FanHouse Fantasy

So, don't get me wrong. I have nothing against About.com's Jamie Fitzpatrick. I'm sure he's a nice guy and has a smart hockey mind, but when I read his article entitled 'Whatever Happened to Fantasy Hockey for Regular Folks?', I get a bit confused.

When the hockey pool first gained popularity, back in the 1980s, it was considered a good excuse for drinking beer and talking trash.

Those days are long gone. For starters, it's not called a hockey pool anymore. It's a fantasy hockey league.

And it's not about drinking beer. Fantasy hockey is serious business, an all-consuming, number-crunching hobby for fans who don't get out much.

Wow. Really? I'm not even going to touch on the beer thing. There are already enough excuses to drink in today's world that fantasy hockey does not need to be one of them.

Anyway. So Jamie, you're telling me that all of a sudden fantasy hockey has become too analytical and people are obsessing over it way too much. Not fantasy football. Not fantasy baseball. No, for those leagues people just close their eyes and pick whichever player their finger lands on. For hockey, of all sports, people are going too crazy over it. Right.

And he continues:

So be warned. If you join one of these outfits, you're going up against guys who spent the summer cross-referencing power play line combos and ranking prospects in the Latvian midget league. Good luck.

The Latvian Midget League? Good one. Where have I heard these kinds of disses before? Oh that's right, every time a traditional baseball fan rails against the well-meaning sabermetrics people. And that line before about "fans who don't get out much?" That sounds like it was taken right out of the How the MSM Defends Itself Against Bloggers Playbook. It's an archaic and outdated read, if you ever get a chance.

Here at the Fantasy Fanhouse, we do everything we can to help you prepare for your fantasy draft. (And once your league does their draft, there's no better place to host it than fleaflicker.com.)

A little over a month ago, we had ourselves a Fantasy Roundtable about what pick you'd actually prefer in this years draft. Looking over that, I don't think anyone said anything they yet regret (though, undoubtedly, it's just a matter of time).

The general consensus was that ideally one would get either a top-three pick, or work backwards from the 10th pick to capitalize on getting a higher second-round pick.

But what's the flip side of that question?

That is, what's the worst draft pick position?

In my mind, it's a no-brainer that sixth is the worst place to be.

But, you may say, that's crazy talk. With the sixth pick, you can grab either one of the top five running backs (LaDainian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, Brian Westbrook, Joseph Addai and Steven Jackson, possibly but not necessarily in that order) or the top at their positions, Tom Brady or Randy Moss.

The drop off in all of those positions is notable after those top seven guys, so locking down one of them is a clear advantage.

Ah, but what really sets off a draft is the first two slots. And that's where drafting sixth really starts to sting.

It's time for the most vital Patriots analysis you'll read all year: the fantasy breakdown! Which Pats will be racking up points for your team? And which are better left to rot unloved on the waiver wire?

The Pats are notoriously confounding when it comes to all matters fantasy. The ball gets spread around, and it's darn near impossible to guess who'll emerge as a red zone rock star. Consider: Linebacker Mike Vrabel (of no use to the fantasy drafter) caught three touchdown passes from Tom Brady last year. Meanwhile, starting wide receiver David Givens caught two.

Even 2005 mainstay Corey Dillon (12 rushing touchdowns) looks to be a gamble, as he'll split time with promising rookie Laurence Maroney. And Deion Branch, with his team-high five TD catches in 2005? He might not take the field at all. It seems your best bets are Brady, tight end Ben Watson, placekicker Stephen Gostkowski, and the defense. But if you're looking for a dark horse candidate, take a peek at running back Heath Evans. In the Pats' final exhibition game, as they neared the goal line on their first possession, Evans got his number called three straight times before finally reaching paydirt. And he tied for the team lead in touchdowns in the preseason, with three rushing and one receiving. (Of course, he tied with running back Patrick Cobbs ... who has since been cut. So back to the drawing board there. Like I say, confounding.)