How to prepare for your season/draft

[Professor Polo]

I don't have a strategy when it comes to my money, which is my problem. Your money strategy is interesting. But I do the same with the nominating with the idea that the other managers are using their money.

I prob shoukd have noted this is with a PPR league in mind...

If you're not getting a top 3 RB, I'd go with Top 3 QB for sure...the NFL has obviously moved towards a pass first league...4 QBs with 5,000 passing yards last year? QBs are gonna give you close to 16 games...cant say that about many RBs. I was never high on QB till this year...Id always wait on QBs.. I drafted Eli last year for $11. I think this more speaks to how I'm going to approach building my this season tho...$45 I'm thinking Rodgers, Brees, Brady

Id like to find 2 RBs in the 13-20 range when playing PPR..I don't wanna invest in a positions that gets injured so often...find a couple guys with with at least 30 receptions...martin, sproles, bradshaw, bush, helu

Last year I gabbed witten for like $23...I overpayed for him, but what I was thinking is I wanted a top 3 TE so I can win that matchup almost every week...then Graham and Gronk came through and crushed the buildings and set single season all time highs for TE...$30 for a TE sounds crazy..but what they did last year is prob gonna look similar to this year, and $30 is worth it imo.


Though, I feel like they may go for more than $30, and if that's the case, I'd wait for the number 3, 4, or 5 TE and put that extra money into WR

 

[BeezyWeezy]

I like to highlight my rankings and tiers in different colors:
A) Target (players I just like a lot)
B) Sleepers
C) Busts
D) Injury concerns
E) Contract year

This advice will be lost on some, but is on point more then they could know. As stated previously, reading everything and anything will only help you expand your knowledge base as to where you should rank people. When checking different places, make sure to pay attention to the ADP(average draft position) rankings as well as pre-draft rankings. That being said, you need to make your own list to bring to your draft. Your list should be tiered, so that you know the divisions between the steep drop offs in point productions ie for RB's your first tier may only be 3-4 guys, 2nd tier 7-10 guys etc. How many guys you have in each tier is up to you and will usually be different for each position. This allows you to keep track of the "big" name guys and automatic starters and hopefully allow you to not miss out on any. If you want to go further, do like the above and have some other criteria you can color code in. The criteria listed through A-E is on point, the only additions I would make would be rookies as they tend not to perform well their first year (overall), and 2nd-3rd year wr's as that tends to be their breakout year statistically.

Above and beyond that, do a ton of mock drafts and draft at different spots if you do not know yours yet, get in some live q&a sessions, hit twitter or mail-bag questions to experts, STAY UP TO DATE ON INJURIES AND CURRENT DEPTH CHARTS (without fail at least one person in every league, every year, drafts someone they didn't know was hurt), don't follow position runs, draft for value and not need (ie even if you already have three RB's, their might not be a better option on the board then a 4th RB. Instead of settling for a worse player just to fill a position, grab the better player, and hope to trade them down the line. If it doesn't work out, there's always gems/breakouts on the waiver wire through the season), watch as much pre-season as you can and for those games you miss hit up nfl.com to watch the highlights from the games (I do this for every game of the pre-season and its how I was sold on drafting Arian Foster the first year he went off), and lastly don't chase last years stats as players are hard pressed to duplicate a record/personal best type of year, instead try and find the guy to break out THIS year and put up those numbers.

 

[Professor Polo]

This advice will be lost on some, but is on point more then they could know. As stated previously, reading everything and anything will only help you expand your knowledge base as to where you should rank people. When checking different places, make sure to pay attention to the ADP(average draft position) rankings as well as pre-draft rankings. That being said, you need to make your own list to bring to your draft. Your list should be tiered, so that you know the divisions between the steep drop offs in point productions ie for RB's your first tier may only be 3-4 guys, 2nd tier 7-10 guys etc. How many guys you have in each tier is up to you and will usually be different for each position. This allows you to keep track of the "big" name guys and automatic starters and hopefully allow you to not miss out on any. If you want to go further, do like the above and have some other criteria you can color code in. The criteria listed through A-E is on point, the only additions I would make would be rookies as they tend not to perform well their first year (overall), and 2nd-3rd year wr's as that tends to be their breakout year statistically.

