Draft Your Team With Depth: 5 Tips For a Better Fantasy NFL Season
Written by playerpress.com, Saturday September 03 2011
By: Rich Bergeron
It's that time of year again. It's crunch time for drafting your fantasy team. The regular NFL season many fans thought they'd never see is creeping ever closer. New players with new teams and very little time to fully prepare for a full schedule of NFL games will go to work next week. So, draft your team wisely.
It's always nice to know that when your home team's not doing so hot you can still root for all your fantasy players to have career days. Here's 5 draft rules specifically geared toward this year's NFL fantasy draft.
Draft Rule #1: Last year was last year. Don't bet on a trend to continue. There's too much turnover in this league, and new players on new teams don't always mesh with a new way of playing. Players like Houston Texan Arian Foster were fierce last year, but they are a bit banged up going into this season. Many of these sure-thing blockbusters (based on last year's numbers) are now surrounded by different squads. Keep in mind that some proven winners are getting older and slowing down.
Draft Rule #2: Go deep. Get three quarterbacks you can rely on. Three or four running backs are nice to have, too. Running backs typically rake up the most points if you can land one of the best ones in the league. Defenses and kickers can be expendable. You can sign free agents any day of the week in many leagues. Pick wide receivers who are proven performers. This year Plaxico Burress is an irresistable draw in the draft at wide receiver due to his lanky height and vertical leaping ability. Greg Jennings of the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers is a rising star who always puts up good numbers and is a good draft if you can get him. When drafting receivers think of the best QB and receiver chemistry. Draft the go to guy for that quarterback when the team needs a touchdown.
Draft Rule #3: Don't underestimate the need for a good tight end pickup. Don't get stuck with a blocking tight end because you didn't do your research. Some tight ends will be put in new schemes with new teams this year and might explode their already impressive numbers. Others will be busts. Try to draft proven winners like Charger Antonio Gates, Steeler Heath Miller, Falcon Tony Gonzalez, Colt Dallas Clark and Cowboy Jason Witten.
Draft Rule #4: Stack your backs. You should get the kind of running team other team owners will drool over. Figure out which backs look the best after the preseason and which guys are due to explode. Match your best prospects with the backs who are the sole big name back of their team. Who is the goal-line stance back? Find out who a certain team tends to give the rock to in order to break the plane, and you have a guaranteed fantasy point scorer when his team is playing a great game. Playing the wrong back for the wrong game can sometimes be a nightmare, so go with guys who are top guns with the best offensive teams. Consistency is key.
Draft Rule #5: Pile it on. Draft three or four complete teams as a fantasy player each year for the best experience. That way it gets a little harder for you to have a bad week since at least one of your four teams is bound to win. Also, you'll get better at drafting when you notice how other draftees are selecting their teams. Go with a site that has a free option if your a first-time fantasy player. You don't want to lose money to just learn some important basic lessons.
Fantasy football is a spectator sport, but it requires a little maintenance work to get the best out of your assembly of players. These are the guys you hope will have bustout days at the office every Sunday this season. Watch your teams and manage them tightly. A side effect of being a good fantasy football player is watching a ton of sports highlight shows. Some are even devoted solely to fantasy team analysis. Check your local schedule and watch every NFL show and game you can to witness your players in action. Take notes about who's out there crushing the competition and might still be available as a free agent nobody saw coming. Know your team and know it well, but be quick about it. The lockout is over, and the preseason is expired. Don't count on your favorite team to be the best going into this new-look league. Diversify your portfolio and pick a fantasy squad you can be proud of.
Time is running out. Draft now or forever hold your peace.
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