draft strategies for this year

[Pharmcat]

another season of FF is upon us

any strategies for this year? Im a bit concerned with the RB situation considering so many teams are going to a 2 RB attack

thoughts?

[ATL Boy]

Imma go with the strategy of pick a RB in the first round (unless u have the second pick and Foster is off the board, then I will go with Rodgers) then take a QB later on, I think Ill go for AP in the 2nd round (if hes there) and then maybe Mike Vick in the 4th

[Ajosu]

another season of FF is upon us

any strategies for this year? Im a bit concerned with the RB situation considering so many teams are going to a 2 RB attack

thoughts?

So far, I am leaning towards waiting on a QB. In my mocks, I've been loading up on RB/WR in the first 4-5 rounds, and targeting Ryan usually in round 6. I think in order to take a QB early (even Rogers, Brady, Brees), you have to really be sold on a sleeper for one of your RBs or WRs.

I still think you can get two solid yet unspectacular RBs. Most of them are still sitting there in round 3, and it starts to thin out in round 4.
- Guys I am targeting in rounds 3-4: Fred Jackson, Steven Jackson, Turner, Sproles, Bradshaw
- I have no idea where to take AP and Charles, and will probably avoid them. They will likely either be huge steals or huge disappointments.
- I've gone back and forth on McFadden, and after being burned by injuries last year, I am leaning towards passing on him unless he falls to the late 2nd round.

WRs I am targeting in drafts: Welker, Marshall, Colston, Harvin, Malcolm Floyd, Heyward-Bey, Nate Washington
- Really want to believe in AJ's health this year, but his latest roadbump has disheartened me
- Staying away from Cruz, Nelson, AJ Green (I feel like a Mike Williams - TB slump could be coming)

I am absolutely waiting on a TE. Haven't done a mock I was satisfied with yet where I took Gronk or Graham.
- The TEs I have been taking are Pettigrew (major value) and Gates, and occasionally Owen Daniels if I get burnt trying to wait too long.
- Also think Finley gives you pretty good value in this year's draft
- I like the potential of Hernandez and Tamme, but I think they're being overrated and taken too soon.

[Ajosu]

I am hoping for a top 8-9 pick this year, in a 12 team league. After that, your draft preparation really gets put to the test!

[vincecarter4pres]

In PPR leagues I actually like going with Gronk or Graham, they give you elite WR1 production out of a notoriously **** position.

There are some intriguing TE's later to an extent, but I don't see any Graham's, Witten's, Gates', etc. that are the super obvious "sleepers".

Those guys to me, I targeted them in the 5th to 8th rounds they were going in the year's before they were really known fully expecting ELITE production out of them.

I didn't feel like, OK, this is a good upside pick, he could go nuts, but he'll at least be top 5ish.

No, I literally expected top WR1 production out of them and got it.

I don't see those guys this year.

I see a lot of very good value TE's later in this draft like Tamme, Greisham, Witten, Finley, Fleener, etc., but I don't expect or even think at all these guys will go 1100 yard 8+ TD nuts.

You might get lucky and get 900 and 7, which is fine, but I think Gronk and Graham are both virtual masterlocks for 1100+ yards and 10+ TD's barring injury.

I'll take that at TE in the late 1st round or early 2nd where everyone is a question mark and super high boom or bust do to injury, age and contract concerns any day of the week.

It's not like either player have a capped upside either. These are guys who are both literally going to be the 1st option in their offenses... Offenses which happen to be league leading top of the stratosphere vertical attacks that chuck, throw and sling some more.

I wouldn't be shocked if both post about 1300 yards, 10 TD's and 90 catches as long as they play 16 and this is out of the TE slot... In fact I expect it...

If you are good at projecting, good at drafting, don't get emotionally attached to players and have luck on your side, you can easily still field a top lineup that wins the whole thing even if you "waste" a pick on one of those 2 TE's super early in a draft.

Go get 'em!

[Ajosu]

If you are good at projecting, good at drafting, don't get emotionally attached to players and have luck on your side, you can easily still field a top lineup that wins the whole thing even if you "waste" a pick on one of those 2 TE's super early in a draft.

What do some of your ideal lineups look like? Which position are you most confident in waiting on to grab your number one starter, in exchange for taking a TE early?

[Pharmcat]

we are in a 3wr league

I think im gonna go rb/qb (vice versa) first and then take 3 straight WR

[vincecarter4pres]

If you are good at projecting, good at drafting, don't get emotionally attached to players and have luck on your side, you can easily still field a top lineup that wins the whole thing even if you "waste" a pick on one of those 2 TE's super early in a draft.

What do some of your ideal lineups look like? Which position are you most confident in waiting on to grab your number one starter, in exchange for taking a TE early?

I really play it by ear draft specific.

I mean you have to have a plan going in, but I really just start with wherever my pick is and who drops to me that I love in the 1st round and go from there, but with a solid list of players at each position that I try to mainly stay with.

I was in a mock a yesterday morning, 12 team, had pick 10.

Ryan Mathews slipped to me, top 4 QB's were gone, Cal gone. I almost went Cam, but decided against it and planned to grab him on the way back.

Took him, Gronk went off at 13, I came back at 15 with Graham. I remember Forte and CJ came off before my pick as well, along with Cam, think MJD was the 4th of 4.

