With training camps in full swing, our favorite teams all have a long list of questions that need to be answered. Fantasy football owners are also gearing up and preparing for the season, and just like their professional counterparts they face their own unique uncertainties that need to be answered before heading into the draft. Who are the number two running backs, who are the tenth round sleepers, or how will Mike Shanahan f with us this year? However the biggest question facing owners may just be where to take Tom Brady in the draft.

Currently Brady is the fourth player being taken off the boards on ESPN’s live drafts. His Average Draft Position (ADP) is a 4.8 and he is the #6 ranked player overall. So if you are sitting there with the number 4 pick — do you take him? Let’s break down the numbers and take a look at what drafting Brady early (or any QB for that matter) can do to the overall landscape of your draft. I will be using ESPN ADP player list and their project point values according to ESPN’s standard scoring system.

Let’s say we are in a standard 12 team league, you are Team D and have the fourth pick and I am Team E and have the fifth pick. To simplify matters I went to the fourth round for both teams whereby at the end of that round both teams would have a QB, two RB’s and WR. I will use the ADP list to determine which player each team will draft. So let’s start the draft.

Team D’s fist pick is Brady, Team E gets Joseph Addai. The second round sees Team E pick up Braylon Edwards and Team D get MJD. In the third round Team D selects Laurence Maroney and team E gets Drew Brees. In the fourth round Team E gets Thomas Jones and Team D gets Santonio Holmes. (Actually according to the ADP list team D would have chosen Derek Anderson so I had them choose the best available WR on the list). Using ESPN scoring system Team D projected points would be 808 for the 4 starter and Team E 865 points. Advantage ME.

Obviously a productive draft is not decided after 4 rounds; however, these first few picks can get things going in the right direction. What it comes down to is that in most cases a championship fantasy team has to have depth at RB. Of the top 10 projected QBs, eight of them started all 16 games with an average of 15.7 games played while the top 10 RBs only had three players start all 16 games averaging only 13.9 games. Fact is you can go the whole season using one QB plus a bye-week fill in, whereas more than likely you will need to replace your stud RB with a capable fill-in at least one week during the season. Add to that the fact that you will need at least two RBs in your starting line up and the lack of depth is compounded.

I have participated in a couple of mock drafts recently and noticed a disturbing trend for those teams that drafted Brady. In one draft Brady was selected seventh and in another he was selected fourth. Both teams were very similar in make up, even aside from them drafting Brady. In rounds two and three they both chose big name WRs even though there were some high end tier two backs left on the board. Finally in the fourth round they chose their first running backs. Both teams top RB’s (Rudi Johnson and Earnest Graham) are lower end tier two type players that have some significant question marks to their fantasy values. Both owners knew after round one that running backs were going to be a weakness on their team and tried to make up for it by making the strength of their team at WR. They both went on to choose a TE in the fifth round. Once again, they went after a big name instead of adding depth at RB causing both of their number two RB’s (both chosen in the sixth round) to be of tier three-type quality (Joseph Forte of the Bears and Julius Jones of the Seahawks).

Skipping Brady early will allow for more flexibility in your draft and depth at your running back positions. Both of the owners who selected Brady in the live drafts were forced to build their drafts through WRs, a position that traditionally has a lot of value late into drafts. Consequently the value of their running backs is based upon the need for other teams’ first and second stringers to get hurt and taking flyers through the wavier wires. There is value to be had in rounds three and four at the quarterback position. Brees (29.7 ADP), Ben Rothlisberger (34.1), Carson Palmer (36.2), and Anderson (47.4) are all available after the second round.

I say let the rookie gloat over taking Brady at number four and watch him cry while trying to decide if Fred Taylor or LenDale White should be his number one RB.

This could be the weakest division of linemen in the conference. With all four teams ranking in the second half of the conference, three in the lower third, there is much work to be done. But with strong offensive coaching from Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay and Sean Payton in New Orleans there is hope these units can produce.

Carolina Panthers (1st in NFC South, 9th in Conference)
Without Jack Delhomme at quarterback last year, this group struggled. The return of Delhomme and the additions of first-round pick Jeff Otah up front and wide receivers Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett should help this group buy time for Steve Smith to be the centerpiece of the team once again.

