NFL Fantasy Draft Guides to Success

Football season is near upon us, though it seems it never ends these days with the draft, free agency, and the players remain in the headlines as they are arrested for drunken operation of various motor vehicles, or worse, muggings.

Yet the sad thing is, all of it matters in fantasy drafts. All the off-season nonsense that seems to creep up like gossip from People Magazine. All the draft-day slides, the free agency bankrolls, and all things in-between could play potential roles in the upcoming fantasy football season.

So with all of these contributing factors, how does one prepare for their league's fantasy draft?

Know the scoring system

This one is number one for a reason. It makes a huge difference in points-per-reception leagues, where some running backs are used more for their versatility (Brian Westbrook) than their power running game (Larry Johnson). Additionally, some leagues reward the same amount for passing touchdowns as rushing touchdowns, which obviously favors the likes of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady over someone like Steven Jackson or Joseph Addai.

Even the guys you don't draft make a difference

One sore mistake I see a lot of people make in drafts is that they overestimate the value of a player based on his own talent, without taking into consideration the talent that surrounds him. Cedric Benson may be a very talented athlete; his college career would certainly justify that statement, but the utter lack of talent that surrounded him on the Chicago Bears last season may have caused him to have a much less productive season. It's not always wise to draft from only the teams that have a slew of talent, but a few extra Colts or Patriots on your team certainly won't hurt your chances at a good run.

One extremely important aspect of the game is the offensive line. Darren McFadden is certainly a talented player, but the lack of potency along the offensive line is cause for concern. We've seen similar results from Reggie Bush, who has no one special blocking for him and has the fantasy digits from last season to prove it. Running backs aren't the only ones who benefit from a good offensive line; the quarterback also needs good blocking.

Stay healthy

Players with a long history of injuries are usually not safe picks in the draft. In fact, I do everything in my power to avoid these players at all costs, even if they have a chance of having a high reward, because the risk of injury is just too high. If you played last year and drafted Deuce McAllister, you know what I mean. He played well in the previous season, and warranted a 3^rd round selection in a lot of drafts, but his ACL became a problem once again. Now, he's had the same injury on both knees, and since he's already splitting time with Reggie Bush he figures to lose a lot of his past productivity.

This rule is usually more important for running backs, but also applies to wide receivers. Quarterbacks are usually much less injury plagued since they get hit far less than any other player on the field, so Jake Delhomme will probably be alright next season.

Follow runs at the right time

Don't get suckered in to drafting someone just because there is a run at that position. Dare to be bold. Everyone might start drafting tight ends in the 6^th round, but we all know that only the top 2 or 3 tight ends will produce numbers that correspond appropriately with being drafted in the 6^th round.

In fact, take runs as a blessing. Oftentimes, people will get caught up in a run and take the first thing that comes up. This is your opportunity to land a player who might get overlooked because of the run.

Be wary of rookies

Just because a player gets drafted high in the real NFL draft, doesn't mean he'll produce in fantasy land. So look out for unproven rookies. They are oftentimes the most likely busts since the only position that translates well from college to professional football is (of course) running back. Be especially wary of rookie wide receivers. Even the most hyped receivers (Calvin Johnson) rarely put up respectable numbers in their first season.

Above all, have fun!