I'm not always going TE, but I've been trying different things and I've had what I consider success, but you really have to take mocks with a grain of salt, at least when you get into rounds 7 and further. But at that point I felt like most everyone else is a reach besides Trent Richardson or Murray, maybe McFadden, but I was weary on all and already had a lead back.

I'd have to check the email and pull it up, but I remember the 1st few rounds.

Wound up:
1. Mathews
2. Graham
3. Hakeem Nicks
4. Doug Martin
5. Rivers
6. Maclin
7. Meachem

I also wound up with Big Ben, Heyward-Bey and Kevin Smith off the top of my head. It was the first mock I'd done in a couple days that I really paid attention to and I felt like it was one of my best results for a PPR league.

I don't usually have popular teams by consensus thinking early in the year and I often have the hot team that everyone doubts can keep it up the whole season when people rate 'em around week 7 or 8, but I don't sweat that, my success rate in money leagues and competitive fun leagues is off the charts, no BS just to sound corny and braggadocios.

One problem I find I run into with my style though, is people are always skeptical to trade with me cause they look as my breakout no name guys as a fluke that won't keep it up a majority of the time I'm trying to deal.

They say I'm overrating my players and the such and usually I thank them at the end for saving me from making trades that would have ruined my teams cause they reject all my homer offers lol.


Last year I moneyed pretty deep in both my money league(although small stakes ones, $50 a pop 12 teamers) even after overcoming some really bad injuries.

I won the regular season title and some weekly high point totals in the one.

In the other I came in 3rd after making a furious late season comeback and sneaking in as the 6 seed.
I lost the playoff round that sent me to the 3rd place game by like 8 and the guy that beat me lost in the Finals, he put up league high for the week by like 30 points the week he knocked me out, so I would have beat the other two playoff teams and the week I won the 3rd place game I put up league high.

All I know is I'm often very outside the box, but I make sure I still get proper value without getting obsessed over it during the draft.

/end pointless self hyping

[Sinistar6]

I'm taking McFadden in the first round with any pick after 5 (although Chris Johnson intrigues me this year) second round i go Demarco Murray (over forte, charles, peterson). 3rd round young athletic WR (target AJ Green, Julius Jones, Mike Wallace) if those WOuts are gone I look for S.Jackson, maybe J. Charles. In the fourth Vick if hes there if not wait for Rivers, Romo or RJ3. Speaking of RJ3 I will get him this year in the 6th or 7th. Would love to land A. Bradshaw and HCuff with track dude, or reggie bush in the 4th 5th. Then I fill out the roster with upside. Players like Ryan Williams, Mike Ingram, Torrey Smith, High Socks DJackson (I would love to pair up the high socks WR Wallace and Jackson) Jon Baldwin, K.Britt, P. Garcon, cj spiller, L. Robinson. As far as TE goes if any of vernon, fred davis, or finley drop to the 5/6 I snatch if not more than happy going with J Cook or Celek. Basically trying to take targets a round before others look at them unless I have many choices I am happy with.

So basically team with insane upside but huge injury concerns.

My big question of this draft is where to place Dez Bryant and D.Thomas. I love both players a lot because they fit the mold of young upside, but having trouble committing to them over Vick.

[vincecarter4pres]

Julio Jones is gonna be that dude I think.

Hakeem Nicks as well as long as he stays mainly healthy, as in only misses a game or 2 at most.

Love McFadden but he's such an injury risk. You can't really predict or project injuries, but it's just been a given with him. Truthfully as long as he plays 14 full games including some of those being the entire fantasy playoff run he's a steal this year though. He's a guy who could have the top PPG of any player in fantasy and more realistically the highest of all non-QB's. He's going early 2nd to very early third in most drafts. Taking him in the 1st, especially at least early to mid is really stupid to me though, it kills all his value and no one is likely to snag him before it comes back to you.

Maclin and Heyward-Bey are two WR's I really like who come with great value because they go so late.

I'm on the fence with Meachem, but compared to his draft position I think he at least has a solid ceiling.

Colston is way undervalued as usual.

Both Denver guys are intriguing gets.

I'm not super high on AJ Green. I was, but the more I look at everything the less I like him compared to where he goes in drafts and who's there in that range. He should be very solid, but I don't think we see a true breakout yet.

[Pharmcat]

i notice manning and rivers are going in the 5th/6th roundish, which makes me think bout going non qb position players the first 4-5 rounds

[RaoulDuke79]

I was considering skipping FF this season, but I decided to do a random 10 team league just for the hell of it anyways. I am off the wagon I suppose.

Anyways, I'm not that thrilled with the team I drafted but I suppose it will do.

Had the #4 pick(all I wanted was Foster damnit! Oh well, I settled for CJ).

QB: Rivers/Freeman
WR: Welker/Colston/Brown/Meachem/Young
RB: CJ/Turner/Redman/Stewart/Ingram
TE: Witten
K: Bryant
D/ST: Seattle


I thought about going for someone like Rogers/Brady/Brees instead of CJ at #4 but I went with the same old "grab a RB first" routine I always do. Once Foster was gone I didn't really care anyways.

Ingram and Freeman were my very last two picks, and I was hoping Tate was going to fall that far but someone grabbed him a few spots before me. Same with the Houston defense, so I grabbed Seattle instead. Tough titties I guess, I came away with none of my Texan players but that's okay!