LT Jordan Gross
LG Travelle Wharton
C Ryan Kalil
RG Keydrick Vincent
RT Jeff Otah

New Orleans Saints (2nd in NFC South, 11th in Conference)
This team was dynamic two seasons ago, so the question is can they return to form or was that just a flash in the pan? They certainly have plenty of weapons on offense, but they’re going to have to be a lot meaner up front and control the line of scrimmage for the Saints to have success.

LT Jammal Brown
LG Jamar Nesbit
C Jonathan Goodwin
RG Jahri Evans
RT Jon Stinchcomb

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3rd in NFC South, 12th in Conference)
This group was battered by injuries and inconsistent play last year. The signing of Jeff Faine last year should help, but if Jon Gruden spent half the time finding offensive linemen as he does finding quarterbacks, the Bucs would be perennial contenders. With time to throw, even an average quarterback can be productive.

LT Luke Petitgout
LG Arron Sears
C Jeff Faine
RG Davin Joseph
RT Jeremy Trueblood

Atlanta Falcons (4th in NFC South, 16th in Conference)
The Falcons have a lot of rebuilding to do, and their offensive line is in as much need of help as any other part of the team. Don’t spend big or draft high on Atlanta skill players, because top pick Matt Ryan is going to be running for his life.

LT Renardo Foster
LG Justin Blalock
C Todd McClure
RG Kynan Forney
RT Todd Weiner

This is the last post in a series in which we went division by division looking at and ranking the most overlooked factor in the success of your fantasy football squad, the offensive line. Here’s a quick recap;

AFC North
AFC South
AFC East
AFC West
NFC North
NFC East
NFC West

Now don’t you let the fact that this series is over stop you from hanging around. Go ahead and subscribe now (see below) because I’ll be back soon with some information on sleeper and value picks that you won’t want to miss. See you then.

In case you didn’t know, subscribing to the Goat is at the all time low price of free. You can subscribe to The Fantasy Football Goat by email and have this stuff in your inbox seconds after I post it or you can subscribe in your feed reader or on your home page. Either way you get the info fast and easy. Don’t understand this whole subscribing thing? Check out this short video on RSS. Isn’t technology great?

The Minnesota Vikings may have made a big splash in the offseason by acquiring defensive lineman Jared Allen from Kansas City, but the team’s biggest asset is on the offensive side of the ball. The Vikings are not only the top-rated offensive line in their conference and division, but they might very well be the best in the National Football League. With Adrian Peterson, an improving young quarterback in Tavaris Jackson and the addition of wide receiver Bernard Berrian, Minnesota is set to pillage and plunder opposing defensives. And without the big horses up front, none of that would be possible.

Minnesota Vikings (1st in NFC North, 1st in Conference)
As stated above, the combination of Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson and Matt Birk give the Vikings the best left side in the NFL. That shady free agent signing of Hutchinson with the poison pill added to the contract looks huge now.

LT Bryant McKinnie
LG Steve Hutchinson
C Matt Birk
RG Anthony Herrera
RT Ryan Cook

Green Bay Packers (2nd in NFC North, 4th in Conference)
A few years ago Brett Favre was going to retire because this line didn’t have enough talent to compete. Well, last year they dominated, giving Favre plenty of time to operation while opening holes for little-known running back Ryan Grant as he burst on the scene.

LT Chad Clifton
LG Junius Coston
C Scott Wells
RG Jason Spitz
RT Mark Tauscher

Chicago Bears (3rd in NFC North, 6th in Conference)
This is a gritty but aging group up front, but the addition of first-rounder Chris Williams (14th overall) should help ease the pain. Now if only they could find a quarterback, and a running back.

LT Chris Williams
LG Terrence Metcalf
C Olin Kreutz
RG Roberto Garza
RT John Tait

Detroit Lions (4th in NFC North, 14th in Conference)
This group looked good in the first half of 2007, but they faded badly down the stretch to ensure quarterback Jon Kitna’s promise of 10 wins went unfulfilled. The addition of first-round pick Gosder Cherilus (17th overall) should help.

LT Jeff Backus
LG Edwin Mulitalo
C Dominic Raiola
RG Stephen Peterman
RT Gosder Cherilus

Well we are almost home, just one more division left before we round out the series. But hey don’t let that stop you from becoming a regular Goat reader - which by the way is very easy - and almost effortless - for you to do because…

In case you didn’t know, subscribing to the Goat is at the all time low price of free. You can subscribe to The Fantasy Football Goat by email and have this stuff in your inbox seconds after I post it or you can subscribe in your feed reader or on your home page. Either way you get the info fast and easy. Don’t understand this whole subscribing thing? Check out this short video on RSS. Isn’t technology great?

