I've never played "serious" fantasy football before but a group in my new office seems to be taking it very serious so I was wanted to see what sage advice the board can give someone who is a football fan but has never really paid attention to the fantasy/stat side of it. I've played fantasy baseball for years so I get the idea but the nuance of 2 RB first versus a RB and QB or RB and taking a top WR is lost on me at this point. Advice on how high to draft defense, is a top TE really that much more value than a mid range one found 6 rounds later, stuff like that is all of interest to me.
fantasy football newbie question
- Thread starter bsquared24
- Start date
Please join my money league.
Kidding. I'd suggest finding out the exact settings for your league, and then take those settings and apply your league's scoring system to a data set of last year's actual NFL stats. Scoring and roster makeup varies so much from league to league that unless you are using ESPN's or Yahoo's standard setup, then the glut of rankings out there aren't much help. For instance, is your league one QB or two? Is it a PPR league or not? Team defense or IDP?
Without doing the homework on the front end, you're really just picking players with no real idea of what you need, sort of like Croom recruited. Once you see who scores points in your league (which may surprise you), then you are in a better position to draft accordingly because you will have a better idea how much QBs are valued, when/where tight ends ought to go and all the subtleties that can give you an advantage on draft day.
Kidding. I'd suggest finding out the exact settings for your league, and then take those settings and apply your league's scoring system to a data set of last year's actual NFL stats. Scoring and roster makeup varies so much from league to league that unless you are using ESPN's or Yahoo's standard setup, then the glut of rankings out there aren't much help. For instance, is your league one QB or two? Is it a PPR league or not? Team defense or IDP?
Without doing the homework on the front end, you're really just picking players with no real idea of what you need, sort of like Croom recruited. Once you see who scores points in your league (which may surprise you), then you are in a better position to draft accordingly because you will have a better idea how much QBs are valued, when/where tight ends ought to go and all the subtleties that can give you an advantage on draft day.
1) don't pick with your heart if you really want win.<div>2) familiarize yourself with the league's score system and look at what people have done in the past. (passing TD = 4 pts vs 6 pts)</div><div>3)don'tblindly buy into any "draft strategy". It's a passing league now, and most people will still draft RBs 1&2 because Matthew Barry said so.</div><div>4)weighin position scarcity when taking a reach.</div><div>5) a healthy Vick will be a beast. He'sessentiallya QB2 + RB2 rolled into one roster spot. Key work, healthy.</div><div>5) Sleepers...see rule #1.</div>
unless gates or davis falls way down, like 5th round or later, i wouldn't take a TE until you've filled out QB, 3 RBs, and 2 WRs.
never take a kicker until the last round.
never take a D until the last few rounds.
make sure to track bye weeks, you never want your backups to end up having the same bye weeks as your starters (if the guys is more of a late round flier instead of a true backup, then this isn't as important as you'll probably drop the guy anyway).
don't take a QB in round 1.
even if a couple go early, you'll still be able to grab shaub or rivers or romo or ryan after brady, peyton, brees, and rodgers go, and you'll be fine, with a fair shot that one of those guys puts up better numbers than some or all of the top 4.
i'd avoid vick (injuries), but if you must, be the first, or at least one of the first players to draft a QB2. you'll probably end up needing him at least a few weeks.
take a true RB1 in the 1st round. you want to make sure to have at least one RB that is for sure gonna carry the load for a team. it's all about the touches. touches lead to TDs. i'd want at least 1 RB i feel like will get 10+ TDs. once you start relying on a bunch of RBs in RB-by-committee situations, you are subjecting yourself to the weekly whims of the HC.<div>
</div><div>in round 2, see how the draft is headed and adapt.
ppr can really affect RB values (guys like mendenhall and turner really take hits) so know your scoring system.
ppr can really help WR values, especially guys like wes welker.
when in doubt, try not to rely on non-QBs over 30.
be weary of players with big yardage/TDs but low touches, if they yardage or TDs come back to the norm, the touches won't be there to make them valuable. </div>
never take a kicker until the last round.
never take a D until the last few rounds.
make sure to track bye weeks, you never want your backups to end up having the same bye weeks as your starters (if the guys is more of a late round flier instead of a true backup, then this isn't as important as you'll probably drop the guy anyway).
don't take a QB in round 1.
even if a couple go early, you'll still be able to grab shaub or rivers or romo or ryan after brady, peyton, brees, and rodgers go, and you'll be fine, with a fair shot that one of those guys puts up better numbers than some or all of the top 4.
i'd avoid vick (injuries), but if you must, be the first, or at least one of the first players to draft a QB2. you'll probably end up needing him at least a few weeks.
