Things to Avoid in Football fantasy strategy

[allyacamilla]

If you’re still assembling Fantasy Football teams in 2010 using the same methods you employed back in ’92, when Barry Foster carried you to a championship, then you’re probably doing it wrong. The game, as they say, has passed you by.
Bad Habit No. 1: Believing you can draft a perfect team
Bad Habit No. 2: Overrating the importance of preseason “news”
Bad Habit No. 3: Worrying about the bye weeks
Bad Habit No. 4: Neglecting the quarterback
Bad Habit No. 5: Compulsive hoarding of running backs

Source : http://usahottrends.info/2010/08/fantasy-footbal-tips-the-five/

[bungle613]

I will agree with #1 and #3 but 2, 4 and 5 have given me a 0.700+ win percentage over the years and last year was one of my best years with 11 of 12 teams making the playoffs, 7 teams making the finals and 5 championships.

Follow all news closely, it will give you an advantage

QB platooning is my standard method of fielding QBs.

RBs may not win championships but they get you there. I have not been proven wrong so can't stop hoarding them.

[bazzy_51]

I will agree with #1 and #3 but 2, 4 and 5 have given me a 0.700+ win percentage over the years and last year was one of my best years with 11 of 12 teams making the playoffs, 7 teams making the finals and 5 championships.

Follow all news closely, it will give you an advantage

QB platooning is my standard method of fielding QBs.

RBs may not win championships but they get you there. I have not been proven wrong so can't stop hoarding them.

+1...

As for comments back at #2, 4 and 5...

#2 - No news is not always good news. News is going to tell you wether or not a player is producing or coming along like he should. Prime example is Rookies, Golden Tate admitting he is struggling, while Mike Williams in Tampa is looking like a rock star. Position battle news is the best news out there, sure it could change by week 5, but for the first four weeks that news will carry the up most value.

#4 - There is a GREAT article about QBs on the front page of the Cafe Football home. Go click on the 'Fantasy Football' tab at the top (not the forum tab, but the actual home page for the Football side) and just read. That is the best explanation I have seen on this issue. Saying that neglecting a QB is not taking Drew Brees in the 1st round, and instead taking Jay Cutler in the 6th-8th for instance is not neglecting, its a good draft strategy based upon your league settings, of course.

#5 - I think this is the worst one on the list. You can NEVER have enough RBs on your squad. Even if I can only stat a max of 2-3, I always try to carry at least 4-5 if not 5-6. Why? Not only can you imply a rotation based on match-ups, but it gives you much needed flexibility if one or two gets beat up. Plus ontop of the fact that it can help your squad week to week, they are also great trade bait for squads such as yours that only draft 2-3 RBs then by week 4 they are looking for a replacement due to injury or just under production. My best example is last year in my ESPN league, 4 keepers, 2 of my keepers were Portis and MBIII, went into the draft with those 2 and came out with them+Beanie Wells, Ahmad Bradshaw, Ricky Williams and LeSean McCoy, knowing I could only stat 2RB a week max. With what happened with Portis and MB3 I was covered with the out burst due to Ronnie Brown's injury out of Ricky and 2 out comings of Rookies and Bradshaw attempting to take over for Jacobs. You can never have enough RBs!

[ironman]

I'll gladly forgo taking Rodgers or Brees early on and settle for a Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco.

And hoarding RBs? If its late in the draft and my roster is pretty well settled, I'm going to look for another sleeper RB or two as they have the highest possible reward/

[Ek]

#1 is largely good advice and should be avoided. However, I also think it is unwise to try to make a flurry of moves immediately following your draft - unless one of your players has a major injury, usually someone worth drafting is worth hanging on to for a few weeks to see if his value goes up. Usually you won't be able to get much for a late-round pick in a trade either, given that all of your league-mates just passed on the guy several times.

#2 - I don't think preseason news should be totally ignored, but I also think it is very tempting to overvalue its importance simply because nothing else is going on. So listen, but don't put one comment a coach made in a press conference ahead of what you've seen out of a player for the entire previous season.

#3 - Agree. Although I actually do like to consider the schedule for the first 4-5 weeks with the players I pick.

#4 - This depends on how you define "neglecting." There have been past years where you'd really be stuck if you didn't get one of the first 6-8 guys, but the position is pretty deep now, and as long as you have your starter before people start taking backups you should be fine.

#5 - No, no, no, he is totally wrong here. RB is the position with the most scarcity and the highest injury and bust rate. It is also a position IMO where matchups are very important. Depth here will always be helpful as one of your top guys will probably disappoint you, and decent RBs always have trade value in most leagues. While there's a case to be made for taking a WR or QB early, in most cases mid and late round picks should mostly be RBs.

I would also add taking a backup TE, Kicker, or Defense.