If you are anything like me, you are starving for any football discussion that doesn’t include Brett Favre (please make it stop!). So, I figured I would give you an update on a little mock draft that some very football savvy bloggers and I have been participating in over the last week or so.

So far, not many surprises but round two is a pick away and there are usually a few head turners to be had. Check it out.

Oh, and before I forget, make sure you stop by each of these blogs and add them to your reader (or sign up for email updates). That way you will never, ever miss even a morsel of fantasy football information from now until you are counting your first place cash.

Here ya go:

1. Curveballs 4 Jesus: L. Tomlinson

2. Sean McCall: A. Peterson

3. Football Burrito: J. Addai

4. Pancake Blocks: S. Jackson

5. West Coast Nonsense: B. Westbrook

6. Bruno Boys: T. Brady

7. The Hazean: M. Barber

8. Football Jabber: F. Gore

9. Fantasy Football Fools: C. Portis

10. Fantasy Football Geek Blog: M. Lynch

11. Fantasy Football Goat: Larry Johnson

12. Fantasy Football Librarian: Randy Moss

I was all over Marshawn Lynch until Matt and Brandon over at FFGeeksBlog wisely picked him just before me (props to them) which led me to taking Larry Johnson.

I’m not crazy about taking him considering the laundry list of question marks surrounding his supporting staff: the line, the QB and experience in general. But he’s the best player on his team (equaling touches), an every down back (rare these days) and has a schedule filled with “projected” weak run d’s.

Add to that the fact that you gotta think he’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder after a dismal 2007. I’ll take my chances.

This division lacks a little up front, and the effort trickles down from there. Subpar efforts and lack of healthy players on the line and in the backfield have created an uphill battle for these West Coast teams. That said, Seattle and St. Louis have been the most successful teams from this division, and that success is tied to the guys up front. Consider how much the loss of Orlando Pace hurt the Rams last year.

Seattle Seahawks (1st in NFC West, 7th in Conference)
If you want a safe bet on draft day, then grab whoever emerges as the lead runner for the Seahawks. The lack of production last year had more to do with the decline of Shaun Alexander than it had to do with the linemen.

LT Walter Jones
LG Mike Wahle
C Chris Spencer
RG Ray Sims
RT Sean Locklear

St. Louis Rams (2nd in NFC West, 8th in Conference)
Obviously a healthy Orlando Pace will go a long way toward improving the play of his unit from a year ago, but a healthy quarterback (Marc Bulger) and running back (Steven Jackson) need to return to form this year for the team to turn the corner on offense.

LT Orlando Pace
LG Mark Setterstrom
C Brett Romberg
RG Richie Incognito
RT Alex Barron

Arizona Cardinals (3rd in NFC West, 13th in Conference)
This group is still finding his way as they try to build around Levi Brown, but expect marked improvement from this unit in 2008 with Russ Grimm leading the way.

LT Mike Gandy
LG Reggie Wells
C Al Johnson
RG Deuce Lutui
RT Levi Brown

San Francisco (4th in NFC West, 15th in Conference)
They seem to have solid tackles in Joe Staley and Jonas Jennings, though Jennings has had a hard time staying on the field due to injury. They should improve from another year of playing together as a unit, but who they will be blocking for is a guess with quarterback Alex Smith and running back Frank Gore both needing to prove they can stay healthy.

LT Joe Staley
LG Adam Snyder
C Eric Heitmann
RG Daavid Baas
RT Jonas Jennings

This is another post in a series in which we go division by division looking at and ranking the most overlooked factor in the success of your fantasy football squad, the offensive line. So you might want to keep an eye out over the next few weeks - which by the way, I have made it easy for you to do because…

In case you didn’t know, subscribing to the Goat is at the all time low price of free. You can subscribe to The Fantasy Football Goat by email and have this stuff in your inbox seconds after I post it or you can subscribe in your feed reader or on your home page. Either way you get the info fast and easy. Don’t understand this whole subscribing thing? Check out this short video on RSS. Isn’t technology great?

