more and more like a featured back waiting to happen, Portis will be out to prove something. According to reports, he'll be ready for the regular season, and, while he will most likely share some carries with Betts, look for Portis to put up over a thousand yards and taste end zone paint about 10 times.
In the next article, we'll get into the second round, and we'll find the perfect guy to compliment your number one selection. Remember, the first round is all about finding the player to build your fantasy team around.
With a solid first round selection, you can be sure that your team will at least in be in contention come year's end. That, and you can ready your own barbed comment for the guy who balked at you last year, when he takes the Chicago Bears defense in the second round.