Above and beyond that, do a ton of mock drafts and draft at different spots if you do not know yours yet, get in some live q&a sessions, hit twitter or mail-bag questions to experts, STAY UP TO DATE ON INJURIES AND CURRENT DEPTH CHARTS (without fail at least one person in every league, every year, drafts someone they didn't know was hurt), don't follow position runs, draft for value and not need (ie even if you already have three RB's, their might not be a better option on the board then a 4th RB. Instead of settling for a worse player just to fill a position, grab the better player, and hope to trade them down the line. If it doesn't work out, there's always gems/breakouts on the waiver wire through the season), watch as much pre-season as you can and for those games you miss hit up nfl.com to watch the highlights from the games (I do this for every game of the pre-season and its how I was sold on drafting Arian Foster the first year he went off), and lastly don't chase last years stats as players are hard pressed to duplicate a record/personal best type of year, instead try and find the guy to break out THIS year and put up those numbers.

Yeah, I had rookie in there...then i took it out because I hardly ever draft rookies....good point about the 2-3 year WR...i forgot to mention that...depth charts are very important when drafting back up RBs as well

 

[klientel]

U guys go BPA or do u follow a draft plan...for example RB/RB/WR/WR/QB is a popular one

The last 2 years I've gone BPA and I've made the playoffs or won every league I've been in. When I was sticking strictly to a draft strategy thats when I ended up with weak teams.

 

[NamelessPimp]

U guys go BPA or do u follow a draft plan...for example RB/RB/WR/WR/QB is a popular one

The last 2 years I've gone BPA and I've made the playoffs or won every league I've been in. When I was sticking strictly to a draft strategy thats when I ended up with weak teams.

When you to stick to a strategy thats when you lose the value picks and the guys who are slipping in the draft. I basically draft best available unless I have 3 RBs already or are overloaded at a position.

 

[NamelessPimp]

One thing I can't stand people talking about is bye weeks. I never draft based on bye weeks. It might influence me a little if I'm debating between 2 players who are very close, but some teams it'd benefit everyone going on the bye week one week. If you're winning every other week, I'd take a team loss in week 7 if it means thats the only time my studs sit and I have a better chance to win every other week.

 

[South Paw]

Make lists. I make a list of each position, and go deep enough based on the league I'm in. I usually do 30 qbs 50 rbs 50 wrs 20 te's etc. Then at the draft if you keep up, you're just deciding between your top wr/qb/rb etc.

And do tons of mock drafts. They will never go like your draft will actually go, but it gives you a good idea of the average range guys are gonna go in. Especially helps with mid/late round picks.

 

[South Paw]

U guys go BPA or do u follow a draft plan...for example RB/RB/WR/WR/QB is a popular one

The last 2 years I've gone BPA and I've made the playoffs or won every league I've been in. When I was sticking strictly to a draft strategy thats when I ended up with weak teams.

Never lock yourself into a draft strategy. You can hurt yourself that way. You can go into the draft with a loose plan, but you have to be open depending on how the draft falls.

 

[K-O-B]

Had my first draft of the year!

Captain N Coke
1. (6) Tom Brady
(NE - QB)
2. (19) Rob Gronkowski
(NE - TE)
3. (30) Hakeem Nicks
(NYG - WR)
4. (43) Brandon Lloyd
(NE - WR)
5. (54) BenJarvus Green-Ellis
(Cin - RB)
6. (67) Eric Decker
(Den - WR)
7. (78) Willis McGahee
(Den - RB)
8. (91) C.J. Spiller
(Buf - RB)
9. (102) Toby Gerhart
(Min - RB)
10. (115) Ryan Williams
(Ari - RB)
11. (126) Matt Schaub
(Hou - QB)
12. (139) Detroit
(Det - DEF)
13. (150) Randall Cobb
(GB - WR)
14. (163) Jon Baldwin
(KC - WR)
15. (174) Garrett Hartley
(NO - K)

 

[Professor Polo]

12 team?

