So, you're wondering what goes into drafting a top-notch fantasy football squad huh? We'll that's surely something open to debate as that if you ask 10 different so-called experts, you'll probably get 10 different answers.
With that in mind, I have been running a fantasy league for about a decade now. While I can't tell you that I've won every time, I can assure you that my teams have consistently made the league playoff round and I have won 2 league titles. That's not too bad. That said, I'd like to offer up my strategy for building a competitive fantasy team.
Fantasy football has been around for decades. But, with the advent of the Internet, researching potential players for your team has become much, much easier and quicker. You can find the newest information online regarding injuries, suspensions, trades and just about everything else almost instantly. Take advantage of this.
1. PLAYER RANKINGS
First and foremost, you'll want to look into player rankings. One of the best ways of doing this is through a simple search on the web. I'd look for rankings done by established and reputable sources like ESPN, Sport Illustration, NFL.com, CBS Sportsline and such. But, don't rule out consulting one of the other listings that may not be among the names you're familiar with. They sometimes offer a fresh prospective that can be very useful.
2. DRAFTING
Drafts usually happen in one of two formats, live or auto. Live drafts are conducted in real time while auto drafts use your own player rankings to select your players automatically when your pick comes up in the order. Either way, a good approach is to take the player rankings you researched and select a number of players for each position that you would like to have as possible additions to your team. Create a list and use this as your intended drafting order.
Also make sure to avoid drafting too many players from the same team of teams that might have byes on the same week. You could end up with a disastrous shortage of players for a crucial match.
3. PLAYER VALUE
There are many different formulas for scoring in fantasy leagues. However, one rule generally remains the same. The players on which you should put the most emphasis are running backs. This is why most overall ranking systems that aren't done by position have a large number of running backs as the top ranking players.
Generally, you should emphasize positions in order of scoring value which from top to bottom would be running backs, quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, defenses and finally place kickers. Although some might argue it a little differently, i.e. flip quarterbacks and wide receivers or to move defenses up to third on the priority list, this should give you a pretty good indication.
4. DON'T BREAK BUT BE WILLING TO BEND - THE RULES
While generally running backs should be your first pick, it is not unheard of to choose a wide receiver or quarterback first overall. There is nothing written in stone that says you have to have every player on your potential draft list being one of the top 5 or 6 guys according to researched rankings. Look for a possible breakout star here and there. You could end up with a pleasant surprise.
http://www.3riverscreative.com
