Now that you’ve got all your preparation taken care of that we outlined in Your 2017 Disaster Football Season, it’s time for the next step in your fantasy football recovery. The Draft.
Draft day, of course, is the most important day in your fantasy football season, and it’s important to be the smartest person in the room. You will be. But how?
There are a few keys I like to keep in mind that I like to remember going into the draft, that nearly always translate into a successful draft.
Stick to the Fantasy Football Rankings
In most circumstances I wouldn’t recommend becoming a slave to fantasy football rankings. But in this case, they’re YOUR rankings! Right? If you did them yourself, you know exactly where a player should fall. You avoid reaching for a player, and the potentially fatal error of getting impulsive. Impulsive decisions can torpedo a well-prepared draft board. Just stick to the script.
Quarterback Can Wait
Fantasy quarterbacks come in tiers. All position groups do, but ESPECIALLY quarterbacks.
If you can get a first-tier quarterback, and that’s how you want to grab a bulk of your points, go for it. I don’t recommend it being your top priority, especially if your league only counts touchdown passes as being four points, but it’s not a fantasy killer.
Outside of that tier, however, very little separates the next 7-10 quarterbacks in value. Most times, there will only be a fifty point difference between the top and bottom of that next tier. Over the course of a season, that’s just over three points per week. You can make up those points by selecting your third running back, or fourth wide receiver, and getting your flex taken care of while someone else is reaching to get, say, Matthew Stafford. You’ll be able to wait several rounds, shore up key positions, and snag a Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, or Cam Newton, and only give up 2-3 points per week to do so. You’re now ahead of the game at RB/WR/FLEX while getting similar points at QB.
Start the Run on Fringe Positions
There are three ‘fringe positions’ in traditional fantasy football: Tight End, Defense, and Kicker. You’re already ahead of the game because you beefed up on key positions while others reached for their starting (and in some cases, their backup) quarterbacks. Use that advantage to grab the highest ranked players at the fringe spots. Tight End is similar to QB in that there is a definitive top tier. Outside of those two or three guys, UNLIKE quarterback, be the first to snag a second-tier tight end.
Be the first or second to snag a defense.
That doesn’t mean be that homer fantasy player that takes his or her home team’s defense in the 5th round. Don’t over-draft the top defenses, but do it when it makes sense. You’ve got your QB, your starting WR and RB are knocked out, you’re thinking about backups, and flex… that’s a time to start looking at grabbing your defense.
Be the first or second to snag a kicker (Less important than the other two, but when you get a couple twenty point performances from your highly ranked kicker, you’re going to love it)
These three positions can really help make the difference from week to week, and if you can be getting the top guy or #2 guy at each, it’s going to give you the edge to win your close match-ups.
Keep Your Fantasy Football Focus
Finally, and maybe the most difficult, keep that mind clear. There will probably be lots of things floating around the draft party. Maybe beer. Possibly tequila. Maybe other stuff that’s going to make the brain fuzzy and the decisions loosey-goosey. Whatever it is, let the other fantasy owners jump all over that fun embitterment. Meanwhile, you’ll be smoking the competition.
Next: 2018 Dyanasty Football League Rookie Rankings
Fantasy Football Recovery Part Two: The Draft
A bad fantasy season is something that can plague anybody. But your recovery is what will plague the rest of the league. As you’re hoisting your trophy at the end of the season.