10 Tips for Fantasy Football Success (1 Viewer)

[PACKER 7]

Consistency wins games -

Don't sleep on guys like Mason, Ward, D. Jackson, etc. Just because they don't seem flashy they'll get you points every week. If you want to gamble, do it in moderation. Take only a few players that you can hit homeruns with, i.e. Roy Williams. Inevitably, guys like Dunn win you games and hot names like Kevin Jones, Julius Jones, just cause you headaches.

Know the schedules -

Make trades that will help you come playoff time. Just because you can get the hot RB or WR for a good deal doesn't mean you should do it. Look to trade to better you team at the end. For example, Chester Taylor will most likely start off slow in games 1-3 and a lot of guys will sour. Trade for him then and you'll reap the benefits from week 4 on, especially come playoff time.

Take risks, but calculated ones -

I like to take risks that come with more than 50% odds on return. Example. Taking Foster as my RB2 may seem to some as a big risk. However, if I get D. Williams as backup later, I've got the Carolina RB and that's not risky at all. They pound it every game no matter who's back there. So in my mind this is a calculated risk. Unlike, well for comparision purposes... Gore as RB2. If he flops he flops. SF is not going to win a lot of games so pounding the rock probably wont be an option. So the risk is greater here. Again these are just examples, my point being limit the risk you take.

 

[coolnerd]

2) Stay on top of the WW, frequent this place, and surf the net for as much info as you can. Info is power.

Actually, I believe a new information problem is developing for many of us; too much information. as regular of this board there is not a trade or other piece of news that happens that is not posted here within ten minutes of occurance. Along with being able to watch every preseason game, overload of magazines, sites like this one, and multiple source of general news, I find that is easy to overract if you are not careful.

 

[JohnnyU]

Along with being able to watch every preseason game, overload of magazines, sites like this one, and multiple source of general news, I find that is easy to overract if you are not careful.

Agreed. That's too easy in this day and time.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

1) Draft well, and don't draft drunk.

2) Stay on top of the WW, frequent this place, and surf the net for as much info as you can. Info is power.

3) Trade well. If you can't trade, you won't win consistently in leagues that allow trades, period.

4) Know your league scoring and build your roster accordingly.

5) Know your league mates likes, dislikes, and tendencies.

6) Don't fall in love with your players. Everyone is available at the right price.

7) Don't always base future success on past years stats.

8) Don't depend on rookies to win you championships. A good balance of youth and vets is desired (especially in dynasty leagues, which is all I play).

9) This could be part of #3, but don't make low ball offers consistently, or you will find no one will trade with you.

10) Make time for the wife / girlfriend, or they will be unhappy, and if they are unhappy, you won't be happy even if you do well in fantasy sports.

Not sure you would make the best dynaty owner...

 

[The Jerk]

2) Stay on top of the WW, frequent this place, and surf the net for as much info as you can. Info is power.

Actually, I believe a new information problem is developing for many of us; too much information. as regular of this board there is not a trade or other piece of news that happens that is not posted here within ten minutes of occurance. Along with being able to watch every preseason game, overload of magazines, sites like this one, and multiple source of general news, I find that is easy to overract if you are not careful.

And nearly every potential upgrade/downgrade, free agent acquisition that is proposed, etc. will produce some posts arguing the opposite way of the majority (or make it a 50/50 split). So in addition to overreaction, there exists the possibility for "paralysis by analysis" leading to missed opportunities.

 

[pizzatyme]

Don't be afraid to take a chance on something you believe in. Tree huggers never win championships.

Since when did "environmentalist = not a risk taker"?Or is there some other meaning for "tree hugger" of which I'm unaware? This may be the strangest post I've ever seen

I'm hoping this refers to literally hugging a tree during a hike along a rocky path. The person chooses to hug the tree because he or she is afraid to continue along the dangerous terrain. If it means something else, then

I'm going to give that a big yes. I love how people take a quote that they've never heard before and put a literal meaning or their only version of what it means to it.I will try to use more universally recognized meanings in the future to keep from confusing the masses.

 

[barndog]

I'm going to give that a big yes. I love how people take a quote that they've never heard before and put a literal meaning or their only version of what it means to it.I will try to use more universally recognized meanings in the future to keep from confusing the masses.

Understood (now), but what else is we s'posed to do?! Frame of reference is everything, and I bet if you polled 1000 random people on the meaning of "tree hugger" you'd get fewer than 10 reponses about 'baling off the mt bike'. The stock phrase is just too well known in this case.

 

[JohnnyU]

Well, it was hard, but I tried to obey rule #6 and not fall in love with my players. I just traded Benson, and most of you know how hard that would be for me :X

This is an old thread, so I thought some of you might want to add something to it. Initially I just threw some ideas out there, and there is plenty of room for better ideas.

 

[softball]

Take advice,

but not from people in your league

Draft at least 1 league live, drink a few beverages and toss some B.S. around. the internet is great, but you can lose the fun of this hobby on it.

 

[JohnnyU]

Take advice,but not from people in your leagueDraft at least 1 league live, drink a few beverages and toss some B.S. around. the internet is great, but you can lose the fun of this hobby on it.

