It’s almost August, which means fantasy football drafts are right around the corner. I always say that it’s never too early to start prepping for the fantasy football season, but there is a point where it becomes too late. Think of it as cramming for a big test the night before as opposed to thoroughly preparing in advance.
With about one month until draft lobbies open, that time is approaching fast.
Let me be clear, prepping for a fantasy draft doesn’t mean reading over the rankings and selecting which players to draft; there’s much more to it. Understanding what this year looks like, then applying it to the league you’re in are crucial steps to do before deciding the 15 or so players to roster for Week 1.
Thankfully, your leaguemates might not be doing this either, so following these steps already gives you a leg up on your competition. Here are three things you should be doing over the next month to properly prepare for your fantasy drafts.
Simulated Mock Drafts
Just like in the actual NFL, fantasy football has mock drafts too. Experts usually get together on shows and podcasts to put together these mock drafts for others to use as research. While these are great insights from people who get paid to give fantasy football advice, this prep means nothing without hands-on experience.
Your actual draft shouldn’t be your first of the year. NFL teams run walkthroughs of their game plan; they don’t just go out and play without practice. Thankfully, there are websites where you can do as many mock drafts as you want.
There’s two types of mock drafts that you can do: live lobbies and simulated. Live lobbies put you in a draft against other fantasy players trying to prep for their drafts. While it seems smart to draft against human beings, these tend to be time consuming, not taken seriously and an inevitable autopick can ruin the entire experience.
I choose simulated drafts because these factors are taken away. Fantasy Pros has a great simulator that proves different results every time. The human aspect of a draft is lost, however simulators are a great basis of what rounds players will be taken and are fast enough that multiple can be done in the time it takes to do one live draft.
Pro Tip: If you know what pick you will be drafting at, try multiple strategies at that spot and see which team you like best.
Talk Strategy with your Leaguemates
This might sound a bit strange, but think about a game of poker — knowing your opponents’ tells, tactics and what hand they might have are just as important as the hand you’re playing. While at the table, you’ll have to figure those out on your own, but you’d be surprised how much people are willing to reveal in a casual conversation.
I’ve played fantasy football with friends I’ve had since middle school. As competitive as we are, talking sports is never out of the question. The topic of fantasy inevitably comes up, which means it’s time to do some investigating.
By sharing some of your tips and strategy for this season, your leaguemates will respond by oversharing theirs. I’ve learned what sleepers my friends like, what approach they would be taking in the draft and once was able to predict how the entire first round would play out.
Be careful with this though because the idea is to get information, not give too much. Bluffing is a bit tricky since you’ll need to make an argument for a player completely off of your radar and talk with a straight face. I tend to be honest, only talk about players I’m considering — not necessarily dying to have on my team — and let my friends drive the conversation.
Pro Tip: Talk about first round picks because everyone will have their preferences set, and a common sleeper that the media is already talking about.
Make Your Own Rankings
The most tedious and challenging prep work of fantasy football, but arguably the most beneficial. While there are experts that get paid to do this work, it’s not just reserved for them; anybody with the right knowledge can put together unique rankings.
My main fear with this is incorporating personal bias more than I should and missing a reason an expert ranked a player higher than I did. Instead of blindly ranking 200 or so players, I take inspiration from expert rankings and put a personal spin on them, which makes the rankings unique.
There’s two huge reasons why you must make your own rankings. The first is knowing how you value players differently than expert rankings. In online drafts, most of your league will be using the rankings provided to them. In my experiences, I’ll notice a player I’m high on to be an afterthought to the rest because the website rankings have them much lower. I’m confident in my rankings, meaning I have two options if I want this player: take them right away before someone else notices, or wait a few rounds and get the player at a great value.
The second reason is even more important. On draft day, you’ll be met with tough decisions on a group of two or more players. Say there are three wide receivers you’re interested in and they’re all available at your pick. Without rankings, the minute or so clock ticks away as you panic and make a tough decision on the fly. With rankings, you’ve already made this decision. Pick the player you’ve ranked highest and don’t second guess yourself. It’ll save a ton of time and stress that will help the draft run more smoothly and effectively.
Pro Tip: Check out next week’s column for more tips on putting together your rankings.
“Fantasy Fridays” is a column by Michael Fiumefreddo about fantasy football draft prep that runs every Friday.