Following up from our first article- Draft Strategy 2. This follows on from our draft strategy article as part of our Fantasy 101 series. So if you have missed any of it go back and take a look.
Draft Strategy 2: Kickers and DSTs
In most leagues (99.9%) the scoring of these positions isn’t consistent week to week, let alone season to season! For that reason don’t reach for either of the positions. By that, I mean do not draft either of them until the last two rounds, because;
- They (normally) contribute only a small percentage of your total scoring.
- You only tend to start one of them, and each team has one- meaning plenty of options on the waiver wire.
- Week-to-week scoring can be hugely variable, making streaming a perfectly viable strategy.
Draft Strategy 2: PPR Leagues
Points-per-reception leagues are gaining in popularity. Rewarding receptions in any type alters the fantasy football value of players. Possession receivers and pass-catching running backs get a significant boost, making more players viable for starting each week. On top of that, all good receivers get a modest boost.
Conversely, it hurts running backs that don’t typically catch passes and QBs are downgraded as their relative scoring is reduced to other positions.
Draft Strategy 2: Handcuffs
There is a point in your draft (the middle rounds) where your focus should move away from receivers who are going to clog up your bench, and go for upside.
Upside picks are ones that are only an injury away from getting a huge workload and becoming top players at their positions. However, you can go a bit crazy with taking players that are backups- talking yourself into the apparent workload they’ll get. The requirements I put on selecting a backup are;
- The backup is almost certain to get the entire role if the starter misses time.
- The backup is going to produce around 80% of what the starter has managed to produce.
If the starter is injury prone, then it gives more value to the backup as the chance of being used increases.
When considering drafting backups, I only tend to consider RBs. The reason being that QBs and TEs are widely available as streaming options week to week, and WR injury tends to mean a wider distribution of their targets.
Draft Strategy 2: Last Tips
This section covers some ideas quickly, as they don’t need too much explanation.
Drafting Players on the Same Team
I’ve seen arguments both ways- don’t get players on the same team because they could both get shut out, and they can’t both score a TD on a single drive. Equally, I’ve seen the argument that if the offense is great, then stacking is a great option.
I don’t tend to think about it too much, if the best player available is on the same team I’m selecting him.
Bye Weeks
You have a few players with the same bye week? Don’t worry! Everyone has to deal with bye weeks, and its not been concluded if it is better for your long term success if you miss a number of players in a single week, or missing one for several weeks.
The one exception might be if you decide to draft a backup QB. But generally, don’t worry about having a couple of players missing the same week.
Strength of Schedule
Strength of Schedule is often overblown when making draft day selections. However, it’s not overly reliable for a full season. The most accurate time is the start of the season, but throughout the season teams lose starting players which affects their ability.
I tend to use it as a tie-breaker more than anything, if I am tied between two players then schedule can be a deciding factor- but don’t miss out on better players because they have a tough schedule after the opening weeks.
That’s it for Part 2! And remember you can always reach out on any of our social channels with any questions. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Image Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
