Common Draft Mistakes and how to avoid them.
It's time to open up and share a little. I don't like draft day, I love it. More than Christmas, more than my birthday, more than opening night of a new Star Wars movie. Draft day is king for this guy. I approach it with equal parts study, anticipation, and butterflies in my stomach.
Anyone who's played fantasy football knows that there's an unavoidable element of luck required to be successful. If you can catch a lucky break once in a while, and have made informed smart decisions from your draft and moving forward, you can usually find yourself in a positive spot on you leagues standings.
I can't help you with luck. Ask my league mates, my own luck is a bed-ridden cancer patient who's somehow contracted leprosy.
So what I'm trying to offer is some help with some commonly made draft mistakes. That way, if the bad luck train hits you it doesn't de-rail your season.
Now, this article is going to focus on snake drafts primarily, and I may cover auction formats in depth in another article sometime soon.
1. Don't obsess over your draft strategy.
You should go into your draft prepared and with a strategy. Do your homework and run the mock drafts. Yes, that's plural. Run several and on different sites. Know the difference between CBS sports and Yahoo!'s ADP. Base your strategy on all that combined homework.
But don't lock in on that strategy to the point where you cannot adapt when it gets ruined. More often than not, something will come up to mess up your plan. It's important to be adaptable on draft day. Being able to adapt your strategy, or where you're looking to draft certain players is key to completing a successful draft. Being prepared with a contingency plan is key to getting the best value out of each and every pick you make.
2. Thou shalt wait on thy QB.
Allow me to explain WHY this rule is important rather than attempt to tell you in which round you should be picking your gunslinger.
The premise to this strategy is that if you grab that elite QB early on, you potentially miss out on a pick or two that could be of a better value for the round and draft position. Most times, when that first QB comes off the board, more tend to follow immediately. Everyone wants the stud, but with the number of quality QB's out there, you don't have to burn an early pick to get someone who's going to consistently provide quality points on your roster.
Now, that being said, two quarterback leagues, leagues that award six points per td, plus 1 point per 10 yards, and leagues that have the "super-flex" position all get different consideration.
3. Don't rely on old information.
This is the one I see most commonly, and early on was guilty of. There's nothing wrong with buying one of the fantasy magazines early on, just realize that those projections and rankings get outdated quickly. The closer you get to your draft the more you should be looking for current information and from multiple places. Remember, Yahoo, ESPN, and CBS all have slightly different rankings, ADP's, and projections. Utilize all the latest information to your advantage.
4. Know how your league scoring system works.
This one seems silly to say, but it can be a serious hamper to a possible good draft strategy. You must know how your league's scoring system works. This is the single most important thing to know about your league. Everyone knows what the payout is, everyone should know how the points are handled. Obviously, this can have a drastic effect on who you draft or when you draft a player. For example, Darren Sproles has been worth his weight in gold in full PPR formats and a little less of a stud in standard scoring as a RB3/FLEX play. So make sure you know how the scoring system works prior to your draft. Knowing trade deadlines, playoff structure, and who the sucker is (every league has one, if you don't know who...buy a mirror) are also important tips.
5. Don't show up drunk for draft night.
I know this sounds hella-fun, and it probably is, but it's still a really bad idea if you're looking for a good season. I think the Chargers may have done this when the selected Ryan Leaf. But, I digress...Point is, be sharp for your draft because most of the time, things don't go according to plan so being sharp and therefore being adaptable is recommended.
6. Don't let your favorite team ruin your fantasy team.
We all have our favorite team and/or players, and there's nothing wrong with that. Where it becomes a bad thing is when you allow it to affect your draft selections. Allow me to be clear here, it's not just about your favorite team, it's about your favorite team's rivals too. Not drafting players from teams you hate is as equally egregious an error. So put your petty fandoms aside and pick the best player on the board for the position you need to be successful.
7. Don't wait until the last minute to start your process.
This one should speak for itself, but I wouldn't be writing about it if it wasn't a legitimate problem. Waiting until the night before draft day to start doing your homework is a sure fire way to feel lost by the 5th round. The first 3-5 picks there's a plethora of big names to choose from and even if you don't get the guy you were after, you still walk away with a stud. It's in the middle rounds that drafts are won by choosing the best position player for your roster.
I have a friend who is notorious for this. He makes fun of himself for how he approaches draft day and how little preparation he puts into it. He's on record as saying he spends more time studying the menu than studying his picks. I'm the opposite. I start too early and study like I'm cramming for a college economics final.
Hopefully, reading this article is your first step to an informed, prepared, and successful draft this year. But don't stop here. Keep reading, read elsewhere, read often.
