With Fantasy Football season only about a month away, it's time to start planning for the draft. That means doing research on wide receivers, running backs, quarterbacks, and even tight ends. In past articles, I've laid out the underrated and overrated fantasy players at each position. In this article, I'm going to give some general tips that will allow fantasy players to kill their drafts.
Tip #1: Draft a quarterback late.
Everyone wants Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers on their team, but the truth is that Running Backs and wide receivers are far more valuable.
The difference in fantasy points between the 10th best quarterback and the best quarterback is far smaller than the difference in points between the best running back and the 10th best running back, as shown in last year's standard scoring. And you have more than one running back on your roster! Be smart, and wait to take one of these underrated quarterbacks in the later rounds.
Tip #2: Use early picks on wide receivers and running backs.
Fantasy players get two wide receiver slots, two running back slots, and one flex slot in standard leagues. That makes the players in these positions extremely valuable. Running backs have become even more valuable in recent years as teams start to balance the workload between two backs now.
Regardless, it's always a good idea to pick players at either of these positions in the early rounds.
Tip #3: Don't Draft a Defense Early.
Want to know what round you should draft a defense in? You shouldn't even have to think about it. Either draft one in the last round, or the round before that. Defenses should be tailored to each specific week, as there is usually a solid streaming option on the waiver wire.
Don't bother spending an early pick on a defense that might not even have a good matchup in week 1, especially when sleepers abound in later rounds.
Tip #4: Do Draft Players from High Scoring Teams.
Fantasy players on teams like the Packers have an easier time scoring fantasy points simply because they have a high scoring offense.
The teams in this article all have the ability to empower multiple players to score high numbers of fantasy points, and it's generally a good idea to draft players from those teams.
Tip #5: Avoid Players from Low Scoring Teams.
Similar to tip 4, fantasy football owners should dodge drafting players from historically low scoring teams, like the Jacksonville Jaguars. These players often disappoint, because they simply don't have enough chances to return on draft value. Players like Browns running back Isaiah Crowell, who could be a solid fantasy edition, is left with less chances in a blowout, and thus hurts his fantasy owners.
These are just a few tips, but they will help you ace the fantasy football draft this season.