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What can be more hectic for FFL'ers than draft day? What can be more enjoyable than draft day? Nothing is quite like it, you get to be the owner, GM, and coach, the head honcho. Why all the stress? Because you want to do your Lambeau Leap. You want to show your smarts. What better way to do it than through the draft. That's what it's all about, and if you don't do it right, your doomed from the start. So here is my take on how you should approach this year's FFL draft. Please heed these guidelines, and customize it to fit your league's rules. First off, do your research, don't just look at your starters, remember you are only as good as you are deep. Some positions aren't deep, such as QB or TE, so a good back-up is a necessity. Study the '97 stats, and use your rules to plug in the numbers. In our league Tim Brown was a superstar due to catches and yardage, but in TD based leagues he would only have been mediocre. Take into account team changes, philosophy changes, coaching changes, and free agency status. All of these are just as important. Would Abdul-Jabbar have gotten the TD's with the Rams? Consider the player's age, his history, and his injury records. These weigh heavily in the high stakes guessing game. |
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On draft day, have a list of prospective players at each position that goes a minimum of 15 deep. This way, you can cross them off as they are chosen, and can easily see you and your opponent's strengths and weaknesses. It's very important. If someone picks Brett Favre you may want to pick Terrell Davis next so you will excel at the RB position to defeat his advantage at QB. Last year, I wasn't fortunate to have the option of picking up one of the top backs, so I elected to pick Herman Moore to give me an advantage at receiver. With '98 coming on us I say QB is the weakest major position, especially in larger leagues. After about the 8th best, the production falls off quickly, so it is imperative to get one early. Do you want Steve McNair leading you to a title? RB is a little more deep, so unless you can snag Sanders or Davis you should concentrate on getting a QB. WR is the deepest position, but past the proven talents, is also the most inconsistent. Try to draft at least a couple proven veterans at each position to give you something to fall back on, especially in the early rounds. Others have good numbers, but veterans are imperative. Last year, those who took Terry Glen and Jeff Blake, wished they had taken vets such as Irving Fryar, or Dan Marino. Try not to use your heart either. I'm a Falcon's fan, and hate Jeff George, but I still drafted him. This can hurt you down the road, your goal is to win, you don't have to like them. Don't neglect losing teams either. Teams like the Cardinals, Falcons, Bengals, and especially the Raiders all have good fantasy players, and sometimes are overlooked by opponents. Don't use sleeper picks for starters or in the early rounds. Sleeper picks are fun, and can make you look like a genius, but more often than not, they don't pan out. Whatever you do, don't use early picks on positions such as Kickers, or Defenses. These positions fluctuate drastically, and can hardly be predicted. You can get a good one late. The "money" positions are much harder to fill, and the difference between the best and worst is minimal. Most important is have fun, unless money is involved. It's just a game. Good luck in '98, and don't fret, the Champ is by your side. |