19.) Draft According To Your PPR Status
I think knowing the PPR status of your league is the most important rule there is to know about the league for drafting. PPR stands for points per reception. So in a PPR league, Antonio Brown who had 136 catches last year scored 136 more points than a non-PPR league. Non-PPR league players may lean more on who is most likely to score touchdowns since their breakdown comes from yards and touchdowns only. PPR league players will look for guys that catch a lot of passes. RB’s that catch the football out of the backfield gain more from a PPR league while someone like Todd Gurley who had 229 rushes and only 21 catches may be favored in non-PPR leagues. Your strategy should tailor to where your league stands and half PPR’s should be a balance of both.
20.) Look At Team Depth Charts
Depth charts should play a helpful role in drafting and setting up your draft rankings, especially in the flux and chaos of the preseason. Depth charts tell you the order of where a player stands in terms of playing. A popular name may be listed as fourth on the depth chart but a lesser known player might have jumped him to be third. While most fantasy players will like the first guy because of his name, player B is more likely to see playing time on the field according to the depth chart. Playing time = opportunities.
While the Browns may suck on offense, the first WR on the team has a better opportunity of putting up better numbers than New England’s fourth WR usually does despite them being a much better team. Continually monitoring the depth charts can help keep of track of who you should pick and identifying potential sleepers. If a no name training camp invite works his way up the depth chart to first or second string, they have a lot more value as a sleeper or a steal at the bottom of the draft when it comes time.
21.) Know The Style Of Offense Teams Use
Knowing a team’s tendencies should impact your decisions too. A team such as the LA Rams who have a young QB and bad WRs but a really good RB are more likely to try and run the ball. More carries for Gurley means more value for him. Teams that air it out like Green Bay and New England mean the WRs have a lot more value and the RBs should be drafted a little lower. Fantasy football is all a game of opportunity and statistics say the more chances you get the better the chance for a TD or big play occurs. Know these offensive tendencies and weigh RBs with more value on running teams and QBs and WRs more on teams that throw the pigskin a lot.
22.) Avoid The Favorite Team Bias
This one is so hard for most people. Just because you love your beloved Cleveland Browns does not mean you should draft RGIII, Josh Gordon, Corey Coleman, or Gary Barnidge. Just stop. Year after year I see people take their favorite teams players way ahead of time because they love their team. I also see those same players on waivers three weeks later. Surprised? Draft objectively and smart, not with your heart. It usually makes Sundays a lot more painful when both your real life and fantasy team struggle because they have become all in one. Chances are there is a better player available at the time you are drafting than the one on your favorite team. That’s the guy you might look back and say I wish I would have taken him instead.
High School
Men for Others – Remembering Nick Restifo
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