take a true RB1 in the 1st round. you want to make sure to have at least one RB that is for sure gonna carry the load for a team. it's all about the touches. touches lead to TDs. i'd want at least 1 RB i feel like will get 10+ TDs. once you start relying on a bunch of RBs in RB-by-committee situations, you are subjecting yourself to the weekly whims of the HC.<div>
</div><div>in round 2, see how the draft is headed and adapt.
ppr can really affect RB values (guys like mendenhall and turner really take hits) so know your scoring system.
ppr can really help WR values, especially guys like wes welker.
when in doubt, try not to rely on non-QBs over 30.
be weary of players with big yardage/TDs but low touches, if they yardage or TDs come back to the norm, the touches won't be there to make them valuable. </div>
There are a million websites with draft strategies.. heck, it's so easy now, my mom could field a decent team.
If you want to really challenge yourself and your office mates, offer to set up a college ffb league. Focus on either two conferences -- sec and acc, -- or only top 25 teams.
stats are good, but much less reliable, since teams consistently graduate players and/or sign stud hs and jc players.
just my two cents.
If you want to really challenge yourself and your office mates, offer to set up a college ffb league. Focus on either two conferences -- sec and acc, -- or only top 25 teams.
stats are good, but much less reliable, since teams consistently graduate players and/or sign stud hs and jc players.
just my two cents.
This type of advice is to be taken if your leagues scoring is EXACTLY like his. And as for blindly taking a RB 1st. Ask MJD and Ray Rice owners how that worked out for them last year.<div>Once again, familiarize yourself with league scoring before making assumptions. In some leagues, QBs score a ton more than RBs. In some leagues, defenses score as much as QBs.</div><div>Rememberwhen your teacher told you to read all the choices before selecting answer...</div>dawgs said:
oh jesus man. i guess the only info i should have given out was "know your scoring system". did i point out know ppr? as for passing TDs, just because they count for 4 or 6 doesn't mean the separation between rodgers and rivers is gonna be any different. unless you are picking at the end of round 1 and a large number of QBs have already come off the board, don't take a QB. it's math.<div>
</div><div>care to point out your fail proof method of valuing kickers that aren't a complete crapshoot? why would you not just take a kicker with your last pick? can you foresee which kickers will get FGs because the offense stalls in the 20 more than other teams already?</div><div>
</div><div>and why take a D early? there isn't a 85 bears or 00 ravens D out there, just take one later in the draft and play matchups. playing matchups with Ds is really invaluable.
<div>
</div><div>do you not want a RB that you feel like will get the carries to get 1200+ yards and 10+ tds?</div><div>
</div><div>do you know how many seasons vick actually has played 16 games? 1. </div><div>
</div><div>god, you'd think i just told him to go RB-RB-QB-WR-WR and never vary or some ****. i'd like to hear your arguments specifically against each point and why it is poor advice? i gave some general outlines of things i prefer, but obviously if i'm pick 12th and the top 5 or so QBs are off the board in the first round, i'm probably taking one with 1 of mu turn picks, i'm not gonna bet on rivers lasting until the end of the 2nd.</div><div>
</div><div>i won my 2 money leagues last year, so i'm obviously doing something sort of right. the anti-RB movement in the 1st round has it's place, but it's gotten so popular and trendy now, that you can get some real bargains early. like yeah, i'd rather have ray rice in the first round than larry fitz. ray rice is guaranteed 300 touches (barring injury of course). he isn't reliant on meshing with a new QB to be productive. not to mention, you bring up 1st round RB disappointments last year, even in a disappointing year, rice had almost 1800 total yards and 6 tds. and in a ppr even more value due to all the catches.</div> </div>
</div><div>care to point out your fail proof method of valuing kickers that aren't a complete crapshoot? why would you not just take a kicker with your last pick? can you foresee which kickers will get FGs because the offense stalls in the 20 more than other teams already?</div><div>
</div><div>and why take a D early? there isn't a 85 bears or 00 ravens D out there, just take one later in the draft and play matchups. playing matchups with Ds is really invaluable.
