Fantasy Football 101

With the fantasy football season rapidly approaching, us fantasy football General Managers engross ourselves in stats, rankings, sleepers, and plotting out our draft boards. Every GM has their own strategy, their own method on draft day, that they feel is the winning formula. One thing is true of EVERY fantasy drafts as soon as the draft beginnings and the first pick is made your draft board goes out the window.
Drafting can be a stressful and trying time for fantasy GMs, so here are some simple guidelines that one could use to to help them through the draft.

1) Do not panic! Just because your top 5 running backs on your draft board got picked before you could grab them does not mean there isn’t quality talent. Remember there are 32 NFL teams that all have starting RBs (even committee backs can have fantasy value as a number 2 or flex position)

2) Quality over quantity. The space on your roster is finite, so just because you have 5 number 3 WR on your roster does not mean they will all show up every week with points. Go for teams number 1 or 2 receivers, even if you need to reach a round.

3) Never reach for players, unless you want to reach. This my seem counter-intuitive but reaching for players out of need is a sure way of losing value and talent. However, reaching for players out of want can pay off. If you have that player ranked higher on your draft board then the “experts” why not go for it, its your team.

4) Don’t be afraid to take two players on the same team, but only if they are good. A prefect example of this would be Deck, Thomas, or Welker on Denver, if you drafted Thomas in the 3rd and Decker is there in the 6th this would be the perfect time where talent and value meets. You can always trade him.

5) Sleepers are great, but don’t draft too many. Sleeper picks are great and can become your bread and butter, as a sleeper pick could turn into a 1st round value. however, don’t have too many picks invested in sleepers, as they all won’t pay off, so draft with caution and purpose.

6) Play the waiver wire. Once the draft is over watch the waiver wire, as some value picks may have slipped through the cracks.

7) Pick Jaguars, the ultimate sleeper picks. Take advantage of people hating on the Jags. Maurice Jones-Drew is not exactly a sleeper but he does represent value. Cecil Shorts will be gaining greater attention but what about Ace Sanders, or Denard Robinson. Use people’s negligence against them.

8) DO NOT DRINK AND DRAFT. Keep a clear head, and take advantage of other people hitting the bottle too soon. There will be plenty of time to drink and celebrate your ultimate victory at the end of the season.

So here are my Eight Simple Rules for Drafting my Fantasy Team.

Happy Drafting.

– Kyle Messina