If you find this helpful, give me a +1 at the bottom of this article or leave a comment. Thanks for hanging out.
Anyone who's played fantasy football knows that there's an unavoidable element of luck required to be successful. If you can catch a lucky break once in a while, and have made informed smart decisions from your draft and moving forward, you can usually find yourself in a positive spot on you leagues standings.
I can't help you with luck. Ask my league mates, my own luck is a bed-ridden cancer patient who's somehow contracted leprosy.
So what I'm trying to offer is some help with some commonly made draft mistakes. That way, if the bad luck train hits you it doesn't de-rail your season.
Now, this article is going to focus on snake drafts primarily, and I may cover auction formats in depth in another article sometime soon.
1. Don't obsess over your draft strategy.
You should go into your draft prepared and with a strategy. Do your homework and run the mock drafts. Yes, that's plural. Run several and on different sites. Know the difference between CBS sports and Yahoo!'s ADP. Base your strategy on all that combined homework.
But don't lock in on that strategy to the point where you cannot adapt when it gets ruined. More often than not, something will come up to mess up your plan. It's important to be adaptable on draft day. Being able to adapt your strategy, or where you're looking to draft certain players is key to completing a successful draft. Being prepared with a contingency plan is key to getting the best value out of each and every pick you make.
2. Thou shalt wait on thy QB.
Allow me to explain WHY this rule is important rather than attempt to tell you in which round you should be picking your gunslinger.
The premise to this strategy is that if you grab that elite QB early on, you potentially miss out on a pick or two that could be of a better value for the round and draft position. Most times, when that first QB comes off the board, more tend to follow immediately. Everyone wants the stud, but with the number of quality QB's out there, you don't have to burn an early pick to get someone who's going to consistently provide quality points on your roster.
Now, that being said, two quarterback leagues, leagues that award six points per td, plus 1 point per 10 yards, and leagues that have the "super-flex" position all get different consideration.
3. Don't rely on old information.
This is the one I see most commonly, and early on was guilty of. There's nothing wrong with buying one of the fantasy magazines early on, just realize that those projections and rankings get outdated quickly. The closer you get to your draft the more you should be looking for current information and from multiple places. Remember, Yahoo, ESPN, and CBS all have slightly different rankings, ADP's, and projections. Utilize all the latest information to your advantage.
4. Know how your league scoring system works.
This one seems silly to say, but it can be a serious hamper to a possible good draft strategy. You must know how your league's scoring system works. This is the single most important thing to know about your league. Everyone knows what the payout is, everyone should know how the points are handled. Obviously, this can have a drastic effect on who you draft or when you draft a player. For example, Darren Sproles has been worth his weight in gold in full PPR formats and a little less of a stud in standard scoring as a RB3/FLEX play. So make sure you know how the scoring system works prior to your draft. Knowing trade deadlines, playoff structure, and who the sucker is (every league has one, if you don't know who...buy a mirror) are also important tips.
5. Don't show up drunk for draft night.
I know this sounds hella-fun, and it probably is, but it's still a really bad idea if you're looking for a good season. I think the Chargers may have done this when the selected Ryan Leaf. But, I digress...Point is, be sharp for your draft because most of the time, things don't go according to plan so being sharp and therefore being adaptable is recommended.
6. Don't let your favorite team ruin your fantasy team.
We all have our favorite team and/or players, and there's nothing wrong with that. Where it becomes a bad thing is when you allow it to affect your draft selections. Allow me to be clear here, it's not just about your favorite team, it's about your favorite team's rivals too. Not drafting players from teams you hate is as equally egregious an error. So put your petty fandoms aside and pick the best player on the board for the position you need to be successful.
7. Don't wait until the last minute to start your process.
This one should speak for itself, but I wouldn't be writing about it if it wasn't a legitimate problem. Waiting until the night before draft day to start doing your homework is a sure fire way to feel lost by the 5th round. The first 3-5 picks there's a plethora of big names to choose from and even if you don't get the guy you were after, you still walk away with a stud. It's in the middle rounds that drafts are won by choosing the best position player for your roster.
I have a friend who is notorious for this. He makes fun of himself for how he approaches draft day and how little preparation he puts into it. He's on record as saying he spends more time studying the menu than studying his picks. I'm the opposite. I start too early and study like I'm cramming for a college economics final.
Hopefully, reading this article is your first step to an informed, prepared, and successful draft this year. But don't stop here. Keep reading, read elsewhere, read often.
If you find this helpful, give me a +1 at the bottom of this article or leave a comment. Thanks for hanging out.
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