Take PRIDE In Your Draft Night

Posted 8/10 by Jeff Pasquino - Exclusive to Footballguys.com

Nothing beats a live draft - getting together with 11 or so guys, talking football, having some good food and drink and getting ready for five months of gridiron bliss. You have to love this time of year. Most of us who have been playing fantasy football for a while now have our usual local leagues that we all play in, but there are some occasions where you can get a new league going. Someone at work might invite you over, or you might know of another league or someone who is in a league who is an owner short for this year. So you decide to utter that infamous phrase - "What's one more league? Sure." - and you sign up. Now things are about to get interesting.

Whenever you join a new league, especially one with a live draft, there's this level of uncertainty that exists on Draft Night. When you walk into that room or sports bar you know that you will be ready to do battle and draft the ultimate team do dominate the league. Your goal is to have some fun, sure, but at the same time the main goal is to send them all home crying, whining at the guy who invited you for bringing in the shark that takes home the championship. You can already picture that moment in December when you win it all - and again the following year on Draft Night 2010 when everyone now knows to go after you with everything they got.

But that's all months (or a year) from now - why bring that up so soon? It's simple. You have to decide now, even before Draft Night, what your persona and style will be for that momentous occasion. From the moment that you step out of your car on Draft Night to the time you get back in on the way home, you want to project yourself in just the right way. Will you go into that room underestimated as the "laptop guy" or the "months old magazine guy" or will you become an intimidator, trash talking at times, trying to make everyone fear you when your team pops up to draft and then later on the week that you play head to head? Decide now, but here are some key things to remember for Draft Night and decide on how you will project yourself to the rest of the league. I've labeled it a method to "Take P.R.I.D.E." in your Draft Night, so that each of the five points spells out PRIDE. Here we go:

Perception - This one is pretty simple. As mentioned earlier, you can go in as the math whiz or the stats guy with tables and spreadsheets and three-letter acronyms like "ADP", "VBD" and "AVT" (might want to not drop "FBG" though just yet). You can bring in a laptop to run the Draft Dominator or you might even have an iPhone to get instant news or updates in case someone gets hurt (or un-retires) while you are there drafting. It used to be that bringing a laptop would get you lots of funny looks, but many drafters have gone that route and abandoned the printouts and three-month old magazines with dated information. Regardless of what you decide to do, be prepared to do what you think will get you the best team - but don't rock the boat of your new league. If you know that they encourage trash talk or love to have fun at the expense of a few newer guys, by all means join in - but remember you want to be invited back next year. Conduct yourself wisely and remember the goal of Draft Night. Also remember that the adult beverages can wait until after your kicker pick.

Rules - This one points most directly at the scoring system in general, but overall it is usually the question of "PPR or no PPR" that most greatly affects scoring systems. Each league is different, and knowing the rules and the scoring is critical. I've personally played in leagues that have games in the 35-30 range and others where 1,000 points in a week were possible. There are a multitude of scoring systems out there, and if you don't know about the differences that your new league may have when compared to what you are used to then you have likely lost before you even get started. If quarterbacks typically get 300 points a week while running backs and wide receivers get under 100, you need to adjust.

Information - Knowledge is power. If you know from Footballguys' Daily E-mail updates that Derrick Mason is back moments before your draft is about to start, you have a decided advantage. You are certain to get a "is this guy crazy?" look from a few other owners if you draft a retired player, but that's exactly what you want. In fact, it is three things you want - confusion over what you are doing from other owners, which then results in them discounting your abilities and underestimating you, and finally it also gives you a value player.

Information extends onward to what you bring to Draft Night. The Draft Dominator has schedules and projections and can help you keep track of most anything, while some prefer the "old school" pen and paper or a cheat sheet for the night. That's great, but keep in mind that whatever you choose, odds are that someone will want to sneak a peek at what you are up to during the draft if they can. I've known a few owners who brought a fake cheat sheet for those who decided to be a bit too nosy during the draft. Some might find that dishonest, but think about it - you know it is fake, and it is with your stuff, not on someone else's pile of papers. If they want to look at it without your permission, that's on them, not you.

Deception - This builds on the Information section above. If other owners can predict what you will pick next, they either will snipe your guy or use that information to their advantage (such as not taking a quarterback when they need one because they know that you are planning to wait another round because you have the next three available rated the same). Some owners get downright deceitful (like announcing nonexistent injuries to players). This is where not knowing the league may cost you. If it is a trusting league that also enjoys trading, you may find yourself on the outs quickly if you are viewed as someone who cannot be trusted.

Exceptions - There are rules of thumb when it comes to drafting on Draft Night, but remember that sometimes there are exceptions. Dominating Your League should not be your mantra if you are in a league with coworkers or your boss. That could certainly wind up as a "winning the battle but losing the war" kind of scenario. The same can be true of friends who are new to fantasy or even family getting familiar with your favorite hobby. Remember, we were all new to this game we all love at some point, so not every league has to be about crushing the opposition.

So there you have it - five quick rules and a mnemonic ("PRIDE") to remember them for Draft Night. Whether you want to walk into a High Stakes Live Event and be feared or if you are heading to your sister's basement to pick your team, use the five rules as a reminder for how to get the most out of the best fantasy football night of the year. Have fun with it and enjoy the experience.