Fantasy Football Draft Tips To Dominate Your League

The following are some great draft tips for you to put into place with your fantasy football league:

Fantasy Football Draft Tips - #1
Do not assume that last year's stats will translate into the same level this year. You really need to research each player and position. Look at things like trends and trades. For example, if a player has gone on to another team, this may affect his stats for this year either up or down. So, just don't draft on the basis of last year. Do your research.

Fantasy Football Draft Tips - #2
This tip is kind of similar to the first one. If a player has had a great year, or even an incredible year, his price and value may go up dramatically. You need to really consider whether this is worth it or not. Remember the principle of reversion to the mean. In other words, things like stats tend even out from year to year. So if a player does exceptionally well for a season, the next season figures to be a down year, especially when compared to the previous season.
The most glaring example of this are with the QB position. Sure, you take that marquee QB who threw for 49 TD's, but why pay such a high price for him when you could still catch a quality player for a TON less money? Then, you can pick up better players in other positions.

Fantasy Football Draft Tips - #3
Even though the QB is possibly the most important player on a team, it is not nearly as critical in fantasy football leagues. Assuming there are 12 teams in your league (which seems to be about average) there is only around a 7-8 points per game difference between the top rated and last-placed starting QB's. Comparing these numbers to the RB and WR positions shows there is a much greater value here, between 10-16 points on average for these positions.

The value of a top RB or WR therefore, is much greater than that of a top QB. So, the lesson here is to wait on drafting a QB. It is simple supply and demand.

Fantasy Football Draft Tips - #4
There is much more depth at RB's than in previous years. This is due mainly to how teams are now using a committee approach to RB. For example, in 2000, 23 RB's rushed for 1,000+ yards. In 2007, only 17 accomplished this feat. However, consider the fact that these yards are really just being distributed over a wider field. In 2000, only 33 rushed for 500+ yards, while 44 did this in 2007. Therefore, I would focus more on the WR position early and wait to pick a more serviceable back to serve as your 2nd RB.

Fantasy Football Draft Tips - #5
Worry about weather - When deciding between 2 similar players, take the climate they play in into account. Draft QBs and WRs who play in warm weather or domes. Many fantasy football playoff games are lost due to games played in wintry conditions. Don't knock Brady down your cheat sheet because he plays in frigid New England, but start to take weather into account when you get into the middle rounds of your draft.

Fantasy Football Draft Tips - #6
Draft for upside in the later rounds - Go big or go home! When you are looking for your 4th RB or 5th WR, there is little reason to take a guy like Warrick Dunn or Muhsin Muhammad. Instead, draft a boom or bust type guy (Rashard Mendenhall for example). If he ends up being a bust, you can always drop him if need be. If he pans out though, you'll look like a genius. In this case you are doing a bit of gambling, but it can make a big difference if it works out.

Fantasy Football Draft Tips - #7
Wait until the last 2 rounds to draft a K and DEF - There are a couple of reasons for this. First, you can only start 1 K and 1 DEF. Therefore, the demand for each position is low. Second, the turnover at these two positions is so great that drafting them is almost a crap shoot. There will always be a K or DEF on the waiver wire that will finish the year in the top-10. Load up on all other positions, and then take a stab at a K and a DEF with your last 2 picks.