Fantasy football: A primer for 2008
July 27th, 2008 by ep
Many players have their own idea how a fantasy football draft is supposed to work. Draft two running backs with your first two picks is the most popular strategy, but I’m here to tell you to think a little differently this year.
You can find information and statistics to back up this sentiment on a lot of Web sites and in a lot of magazines this year. Plain and simple, the value is at quarterback and wide receiver. It flies in the face of everything we know and love about fantasy football, but it is the truth.
Here are some things to think about going into your fantasy football draft preparation and the draft itself:
- There are plenty of running backs to go around. Yes, the studs are still studs. There are still 6 or so running backs that are must drafts, but after that there are a bunch of guys that are either aging vets sharing platoons or young guns sharing platoons or young guys who might share platoons.
- Wide receivers are the most valuable position. The field at WR is the most top heavy in fantasy football this year. There’s Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and maybe Reggie Wayne, and that’s it as far as the standout guys. At a position that gets two starts per week in most leagues, getting one of those big three will make your team great. After those three there still is another group that is similar to the running backs situation, as in lots of quality receivers with question marks, and the potential to break out.
- Don’t wait until the 10th round to get a quarterback. This is a strategy I have used in the past to some great success — I had an unbeaten regular season one year with a QB I picked later than the 10th round. But in our changing NFL, you can’t think that way anymore. Getting one of the top 10 QBs is crucial, and like the WR position, getting Tom Brady or Peyton Manning will give you a serious edge against the competition.
- Kickers and defenses. I’ll post more in depth about a lot of topics as we progress toward the season, but these two positions will definitely get some extra words. Just a couple bullet points to think about: bow to the sneaky important trio of K-Def-TE; Don’t pick a kicker until one of the last rounds; wait until the final third of your draft to pick a defense; K, Def, TE are the crapshoot positions of every fantasy draft.
- Know your scoring system. I cannot stress this enough. If you’re league has a point per reception format, or it rewards you for length of TDs, most fantasy football magazine rankings are going to be off. For example, Brian Westbrook is a god in PPR leagues. David Garrard drops considerably in a league that rewards for long TDs.
- Don’t just show up to the draft. This kind of goes with the above sentiment, because picking up a magazine on your way to the draft is not a winning strategy. I don’t care if you use value-based drafting, tier-based drafting, or your own gut-check list, but do not simply go by “what the magazine says.” My first ever draft was like that, and it was awful. I lucked into a trade that was really bad for the other guy, you may not be so lucky. Just take a few minutes to go online where you’ll find plenty of free sites, including yahoo and rotoworld, with updates and updated lists. Even if you just watch SportsCenter or check ESPN.com on occasion, you’ll be ahead of Bud from delivery who rambles into the draft a few minutes late because he had to pick up a fantasy mag. Build your strategy based on a combination of all the information you gather.
- Know your opponents. This is another item that you’ll find on other Web sites, but it is truth. If you know Bill from accounting picks a rookie in every round from five through 18, you pick a rookie you want before his picks and know that a sleeper veteran will fall past him. Also if Alice from PR always picks her favorite players, you can select accordingly when you draft around her. By picking up on slight tells, yes like playing poker, you can win your draft. It also helps you determine potential trade partners later in the year.
- Once draft day arrives, please have fun. This will likely be the only time your entire league is together in the same place just for fun. Be all business when it’s your pick, but treat it like a party every other time. If it’s an option imbibe, but not too much because you need to stay focused. Eat pizza, but not so much you’re going to fall asleep. Talk and joke around.
I could go on because there’s more to discuss. Each of these points can be explained in even more detail, but following these basic guidelines will help any type of fantasy player to be better.
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments section below.
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3 Responses to “Fantasy football: A primer for 2008”
[...] talked about such craziness before the season started at Sloppy Potatoes and made that play this year, picking Moss and Wayne in one of my leagues. While [...]
[...] old favorite fantasy football site. The correspondence was a year late and a couple drafts short. I talked about such craziness before the season started at Sloppy Potatoes and made that play this year, picking Moss and Wayne in one of my leagues. While [...]
[...] serviceable backs. I also recommended picking top tier wide receivers instead, it’s not the first time I did such a thing, not even [...]
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