When you hear the word “vacation” what comes to mind? Chevy Chase trekking across the country in the “The Wagonqueen Family Truckster” to the fictionalized Walley World amusement park in the classic 1983 movie “Vacation” while the song “Holiday Road” by Lindsey Buckingham is blaring in the background? Or heading to Las Vegas for a long weekend of debauchery and hedonism (side note: Chevy Chase also starred in the very unwatchable 1997 movie entitled “Vegas Vacation” which for me killed the vacation franchise and virtually ended the career of both Chevy Chase and his fictional wife, Beverly D’Angelo).

Whether it’s amusement parks or sin city, one universal problem exists. That age old dilemma of keeping up with the daily grind of following your fantasy squads and making the daily roster changes or even checking the nightly statistics of those men you have grown to love, honour and obey until they go on an 0-26 slump. And then you dump them quicker than Mosies Alou goes on the disabled list.

I faced this very same problem as I packed the family minivan, this past Fourth of July weekend. The Commish household crammed the family minivan (special award of gratitude to the inventors of those earphones that block out the sound from those mesmerizing child DVD’s which included the latest Barbie movie and a Care Bears flick which enabled the wife and I to actually listen to some music that did not involve Raffi or a singing chipmunk) and headed across the great state of Florida to the relaxed west coast beaches.

I know, I know, you’re probably saying to yourself, “Why is the Commish driving two hours in a packed minivan while the Care Bears movie is on continuous play and gas is more than $4.00 a gallon? He is just a Jeff Francoeur throw from the beaches on the southeast coast of Florida.” To which I respond that is a very valid point, but I compare the two coasts of Florida to a night of partying with Cedric Benson on his house boat to a relaxed evening sitting in a rocking chair listening to Vince Scully on the radio while sipping on your favourite cocktail, enjoying the gentle summer breezes and bugs crackling in the distant bug zapper.

Upon finally reaching the remote timeshare/condominium and after unpacking the overstuffed minivan, I realized that my latest residence for the next three days was rather archaic compared to the Commish Headquarters back at Fantasy Sportsland, USA. Let’s just say the humble abode was not “fantasy friendly”. Absent from my new friendly confines was the MLB Ticket (which broadcasts just about every game every night) and wi-fi capability which enables one “stat tracker” to well track your players stats with up to the minute results.

The icing on the cake was that the one television, in this particular unit, was capable of broadcasting four channels and FOX was in black and white and faded when the clouds blocked the sun. I did not realize that my 90-mile journey took me across the southern portion of Florida but it also transported me back in time. As I already mentioned earlier, I was driving a minivan not a DeLorean, and I am the Commish not Michael J. Fox.

My only saving grace was my handheld pocket device, which was capable of surfing the Internet. That is, surfing the Internet when you are able to get a signal. The only place I was able to obtain the elusive signal was in the bathroom. I am not making this up, the only place I was able to check my teams statistics or make a roster change was on the proverbial “crapper.” The crapper was literally the same size of Barry Bond’s head and not while he played in San Francisco, but when he played in Pittsburgh (compare and be amazed).

The ultimate fantasy crisis was now in full bloom and I faced the task to either let my numerous fantasy squads take a holiday nose-dive or fake Montezuma’s Revenge all weekend. Before I get to the conclusion of my fantasy dilemma let me touch upon the top tips to make your summer travels coincide with fantasy bliss (in no particular order of importance). Read them, devour them, digest them and hopefully you are able to learn from my weekend technology foibles:

1. Plan you trip during Major League Baseball All-Star Break. This method worked to perfection in the past but for those years when the fourth falls on a Friday or Monday, it’s hard to avoid the inevitable three-day weekend.

2. If you are staying at a hotel/resort make sure they have Internet access capability in the room (you would be surprised at the number of hotels that do not offer this or offer this at a price that exceeds any winnings that you may obtain if you win the league). At the very least have a business room with free Internet access in the lobby.

3. If you are not staying at a hotel/resort make sure where you are going has at least cable television. ESPN News is the ultimate tool in following your team’s success or failures. You can always seek out the local sports bar.

4. If you are staying somewhere with no Internet access you should be able to find an Internet café within a short driving or walking distance. This tip is most helpful for those overseas ventures.

5. This tip can also save you from fantasy meltdown by knowing which of your trustworthy friends are home and have computer access. You can always call them for your team updates or even to make some roster changes.

6. This last fantasy travel tip comes from a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) whose engagement was derailed because he forgot to follow this very important rule. When in route to your travel destination forewarn your significant other about your need to keep tabs on your fantasy teams. The last thing you need is for your vacation and your fantasy teams to both go down faster than the Hindenburg.

