Fantasy Football Info For Serious Players
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Every season there is much discussion on the pros and cons for each of the draft slots in a fantasy league. While I believe that it is possible to win a league no matter where you draft from, it is obvious to the veteran fantasy owner that there is some advantage to drafting in a certain position as opposed to others. This twelve-part series will take an in-depth look at each of twelve draft position is a 12-team, redraft fantasy football league and outline the positives and negatives that each of those slots has. It will also attempt to arrive at the best strategy for each of the different positions an owner can draft from. Based on the following criteria:
Drafting First Overall Without question, one of the best slots year in and year out to get the most out of your draft is from the # 1 position. Not only are you securing the best running back on your cheat sheet but you are also landing three of the top twenty-five players, and five of the top forty-nine players giving this owner tons of flexibility throughout his draft. Possible strategies to incorporate into your draft There is so much flexibility drafting from the #1 slot. Since you've already got a stud running back guaranteed to score a ton of points for your squad if healthy, you can simply target the top player on your cheat sheet for the next couple of rounds. League that goes RB heavy in first two rounds Many leagues see a ton of running backs go off the board in the first two rounds. If that happens to this owner, he may decide to forgo the running backs in his next two picks and instead look at building a deep, strong foundation. In this type of league, it would be a shrewd move to start your squad, RB, WR, WR (RB LaDainian Tomlinson, WR Randy Moss and WR Chad Johnson). If you do start your draft with only one running back in the first three picks, it is important to target the running back position with your 4th and 5th round picks to secure talent. Possible squad through five rounds... RB LaDainian Tomlinson League that has more flexibility in first two rounds Some leagues will see owners simply take the best available player in the first two rounds. In this case, many receivers and a couple of quarterbacks may be off the board when the 24th and 25th picks roll around. In this case you should simply take the best two players still on the board, no matter if that player is a running back, receiver, quarterback (Peyton Manning only this year) or tight end (only Antonio Gates should be considered this early in a draft. In a league like this you may start, RB, RB, TE / RB, RB, RB /RB, WR, WR / RB / QB or many other possible combinations. In a league like this an owner must be flexible and allow his pre-draft strategy to twist depending on who is still on the board. Possible squad through five rounds: RB LaDainian Tomlinson Positives of this draft slot
Negatives of the draft slot
Last Thoughts On the #1 Draft Slot Drafting first overall is a nice luxury and to the owner willing to be flexible and a trend setter in his draft, he will build a tremendous squad with this pick. The key to drafting first overall is to let the draft come to you and to be the leader. Just because every owner in the first two rounds decides to take a running back with his first two picks, don't be pigeonholed into doing the same and emerging with weak value for your # 2 pick. Instead, take the top players on your list and avoid and perceived runs with the # 1 slot. In a typical fantasy league, my top seven picks will resemble this much of the time:
But that is just a guideline and if your league goes a different route than you were anticipating, be ready to adapt to it. As you can tell from the above commentary, the key word to success with the #1 pick is flexibility. Drafting Second or Third Overall This season, there are three stud running backs (LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson and Shaun Alexander) available to owners. The strategy for the # 2 and # 3 draft slots are very similar to one another and similar enough to the top pick overall. However there is a little more thought that needs to go on between his 2nd / 3rd round and 4th and 5th round picks because of other picks being made in between. The owners drafting 2nd or 3rd want to dictate the direction of the draft as well but will also attempt to anticipate which direction the owner(s) slotted above him will go. Possible strategies to incorporate into your draft Much like the first pick overall, this squad is landing a top tier running back and that does give an owner freedom to go a number of different ways over the next few rounds. Definitely don't lock yourself into a set plan with these picks and instead allow the draft to come to you.