<div>
</div><div>do you not want a RB that you feel like will get the carries to get 1200+ yards and 10+ tds?</div><div>
</div><div>do you know how many seasons vick actually has played 16 games? 1. </div><div>
</div><div>god, you'd think i just told him to go RB-RB-QB-WR-WR and never vary or some ****. i'd like to hear your arguments specifically against each point and why it is poor advice? i gave some general outlines of things i prefer, but obviously if i'm pick 12th and the top 5 or so QBs are off the board in the first round, i'm probably taking one with 1 of mu turn picks, i'm not gonna bet on rivers lasting until the end of the 2nd.</div><div>
</div><div>i won my 2 money leagues last year, so i'm obviously doing something sort of right. the anti-RB movement in the 1st round has it's place, but it's gotten so popular and trendy now, that you can get some real bargains early. like yeah, i'd rather have ray rice in the first round than larry fitz. ray rice is guaranteed 300 touches (barring injury of course). he isn't reliant on meshing with a new QB to be productive. not to mention, you bring up 1st round RB disappointments last year, even in a disappointing year, rice had almost 1800 total yards and 6 tds. and in a ppr even more value due to all the catches.</div> </div>
The draft is important, but you have to be lucky to win.
Injuries happen every year, but there are always one or two players you can pickup on the waiver wire that can win you a championship.
Look at your scoring system and rank your players before the draft.
Kickers are always the last pick.
Never pick a defense before round 8.
TE's really drop off after the top 3 or 4 players, so if you miss out on an elite TE, then wait until a later pick..
I usually go RB if I pick in the top of the 1st round or QB if at end, then snake back with RB.
Make sure after round 5 you have 2 RB, 1QB, and 2 WR, if that is what you start each week.
Good Luck
Injuries happen every year, but there are always one or two players you can pickup on the waiver wire that can win you a championship.
Look at your scoring system and rank your players before the draft.
Kickers are always the last pick.
Never pick a defense before round 8.
TE's really drop off after the top 3 or 4 players, so if you miss out on an elite TE, then wait until a later pick..
I usually go RB if I pick in the top of the 1st round or QB if at end, then snake back with RB.
Make sure after round 5 you have 2 RB, 1QB, and 2 WR, if that is what you start each week.
Good Luck
If Drew Brees averages 15 points per game and Michael Turner averages 13 points per game, is Brees a better choice to have on your roster and draft higher? The answer is not necessarily. It depends on the other options at the positions. Maybe you can get Michael Turner and his 13 per game and get a QB like Vick who would get you 12 points per game. Whereas if you go with Brees, your next running back option may get you 7 per game. So it's all differentials and value above replacements.
BFB
BFB
yep pretty much. i always laugh when someone says "but a QB was the #1 scorer in my league so he has to be the #1 pick".
not to be a smart-***, but google college fantasy football
there are several sites that will help you set up your league, or cbssports has leagues that allow "free agents" to join.
there are several sites that will help you set up your league, or cbssports has leagues that allow "free agents" to join.
I agree that you should always be thinking about your next couple picks when drafting any single player.
The other critical thing that I'd mention is that if you want to win it all, you have be active with the free agent boards. You've gotta be careful if your league has a transaction limit, but you should always be looking for this year's Michael Vick, Peyton Hillis, or Miles Austin. I've won four out of our last five leagues and it didn't happen by winning a draft day trophy. It was done by picking up all three of the above guys among others following their breakout games and building a very deep roster. Injuries, suspensions, and bye weeks are going to happen every year so you have to be just as concerned about your backup spots as you do with your usual starters. I don't know that I've ever had the strongest group of starters, but I've always had a deep bench that could weather the late season storm better than most other teams so as long as I found a way to make the playoffs, I've been able to win a few titles. So in summary, always be looking to improve your roster even if it's just the last spot on your bench.
The other critical thing that I'd mention is that if you want to win it all, you have be active with the free agent boards. You've gotta be careful if your league has a transaction limit, but you should always be looking for this year's Michael Vick, Peyton Hillis, or Miles Austin. I've won four out of our last five leagues and it didn't happen by winning a draft day trophy. It was done by picking up all three of the above guys among others following their breakout games and building a very deep roster. Injuries, suspensions, and bye weeks are going to happen every year so you have to be just as concerned about your backup spots as you do with your usual starters. I don't know that I've ever had the strongest group of starters, but I've always had a deep bench that could weather the late season storm better than most other teams so as long as I found a way to make the playoffs, I've been able to win a few titles. So in summary, always be looking to improve your roster even if it's just the last spot on your bench.
thanks everyone for the advice, as soon as I see the settings I'll get to trying to figure out my own rankings.<div>
</div><div>Any advice on how to find points or rankings that match up with my league settings in case if there are some funky categories or something. Is there some sort of website that tracks different leagues to make it easier on everyone since fantasy football is such a big deal?</div><div>
</div>
</div><div>Any advice on how to find points or rankings that match up with my league settings in case if there are some funky categories or something. Is there some sort of website that tracks different leagues to make it easier on everyone since fantasy football is such a big deal?</div><div>
</div>