With the NFL season right around the corner, people everywhere are preparing for fantasy football. Over the past few years it has grown into one of the biggest trends in the nation. Whether the league is for money, for fun or even for practice, not everyone knows how to execute an efficient fantasy football draft.
The following is a list of dos and don’ts that can help anyone and everyone become properly prepared for their fantasy draft. There are a handful of preparations you can take during the few weeks prior to their draft along with some knowledge about drafts that can effectively make you one of the best drafters in your league.
With that said, the most important aspect to factor into drafting is basically being informed. The offseason is long and full of changes. One minute a player can be effective and worth a draft pick and the next day he can be out with a season ending injury.
Anyway, without any further ado, the dos and don’ts of a fantasy football draft.
[new page = Do check league format – Scoring, # of teams and Roster]
Every league is different. Some have eight teams, some fourteen. The first thing you want to do is find out how your league operates. Score systems change between all leagues. You want to find out what positions will give you the most points and typically it is going to be the quarterback. This will really change who you should draft first overall.
You also want to figure out what the roster will look like. Will you have one QB, two WR, two RB, a TE, a WR/RB or even a WR/RB/TE? You have to know what positions you are going to need so you can plan out your draft accordingly.
[new page = Don’t go in blind]
The only thing that you shouldn’t know going into your draft is your spot in the draft order. That is because typical drafts don’t release the order until minutes before the draft begins.
[new page = Do mock drafts]
Mock drafts can really help you get a feel for the draft. It is good to see how other people will possibly draft and what rounds each position is being taken. They are a very good tool to get a little practice prior to your draft day.
[new page = Don’t reach for players]
While sleepers and rookies seem like they could have a great season, they must not be picked too early in the draft. Yes, they could be worth it, but it is a huge risk. Do not pass up on steady veteran players for a rookie that you could potentially draft the following round.
[new page = Do find sleepers and back-ups]
Sleepers and back-ups can be very helpful in saving your fantasy team. With that said they must not start until they have proven themselves. These are picks you should make to fill up your bench. Back-ups and sleepers are important bench players in case they get on a hot streak or a starter gets injured, they are there to quickly fill in. With that said remember not to reach for players.
[new page = Don’t forget about bye weeks]
When picking players remember to check what their bye week is so you don’t end up with four starts that all have the same bye week. You don’t want to start four back-ups on week eight during a playoff push.
[new page = Do compare draft boards]
Forums such as Yahoo, ESPN, NFL.com, CBS and others will all release their big board of players. However, none of the will be exactly the same. Taking a look at all of these boards and cross checking for similarities and differences can help you find solid players at a cheap price while helping you avoid taking an overrated player.
[new page = Don’t play favorites]
You can be the biggest Cleveland Browns fan in the world, but do not waste picks on several Browns players. Try to take a diversity of players across the league so you aren’t stuck praying for one team to dominate every week. Favorites do not win fantasy.
[new page = Do stay up to date on NFL information]
During the offseason and even the pre-season players will be getting hurt and possibly getting traded. Do not draft a player without knowing he has just torn his ACL. Staying informed is one of the biggest keys toward success in fantasy football. For example, Eric Decker is not going to have nearly close to the same numbers as last year because he is no longer being thrown to by Peyton Manning.
[new page = Don’t wait to make picks]
Once you make your fist pick in the draft, do not wait for it to be your turn to start thinking about your next pick. Find three or four players you like, from best to worst, and unless they all get taken in between your picks, you should be ready to call out a name as it becomes your turn.