Andy Richardson
If you’re like most owners, you have multiple teams and multiple drafts. But everyone has a limit, and by the end of August or so, you hit yours. Suddenly you’re inching toward your last draft – and your Last Fantasy Team of the season.
I’ve got mine coming up, and although there’s a small degree of relief – I probably have too many teams – there’s nervousness, too. The Last Fantasy Team is also your last chance to do certain things, so you don’t want to blow it. As usual, I find it helpful to make a list….
1. Reach for players you’re high on. I can’t do anything about the fact that I don’t have Steven Jackson on any of my teams – unless my Last Fantasy Team was an auction, in which case I’d bid through the roof for him. But I can do something about the fact that I don’t, as of yet, have Adrian Peterson anywhere. That means, perhaps, going off my draft board a little to take a guy a round earlier than I would ordinarily, just to make sure I get him. I already did that with my Next to Last Fantasy Team with Marques Colston, just because I like the guy and yet didn’t have him anywhere. I may also do it this time with Marc Bulger. What’s the good of thinking a player is going to have a great year if he’s not going to have it on any of your teams? Sometimes you’ve got to reach a little to get somebody you want, and there’s no better time to do it than your final draft of the year.
2. Lock up those sleepers early. Like most owners I’ve got a lot of sleepers, but again, I don’t always get them in my early drafts – I leave them out there too long, or somebody else has the same sleepers, or whatever. Last chance to get them, so it’s OK to go a little earlier than you might like. Brandon Jackson … Anthony Gonzalez … Owen Daniels … players I might take a round earlier than where I’ve got them valued, just to actually have them. Important Note: I’m not talking about totally messing up your team by overvaluing players. I’m talking about 1 or 2 players on your 16- to 18-man roster who you’ve targeted up to this point but not ended up with. It’s your last chance to get them and actually benefit from your own foresight and wisdom, so now’s the time.
3. Tweak your strategy. If you’ve gone through four drafts of RB, RB, WR, RB, QB, your teams might look pretty similar, with similar strengths and weaknesses. A tried and true strategy, to be sure, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a slightly better No. 1 receiver? Was it REALLY the right move to draft a likely committee back like Jerious Norwood when I could have grabbed T.J. Houshmandzadeh as my No. 2 wideout? It’s your last chance to go, say, RB, WR, RB, QB, WR, or something similar, so why not try it? Who knows – you might like the results a little better.
4. Fix your mistakes. I didn’t take my quarterback early enough in Draft #2. I waited too long on my No. 3 running back in Draft #4. I took my second wideout too early in Draft #1. And I waited way too long on my tight end in Draft #5. Can I fix all of my previous errors in one draft? Probably not; I’m still only going to get one pick in each round. But, I can fix the worst of them. I can draft a quarterback early enough that I make sure I get one of my top 5. I know I can draft a tight end early enough to get Jeremy Shockey. And if other mistakes crop up in late August as a result of fixing the ones I made in early August, well, there’s always next year.
5. Pretend it’s your ONLY team. It’s your last team of the year, and I’m telling you to change things up a little bit, but at the same time, you want to make this draft count. So even while you’re doing things you haven’t done yet and changing your strategy a bit, you also want to give the team the proper respect – it’s your last chance to do so. That means making sure you’re really ready for this draft: finalized draft board, up-to-date information, clear strategy. Draft like there’s no tomorrow, because if this is your last team, there isn’t.
Until next year.
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Posted by Darren Blatt | Sep. 02 at 07:35 PM
Not sure if this counts as being relevant, but who would you recomend starting between DEUCE and Jamal Lewis on opening week/weekend? Matchups are IND vs. NO and CLE vs PITTS. Frank Gore is my #1 RB.
Posted by TEE PEE | Sep. 05 at 08:54 PM
Stay away from anything in Cleveland- even in fantasy land! Great #1 back you have. Deuce will be a great #2.
Posted by TEE PEE | Sep. 05 at 08:57 PM
How about some week one help with two so/so QBs and commentary on the season with these two- Tony Oh-no(Romo) OR Jon Kitna? Oh-no has lots of potential but you know what is said about potential. Both are starters and both are throwing to very good wide-outs. Romo is on a solid over all team with new coaches and Kitna is, well, Kitna on a usual Detroit team. Insight anyone?
Posted by TEE PEE | Sep. 11 at 08:39 PM
Alright, considering all the responses that came pouring in regarding this QB question for week #1, I'll throw it out there again for week #2 of the 2007 fantasy football season. Say you have Tony "oh-no" Romo coming off a pretty spectacular fantasy week #1, as well as, John Kitna playing much as he did last year (streaky with interceptions and moments of great productivity)- which QB has the best match-up in week#2? Who would you start? Kitna is playing against a relatively tough Minnesota D and Romo has a tough Miami D. Throw out any thoughts on the issue. It's not as though either QB is a Peyton Manning with years of a proven track record and money in the bank. I still think the match-ups count for these two in regards to fantasy production.