A great draft won’t win you your fantasy league, but a bad draft will cripple your season and leave to scrambling from the jump. Check out these quick points that will always help you, come draft day.
- If your league does an auction draft, NEVER start the bidding on a player you want. NEVER! Let someone else open that up and then you can try to get your guy under the radar. If you open the bidding on a guy you want, you will more than likely have to overpay.
- In a serpentine draft, take the best 5 hitters on the board in the first 5 rounds, no matter what position they play. Don’t worry about fielding positions on your roster, but just concentrate on loading your roster with points.
Putting players in money tiers in an auction draft is mandatory. Know who all the $20 outfielders are, so you don’t overpay for Mike Morse when Cory Hart, Alex Gordon and Adam Jones are still out there.- Never draft a closer in your first 10 picks or spend money on a top-tier closer. Saves are unpredictable and closers tend to have a short shelf-life. Closers can be found later and cheaper on draft day.
- Stay away from the dreaded “Mainstream Sleeper”. If every fantasy magazine or online rankings have a guy at the top of their sleeper pile, he WILL cost more than he is worth. In an auction draft, this is the guy you start the bidding on and watch your best friend overpay.
- Know your league roster requirements. This shouldn’t have to be said, but tons of guys go into their drafts not knowing that they’re in a 2-catcher league or something like that.
- In an auction draft, keep up with who your leaguemates are drafting and how much money they have left. If Mike Trout is still on the board, start the bidding on him and watch the spending frenzy start.
- Don’t treat that fantasy magazine you bought the day of your draft like a preacher treats his bible. Drafts are living breathing things that change by the second and you magazine won’t keep up with that.
DO YOUR RESEARCH! Find a couple of websites you like check them often. Check up on spring training stats and depth charts. Buy a fantasy mag and put it on top of your shitter. It’s the perfect spot for learning rosters and setting your tiers.
Good luck with your draft and check back for my keys to owning your league once the season starts.
THE SPORTS DUMP 