To conclude my Fourth of July adventure, I did raise suspicions when I would disappear to the bathroom every morning for long periods of time without any reading materials. I was able to get the top baseball news the next morning via my handheld device (which ran slower than Major League Baseball rules committee). In the end, I was able to win my weekly fantasy baseball matchups and spend some quality time with the family. It was a win-win situation, but the most surprising event occurred upon the return to the Commish Headquarters only to find the whole neighborhood was without power due a down wire. Now that’s irony!

If you have any further tips, suggests or comments you can email me at lernerm@juno.com.

The NFC East is the cream of the crop, especially when it comes to the big boys up front. With three of the four teams ranked in the top five in the conference, this is by far the most competitive position in the conference. Dallas and the New York Giants were two of the top teams in the league last year, and Philadelphia and Washington – despite off years in 2007 – are traditionally very tough opponents. What does in this mean in fantasy circles? When in doubt, draft skill players from the NFC East.

Dallas Cowboys (1st in NFC East, 2nd in Conference)

If these guys stay healthy, there isn’t much that is going to get in their way, unless Terrell Owens or Pacman Jones create problems from the inside. With lots of beef up front, Tony Romo will have all day to operate.

LT Flozell Adams
LG Kyle Kosier
C Andre Gurode
RG Leonard Davis
RT Marc Colombo

New York Giants (2nd in NFC East, 3rd in Conference)

The Giants were beasts on the road last season and only got better as the season went on as they rolled up playoff win after playoff win until they were crowned World Champions. It’s funny, this group seemed to get better when tight end Jeremy Shockey was lost for the season with a leg injury. Will the return of Shockey help or hurt? Time will tell.

LT David Diehl
LG Rich Seubert
C Shaun O’Hara
RG Chris Snee
RT Kareem McKenzie

Philadelphia Eagles (3rd in NFC East, 5th in Conference)

The Eagles seem to go as Donovan McNabb goes, but one thing is constant, production from the running back position. And that directly reflects strong play up front. So even if McNabb goes down, expect this line to create running lanes for Brian Westbrook.

LT Tra Thomas
LG Todd Herremans
C Jamaal Jackson
RG Shawn Andrews
RT Jon Runyan

Washington Redskins (4th in NFC East, 10th in Conference)

These guys aren’t the “Hogs” of old, but they hold their own in the trenches. They brought their lunch pals week after week for Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs last year. Can they muster the same effort for a new coach? He’ll have to make them believe.

LT Chris Samuels
LG Pete Kendall
C Casey Rabach
RG Randy Thomas
RT Jon Jansen

This is another post in a series in which we go division by division looking at and ranking the most overlooked factor in the success of your fantasy football squad, the offensive line. So you might want to keep an eye out over the next few weeks - which by the way, I have made it easy for you to do because…

In case you didn’t know, subscribing to the Goat is at the all time low price of free. You can subscribe to The Fantasy Football Goat by email and have this stuff in your inbox seconds after I post it or you can subscribe in your feed reader or on your home page. Either way you get the info fast and easy. Don’t understand this whole subscribing thing? Check out this short video on RSS. Isn’t technology great?

Running the ball, protecting the quarterback and controlling the clock are critical elements of any successful offensive line, and ultimately, any successful offensive. That even includes fantasy football offenses. You don’t just need to draft a good running back, you need to have the horses up front blocking for him. If you want further proof, consider Cleveland’s success last season after signing free agent guard Eric Steinbach and drafting Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas with its first-round pick. The strong line play helped Jamal Lewis rebuild his career. Because of the grind-it-out approach of all AFC North teams, this might be the most competitive group of offensive lines in the conference. Below is the way I see it.

Cleveland Browns (1st in AFC North, 4th in Conference)
As stated above, with Thomas and Steinbach leading the way, this above-average group should dominate for years to come.

LT Joe Thomas
LG Eric Steinbach
C Hank Fraley
RG Rex Hadnot
RT Kevin Shaffer

Pittsburgh Steelers (2nd in AFC North, 7th in Conference)
Losing guard Alan Faneca in free agency hurts, but Pittsburgh has a knack for knowing when to part with veterans. The smart money is on this blue-collar team finding a way to grind it out on the ground.