League that goes RB heavy in first two rounds Much like the owner drafting first overall, the way the draft unfolds should lead owners drafting 2nd and 3rd overall to great value picks in the next several rounds. If the league goes running back heavy throughout the first two rounds, the owners would be wise to ignore the panic setting in and look at the other positions available in which exceptional value should exist. Possible squad through five rounds...(for owner #2) RB Larry Johnson Possible squad through five rounds...(for owner #3) RB Shaun Alexander League that has more flexibility in first two rounds Much like Example # 1, owners drafting 2nd and 3rd should be flexible in their thought-processes and let their draft come to them. If a league has owners that look for value other than running back in the first two rounds, this owner may look at scooping running back talent in the first few picks. Possible squad through five rounds... (for owner #2): RB Larry Johnson Possible squad through five rounds... (for owner #3): RB Shaun Alexander Positives of this draft slot
Negatives of the draft slot
Last Thoughts On the #2 and #3 Draft Slots Drafting 2nd overall is nice this year, but the golden position appears to be 3rd overall this year. Not only do you emerge with a stud running back the equal of the first two owners but you also get to pick ahead of them in the 2nd round, ensuring you'll start the draft with two excellent players. As with the first overall pick, it is important to not lock into a position in rounds two and three. Do not panic if a huge running back run takes place in the first two rounds and force yourself to go running back. If this happens and owners leave gems such as Steve Smith and Chad Johnson there to be scooped up, roll with it and start your squad with a combo like Shaun Alexander, Steve Smith and Chad Johnson. That trio will be tough to beat no matter who you add as your RB2. In closing don't target a quarterback with these picks until after the forth round unless Peyton Manning drops to the end of the 2nd round. You'll find great value at quarterback later on and should look at that position no earlier than round six. Drafting Fourth Overall Drafting fourth is a tough spot to be in this season. Not only are you missing out on the elite three at the running back position: Alexander, Tomlinson, L. Johnson but you are also drafting behind the other eight owners in the 2nd round watching player after player falling off of your draft board. It is very important with this pick that you monitor the three owners who drafted ahead of you to start the draft, trying to anticipate their next moves. All of my focus when drafting fourth is to try and catch the owners blessed with the elite running backs to start their team. Those are the teams you must make up ground on over the next 6-8 rounds of the draft. Once the 2nd round pick is made from the 4th slot, this owner must wait six picks before drafting again. He must make the right decision with whom to select with the even-round picks to make up the difference on the teams that landed the stud running backs. Now, in my case, I am higher on Clinton Portis than most and he isn't a bad way to build your foundation up this season. He would, without question be my pick if I am drafting 4th overall but the owner who drafts here must take the running back he is highest on to start his team. No matter whether it is Portis, or Tiki Barber or Cadillac Williams, this is too early in round one to look at any other position and while Peyton Manning is a nice building block, looking quarterback this early in round one handcuffs your squad more than helps it. Drafting Fifth Overall Very similar to the fourth slot except you'll get a little more value with your 2nd round pick. To me, there are very distinct tiers this season...It is still too early here to look at any other position than running back so simply take the best one on your list, regardless of who it is.
