Any advice for sophomore season girl?

[hethdent]

Hi everyone--I'm a rookie to this site so bear with me...
I was roped into a FF league by a bunch of bullheaded guys that think they are all that, but had an empty spot to fill last season. Strangely enough I ended up with the title at the end of the season (yes, I know you're all thinking dumb lucky girl...and I'm willing to admit that's true)
So this year, I'm flying solo (none of the men want to help me now) and I'd love nothing more than to keep my title...
Where can I learn everything I need to know about the draft process in the next 2 days? My league has 10 teams and I have the 8th pick and D-day is this Friday night...any help out there?

[Crimedogg32]

take RBs early and often and I usually try to get QBs late it seems most new comers take them to early so wait as long as you can on QBs

[BMadd]

http://www.fftoolbox.com (lots of links and info for free, just deal with the pop ups)

antsports.com (no time for a mock draft, just check out the average draft info)

And of course the rankings at the cafe kick butt!

Good luck

[ABC]

hethdent: Welcome to the forum.

Congrats on winning your league last year!!

You'll find that the members of this forum as very knowledgeable and helpfull.

Here's a good article on NFL.com about fantasy football and drafting.

http://www.nfl.com/fantasy/story/8584044

[onnestabe]

Troll around the forums on this site as much as possible and try to absorb as much as possible. Each forum will have something different to offer.

Also, I think that foxsports.com has a good article about draft strategy for beginners, as does fantasyfootballjungle.com. The one on the jungle is in their preseason package.

Hope this helps!

[Paladyr]

1. Take an average draft position list (i use ESPNs) that shows on average where people are drafted with you to the draft.

2. Mark on your sheet where your picks will fall so you know who to look to get.

3. In the first 3 rounds I would say that you HAVE to have your starting 2 RBs.

4. Make sure you take into consideration the "value" of your pick. If you draft 2 RBs in the first two rounds, and in the 3rd round all of the good WRs are gone (TO, Moss, Holt, Johnson) or shouldn't get picked before your next pick, but Westbrook is still out there (this happened to me), take the value with westbrook and plan on using him as trade bait later. 4th round you would have to take a WR, same with 5th + (or TE).

5. Wait until at least the 6th and more like the 7th to get a QB.

[TruNinerFan]

I suggest you grab rb's with your first 2 picks. Then, I would grab the best available wr's with your next 2 picks. In the 5th round you might be able to get a guy like Bulger or Palmer. That would lay the groundwork for a solid team.

[gjb140]

Depends on how much time/effort you want to put into it. First check out ESPN.com, NFL.com, and Fantasysports.Yahoo.com for their fantasy football stuff. Then you can check out the following:

http://www.fflpros.com/
http://www.fftoday.com/
http://www.fftoolbox.com/
http://www.fanball.com/
http://www.fantasyindex.com/FB_index.html

Tips:
1) Know your scoring rules. 4pts vs 6 pts per passing TD changes the QB values a bit. Points for receptions or performance (extra for 100 yard games, etc) can make some players more desirable in the long run.

2) Create a cheat sheet. List the top 100 and say the top 20 at each position. Know there's usually a run on the top running backs, the top 2 QBs, and the top WR in the first round. The second round is more of the same, more focus on WR and QB. Third round is when you'll see the top 2 - 3 tight ends go. Defenses can go as early as 4th but usually start in earnest in the 6th. I wouldn't draft a kicker or defense before you have the meat of your team (QB, at least 2 RBs, 2-3 WRs, TE). Create a strategy around your sheets that allows you to take better players in the mid - late rounds.

3) Avoid "by committee" situations. This means positions like QB or RB where you know two or more players could rotate in. Ex: RBs in Denver, QBs in Detroit, RBs in Minnesota, QBs in San Fran. Taking both Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell is a waste. You'll drive yourself crazy trying to guess who to start each week.

4) Keep an eye on rookies and sleepers in the mid rounds. Ronnie Brown, JJ Arrington, and Carnell Williams are some of the rookies expected to start and make a splash. Imagine getting one in the mid-late rounds who breaks out mid-season for you!

5) Wait on the QB. Outside of say Manning and Culpepper, the rest can be had in rounds 3 - 6. You can stock up on RBs or an RB and WR in rounds 1 & 2, while usually still able to grab a Green, Bulger, Favre, Collins, or Brady in later rounds. Except if you start 2 QBs. Nothing like picking up Bulger in the 5th or 6th after drafting studs at RB & WR.

6) Expect the unexpected. Toughest part, but usually one of the top 5 RBs will be hurt for a considerable amount of time, one of the top 8 RBs will extremely outplay his draft position, and some one on offense will explode for a peak year (Manning in '04, Ahman Green in '03, etc). There will be players that probably won't last a full season (Foster in Carolina, Anderson in Denver), players that won't play to potential (Mike Vick, David Carr), and then there'll be older vets that slow down in the second half (Curtis Martin, Warrick Dunn). Knowing some of this ahead of time helps you anticipate needing backups and preparing for the eventuality. Having someone's backup (LJ for Priest Holmes, for example) helps in case the starter goes down.

7) Play the free agent/waiver wire on Sundays. Whenever you can, be near a computer on Sundays. You never know what big star will be injured. Grabbing the replacement (see Larry Johnson in KC) off of waivers could mean the difference in the season. Billy Volek, Nick Goings, and Larry Johnson were backups that came in and led their teams in late season play in '04. All were undrafted in the majority of leagues.

8) Watch the schedules. Fantasy playoffs are usually between weeks 13 - 16. Knowing your stars (or defenses) could have great matchups in the last few weeks helps to propel you to the title.

That's it for now. Stick with your gut, do some research, and good luck on draft day.

[BronXBombers51]

http://footballguys.com

[inferno19]

Don't take anything they offer you. Even if it's in a shiny bottle, or hidden deep in the back of an unmarked white van.