Owner profile and more
There's a dozen experienced owners in the Insider Fantasy Football League. This week we profile Renee Piccirillo, 31, of Brighton, reveal her roster, talk a little more about Ronnie Brown and Clinton Portis and give you two running backs heading in opposite directions.
Q & A with Renee Piccirillo
How did you get into fantasy football? Way back in the day when you still had to check scores in the paper, my boyfriend at the time was in a league at work. I volunteered to be the "secretary" and spent the entire season focused on that league and following all the players. After that, I understood and loved football even more. Then I went out and got my own team.
Have you ever won a league? Ha ha. The very first team I ever drafted on my own won it all for me. It was a beautiful thing. It’s been a tumultuous ride since then - lots of ups and downs.
How do you feel about your draft? Eh, it is what it is. I have learned that anything can happen in fantasy football so I try not to sweat it. My boss thinks that Frank Gore sucks and that was a bad pick. Overall, I think I could have drafted a better team, but it was my first draft of the season and I wasn't as prepared as I am now. Can we have a do-over?
If you could have done one thing better in the draft, what would it be? I would have taken a quarterback earlier. I know this is against my usual strategy, but that is one big hole on my roster. It seems like QB's have taken on more value in drafts this year.
Do guys try to intimidate you during a draft? Not at all. My first year I had a problem with a guy who incessantly badgered me for six weeks - I guess he couldn't handle a chick running away with the league. But the rest of the guys ganged up on him and called him out on it. That was fun. But really, I think everyone is just focused on their own draft and they figure if I am sitting there, I must know a thing or two about football. Everyone is pretty mature in every draft I have been in. I even have guy friends who ask for my opinion and have asked me to draft their teams for them.
Are you usually the only girl in your fantasy leagues? I have been the only girl in my keeper league for the last several years. This year, I brought in a new recruit to take over a team. She fit right in! It was a really fun draft ... even if she stole three picks from under my nose. That's ok ... because I know anything can happen in the wonderful world of football!!
A fantasy football tip: Draft a quarterback as late as possible
If you had the first overall pick, who would you take and why? LT (LaDainian Tomlinson) – a true monster. He can run, catch and throw.
Renee's roster
Matt Leinhart, QB, ARI
Frank Gore, RB, SF
Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG
DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR
Chad Johnson, WR, CIN
Deion Branch, WR, SEA
Jeremy Shockey, TE, NYG
Packers, D-ST
Robbie Gould, K
Chad Pennington, QB, NYJ
Chris Henry, RB, Tenn
Leon Washington, RB, NYJ
Bernard Berrian, WR, CHI
Kevin Curtis, WR, PHI
Marcedes Lewis, TE, JAC
Clinton Portis vs. Ronnie Brown continued
Which running back would you rather have? In the Insider Fantasy Football League, the vote was 7-2 in favor of Brown. Here where some of the comments:
"I don't want either of them. Miami is horrible and (Cam) Cameron has everyone wondering whether Brown is going to hang on to the starting role. All I ever hear about (Clinton) Portis is his nagging injury concerns. If I HAD to choose, I guess I'd go with Brown," Mike VanVelson.
"(Clinton) Portis is a reason for people to watch those long ass pre-game shows cause he always seems to be a game-time decision and I'd rather not play the waiting game Sunday morning. A good lineup (regardless of performance) is one where you can SET IT AND FORGET IT!!" Chuck White.
"I had (Clinton) Portis last year, talk about a fantasy nightmare!!! He was capable of putting up great numbers, but week after week it was always a game time decision. If he played then I was gold, if not then I had a big fat goose egg in one of my (running back) slots ... not very good for championship dreams," Hy Swartz.
Stock up, stock down
Q & A with Renee Piccirillo
How did you get into fantasy football? Way back in the day when you still had to check scores in the paper, my boyfriend at the time was in a league at work. I volunteered to be the "secretary" and spent the entire season focused on that league and following all the players. After that, I understood and loved football even more. Then I went out and got my own team.Have you ever won a league? Ha ha. The very first team I ever drafted on my own won it all for me. It was a beautiful thing. It’s been a tumultuous ride since then - lots of ups and downs.
How do you feel about your draft? Eh, it is what it is. I have learned that anything can happen in fantasy football so I try not to sweat it. My boss thinks that Frank Gore sucks and that was a bad pick. Overall, I think I could have drafted a better team, but it was my first draft of the season and I wasn't as prepared as I am now. Can we have a do-over?
If you could have done one thing better in the draft, what would it be? I would have taken a quarterback earlier. I know this is against my usual strategy, but that is one big hole on my roster. It seems like QB's have taken on more value in drafts this year.
Do guys try to intimidate you during a draft? Not at all. My first year I had a problem with a guy who incessantly badgered me for six weeks - I guess he couldn't handle a chick running away with the league. But the rest of the guys ganged up on him and called him out on it. That was fun. But really, I think everyone is just focused on their own draft and they figure if I am sitting there, I must know a thing or two about football. Everyone is pretty mature in every draft I have been in. I even have guy friends who ask for my opinion and have asked me to draft their teams for them.
Are you usually the only girl in your fantasy leagues? I have been the only girl in my keeper league for the last several years. This year, I brought in a new recruit to take over a team. She fit right in! It was a really fun draft ... even if she stole three picks from under my nose. That's ok ... because I know anything can happen in the wonderful world of football!!
A fantasy football tip: Draft a quarterback as late as possible
If you had the first overall pick, who would you take and why? LT (LaDainian Tomlinson) – a true monster. He can run, catch and throw.
Renee's roster
Matt Leinhart, QB, ARI
Frank Gore, RB, SF
Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG
DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR
Chad Johnson, WR, CIN
Deion Branch, WR, SEA
Jeremy Shockey, TE, NYG
Packers, D-ST
Robbie Gould, K
Chad Pennington, QB, NYJ
Chris Henry, RB, Tenn
Leon Washington, RB, NYJ
Bernard Berrian, WR, CHI
Kevin Curtis, WR, PHI
Marcedes Lewis, TE, JAC
Clinton Portis vs. Ronnie Brown continued
Which running back would you rather have? In the Insider Fantasy Football League, the vote was 7-2 in favor of Brown. Here where some of the comments:
"I don't want either of them. Miami is horrible and (Cam) Cameron has everyone wondering whether Brown is going to hang on to the starting role. All I ever hear about (Clinton) Portis is his nagging injury concerns. If I HAD to choose, I guess I'd go with Brown," Mike VanVelson.
"(Clinton) Portis is a reason for people to watch those long ass pre-game shows cause he always seems to be a game-time decision and I'd rather not play the waiting game Sunday morning. A good lineup (regardless of performance) is one where you can SET IT AND FORGET IT!!" Chuck White.
"I had (Clinton) Portis last year, talk about a fantasy nightmare!!! He was capable of putting up great numbers, but week after week it was always a game time decision. If he played then I was gold, if not then I had a big fat goose egg in one of my (running back) slots ... not very good for championship dreams," Hy Swartz.
Stock up, stock down
(Associated Press file photo/2007)
Stock up: Joseph Addai ran for over 1,000 yards last year while getting about half of the his teams carries and Addai didn’t start a single game. He can caught the ball out of the backfield and Colts like to run the ball. I expect a great year from Addai, and would take him as high as No. 3.
Stock down: Marshawn Lynch was the second running back taken in the NFL draft, but the Buffalo Bills projected starter has been pretty bad this preseason. Lynch has 28 yards rushing on 16 attempts for an average rush of 1.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, backup Fred Jackson has rushed 30 times for 125 yards and a 4.2 avg.