Possible strategies to incorporate into your draft In these two draft slots an owner must take the best player available on his board, regardless of position after round one. The only way to make up the gap on the owners drafting 1st, 2nd and 3rd is to really go after the true best value in the rounds following. Don't be afraid to start the draft RB/RB/RB/QB or RB/WR/WR/WR depending on what is available out there when the draft pick comes up. This is very similar of course to the direction the other owners at the top should go but in the case of this owner, it is critical to his success in 2006 to go value hunting. For example: If this owner goes RB in round one and then selects one in round two because running backs are going off the board quickly, that will leave top receiver talent, perhaps even QB Peyton Manning and TE Antonio Gates to slip through the cracks and into their hands. The owner drafting fourth overall will have little chance in overcoming the teams drafting ahead of him if those teams are allowed to start the draft Stud RB / Stud WR / Stud WR or any other combo in which they land top players at each position. Possible squad through five rounds (in running back heavy leagues)... (for owner #4) RB Clinton Portis Possible squad through five rounds (in running back heavy leagues)... (for owner #5) RB Tiki Barber Positives of these draft slots
Negatives of these draft slots
Last Thoughts On the #4 and #5 Draft Slots Clearly one of the worst draft positions to draw this year is 4th overall and close behind it is the # 5 slot. Not only are you missing out on the elite running backs that are so critical to fantasy football success but you also get saddled with a later even-round pick than the owners drafting behind you in round one. The only redeeming thing with this pick is that you do get to land the top running back left on your board after the top three are gone and you can still target good value picks here if you keep your wits about you and avoid following the runs that occur throughout the draft. The key to these draft slots is to take the best player on your cheat sheet, regardless of what position it is. It is crucial here to make up ground on the top picks and the only way to do that is to secure better players than them at the other positions (Could be RB2, WR1, WR2, WR3, TE1, and QB1). Don't panic if you draw these slots in '06. Just be prepared to draft as well as you can to put pressure on the owners blessed with a spot in the first three picks overall. Drafting Sixth Through Ninth Overall Each of these four picks are very similar this season. It is a difficult place to draft from in 2006 insofar as there are no simple choices at the running back position here. Tons of running backs such as Steven Jackson, Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown, Rudi Johnson, Willis McGahee, Edgerrin James, Willie Parker, Brian Westbrook and LaMont Jordan could all go off the board in these spots. This is the spot in the draft where you can begin to look at other positions depending on your own personal rankings. I myself would never consider a quarterback in the first round unless my league starts two each week. However Peyton Manning is a fantasy force and if an owner is high enough on him, it wouldn't hurt to take him through these four picks. An owner could even consider receivers Steve Smith and Chad Johnson with these picks if no running back jumps out at the owner or even tight end Antonio Gates if the league rewards nice bonus points for going tight end. Possible strategies to incorporate into your draft The key to these draft slots is simply flexibility. If an owner in this bucket has no clear-cut running back to select but has receiver Steve Smith having a monster season in 2006, he could go receiver in round one to assure he gets his player. The same thing with selecting QB Peyton Manning with these picks. If an owner does look towards a position other than running back in the mid-first round picks, it is absolutely imperative that he targets the running back position in two of the next three rounds to land two serviceable starters before the running back position dries up. Having said this, most owners draft sixth through ninth will end up going RB/RB in the first two rounds as it is a little early to be considering receivers and quarterbacks and these owners will end up with a very nice starting duo for their franchise and a great beginning to their foundation. Just don't be locked into taking two running backs no matter what as that can hinder your squad. Possible squad through five rounds... (for owner #6) RB Cadillac Williams Possible squad through five rounds... (for owner #7) QB Tom Brady Possible squad through five rounds... (for owner #8) QB Peyton Manning Possible squad through five rounds... (for owner #9) RB Willis McGahee Positives of these draft slots
Negatives of these draft slots
Last Thoughts On the Sixth Through Ninth Draft Slots There is a lot more running back depth this year and in addition there are many running backs clumped close together after the top players are off the board. The nice thing about these slots is that the owners can have their choice of the running backs still available. The bad news is there isn't much to choose from on paper this year between the 6th running back and the 12th. Still the safest move midway through round one is the take the best running back still on your list and go with it. However an owner feeling more bold can certainly roll the dice and take Peyton Manning and/or Steve Smith in these slots to maximize scoring in a position other than the running back spot. If an owner does go receiver or quarterback here though, it does lock him in somewhat through the next few rounds as he'll have to look at running back in two of the next three rounds to avoid having the available pool of players completely dry up. All in all, these