Seton Hall
Three tips for drafting your fantasy team
Date: June 5, 2019By: Jorie Mickens
An NFL season can only be described as one thing, a rollercoaster ride that is full of twists and turns, ups and downs.
The NFL is arguably the most unpredictable professional sports leagues in America. Through injuries and suspensions, breakout years and flops, it is impossible to prepare for any fantasy football season, but here are three tips that can make your season more manageable.
1. Stream your D/ST
Every year, fantasy football analysts predict which team is going to have the most dominant defense during that season. Normally, they are right, but the top defenses in fantasy football will always have some unfavorable matchups throughout the season.
For example, the projected number two D/ST this season, the Los Angeles Rams, have their first three games AT Carolina, VS. New Orleans, and AT Cleveland.
While the Rams might finish the season amongst the best defenses in the league, you do not want to dig yourself into a hole early in the season. When drafting a D/ST, look for favorable matchups early in the season that can rack up points to help your team get off to a good start.
2. Wait on a quarterback
There is a reason why the top players to draft each year are either RBs or WRs. It might feel nice to have Patrick Mahomes or Andrew Luck get you 25 points every week, but that also means you are only getting nine to 10 points from Kenyan Drake or Jordan Howard each week.
Last season, Mitch Trubisky, who ended the season at QB 15, averaged more points per week than Russell Wilson did, who finished at QB Nine. The difference in high-end QBs and middle of the pack QBs is miniscule at most. On the other hand, before he was released by the Chiefs, Kareem Hunt was averaging nearly 19 points per week as the RB Eight, the RB 15 Nick Chubb? Just 11 points per week.
Get your stud RBs and WRs before they are all gone.
3. Mock drafts
In almost every fantasy league, the most important day in the entire season is your draft day. One can never be over-prepared for a fantasy football draft, and the best way to prepare for any and every situation during your drafts is to practice beforehand, with mock drafts.
Some mock draft simulators allow you to select which position you will be drafting from, whether that be the first overall pick, middle of the draft, or picks 12 and 13 in a snake draft. By completing mock drafts, you can discover a new drafting strategy that you can utilize during your actual fantasy draft, throwing your entire league off guard.
It might seem silly to start mock drafting in early June, when your actual draft might not be until late August. Much can change throughout a summer, free agency signings, trades, injuries, but with anything in life, it is best to get ahead.
Start mock drafting now so that you are not scrambling when deciding between Amari Cooper and Aaron Jones on your draft day.
Jorie Mickens can be reached at jorie.mickens@student.shu.edu
