Are You Ready?

The NFL regular season starts September 7. Did it sneak up on you? I blame the lockout. Regardless of your readiness, time is running out. With that in mind, it is time to get a handle on your 2011 fantasy football draft strategy.

Strategy can change from year to year based on the talent pool at each position, but there are a few rules I have always followed:

You bring the chips, I'll bring the cheese

 1.       Make it Fun. OK, so this might not lead to a championship, but remember this is a game. There are many reasons to play, but one big one for me is the camaraderie shared between long-time league mates. If you don’t have many friends that play, invite those that don’t, even the reluctant ones. Some people are surprised by how much fun the game is once they start playing. Once you have your group established, I strongly recommend a draft party. Meshing schedules to get the entire league in one place at one time is difficult, but is definitely the best way to go. At a minimum, though, be sure to have a live online draft. I am a strong opponent to having a computerized draft with pre-ranked players.

2.       Practice Makes Better. It doesn’t make perfect because of your inability to predict who will be available to you at each pick, but I strongly recommend participating in mock drafts online. Whether you play on ESPN, Yahoo!, or another site, mock drafts will help to gauge when players are going and can give you a taste of who is available depending on your spot in the draft order.

3.       Know Your Guy, and Get Him. Scenario: you have the 5^th pick in your draft in a 10-team league. You think Aaron Rodgers is by far the best quarterback in the draft, and want him on your team. Is it too early to take him? Maybe, but he’s not coming back around to you. Draft a team you are happy with by keying in on the one or two guys you want.

4.       Draft for Depth. This has always been a top strategy of mine. Know the depth available at each position and load up on the positions that have less of it. For example, in recent years, tight end has been a position where there is a lot of depth. There is a short list of guys who are real difference makers, but you are going to have to grab one early if you want a tight end off that list. Sometimes your draft slot will line up perfectly to land Antonio Gates in the 4^th round (where I value him), but not often. What you will notice in your draft is that once a TE or two go off the board, there will be a run at them. Don’t get sucked in! Zach Miller will still be available in the 12^th round, so why take Marcedes Lewis in the 8^th?

5.       Draft for More Depth. I can’t undersell the importance of this. Congratulations. Because you waited for value at TE, you can now have more depth at another position. This year, I believe that position is running back. To me, there is an enormous drop-off at this position after the top 10 or so are off the board. I’ve been able to capitalize on taking guys like Jamaal Charles and Ray Rice in later rounds in years gone by, but this year I just do not see that caliber of player available past the top tier backs.

If you don’t have your game face on yet, you are running out of time. If you haven’t done so yet, read my past articles for advice on this season. Check back soon for my pre-draft player rankings. Remember that all articles are based on 10-team standard league scoring, though the advice can translate to other league formats as well. Know your league rules, and if you have specific questions, post comments below or ask via Twitter @SackofCheese.