Diversify your fantasy team
A good fantasy football team should be like a good portfolio: diversified. If you invest an early pick in a running back with a history of injuries, you should obviously add his back-up to your team later on. But you should also look to add players that you know won’t get hurt, and who you can rely on to play every week. So don’t take Andre Johnson in the third round if you already have Larry Johnson on your roster. Or if you do take Johnson, stay away from the Kevin Joneses and Chris Browns of the league later in the draft. You don’t want three or four guys unable to play for a particular week—even if they are back-ups. It limits your flexibility, and prevents you from being able to platoon based on match-ups. Also, if you draft a “hit or miss”-type player, you would want to surround him with consistent players.
Coming off of an up-and-down 2007-2008 season, if you decide to take Maurice Jones-Drew, you would want to make sure you grab a couple of wide receivers that you can depend on. Look for a Torry Holt or Joey Galloway after you take Jones-Drew, or any running back that is a part of a running back by committee. This is important because consistent production from your wide outs can bail you out when Jones-Drew only posts 10 carries and 45 yards, and Fred Taylor sees majority of the touches. If you 70 yards and a touchdown from a couple of your receivers and your number one running back or your quarterback has a big week, you can overcome Jones-Drew’s weak stat line. And you can be in for a sure win when Jones-Drew gives you a 120 yards and a touchdown as your number two running back.
Research before you draft your fantasy team
Use the internet to your advantage! As guys in your league think they have this fantasy football thing figured out already, you should keep digging for information. Every NFL team has thousands of local fans that follow their favorite team’s every move and talk about it on a message board. Check in from time to time on some message boards and find out the latest scoop on injuries and position battles. If you a Falcons fan in Georgia, you are a whole world away from Seattle. Who is the surprise of the Seahawk’s training camp? Who showed up to camp out of shape? How is the new coaching philosophy affecting the quarterback? Don’t convince yourself that you know everything—allow fans of other teams to give you a unique perspective on fantasy players that you have interest in. Maybe they will help you find out what third string running back will be the next fantasy star, or which aging receiver you should avoid on draft day because he doesn’t have anything left in the tank.
In fantasy, a player's situation is key
A successful fantasy footballer must know what type of situation a player is in before they draft him. Joseph Addai isn’t the best running back in the NFL. He might not be in the top five best running backs in the NFL. But he is in a system that he excels in, and runs behind a great offensive line—that makes him one of the top five fantasy running backs. If the Colts decided to bring in another running back, and formed a running back by committee, Addai’s value would drop substantially. His value would also take a hit if they brought in a bigger back to get all of the goal-line touches. Chester Taylor was a very solid number two fantasy running back in 2006, since he ran behind a good offensive line, and was the featured back. However, once Adrian Peterson was drafted by Minnesota, Taylor turned into a bye week replacement at best. So, while a player may not be flashy, he can still help your fantasy team out a great deal if he is in the right situation. If Jake Delhomme gets hurt, Steve Smith goes from a top wide receiver to, pending on his match-up, a guy that may not even be worth playing in a particular week.
2008 NFL Draft's Fantasy Impact
Thomas Jones: 2008 Fantasy Sleeper
