Draft Strategies

DRAFT STRATEGIES

Year in and year out, you have to prepare yourself for your fantasy draft. Each year is different due to trades, free agent pick ups and rookies joining the fun. This year for 2015 is much different than the past few years due to several issues. I am writing this article to help 10 to 16 man leagues draft more efficient in the hopes that you will have a team with depth to get you to the playoffs. Below are different aspects you should look at while drafting.

Position Priority

If you haven't looked at the fantasy football rankings by the provider you use, you might want to. You would realize how one position is short on great players, while another one is stacked with talent. Below is a list in order by priority.

1. Running Back: Running Backs are at an all time low for fantasy owners. In previous years, you could hold off on drafting running backs due to there being 15 to 20 to choose from that would put up points consistently. This year there are only 9 to 10 running backs that are guaranteed to be consistent or not be a 50/50 chance of being a bust. Bad news is that most of these guys will be gone by the mid-second round in most leagues. Running back this year is the most important position to draft due to the scarcity. Draft 1 of these guys or take a risk of having a weak position on your roster.

2. Tight End: A great tight end was hard to find last year. It seemed that tight ends didn't have av consistent season except for a few elite ones. Outside of Graham and Gronk, there are only 4 other tight ends in my opinion that will give you points every week instead of giving you disappointing numbers half the season. Why worry about your tight end if you draft correctly? I believe the tight end position is not a first round draft pick. If you draft a tight end in the first round, get ready to have a rough year. If you draft Gronk or Graham, draft them at the end of the second or further. Draft the positions that you need multiple of first in the early rounds. That being said, even though the position is number 2 on my priority list, DON'T DRAFT IT TOO EARLY!

3. Quarterback: There are a lot of quarterbacks on the market in fantasy football. The reason they are at number 3 on my list is because I am in a 12 man custom league that starts 2 quarterbacks. For all of you that are in the base 1 quarterback leagues, this position can go to 4. Quarterbacks in my league get drafted fast. As you know, this position can give you a ton of points if you draft the elite ones. Be smart of who you draft and when because at quarterback, the Top 3 do the exact same as the next 7 by the end of the season. 

4. Wide Receiver: This is my favorite position and I lean on it every year. Usually, 2 out of my first 3 picks are wide receiver. This year on the other hand, there are so many of them to choose from. I do believe if you want to have the advantage in your league, draft 1 elite one. After that, you should be fine due to the mass selection. 

5. Kicker: Kickers actually give you consistent points if you have the right one on your team. I usually draft my kicker the second to last pick of the draft. I base my pick off the kickers schedule. I recommend going off how many indoor games they will have (The More the Better). Don't make the rookie mistake of looking at your roster during your draft and try to fill empty starting slots instead of filling up your bench with studs. Be smart, it's just a kicker. There are more than enough to rotate throughout the season depending on their match-ups.

6. Defense: Defense is the last thing you need to think about. I love when the people in my league draft a Defense in the middle of the draft. Why the heck would you do that? It helps your opponents stack their bench and have an advantage in the long run. You draft a defense early, you end up losing games later in the season. 

Even  though these are my rankings by priority, you have to make adjustments during your draft. This is actually the most important step in drafting a championship team. Depending on what spot you are drafting in, you need to see what positions are being drafted and keep a tally. This will help you adjust your pick to see which position is a higher priority at that time. Warning: If you make this adjustment and that position is not the best choice at that given time, don't draft it because that will make your team a bit more weak.

Last, always try to get a quarterback and wide receiver combo. This will give you an advantage when they are both getting touchdowns. It makes your opponents hate playing you and that is what you want. 

All this being said, make sure you do your studying before your draft. I always recommend a custom league like I have in Yahoo Fantasy Football (Post can be read in an earlier blog) so that it is more difficult and challenging for everyone. The number 1 draft rule is, DON'T OVER DRAFT A PLAYER!

I hope you all enjoyed this section and if you have questions or comments, email me at ffltalk@gmail.com and follow me on TWITTER @ffltalk

CHEERS!