It almost time for the NFL season to kick off, and for millions of people, that means it is time for fantasy football.
One of the most important and exciting parts of fantasy football is drafting. This is the players’ chance to be a general manager and assemble a team, but it is also a chance to gain an advantage on other in the league by drafting the best team.
Many people have their own draft rules to live by, but here are three important tips that could help.
Do not reach for a quarterback
It is a hard thing to do when Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees get taken off the board in an early round. People will feel the need to draft a quarterback with their next pick because the top guys are off the board, but this could end up as a bad decision.
There were three quarterbacks that posted more than 330 fantasy points last season in standard ESPN league scoring. There were another eight players between 268 and 308. That also excludes players like Tom Brady and Marcus Mariota that missed time due to suspension or injury.
Unless drafting a lock like Rodgers or Brees, use that pick for a running back, receiver or an upper tier tight end that will add depth. Then draft a quarterback like Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins later. The quarterback you would likely pick would be worth zero to four points more per game. Why not draft a skill player that would give you as many or more points per game?
- 1. Stay away from old running backs
Running back is a young player’s position. Typically, even the best running backs start declining about the age of 29 or 30. Last season, the top 11 backs were 29 or younger and most were 25 or younger.
It is tough to see a guy like Adrian Peterson or Matt Forte on the board and passing them up as a second running back. But pass them up and draft a younger guy with more upside.
Young backs break out every year. David Johnson and Ezekiel Elliot were the top-two back last year and both were under the age of 25. Melvin Gordon was a top-10 back who broke out during his second year campaign. And if presented with a chance to take a young back with potential in a late round, go for it.
- 3. Get a top receiver
Drafting a top tier receiver can give a huge advantage. There were four receivers — Antonio Brown, Jordy Nelson, Mike Evans and Odell Beckham Jr. — who scored between 496.5 and 307.3 fantasy points last year. The rest of the league was at least 23 points behind and dropped farther off quickly.
Players like in that top tier, like Brown, Beckham and Julio Jones, are great assets because they are so much better than the lower tier. But there are also a lot of a lot of players in that second tier to go around. There were 11 players between 220 and 260 points last season. Adding that top tier mixed with one or two in the second tier could help a lot. It will help make up for bye weeks and injuries along with giving a solid option at the flex.
Good luck with this fantasy season. Hopefully these tips work out, and I do not get blamed for a lot of bad draft choices.