I like the Brady to Gronk connection, that could be devastating to face week in week out

However, I prob wouldv'e drafted a RB instead of lloyd in round 4...but I guess that all depends on what was available.

 

[Trip]

Had my first draft of the year!

Captain N Coke
1. (6) Tom Brady
(NE - QB)
2. (19) Rob Gronkowski
(NE - TE)
3. (30) Hakeem Nicks
(NYG - WR)
4. (43) Brandon Lloyd
(NE - WR)
5. (54) BenJarvus Green-Ellis
(Cin - RB)
6. (67) Eric Decker
(Den - WR)
7. (78) Willis McGahee
(Den - RB)
8. (91) C.J. Spiller
(Buf - RB)
9. (102) Toby Gerhart
(Min - RB)
10. (115) Ryan Williams
(Ari - RB)
11. (126) Matt Schaub
(Hou - QB)
12. (139) Detroit
(Det - DEF)
13. (150) Randall Cobb
(GB - WR)
14. (163) Jon Baldwin
(KC - WR)
15. (174) Garrett Hartley
(NO - K)

your backs are

 

[NamelessPimp]

12 team?

I like the Brady to Gronk connection, that could be devastating to face week in week out

However, I prob wouldv'e drafted a RB instead of lloyd in round 4...but I guess that all depends on what was available.

A lot of Pats on that team. The RBs are...

I've done 3 drafts so far and have one tomorrow morning. It is amazing where players are going now. Lloyd has being drafted about two rounds later.

 

[NamelessPimp]

Had my first draft of the year!

Captain N Coke
1. (6) Tom Brady
(NE - QB)
2. (19) Rob Gronkowski
(NE - TE)
3. (30) Hakeem Nicks
(NYG - WR)
4. (43) Brandon Lloyd
(NE - WR)
5. (54) BenJarvus Green-Ellis
(Cin - RB)
6. (67) Eric Decker
(Den - WR)
7. (78) Willis McGahee
(Den - RB)
8. (91) C.J. Spiller
(Buf - RB)
9. (102) Toby Gerhart
(Min - RB)
10. (115) Ryan Williams
(Ari - RB)
11. (126) Matt Schaub
(Hou - QB)
12. (139) Detroit
(Det - DEF)
13. (150) Randall Cobb
(GB - WR)
14. (163) Jon Baldwin
(KC - WR)
15. (174) Garrett Hartley
(NO - K)

I was on board with your top 3 picks. I was grabbing Nicks in the 4th round a month ago. The good news with the injury might be getting people back on board with him. Eric Decker was a nice pick in round 6.

McGahee in the 7th is a steal.

 

[K-O-B]

12 team?

I like the Brady to Gronk connection, that could be devastating to face week in week out

However, I prob wouldv'e drafted a RB instead of lloyd in round 4...but I guess that all depends on what was available.

The RB's drafted after Lloyd are: Bush, Gore, Ellis, Redman in round 5; Helu in round 6; Beanie, Hillis, Kevin Smith, Stewart, McGahee, Greene, Williams, Best in round 7.

 

[NamelessPimp]

The RB's drafted after Lloyd are: Bush, Gore, Ellis, Redman in round 5; Helu in round 6; Beanie, Hillis, Kevin Smith, Stewart, McGahee, Greene, Williams, Best in round 7.

Best?!?! I doubt he'll play this year. I cut him on one team. Not much in the RB department there. I would have picked Bush/Gore over Ellis, I'm guessing the way you wrote it that they went before Ellis.

Helu went too hgih. I like McGahee and Greene out of that second group. Greene more than anyone. Smith is starting to go too high for my liking. He's not worth the injury risk in Round 7.