With the sixth pick in The Hazean’s mock fantasy draft, Curveballs selects …

I am participating in The Hazean’s mock fantasy draft, and I am now on the clock. The first picks in The Hazean’s draft were:

1. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers [TINO Sports Page]
2. Steven Jackson, RB, Rams [The Hazean]
3. Joseph Addai, RB, Colts [MWC Football]
4. Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs [Blaine Clancy]
5. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers [Fantasy Football Librarian]

Conventional fantasy wisdom is to pick a running back first (though I have been known to take Peyton Manning first if available later in the middle rounds), and I set about to find the best available back. The best available back is Shaun Alexander. Alexander’s ailing foot presents a problem, however, and it is a big red flag for me. Alexander claimed recently that his foot was fine and would be ready to go by the start of the season, but I have been burned one too many times by the nagging, recurring injuries of a running back. Alexander, therefore, is too great a risk for my fantasy team, and I can’t waste my first pick on a guy that might go down in the first game or be unsteady on his feet. These are the guys who remained in the picture as my potential picks for running back: Brian Westbrook, Ronnie Brown, and Willie Parker. Others may like Laurence Maroney, Rudi Johnson, or Edgerrin James, but Westbrook, Brown, and Parker are the three guys that I think are going to get it done in a big way this year.

One of my favorite backs in the NFL is Westbrook. After taking Peyton Manning in the first round last year, I took Westbrook as my number one back in the second round, surprising many of my fellow fantasy owners. After a great season last year, Westbrook is, in my opinion, the second-best all purpose back in the NFL behind L Train. The man can do it all, and he is especially deadly coming out of the backfield as a receiver. With injuries nagging him mid-season, he was still able to accumulate 1200 yards rushing and seven rushing touchdowns, all while hauling in 700 yards receiving and four receiving touchdowns. He had a great season, and I expect him to be even better this year with McNabb back in the lineup.

Brown is yet another back that I expect great things out of this year. I have watched this kid closely since college, looking on as Brown and his partner in crime at Auburn, Cadillac Williams, tore through the defenses of the Southeastern Conference and my beloved Tennessee Volunteers. He has been fairly consistent as an NFL back over the past two years, accumulating around 1000 yards and four or five rushing touchdowns each year. He was also good for 200-300 yards receiving. Brown has not reached his full potential as of yet, but I think that this year he is going to come into his own. With Trent Green bringing some stability to the quarterback position, it will open up the field for Brown to run a bit. Add to that the suspension of Ricky Williams, and Brown will get lion’s share of the carries while rookie, Lorenzo Booker, gets acclimated to the NFL. My major concern with Brown, though, is the fact that he still has to run behind those weak Dolphins linemen. Until they can get it together, don’t expect Brown to put up the kind of numbers he is capable of, but I still think he is a solid first round pick.

I also like the Steelers’ Willie Parker, who had his best year last year after the backfield was freed up by the retirement of Jerome Bettis. Parker put up 1500 yards last year with a respectable thirteen touchdowns. He isn’t the best receiving back around, but if he cranks out yards and touchdowns on the ground like he did last year, he will be a great back to build a fantasy team around. He also had a couple 200 yard games, and I anticipate him doing more of the same.

Peyton Manning, the quarterback with the “laser-rocket arm,” was also a consideration. This man needs no explanation, and if I was one spot later in the draft, he might have come off the board in front of Brown or Parker.

My pick is going to have a great year, and I expect him to stay healthy and have his best season yet. He will put up solid numbers both running and receiving out of the backfield, so he gives me a dual threat. The heart of the team, his quarterback Donovan McNabb, should be healthy, and the team is assuredly playoff bound barring injuries and other such disasters. Even though I like a couple of the other guys vying for this spot, I once again suprise fantasy owners by selecting with the sixth pick, Brian Westbrook.