RealGM Analysis
Hopefully you’re as excited as I am for the fantasy football season to begin! Below are a few notes about how to properly use the guide, along with a few additional thoughts regarding your fantasy football drafts.
The tier system is the best manner to organize your draft board. You should view players in tier 1 of a position has having similar value, then the same for tier 2, etc. This system provides more utility than just a pure rank of numbers. Importantly though, when comparing players at different positions, use the tier system rankings along with top 150 all-position rankings. For example, a tier 2 wide receiver should absolutely be drafted over a tier 1 quarterback. This point is critical in properly using the guide. The positional tiers exist in the universe of that position only, and you need the top 150 to compare how players of different positions rank against each other.
So you may not agree with every player’s ranking in this draft guide – that’s totally fine! Feel free to adjust the rankings as you see fit. But the key takeaway here is to make sure you use a tier system of some sort, as that’s the best way to ensure that you get good value for your picks.
Also, two very important notes, starting with:
Know the rules of your league inside and out, especially the scoring system.
If your league requires you to start two QBs, then QBs get an additional bump. If you are in a points-per-reception league, then pass catching RBs like LeSean McCoy and Matt Forte will move up. Knowing your league’s scoring system is critical to success. Next:
While a successful draft day is critical, championship teams also require maintenance throughout the season.
In other words, doing your homework and keeping up on players available on waivers or free agency becomes critical. Last season, players such as David Johnson, Tim Hightower, Blake Bortles, etc. were all mostly undrafted and picked up as the season went on. Fantasy managers won championships largely by moves they made during the season. Stay alert and stay active with your team and your roster. Now get out there and do some work!
RealGM's Fantasy Football Previews
Top 150 (Aug. 6th)
- I’d love to hear from you – send me any thoughts or questions pre-draft or during the season. I can be reached via email at nhodjat@gmail.com and on twitter at @NeemaHodjat. I will be tweeting throughout the season, so follow me on twitter to get weekly thoughts on waiver pickups, matchups, etc.
