5 Keys To The Perfect Draft"Fantasy Drafting" is an art form that should not be taken lightly. The better prepared an owner is on "Draft Day", the better his team will be, come playoffs and the Super Bowl. Here are 5 keys to help you draft "The Perfect Draft". 1.) Know your leagues scoring system. The many leagues that I have taken part in have all had different scoring systems. A player that may do well in one league's scoring system may be lacking in another. Avoid drafting a player just for his name. Let the other owners do that. That is a trap that many owners fall victim to. Just because a player is well known it doesn't mean he is going to score you fantasy points. After all "Fantasy Point Scoring" is what this game is all about. Stats are the single most important thing in Fantasy Football not a marquee players name or his character or accomplishments off the field. It's a cold business but it is what it is. n touchdown leagues your players have to produce TD's. Yardage is nice but doesn't help you. A player can get 200 yards but if he doesn't score a TD then you don't score. In yardage leagues although TD's are nice they aren't all that's important. Pick the players who fit your leagues scoring system. 2.) Make sure you have a plan in place. Don't "wing it" on draft day. Sure you can get lucky from time to time, but it just isn't a smart way to approach this whole thing. Try to stick to your game plan but don't be afraid to adjust and improvise according to how your particular draft is going. Most drafts consist of runs on a particular position. Suddenly everyone is drafting a Kicker or Team Defense or a Tight End. Don't fall into this trap unless it fits your plan. This is a hard thing to do but fight the urge to follow the crowd. Don't be afraid to draft a player that you can use for a trade later on. If a great player is available grab him and stash him. If you have this player then the other owners do not. Know the status of injuries. Maybe a player who is hurt will slide and you can pick him up in the latter rounds to have extra late season success or a blockbuster trade. Don't be the guy who drafts a player who is injured and doesn't produce a single point for you. Check the injury updates as close to draft time as possible. Draft a player to trade? Yes, it is OK to do this but not at the expense of your team. Remember the "Plan". 3.) Running Back, Running Back, Running Back. Did I mention Running Back? From my experience this position is the key to your team's success. Unless of course your league does not relish the RB. The positions of most importance are 1. RB 2. QB 3.WR 4. Team Def 5. Kicker 6. TE. If your league also merits individual defensive players, check their value in scoring in your league and adjust this list accordingly. 4.) Know the NFL teams your players are playing for. What? This means is it a good team or a bad team. It really does make a difference. A #1 receiver on a bad team statistically should and will be better than a #3 and most cases a #2 receiver on a good team. Learn each NFL teams depth chart. I can't stress this enough. Don't be afraid to draft a #1 player from a so called bad team. Chances are he will be called upon to do the majority of scoring for that team. A running back is only as good as the offensive coordinator. A wide out is only as good as the QB throwing to him. A kicker is only as good as his offense. Well, not always. If his team scores TD's he does not get FG's. FG's are always worth more than Point After's. When drafting a kicker try to get a kicker from a team who can move the ball but has trouble scoring in the "Red Zone" (Inside the 20 yardline for any newbie's out there). This translates into FG's and more points for you. So while the other owners are drafting kickers from explosive offenses hold off and draft a kicker who will score you point's and never ever before the 7th or 8th round. Kickers are usually always late round picks. 5.) The type of league you have is also important in your decision making. "Keeper Leagues" and "Career Leagues" It is important in the back of your mind to look forward to the future. Think about next year before this one starts? Yes, let me explain. Don't make it a priority but maybe certain players will slide to the latter rounds because they are a year or two away from Stat Stardom. Most Wide Out's usually hit their stride in their 3rd year in the league. Don't pick these players early because even though you have an eye toward the future, you are drafting to win this year too but wouldn't you like to have a dynasty on your hands. These players are late round picks and should not be in your top 3 in any position. In real deep leagues you can stash them on your bench. Leagues in which you re-draft all players every year, time is of the essence. You need your players to score for you right now, not in the future. In this type of league if a player is not ready, Do Not draft him period. Use these keys for your draft when you are designing your draft day game plan and you will draft a winning team this year and ever year after. |
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