Draft Strategy

[Men In Tights]

I am assuming I read this somewhere on here but couldn't tell you where...But... This is lengthy but hopefully worthwhile.

 

Only you know your leaguemates and how they draft best. You need to figure out who you think your leaguemates will pick in the first two rounds, and beyond, and use that to your advantage. If 9-RB's go in front of you why not take Steve Smith-Chad Johnson-Or TO and then look to get someone like Thomas Jones and Edge in the 3rd and 4th. Just about every mock you look at shows RB's dominate the 1st and 2nd round but not every league has drafts that go like that. For example, In my local league the first round usually consists of 7-RB's, 2-WR's, and 1=QB, then the 2nd round is usally close to the same, with maybe 3--Wr's and at least 1-QB. Then the 3rd round you will see about 7-Wr's, so with that said some good RB sleepers will fall in the 3rd/4th.

 

Just my humble opinion but the better you understand your leaguemates tendencies the more likely you are to draft a better team. You know the guys that will go RB-RB no matter what, the guy that will take Peyton, the guy that will jump on that defense in the 6th, and the list goes on and on.

 

Let me just state this again, you can get all the advice about draft strategy you want, but you should know, and if you don't know you need to learn, your leaguemates tendencies. Once you do this you will be able to put together a very solid draft strategy.

 

I also believe that your team is made between rounds 4-8. The first three rounds are typically filled with studs, and while you will have some that underperform/get injured, rounds 4-8 are typically where your true draft skills show up. Picking a top 36 player is easy, picking from the top 100 and finding that guy, like TJ Houshyourmama that can become like a tier 1 WR is a whole different ballgame.

 

I know this is a lot to read, but I hope it is also worthwhile. I would also like to hear feedback from you.

[Spartans91]

I really agree with this post. I will always mock draft my own league, assuming picks based on prior years selections and tendencies (things likes - Team 1 took Rudi in the first round last year and won the league, he drafts in a similar spot this year = more likely to take Rudi again this year).

 

Also important and maybe overlooked with more rookie fantasy players is the importance of tracking the each team's draft picks by position. So, if you see that the 3 teams that pick between your 4th and 5th round picks (6 picks total between them) already have their top 2RBs after three rounds but are light on WR, TE, QB or whatever and you still need your RB2, you may be able to take a WR first (4th round) and RB second (5th round). Here you assume that those guys are more likely to nab a WR then RB based on their own need, so if you rush to take the RB the WR pool gets drained before your 5th round pick.

 

The best GMs are the ones who think about every possible angle and their fellow GM tendencies.

 

Thanks for writing such a well thought out post.

[Zooty]

Well said

 

Other owners tendencies and remaining flexible to grab falling players is key

 

 

And don't forget, just because QBs get 6 pts per TD doesn't make Peyton a 1st round value.

[Thews40]

One point overlooked by a lot of leagues is the scoring system. A PPR league will value some players much more than others, and a QB heavily scoring system may warrant picking a top QB early. The cheatsheet lemmings will pick from the list, so also know what list they'll be picking from... makes predicting who you want where you want them more predictable. Also, don't wait for the improbable round to grab your cuff. Don't freak out either, but if you predict that your cuff will go before your next pick, it's better to pay more than watch every week on pins and needles that your stud doesn't get hurt.

[Men In Tights]

Shameless bump but I think this is important.

[Bronco Billy]

That's great advice! Thanks a ton!

 

Now, who should I darft in the seventh round if I've got pick 1.02 in a serpentine draft that starts in 2 weeks?

 

 

Seriously - those are sage words. I really don't know how anyone can reasonably predict the future of a draft without knowing the owners involved. Owners wanting to talk keepers, compare players, rank players by position. etc are all well & good, but some of the other questions are well betond the bounds of anyone except a fortune teller.

[Men In Tights]

Now, who should I darft in the seventh round if I've got pick 1.02 in a serpentine draft that starts in 2 weeks?

 

The Chicago defense and never look back. Let everyone else in your league laugh all they want.