You love football and one of the most fun aspects about the season is fantasy football. Leagues pop up all over the country every year, and yet newbies always seem to find themselves in hot water over draft picks. Here’s how to avoid making beginner mistakes so that you have a fighting chance in your league.
Don’t Rely On Journalists and Sportscasters
You wouldn’t back a team based on the color of their jerseys, right? So do some research and pay due diligence. There are many magazines, journalists, sports reporters, and sportscasters that are willing to give their opinion about players, odds, and statistics. What does this mean for your fantasy football league or choosing teams when you bet on football? Almost nothing.
While the information in magazines can be a great read, it’s often outdated by the time drafting starts. You see, most of these magazines are written just after the NFL draft starts, and they don’t report on training injuries and position conflicts. That’s because the magazine is published before these things happen, so there’s no way to go back and update relevant articles.
Likewise, journalists and sportscasters won’t always be the final authority on the players you want — be cautious when listening to them.
Don’t Rely on One Source for Information
Just as you wouldn’t rely on a dated magazine to help you draft players, you shouldn’t rely on any single source of information when making your picks. When you read something that’s obviously opinion-based, get a second or third opinion about the player or team before making a final decision. Better yet, seek out sources of fact-only information and skip the opinions altogether.
No Drinking During the Draft
Drinking during the draft might sound like fun, but it’s a great way to ruin your team for the entire season. Beer and football may go hand in hand most of the time, but only when you’re watching a game and you’re not pressured to make a pick based on important statistical information.
Likewise, if you see someone else drinking, and you feel like being a friend, you might want to throw them this tip. The fantasy football league is serious business; otherwise, you wouldn’t have money in the game. On the other hand, if you don’t mind taking easy money off of your friends, sit down, shut up, and let them make their bad picks.
Don’t Be The Sucker
Don’t be the gullible member of your league that doesn’t get a fair trade during draft picks. Always get equal and fair compensation when you trade players and never let anyone railroad you.
Don’t Focus So Heavily On QBs’ Name Value
Quarterbacks are often seen as the stars of the game, but most of the top-ten QBs performed similarly last year (at least, in terms of fantasy football). You can build up a good running back and wide receiver core until the middle rounds of the season and still get yourself a good QB pick.
Don’t be hasty. Sometimes, name recognition isn’t everything.
Conclusion
This is supposed to be fun, so keep that in the back of your mind at all times. Sure, it’s competitive, and someone has to lose. But, you don’t want it to be you, this time, this year. Let someone else be the newb.
Cris Goodwin is a whiz at fantasy football with experience starting leagues in the office and among friends. He enjoys blogging about planning teams, office pools, and his tips for winning the league.