Many people don’t realize just how important draft day really is in order to have a good fantasy football team and productive and hopefully profitable season. Yes its impossible to know at the beginning of the year who will over achieve, who will under achieve and who will fall prey to the injury bug. However I see many opportunities squandered every year as many rely far too heavily on magazines and computer print outs to get themselves the best team possible. And yes I know most of us don’t have time to sit there and watch preseason games and watch the NFL Network and keep track of everything before the draft. However, if you stick to some set guidelines I guarantee you that you will have a better draft than if you go into it casually.

Rule #1

Know Your Scoring System

These magazines and websites do not take into account your scoring system. Its amazing to me the difference from league to league. In one league I’m in, a touchdown equals 140 rushing yards. In another 6 receptions equals a touchdown. Every league is drastically different and you must know your scoring system before you rank players. Many fantasy football websites rank the players based off their own scoring system. So if you are in a ESPN Draft, perhaps print out their list first and use it as a foundation to making your list of players you want. the biggest error I see every year is someone living off a magazine cheat sheet firing from the hip not taking into account the scoring system.

Rule #2

Don’t Fall In Love/Hate With Players

I always see this happen with certain controversial players like Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson. I know its hard as you either love or hate these players, but try to take emotion out of your picks and try to evaluate them on their stats and projected output. If you do this you can sometimes take advantage as these hated players will sometimes slip into a later round. If you hate TO but he’s there at great value take a chance on him. Let someone pick your favorite player if its a few rounds early, try to use it to your advantage rather than snag your man too early. These value picks can be the deciding factor between a mediocre team or a playoff team.

Rule #3

Pay Attention To Draft Trends

How many times have you seen the best tight end go and then before you know it 5 more or drafted in succession? Yes its normal to fear you won’t get a good player at that position but do not panic. Last season in one league there was a huge early run on quarterbacks. McNabb was taken at the end of the 1st round! I did not panic, in fact I went a little extreme in the opposite direction. I loaded up on the best running backs and wide receivers somewhat screwing those owners who went QB crazy. Around the 10th round I got nervous as some owners had 3 QB’s and I had not drafted one yet. I subsequently picked up Matt Schaub and Jeff Garcia at great value. To make this move even better I got Derek Anderson off the free agent wire after his 7 touchdown performance against the Bengals. I turned this weakness into a consistent position for my team allowing my backs and receivers to be the best in the league. This team lost in the championship last season but was still a great fantasy team.

Try to see the trends in your draft as they happen. Have your players grouped in tiers as the 5th best running back is not equal to the fifth best quarterback. Don’t panic if you get caught on the wrong side of a trend. Ride it out, get a consistent player later for good value and then look actively and early for some free agents. How many times have you passed on a Tony Romo or a Derek Anderson because you were strong at QB and didn’t bother. If you are thin at a position you are much more likely to grab that free agent early that others will overlook until its too late.

Rule #4

Draft A Deep Bench

I have to admit when I was somewhat new to Fantasy Football I used to always fall prey to this one. I’d be extremely pleased with my starters, I’d relax a little, concentrate more on having fun and perhaps drinking some beer instead of continuing to build my team. When my next pick would come up I’d fill in one of my bench spots with a decent pick, but not usually the best pick possible. I now take a more cautious approach as I have learned over the years bye weeks and injuries can turn your great team into a team scavenging the waiver wire every week for a starter. Its essential you stock up your bench with good solid players. I assure you those bye weeks hit and a few of your guys are questionable and you’ll be very happy you stayed away from that keg for an extra hour. Wait til its kickers and defense time before kicking back. It could be the difference and I guarantee you that you will have just as much fun.