10 Tips to Crush your Fantasy Draft

1. Prepare for the Draft and have an idea what you want to do round by round. The worst feeling in the world is when you “think” you have an idea of how your draft is going to go, and then that one league member reaches and grabs a guy that they liked more than you. Go through the different rounds of the draft and figure out who your plan A is and who Plan B is and what positions you like in each round the most. Preparation will give you a leg up in your league before the draft even starts.
2. Have a “pivot option” in case your strategy goes sideways. This is essentially part B to #1. It is important to figure out your favorite people to take each round, but what happens when the guy “you knew would be available” just got taken the pick before you? If all the Running Backs I love in the first round, I would probably take Justin Jefferson instead of a RB. Now I need to know where I am going to get my two starting RB’s and in what rounds im targeting them. Always have a pivot option for your strategy.
3. Don’t reach on the Quarterback Position. I covered part of this in my last article, wait on the Quarterback Position. There are 3-4 guys I love that are going between rounds 7-10 that can be top 10 fantasy QB’s this year.
4. Get your running back situation figured out before round 3. I do not want a situation where I have to rely on Miles Sanders and Antonio Gibson as my Running Backs. Go and get two guys with those first two picks that you know are getting the bulk of the carries are going to get that volume in a good offense.
5. Don’t pick either of the top 2 tight ends available. This is not me saying Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews wont be great in Fantasy, it is more about the players you are passing up in those first two rounds to get one of these guys. I would much rather take Kyle Pitts at the end of Round 3/ early Round 4 or Dalton Schultz in Round 6. Pitts may end up as Tight End #1 this year, and going that route you can still get your two RB studs, and also have that premium at the Tight End Position.
6. Figure out which breakout players you want to target pre-draft, but don’t reach on them. The tendency in draft preparation and Mock Drafts is to just do the first 6-7 rounds (The Starters) and not focus on the depth pieces. The issue with this is that those depth pieces is what wins leagues most of the time. Figure out those end of the draft guys that you feel could help you win your league.
7. Don’t be afraid to get your guy a little early. Now, this one contradicts $6 a little but I am going to explain why. A guy like George Pickens for example, you are not going to take him in the 8th round. He has an ADP in the 120’s. If you know he is going in the 11th/12th round and he is not going to make it back to your pick, take him a round early if that’s a guy you feel you need to have, and could make an impact.
8. Pre-Draft mock drafts are crucial. You get to see what different players are typically available at different spots so you can get an idea of how you want to approach the draft in different ways. This will help you during the draft not get caught of guard when a certain player is taken, but also strategize based on where your pick lands in the draft order.
9. Figure out the best way to gain an advantage in your league. If I can grab 2 stud Running Backs in the first two rounds, and also grab Kyle Pitts in round 3/4 I know I am going to have an advantage pretty much every week at those positions against my opponent. At the same time I know figuring out what receiver I want to go rounds 3-5 and which QB I want towards the middle of the draft, I can make it so I am not at a disadvantage at those positions as well. Research where experts have certain receivers ADP Vs. The drafting site you rankings that you are using. For example, if I know most experts have Brandin Cooks as a top 20 receiver but he is falling to the 6th round, that is an absolute steal and will help you stay competitive at the WR position.
10. Lastly, do not draft defense or kicker until last two rounds. There is no reason to pass up on some of the players around at the end of the draft with upside so you can draft a kicker or a defense you are going to drop by Week 4. These two positions are unpredictable and replaceable, and I would rather take a shot on an upside player in the 13th round, rather than start taking a defense or Kicker.

Hope you guys enjoy the content, these are my 10 keys to getting a leg up in your fantasy draft this year.

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