slots are middle-of-the-road this season. Not too bad but not as good as being at the top or bottom of the draft board. Drafting Tenth and Eleventh In 2006, drafting towards the end of round one actually looks like a good thing. There is little to choose from between the running backs ranked 6th through 12th this year and there are a number of attractive ways these two owners can go during their draft with both offering good hope for the future. Possible strategies to incorporate into your draft There are more pathways an owner drafting in these slots can take than in any other draft slot. Owners here can be conservative and take the best running backs still on the board, they can look at picking up QB Peyton Manning if he is still there or buck the running back trend altogether and instead pickup stud receivers to begin their team. It all depends on league rules such as scoring and starting lineups. For the owners drafting 10th and 11th this season, don't be afraid to take your own path here. There is nothing wrong with going QB/WR, WR/WR, WR/TE or QB/TE to build your team. Having a late-third round / early fourth round pick is a great place to pick up talent still at the running back spot as players such as Corey Dillon, DeShaun Foster, Chris Brown, Joseph Addai and Cedric Benson may all be around at that point in your draft. Possible squad (a) - running back strong... through five rounds ... (for owners 10/11) RB Ronnie Brown Possible squad (b) - receiver strong... through five rounds... (for owners 10/11) RB DeShaun Foster Possible squad (c) - other... through five rounds... (for owners 10/11) QB Peyton Manning Positives of these draft slots
Negatives of these draft slots
Last Thoughts On the Tenth and Eleventh Draft Slots I don't mind drafting later on in round one this season. If you want to go running back in round one, you will find guys like Ronnie Brown or Edgerrin James there to be picked up or you can take a different route to success and take an elite receiver or even Peyton Manning with that round one pick. There is enough running back depth this season that an owner can successfully wait on the position until rounds 3+ and still land a decent duo to start for their squad. Remember going into the draft towards the latter part of round one to let the draft come to you. Don't have any preconceived draft picks in mind and wait for everything to unfold before deciding on which path is the best one to take. Don't be afraid to buck the trend here and look to positions other than running back for maximum value. Drafting Twelfth In 2006, drafting towards the end of round one actually looks like a good thing. There is little to choose from between the running backs ranked 6th through 12th this year and there are a number of attractive ways this owner can go during the draft. An owner who has the final pick in the first round can totally dictate which direction the draft will take. The back-to-back picks will likely influence the path owners drafting after this slot will take. Possible strategies to incorporate into your draft As with the 10th and 11th picks, this owner has the luxury of going down many different paths and all of them can bring fantasy success to this owner. While not landing a stud running back, this owner can get perhaps the best starting duo with two of the thirteen running backs available. Or this owner can look at going stud receiver and taking two of the top players at that position, hoping to land viable starting running backs later on. Or if Peyton Manning falls to them here, picking him up with the final selection of the first round would be a major victory for this team looking for value to make up ground on the fortunate owners at the start of round one. The most common duos to start the draft with the final pick in round one are RB/RB, RB/WR and WR/WR and all three are viable options. Possible squad (a) - running back strong... through five rounds ... (for owner 12) RB Ronnie Brown Possible squad (b) - receiver strong... through five rounds ... (for owner 12) RB DeShaun Foster Possible squad (c) - other... through five rounds ... (for owner 12) QB Peyton Manning Positives of this draft slot
Negatives of the draft slot
Last Thoughts On the Final Draft Slot I love drafting at the back end of the draft. The best thing this owner can do is to have no set strategy in place heading into the draft. If the first eleven owners all select a running back in round one, the best possible advice I can give this owner is to instead target the receiver position and start the draft with a Steve Smith / Chad Johnson duo that is sure to rack up a ton of fantasy points for this owner. However if owners ahead of the 12th slot begin scooping up players like Smith, Johnson and Peyton Manning then this owner would be wise to draft a strong RB/RB combo that will become one of the finest backfields in the entire league. Having a strong draft here is 100% dependent on allowing the draft to unfold before locking onto players. Maximizing value means waiting until the other picks are in before determining the best path to success for this squad. Final Thoughts On the Entire Draft As you can tell from the entire study, building a great squad is all about having patience and being flexible during the draft. Don't be afraid to ignore the runs currently going on and instead pick the player that most helps you beat the other owners in your league. That may mean starting your draft WR/WR/WR or RB/RB/RB but allowing the draft to unfold before determining the correct picks will ultimately lead to a successful draft each and every time... Closing Tidbits
Hope this series helps you to have the best possible draft in 2006. Have fun, be prepared and be flexible and you will have that success you've been searching for. Thanks for reading and good luck this season. |
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