Okay, the last drafts of the season will be happening shortly. Rather than give you an obscure (but well-intentioned) topic, I thought I'd throw in a bunch of tips that I always use on draft day. You might know most or all of them already, but maybe one or more will be new to you. In no particular order:
Know each league's nuances and adjust your draft accordingly. Leagues differ on a lot more areas than whether they're PPR or not. Is it one point for every 20 passing yards, or 25? Is it -2 for an interception, or just -1? It Do tight ends get two points per reception? Can defenses get a negative score? All of that stuff matters. If you're in a number of leagues, you might be surprised at some outlier rules, and they can make a difference in your selection process. Review every one of them, like you're doing it for the first time, before draft day.
If you’re in a lot of leagues, this will take some time. But it’s worth it. You might be surprised at rules you didn’t even know existed.
On a related note, never use the same cheat sheet for different drafts. Every league is different, so your lists should reflect those changes.
Write down a list of players you don't want to forget at the end of your draft. Like old school, pen-and-paper, writing things down. I don't put them in the draft queue because I don't want to accidentally select them in a rush or have something go wrong and have them auto-drafted several rounds before I wanted them. But, when you're looking through the remnants in the last few rounds, these are names you want to remember.
In the actual moment, it's easy to forget things. There are a lot of things happening, and someone can slip your mind. Write it down and remember them when it counts.
Know the draft requirements and use them to your advantage. Does the league mandate that you draft kickers and defenses, or can those wait until before week 1? If they can wait, I never draft a defense and only take a kicker if I want to keep them all year. That gives me one or two extra spots for players, and I'll just ditch the ones I don't want before the first game.
Also, do you have IR spots and what designates a player's eligibility for it? You might be able to draft-and-stash players who haven't been activated off the PUP list yet. Or grab someone you know won't be playing until later in the year, put them on IR and fill that spot with another flyer. Use those spots if you have them, and plan to use them when you're drafting. Anything you can do to expand your roster over your opponents gives you an advantage.
Have the commissioner's phone number handy in case you get kicked out of the draft. Technology is never 100 percent reliable, and you need to be able to communicate any problems. They might pause the draft, or at least give you a player you wanted instead of an auto draft selection. And on that note...
Have paper backups of your cheat sheets. You might never use them, but you don't want to rely solely on a computer, only to find you've lost access for part of the draft. Better safe than sorry.
If you feel instant regret after making a pick, it's critical that you forget about it and move on. Do not spend the rest of the draft trying to make up from one bad selection. You'll do a lot more damage in future rounds by not staying in the moment than you will from the bad pick. Besides, it might not even be a bad pick at all. There have been plenty of times I took the "wrong guy," only to find that he out-performed the person I wanted originally. Just move on.
Watch who is drafting, and who isn't. Sometimes, managers have to leave an online draft early or don’t show up at all and auto draft. When that happens, all you have to do is look at the player rankings to know if a player has no chance of making it back to you. Use that information to determine whether you can wait a round for a guy you really want.
Also, when you draft near the end of a round, look at the next manager’s roster. That information can help you predict what positions they’re likely to take. You might be able to risk waiting until the pick comes back to you if you can see that they really need to address a different position.
Be as prepared for the end of your draft as you are the beginning. I know several knowledgeable football fans who understand our game and know how to play it, but literally take anyone who comes to mind in the last few rounds. The stars are taken, the fun is gone, and they just want to log off and admire their starters. Don't be that kind of manager. It doesn’t sound as exciting to go deeper down the depth charts, but there are fantasy starters available at the end of the draft. You just don't know who they are yet. Make every pick count and you'll pull ahead of managers who have some big names and a lot of whatever on the bench.
Have fun. It sounds silly, but many of our fellow managers forget this part. We’re playing a game, and while it can be stressful and you want to win, it’s supposed to be fun. Don’t stress too much before, during, or after your draft. Be prepared, be focused and be ready to win your league. But don’t take it so seriously that you forget you’re playing with friends, or at least enjoying a hobby that makes professional football that much more fun. Just do your best and good luck on draft day.
What tips do you use that have helped you in your leagues? Do you have any advice that can help a manager stand out from the competition? Share your thoughts below.