LT Marvel Smith
LG Chris Kemoeatu
C Justin Hartwig
RG Kendall Simmons
RT Willie Colon

Cincinnati Bengals (3rd in AFC North, 10th in Conference)
Willie Anderson and Levi Jones give this unit strong play from the tackles, but the middle of the line is average at best as Cincinnati rarely generates a push up the middle.

LT Levi Jones
LG Andrew Whitworth
C Eric Ghiaciuc
RG Bobbie Williams
RT Willie Anderson

Baltimore Ravens (4th in AFC North, 11th in Conference)
The only thing exciting about this group was stud tackle Jonathan Ogden, who just retired last week. Is there anybody on the roster ready to lead this group like Ogden did? Time will tell.

LT Jared Gaither or Adam Terry
LG Jason Brown
C Chris Chester
RG Ben Grubbs
RT Marshal Yanda

We are half way through the series in which we go division by division looking at and ranking the most overlooked factor in the success of your fantasy football squad, the offensive line. So you might want to keep an eye out over the next few weeks - which by the way, I have made it easy for you to do because…

In case you didn’t know, subscribing to the Goat is at the all time low price of free. You can subscribe to The Fantasy Football Goat by email and have this stuff in your inbox seconds after I post it or you can subscribe in your feed reader or on your home page. Either way you get the info fast and easy. Don’t understand this whole subscribing thing? Check out this short video on RSS. Isn’t technology great?

Let me first introduce myself for those who may not be familiar with the “Commish Report“. The Commish Report is a blog produced by the self-anointed world’s foremost knowledgeable “Commish” (me). That being said I cover various fantasy sports topics as they relate to the everyday life of the average “American Joe”, or if you are a reader who lives north of the boarder, the everyday life of the average “Canadian Jacques”.

Today’s topic as you could probably can decipher from the title of this article covers the anatomy of producing a live fantasy draft — i.e. what actually goes into creating a successful but yet enjoyable live draft.

If you have never heard of fantasy sports, you have either been serving an extensive prison sentence or have been living in cave with you know who. I am sure you can get internet access in both prison and a cave, so no excuses for you. To briefly bring you up to speed, Wikipedia defines fantasy sports as “a game where fantasy owners build a team that competes against other fantasy owners based on the statistics generated by individual players or teams of a professional sport“. The founding father of an early version of fantasy sports is William A. Gamson, a Harvard professor, though modern history has credited a sportswriter named Daniel Okrent with bringing the world of fantasy, or “rotisserie”, sports to the forefront in 1980. Being the modest man that he is, Gamson does not accept the fact that he invented the fantasy sports genre and gives all the credit to Mr. Okrent. My theory on why he denies to take credit is rooted in the belief that his wife and wives (or significant others) across the world would unite and track down Gamson for stealing away their husbands every Sunday in the fall.

Now that you are caught up with the rich history and tradition of fantasy sports lets focus our attention on creating a successful live fantasy football draft. This summer millions of leagues are already taking shape (according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, roughly 14.7 million Americans played fantasy football last year). Now is the time to start planning a live draft. Just following these easy steps for complete fantasy bliss:

Step 1

I will assume you the reader have already chosen a league commissioner, picked a internet site to run the league and configured the points system of your particular league. These details are a necessary evil to run any successful league but you can always use the default settings of your host site. The most important step is choosing a date for the live draft. This task sounds very easy but from experience I can tell you that this is the hardest step in throwing a successful live draft. It is easier to find Ricky Williams without weed than to get 10-12 owners to all decide on a particular day and time to show up for a draft. End of the summer vacations, weddings, births/deaths, bar/bat mitzvahs, and quinceaneras tend to fill up calendars. That is why one must start drawing up the draft day plan early. In one of my oldest and fondest leagues we have moved our draft this season several times before finally deciding on holding it the night before the NFL season actually kicks-off due to the above-mentioned life distractions (I mean blessed events except for the death one). Decide on the date early and if you are the commissioner have in mind some replacement owners just in case someone backs out at the last minute. There is nothing worse than finding out that an owner has to back out of the league at the last minute because he has to attend his son’s bris (click on the word “bris” if you have no idea what I am talking about, but you have been warned). In the first place, it is not like he is actually performing the “thing”. This now sends you scrambling more than Michael Vick in the prison shower looking for a new owner so that your league does not have an odd number of members (bye-weeks are no fun in the world of fanta and reality).

