5 Simple Rules for Winning Your Fantasy Draft

I formulated a list in which I believe is crucial in winning your Fantasy draft.

Some of these techniques and suggestions may be obvious or bizarre, but I believe it is a set of rules to help guide any Fantasy Football owner to success.

With my analysis from past seasons and noted tendencies, I’ve taken a look at this year’s rankings and I hope to help make your Fantasy Football draft easier.

So let’s get started.

Winning Your Fantasy Draft

 

1. NEVER draft a kicker or defense until the final two rounds.

This is a rule that has been said numerous times, yet in every league — someone breaks it. The No. 1 reason to wait on kickers and defenses is that there is always a steal available at another position in the last few rounds of drafts.

For example, Randall Cobb last season, and Arian Foster three seasons ago. If you were lucky enough to draft either of these players, you were probably lucky enough to play in some Fantasy playoffs.

The difference between the No. 1 kicker and the 10th kicker is a small number that will not affect your standings. It’s plain and simple — just don’t touch kickers and defenses until the end.

 

2. Do not reach for a quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees will likely be gone in the first 25 picks of your draft, yet guys like Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford, and Robert Griffin III won’t be drafted until at least pick No. 60 and beyond.

By adding three or four players at other positions, and waiting on a quarterback, you are ultimately improving your team at spots with less depth.

The difference between Rodgers and Griffin last year was just 60 points over the season, less than four points per game. If we can grab good players in the first four rounds at wideout and running back, waiting on a quarterback is too easy.

The beauty of it is that people believe quarterbacks are the end all be all, so waiting on a quarterback is the value play. Depth is the key, which leads into my next topic.

 

3. Avoid running back tandems!

I know this sounds almost impossible these days, but it’s a great rule to abide by.

There are very few times when you are guaranteed Fantasy touches, but in these situations, you are. There are only a handful of guys who will get 300 carries, but if you can spot those players, you’re guaranteed around 1,241 yards — the lowest total from any back with at least 300 carries the past three seasons (Steven Jackson).

Check depth charts and carry ratios for further information to help determine these players. Ultimately, these guys will go early, but if you can spot a starter with no legitimate backup, try to grab that guy as a possible steal, and you’ll be well ahead in winning your Fantasy drafts.

 

4. Try to avoid bad teams at all costs.

Five teams have projected win totals of 6.5 games or under. They are the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, and Tennessee Titans.

There is a stud on most of these teams, but for the most part, these teams are projected to have down years. The one key factor I notice with all of these teams is that none of them have good offenses, thus less Fantasy points.

Exceptions for this rule include studs like C.J. Spiller, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Trent Richardson because their production is all these teams have.

Do not look for sleepers on these teams and try to limit as many players from these teams on your Fantasy teams as possible. There is no need to try to figure out who the No. 1 wideout will be when the team can’t even determine who that guy is.

 

5. Look at past drafts to find trends and mistakes.

It is smart to look at past drafts and find trends that happened in recent seasons. By understanding the players in your league from past seasons and using data, it’s impossible not to have a clear advantage.

There are owners in your league who will take gambles and there are other owners who won’t take any risks. If you can show up to your draft with notes of the other owners in your league, the draft should be a breeze.

For some reason homework like this is excused in Fantasy Football, but could you imagine what a coach would say to a player who didn’t watch film on their opponent? Also, understanding mistakes and flaws you made last season will only make you better as an owner.

It’s very simple — get a leg up on the competition by just doing a little extra homework and a little bit more research.

Hopefully, these five simple rules to winning your Fantasy draft will stick in your head as you get ready to dominate this season!