It's always fun to hear about draft day rituals. Some leagues have elaborate parties, and others make an entire day out of it. Some spend an entire weekend together, with the draft as the centerpiece. Lifelong friends having fun together? That's as good as it gets.
Unfortunately, it can't always get that good. Today, many leagues are conducted online and some participants never actually meet in real life. Draft day is just you and your league password. Selecting your team alone isn't as fun, but it can still be productive.
Here's how to get the most out of a solo draft experience.
Actually be alone. Sure, you could draft on the golf course, or at your in-laws dinner party. But why would you do that? Do you think professional teams multi-task on draft day? Is Bill Belichick scouting players on his cell phone with the Patriots on the clock while his kids are on the playground? No way. For those couple hours, they're 100 percent focused on the task at hand. You should do the same. Find a quiet spot where you'll have as few interruptions as possible.
No cell phone. I caught a lot of flack for my "don't drink and draft" stance over the years (I haven't changed my mind. I'm just quieter about it), but this one might be even more controversial. Not only should you not draft on your phone, you shouldn't have it near you while you draft.
Your phone is a great source of both production and distraction. Forget the apps that allow you to draft on your phone. You'll be faster on a laptop or desktop. You'll have an easier time opening up new tabs and keeping track of multiple information sources. Navigating the site will be easier, and your thumbs won't accidentally put the wrong player in a queue, miss the correct tab when doing research or (worst of all) drafting a guy you didn't want. Forget portability (see tip #1). Whatever you can do on your phone, you'll do it more efficiently on a dedicated computer.
That being said, don't even look at the thing. Texts can wait. Non-emergency phone calls can wait. It can be close enough to hear an emergency call, but you don't need to check for emergencies every two minutes. You won't find an emergency, but you will find a distraction. Even if it's for half a minute, that can break your concentration. For these few hours, the draft needs to be your focus. Put the phone down.
Go Analog. You might have computer programs, tablets and a giant screen at your disposal. You know what else you need? Paper and a pencil. Go old school, as in the stuff you used in school before you got old. There's no substitute for jotting notes down when you're pressed for time. You can watch your roster develop in real time and you can write down names you don't want to forget when your turn comes up.
Yes, you can do a lot of that inside your league's website. There's probably a separate tab for rosters and one for a queue. That's nice. It also requires more clicking and looks just like every other screen. The names are all in the same font and kind of blend together after an hour. But when you write it out, you're seeing things take shape in your own hand. Writing down a name makes it more likely you'll remember it on your own instead of staring at a queue. It also forces you to evaluate the player for an instant as you're writing the name down.
It also takes a few seconds to go back and forth between tabs, and I admit that doesn't sound like much right now. But when you're on the clock, there's value in staying on the main drafting screen and having your notes right in front of you. Have those tools ready when it's time to draft.
Use the time between picks wisely. The time in between rounds can be a strange mixture of panic and boredom. Players are flying off the board, and you're just watching it happen. Some owners take their full amount of time, while others are done in an instant. When there are only a few owners ahead of your next pick, it's hard to predict how much time you have. Your turn might be several minutes away, or 45 seconds away.
You could spend that time trash talking your fellow owners in the chat room. You could admire your new team and imagine them scoring touchdown after touchdown on Sundays. Or you could, you know, actually make good use of that time. As in, keep doing research and have an evolving short list of guys you really want when your turn comes up.
As you get closer to your choice, one of two things will happen. First, you might see that you have more players on the list than you have owners ahead of you. That's good news; you're guaranteed to get someone you like. Anxiety will be replaced with a sense of calm, and you'll have more confidence in your decision.
Second, you could see your choices evaporating before your eyes. That's not an ideal situation, but there's a benefit here, too. You have more than your allotted time to find replacements; you have all the time you're waiting for other owners to make a selection as well. Work before your pick and you won't have to work as hard during your pick.
Take advantage of situational opportunities. Drafting alone isn't necessarily fun, but you can spot and take advantage of situations as they arise.
If you have back-to-back picks, don't hit "draft" on your first pick until near the end of your time. Use that extra time to work on your second pick since you'll get a separate clock for that selection as well.
If you know an owner near your spot is on auto pilot, recognize that they'll be selecting the next player on the websites generic cheat sheet (owners rarely set their own custom lists for the entire draft). You'll have no shot at those guys and there will be almost no time used on that pick. You'll need to work faster, and you'll need options beyond the top of the list. You already know they wont be there.
Finally, watch for owners who bail during the draft. Some folks might have something else scheduled, or simply get bored after the "exciting" picks are done. You might see an uptick on auto picks in the second half of the draft, which changes your strategy. Be prepared if that happens while everyone else is adjusting on the fly.
It's always more fun to draft with friends, but drafting poorly is never fun. Make the most of your solo draft and prepare to celebrate with family (and trash-talk your friends) later in the year.
Do you draft differently when you're alone? What tips do you use to make the most of the experience? Share your thoughts below.