Step 2

Deciding on the venue of the draft. I prefer to have it at an owner’s house who has wi-fi access for those owners who must Google their intended draftee one last time to make sure they are not in a full body cast. Other great venues for a draft include sports bars with private back rooms so as not disturb other bar patrons when a league owner takes a player in the ninth round who was already taken in the fifth round, or a large conference room at a hotel or an owner’s office. “Destination Drafts” is the latest growing trend in the world of fantasy sports. Similar to destination weddings, destination drafts are drafts that take place at a locale out of town. I have one friend in a league that has drafted in Las Vegas, New York City in the past, while this year his league will be heading south of the boarder to draft in Cancun. I find this type of draft filled with too many distractions. Which leads to the number one post draft day debacle: Drinking and Drafting. Just like in real life its okay to partake in a couple of your favorite tasty ice-cold beverages during a draft, but more than a few and you could be kicking yourself come mid-October when your team roster consists of these guys.

Step 3

Come to the draft prepared. As the commissioner, it is your duty and obligation to supply the most essential tool to make the draft more enjoyable. That tool is the draft kit or draft board. You can buy the draft board on various Internet sites (prices may vary). There is nothing worse than an owner not knowing when it’s his/her turn to draft or an owner who takes the same player two, three, or even four times. As a team owner, spend a few minutes researching on the internet the latest team depth charts and injuries. The Fantasy Sports Review website alone has some expert writers who can help you dominate your league (my editor required me to plug the site at least once in this article or I would not be allowed to continue with this article).

Step 4

A fantasy draft is serious business but it is also a social gathering. Have fun, enjoy yourself, and connect with team owners you only see once or twice a year. Make sure every owner brings lots of food and drink. Every draft has that owner who shows up late, who brought nothing to contribute to draft besides his fantasy magazines and cheat sheets and even has to borrow a pen and/or highlighter. He ends up eating more than double than any other owner, drinking his weight in Homer Simpson’s favorite beverage, and tops it all off by stealing your pen. Yes, you know who I am talking about.

In conclusion, if you follow the Commish Report’s four easy steps for throwing a successful live draft (date, location, preparation, and fun) everything else should fall into place. I cannot guarantee you that you will win your league, finish .500 or even one single game but you will be held in the highest regard by your fanta peers and your legend as the commissioner will grow with each passing fantasy season.

Please feel free to pass along any other draft day planning strategies and/or favorite places to hold a live draft. Until next time, happy planning and good luck remaining stress free.

It has long been stated that football is won in the trenches, and the signing of Michigan tackle Jake Long by the Miami Dolphins as the first overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft underscores that importance. Since New England has dominated its division foes by giving quarterback Tom Brady all day to pick apart opposing defenses for nearly a decade, it’s clear the Dolphins, Jets and Bills are trying to match the Patriots with strong play up front. Have any of them closed the gap on New England? Stay tuned.

New England Patriots (1st in AFC East, 6th in Conference)
They didn’t do much to consistently establish the run last season, though I guess when you go undefeated in the regular season, it doesn’t matter how you got there. Much like Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning, Tom Brady makes this group better.

LT Matt Light
LG Logan Mankins
C Dan Koppen
RG Stephen Neal
RT Nick Kaczur

New York Jets (2nd in AFC East, 8th in Conference)
With the free agent signings of Alan Faneca and Damien Woody along with the additional seasoning of D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold, this unit appears to be on the upswing. Now if only they could find a quarterback.

LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson
LG Allan Faneca
C Nick Mangold
RG Brandon Moore
RT Damien Woody

Buffalo Bills (3rd in AFC East, 9th in Conference)
The offensive line was one of the few bright spots for this injury-riddled team in 2007. With Jason Peters, who receives praise as one of the best young tackles in the league, paired with guard Derrick Dockery, expect Marshawn Lynch to run left a lot behind this improving unit.

LT Jason Peters
LG Derrick Dockery
C Melvin Fowler
RG Brad Butler
RT Langston Walker

Miami Dolphins (4th in AFC East, 15th in Conference)
The Dolphins move up from the cellar on the strength of Long being named the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. This 6-foot-7, 325-pound monster should open a few holes for Ronnie Brown.

LT Jake Long (1st overall pick)
LG Justin Smiley
C Samson Satele
RG Shawn Murphy
RT Vernon Carey

This is another post in a series in which we go division by division looking at and ranking the most overlooked factor in the success of your fantasy football squad, the offensive line. So you might want to keep an eye out over the next few weeks - which by the way, I have made it easy for you to do because…

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