A Fantasy Draft Now? Not...

Obviously, this blog's appearance needs lots of work, and I'll be making improvements over the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, here is my initial post on Fantasy Football 2011.
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Last week an energetic fantasy football enthusiast invited me to join his league.

"C'mon dude, my draft is on Sunday."

This Sunday?

With so many unknowns due to the NFL player lockout?

How can anyone evaluate teams and talent when we have can view only about 50% of what each organization will look like when (ok if) the season opens in September.

Anyway, I respectfully declined the invitation, and here are five questions that I want to be able to better answer before I participate in any fantasy draft:

5) How is Maurice Jones-Drew's Surgically Repaired Knee?

MJD has been an elite fantasy performer for many years and produced well in 2010 despite an injury-plagued season while playing for a below-average team (bad defense and sub par quarterbacking).

Will his knee be 100% during training camp? Did the lockout help or hinder his rehab? The answers to these questions will not only impact MJD, but his talented back-up Rashad Jennings.

4) Where will Kevin Kolb be Traded?

The expendable but capable Eagles QB will most certainly be traded during 2011, but will he go to the 49ers, Seahawks, Cardinals, or somewhere else? Kolb's fantasy value will have a wide variation depending on his team and how soon the Eagles make a deal.

3) Which QB will the Cardinals Acquire?

Larry Fitzgerald had another 1,000 yard season despite a revolving door at the Cardinals's signal caller. Trading for Kolb would push Fitzgerald's draft status from around 30 into the top 20--where the top WRs are. Also, having Kolb and the threat of a passing game would make Arizona running backs (Ryan Williams, Beanie Wells, and Tim Hightower) more appealing.

2) Which Starting RBs will Return to His 2010 Team?

Will Ahmad Bradshaw return to the Giants? Bengals officials have declared that resigning Cedric Benson is a priority, but will it happen (His arrest this weekend does not help)? Will the Panthers or another team reward DeAngelo Williams with a new contract--despite a down 2010 and a foot injury?

With these three top 25 RBs, I want to more information before investing a high draft pick on them.

1) Will Chris Johnson Holdout?

The Titans and their star running back were not able to reach an agreement on a new contract prior to the labor problems, and reports have Johnson as dissatisfied. Will the top fantasy player decide to holdout and skip training camp? What if the issue results in him missing regular season games?

If the two parties are feuding, would it not be easier to grab one of the other elite fantasy RBs like Adrian Peterson, Arian Foster, or Jaamal Charles and let one of your competitors take the risk on Johnson?

With Johnson and the other questions, it is wise to wait on any fantasy drafts until free agency is over and the teams are showing us something during the preseason.

Selections now would involve too many rolls of the dice and likely translate to a much more stressful rather than enjoyable season.