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Fantasy drafting do's and don'ts
| By Jason Garcia | about 2 months ago | NFL | | 0 | Comments | |
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So you’ve finally caved and decided to join the legions of fantasy football players this season. You’re a big NFL fan and you know your stuff, but you’re still uneasy about your first-ever draft. Draft day is approaching and the fear of being ridiculed by your fellow brethren feels like the first day of school again – except this time the nerds will be picking on you.
No fear, here’s some fantasy pointers to quell your anxiety.
1. Be sure to get two top running backs early. My first-ever fantasy draft was the only time I haven’t taken a running back in the first round, and I almost always go running back in the first two rounds. Things have changed over the last few years as more teams go to two-running back attacks. That has opened the door for receivers like Andre Johnson, Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald to emerge as late first- or early second-rounders.
2. Don’t draft a quarterback in the first round. Here’s the projected top QB from each of the last four seasons – Peyton Manning (2006), Tom Brady (2007), Drew Brees (2008) and Aaron Rodgers (2009). Notice a trend? The top fantasy quarterback changes almost on a yearly basis so why go for Rodgers in the first round this year if you can get Brady or Manning a round or two later. Even better, why not just wait a little longer to get Philip Rivers, Tony Romo or Matt Schaub? Truth be told, even if Rodgers does repeat as the best fantasy QB, the difference between his final stats and those of Manning, Brady and Brees will likely be negligible. With a greater drop off between the elite crop and the next tier of running backs and receivers, you’re better off targeting those positions first.
3. Pay attention to bye weeks, but don’t live by them. If you’re stuck choosing between two players, bye weeks make for an excellent tiebreaker. Example: You’re torn between Marion Barber and Brandon Jacobs and have Romo as your starting QB. Since you already have Romo on your squad, go with Jacobs so you don’t have two likely starters sitting out the same week. On the other hand, if you grade one player higher than another, don’t not draft him because he has the same bye week as another guy on your team, especially if that bye week is later in the season. Injuries, trades and depth chart changes will wreak havoc by that time and you can’t predict the future so go with the player you like the most.
4. Don’t waste a premium pick on a tight end. Yes, Antonio Gates and Dallas Clark are studs, but tight ends aren’t usually going to make or break your fantasy team. I’m more than comfortable letting other owners spend early picks on those guys and grabbing a guy like Chris Cooley or Visanthe Shiancoe later on.
5. Don’t be the first – or second owner, for that matter, to take a fantasy defense. The Steelers and Ravens are perennial top picks, but who cares? Right now, the Cowboys and Saints are ninth and 10th on Mock Draft Central, some 50-60 spots below the top-rated Jets. Now here’s the fantasy points for those three teams in standard scoring leagues last season: Jets (161), Saints (158) and Cowboys (138). The 23-point difference over 16 games is about 1.5 points per week. See what I’m getting at? Not worth it! Strengthen your roster’s depth first before worrying about defenses.
6. Save the kickers for the last round. They’re a dime a dozen and you’d have just as much luck picking one out of a hat.
7. Don't be THAT guy! THAT guy is the guy that doesn't have a pick in mind when he's on the clock, calls out a player that was drafted five rounds earlier, or forces the rest of the crowd into laughter with an obviously horrible pick. Easy tip: Have at least two guys that you're targeting ready as your draft slot approaches, although proper preparation will be the only thing to save you from humiliation.
Category: NFL
Tags:
Dallas Clark, Larry Fitzgerald, Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Aaron Rodgers, Visanthe Shiancoe, Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub, Antonio Gates, Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, Chris Cooley, Brandon Jacobs, Marion Barber, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning
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