I agree, but would rather not start slamming the drinks until after the 14th round.

 

[Gandalf]

Another point of advice:

Be patient on your backups. We are in an age where if success doesn't come immediately we send the player packing in a trade where we are getting low value. Examples of this abound... Larry Johnson during the Priest Holmes era and Steven Jackson during Marshall Faulk. Those are just two that popped into my head. I know it's hard, but you should definitely be holding onto guys like LenDale White and Michael Turner. Despite seemingly good offers now, these players values will rise significantly when they are given the starting job. Laurence Maroney's value is a great example of this.

 

[JohnnyU]

Another point of advice:Be patient on your backups. We are in an age where if success doesn't come immediately we send the player packing in a trade where we are getting low value. Examples of this abound... Larry Johnson during the Priest Holmes era and Steven Jackson during Marshall Faulk. Those are just two that popped into my head. I know it's hard, but you should definitely be holding onto guys like LenDale White and Michael Turner. Despite seemingly good offers now, these players values will rise significantly when they are given the starting job. Laurence Maroney's value is a great example of this.

Excellent point. Owners also expect rookie or 2nd year WRs to be instand studs, so I see owners giving up on WRs even faster than RBs.

 

[Liquid Tension]

Always be looking to upgrade your team through trades and WW pickups. As for trades, if you become happy with your current roster, you can never end up like this... http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/20...clip-house.html

Do not underestimate the value of the first round picks in keeper/dynasty leagues. Find who you think will come in last place and start working a trade for his/her pick.

Cool story

 

[Liquid Tension]

Drafting according to the "experts" cheat sheets will get you into the playoffs. Taking some risks and going out on a limb will win you your championship.

Draft 2 solid running backs or you'll be that guy trying to package players together in order to trade for one.

Whatever fun I was trying to have with these posts gets completely drained trying to dissect them like middle school sentence diagrams, but you asked so nicely...The first post attempts to impart the wisdom that winning the championship implies taking risks, specifically by deviating from "experts" cheat sheets. That's another way of saying that following the crowd (even if it is a crowd of experts) can tend to prevent a fantasy owner from assembling a dominant team, since you're basically just doing what everyone else is doing. A fairly reasonable point, and I can agree with it to a certain extent.

The second post at least partially negates the first by stating that drafting two solid running backs is a requirement for success. Most commonly, "experts" are the ones touting that this is the only approach to a successful fantasy team.

So I find it at least ironic, or more likely contradictory, that the same poster advises deviating from the "experts" in one post, then suggests following their advice in the second.

Again, neither post is bad by itself, but listed almost back to back, they made me laugh.

If there's a lesson in all this, it's just that if you dig far enough, you'll probably find a sufficient number of rules that following them all simultaneously is impossible. Rules can be helpful to a point, especially when someone has little experience in a given enterprise, but eventually you need to feel free to break the rules at the proper time.

I believe that the most consistent way to achieve a successful draft (and this applies to waivers, trades, lineup choices, etc.) is to seek value at every opportunity. Seeking value is situationally dependent, draft to draft, and even within an individual draft. Too many rules can make a player too inflexible to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves at any point in the draft or the regular season.

I don't want to lock in on any one strategy. Rather, I will be prepared before my draft so that I can proceed in whatever direction offers me the best chance at value. Stud RB can become Stud WR can become early QB, etc. depending on the direction the draft takes.

You graciously explained this very well. The bolded part is the way I play. Don't become attached to anyone, it always about value. If value is equal then take the guy you like!

 

[fsufan]

#11) hope Luck is on your side come the FF playoffs

 

[Family Matters]

I'll add "Know what you do well." I seem to be able to pick up RB's off the waiver wire during the season or late in the draft but rarely do I have any success picking sleepers at QB and/or WR in the draft or during the season. Pretty much every year I've done well in my leagues I've picked stud WR's and QB's in the draft and sloughed RB. Others I am sure are just the opposite and should draft accordingly.

Your comment "Know what you do well" is a great point that I'm sure gets overlooked by people that have been doing this for a while. Most of us think we know it all but knowing what you don't know is just as important as knowing what you do know. That's why FBG's and this board do a great job of complimenting what you do know.One thing I do know is that FBG's and their members know more than I do and that's why I come here.

 

[inca911]

Remember BYE weeks when drafting.

Play high risk/reward players (high variability/standard deviation) if you think you may lose a matchup. Play more consistent players when you feel you will win.

Get premium starting players, even if you have to sacrifice some depth. Having the best bench doesn't win games.

 

[Toads]

#11) hope Luck is on your side come the FF playoffs

In deep leagues, there's a sure fire way to avoid the "playoff blues", but it has to be a deep league that promotes lotsa starters, lotsa roster positions, lotsa player positions.The MFL "six week" sort picks up the guys that are coming on late, the guys that are placed into service due to injury and oportunity. These guys are the antithesis of the "studs benched" guys due to locked up play-off spots.It's risky but there are a lot of 15th and 16th week guys out there on the WW that win championships. Getting there is one thing but winning often takes the ability to spot a roster hole and to replace it with a short trending player.

 

[chris1969]

Rule #13 Never drink Jo-Buu's Gin!