Fantasy Billboard: 9 draft day tips to make you a champ

Store aisles jammed with Halloween candy and Christmas decorations can only mean one thing: it’s time for Fantasy Football drafts. It’s a celebration, the highlight of the NFL season, so treat it like one. Wear appropriate attire to your draft. Show your team colors. If you have a Saquon Barkley jersey, wear it. If you have a foam Buffalo wing helmet, wear it. If you’re coming straight from work, grab your Steelers hard hat and wear it.

Some Fantasy experts will tell you to draft a team taking their bye weeks into consideration. The thought is you don’t want four or five of your best players on a bye at the same time. I advise just the opposite: I will gladly concede a lower chance of winning for one game if it means my team will be at full strength for the other 13-14 games. This season, if your squad has Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, Justin Jefferson and Darren Waller on a bye in Week 13, you’ll be dominating in every other game.

Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. Wait to draft a QB until you’ve filled out your starting RBs, WRs and possibly a TE. In 2022, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow averaged 27-29 points per game. The next eight QBs from Lamar Jackson down to Dak Prescott averaged between 23-22 points per game. The difference of a few points per contest at the QB position will not make or break your season. To quote Fantasy Guru Jeff Mans, “Wait on drafting QBs for like…forever.”

How many of your fellow owners show up to the draft having just grabbed their favorite Fantasy mag from the supermarket? These rags were written in early April to meet a June distribution deadline and are chock full of old news. One such tabloid, which shall remain nameless, has Dalvin Cook as RB 13. Of course, they did not know he’d sign with the Jets. Splitting time with Breece Hall, I think Cook finishes in the top 25. Another publication has Josh Jacobs as a top five RB and mentions nothing of his current contentious holdout in Las Vegas. Go to Fantasyguru.com, download their current cheat sheets and Draft Day MANSifesto, and draft with confidence.

Start your draft by taking two wide receivers. Last season in one of my leagues, the Studbears drafted Cooper Kupp and Tyreek Hill back-to-back. Combined they averaged 52 points per game (until Kupp got injured in Week nine). That is a spectacular start for any team. This year I can see a productive combo of Davante Adams/CeeDee Lamb or Kupp/Amon-Ra St. Brown, depending on where you are drafting. These WR combos will be a set-it and forget-it luxury you’ll appreciate every week.

Before you draft, make sure you check the long laundry list of injured/suspended/holdout players. Joe Burrow (calf), Cooper Kupp (hamstring), George Kittle (abductor), Kadarious Toney (knee), and J.K. Dobbins (ACL) are all questionable for opening day. Alvin Kamara (three game suspension) and Jameson Williams (six game suspension) should be drafted with caution. Josh Jacobs wants a new contract and the woefully underpaid Jonathan Taylor (37th for NFL RBs despite being the 2021 NFL rushing leader) has demanded a trade.

A public service announcement: former Jet wideout Robby Anderson changed his name in 2022 to Robbie Anderson when he was with the Arizona Cardinals. The change was a shift back to his preferred spelling while he was growing up. He then made another name switch, going with Robbie Chosen in 2023. The latest iteration now that he’s with the Miami Dolphins is Chosen Anderson. Whatever name he goes by, just make sure he’s not “chosen” for your Fantasy squad until very late in your draft. Personally, I would choose not to.

There was a full slate of preseason action last week, and some rather obscure players did well. Tyrell Shavers had a 22-yard TD catch for Buffalo. Sincere McCormick had two TDs for the Raiders. And how about the Chargers’ Elijah Dotson’s 40-yard TD run? While I’m very happy for these NFL mystery men, let’s remember they are at the bottom of their respective team depth charts, and did most of their damage in the fourth quarter of the first preseason game. Temper your excitement. These gents are not “Fantasy Steals.” They are more likely practice squad stashes.

Before assisting others with their Fantasy draft picks, be sure to secure your own. Many times, I’ve had fellow owners whisper in my ear for draft advice. I will offer my opinion, but I can breathe easy knowing I will never tell them to draft a player that I have on my short list of favorites. By the way, in the unlikely event of a water landing, don’t share your floatation device either.

Next week: Bold Predictions

[ Fantasy Billboard: Drafting a running back early? Not so fast. Here are the best draft strategies ]

[ Fantasy Billboard: Our top picks for the breakout players for the 2023 NFL season ]

[ Fantasy Billboard: 2023 Sleepers and Busts ]

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