First Timer Draft Guide
So you finally took the plunge into fantasy college football, but you have no idea where to get started. Read this, and you should experience an enjoyable season, and you may even learn something about teams you don’t normally root for.
- Game Plan
Do not go into your draft thinking you want to draft players off your favorite college team. You may not win a game. If you are a fan of Florida, then obviously taking Tim Tebow is a great pick. Following him up with Florida’s WR’s and RB’s is not smart.
I was recently in a draft where a guy took 7 players from Florida. I’m not kidding. This is fantasy suicide. If you are in the league just to follow your own favorite team, I suggest you re think that idea and stick to watching the games on TV. Fantasy football is a game to win, and by drafting meaningless players, you are only hurting the quality of the league you have joined, while irritating other owners who take the game more seriously.
Know your league rules before you begin your study. If your league gives points for receptions, you will look at WR’s completely differently than a league that doesn’t. A good example of this is Mike Jones. While Jones has value in a yards and TD league, he may not be as valuable in leagues that award points per reception.
Same holds true for QB’s. Make sure your league awards rushing yards to all players, and not just for RB’s. If they do not, the value of guys like Tebow and Pat White are reduced dramatically.
- Research
The first thing you should do is start preparing no less than two weeks prior to your draft to give you ample time to read. You should read a lot before even attempting to make a cheat sheet for your draft, get yourself familiar with players around the country.
A great place to start is Phil Steele. While this is not a fantasy magazine, Steele provides excellent information on how a team offense will be run, who his conferences All Americans are, and gives excellent pre season depth charts.
Other magazines work just as well, but my personal preference has always been Steele.
Read websites. There are now a handful of college fantasy sites that provide excellent opinions, and even have chat boards where experienced players offer their opinions. Soak it up like a sponge; you want this information to form your own opinion.
When a website tells you that a major sleeper is RB Ryan McCants, you must do your research on him. Form your own opinion. These websites all make mistakes, they are not perfect. You may find by doing research that a major sleeper didn’t in fact win the job. Don’t be stuck with a dud third round pick.
Know the conferences. Look at what conferences provide the most offense. These are the players you want. If you know from your research that the Pac 10 loves to fling it around, then that should tell you it’s a great place to look for WR’s. All of this type of information is in magazines such as Steele.
Read the news. A great website is www.topix.com. Search for a player name, and it will link you to articles around the country from major newspapers where he is mentioned. It’s a wonderful tool and a great way to track injuries as well.
- Form a Cheat Sheet
Use your own cheat sheet based on the research you have done. A very easy way to do this is to print out cheat sheets from other websites, and circle the names of players that you really would love to have. Adjust, and type out your own list.
Regardless of where other sites list this player, he should be higher up on your own personal list if you feel strongly about him. Draft day is not a day to hesitate; it’s a day to take gambles on guys you think will help you win. That is the goal after all, to win.
For example, if Darrell Scott from Colorado is a guy you desperately want, he should be ranked fairly high on your list. Not so high to where you will miss out on known studs such as Knowshon Moreno, but high enough that he catches your attention during the draft.
Or maybe you are not high on Chris Wells; maybe you think Terrell Pryor will steal some of his goal line carries. Wells should move down on your personal list.
Don’t be that guy that wanted a player and missed out because he was too low on your list. This is college fantasy football. The only list that matters is yours.
If you just print out a list and use it, I can guarantee you other guys are using the same exact list. Draft ahead of the curve, and take risks.
Do not be the first team to grab a Defense. My rule of thumb is, let some other owner start that run unless you are completely sold that the team you want is a difference maker. While the rest of your league is snatching up in panic mode, you may be able to sneak in another RB or WR that can make a huge difference.
- Be Active in Free Agency
Once your league starts, the worst thing you can do is think you have a great team, no need to make adjustments.
Be very active in free agent pick ups. This is where leagues are won and lost. Every year, fantastic players emerge that were after thoughts on draft day. Don’t miss out on Enrique Davis if Cordera Eason goes down with a torn ACL. Be active, and do it often.
- Follow the News
Keep up on injuries and hot free agents by simply visiting websites. You obviously found this website, so bookmark it. Reference it. Use it to your advantage.
Check other sites as well. You may find that one site doesn’t agree with another site. Do the research.
And there you have it.
You may not win the title in your first year, but if you approach it the right way you will learn a lot from other experienced owners in your league, and then by next year you should be a force to be reckoned with.
Have fun.
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This really is a great checklist of things to do for any expertise level for college fantasy football. The Dude hates seeing Topix being promoted, he’s been using it for years.