FF Lessons Learned 2014 Edition (1 Viewer)

[just_want_2_win]

What would you say is (are) the biggest lesson(s) you will be taking away from this FF season?

For me it's management of FAAB dollars. I was more aggressive this year than usual and that was great when it came to landing some key names early when they could do the most good. However, being so aggressive left me shorter than usual at the end of the season, leaving me on the sidelines when it came to bid for guys like CJ Anderson. Either that or get even better at preemptive stashing, which I found a little harder to do this season with injuries, byes, and Thurs. games to consider on top of a short bench.

 

[jurrassic]

Honestly, and I say this with respect to the writers on this site, don't listen to the "experts" when it comes to pick-ups. Maybe I was more mindful of it this year but there were multiple times that the "experts" backed the wrong guy or were adamant that certain guys wouldn't succeed. This is specific to pick-ups more than start/sit. The majority of people writing articles have no more access to information than we do. They just have a pulpit to distribute it from. I love a lot of columns on here and other sites that are based on schedule analysis, match-ups, etc. but when it comes to pick-ups, go with your gut.

 

[General Tso]

I can only share my own experience, which this year was not good. After winning it all last year by focusing on QB and WR's, this year I did the opposite and went RB-RB-RB with my first three picks. My first two picks were Jamaal Charles and DeMarco Murray - and I didn't make the playoffs.

I don't have any data to support this, but my hunch is that the best approach these days is to build a team around an elite QB or TE (as these seem to be the most predictable year in and year out) and then stock up on the other positions with a focus on high ceilings rather than high floors. Go for the homerun hitters and stay away from the steady Eddie's like Andre Johnson or Fred Jackson. And don't be afraid to wait on RB's. With injuries, suspensions, RBBC's, and fickle coaches - the RB position has become a complete crapshoot and value can emerge anytime, anywhere throughout the season on the waiver wire.

Also, the days of staying away from 1st or 2nd year WR's are over. It no longer takes 3 years for a WR to emerge. More like 3 days.

 

[chickensoup]

When you go for WRs early, don't take a bunch of RB later just because they are going to get touches. At some point you need guys who will score points when they get the touches.

My main league was a complete upside down draft. I went WR/WR/WR/RB/WR in the first 5 rounds. so I knew RB was going to be thin. I lucked into 2 starters (Ellington because of injury, Jennings because noone believed in him in my league). After those 2 my RBs were basically a bunch of players who turned out to be nobodies. Chris Johnson, Gerhart, MJD. I knew i needed guys who would get touches and i really just needed one to pan out as a bye week guy until waivers opened.

My season saver was Ahmad Bradshaw, without him i might not be in the playoffs. his type is who i should have drafted anyways.

 

[just_want_2_win]

I can only share my own experience, which this year was not good. After winning it all last year by focusing on QB and WR's, this year I did the opposite and went RB-RB-RB with my first three picks. My first two picks were Jamaal Charles and DeMarco Murray - and I didn't make the playoffs.

I don't have any data to support this, but my hunch is that the best approach these days is to build a team around an elite QB or TE (as these seem to be the most predictable year in and year out) and then stock up on the other positions with a focus on high ceilings rather than high floors. Go for the homerun hitters and stay away from the steady Eddie's like Andre Johnson or Fred Jackson. And don't be afraid to wait on RB's. With injuries, suspensions, RBBC's, and fickle coaches - the RB position has become a complete crapshoot and value can emerge anytime, anywhere throughout the season on the waiver wire.

Also, the days of staying away from 1st or 2nd year WR's are over. It no longer takes 3 years for a WR to emerge. More like 3 days.

I'd almost say the centerpiece should be an elite QB. Peyton and Rodgers owners got their money's worth, though Brees' owners not so much.

As for TE, Gronk surely was terrific but owners had to endure a slow start. Graham's owners had to deal with the annual 3-4 games missed and associated slow comeback. Julius Thomas' owners got a slew of TDs but don't have him right now at crunch time.

I centered around WRs and like the results until the end, when my receiving corps slowed.

 

[IheartGuinness]

After dependable and consistent output from the top-tier wide receivers last season, this year featured much more instability at the position. Some of it was due to injuries, but there was a lot more inconsistency, too. I went upside down draft and came out with Marshall, Dez, and Keenan Allen as my starting two receivers and main flex play. I felt pretty good about it, too. Now, not so much. Don't assume one position is any more stable than another.

And don't be afraid of youth. It seems more and more rookies are adjusting to the speed of the NFL quicker and more effectively than they have in the past. Don't bet the farm on the young guys, obviously, but if you go with dependable veterans early on, rolling the dice on promising rookies can pay off later.

 

[hines]

I can only share my own experience, which this year was not good. After winning it all last year by focusing on QB and WR's, this year I did the opposite and went RB-RB-RB with my first three picks. My first two picks were Jamaal Charles and DeMarco Murray - and I didn't make the playoffs.

I don't have any data to support this, but my hunch is that the best approach these days is to build a team around an elite QB or TE (as these seem to be the most predictable year in and year out) and then stock up on the other positions with a focus on high ceilings rather than high floors. Go for the homerun hitters and stay away from the steady Eddie's like Andre Johnson or Fred Jackson. And don't be afraid to wait on RB's. With injuries, suspensions, RBBC's, and fickle coaches - the RB position has become a complete crapshoot and value can emerge anytime, anywhere throughout the season on the waiver wire.

Also, the days of staying away from 1st or 2nd year WR's are over. It no longer takes 3 years for a WR to emerge. More like 3 days.

I'd almost say the centerpiece should be an elite QB. Peyton and Rodgers owners got their money's worth, though Brees' owners not so much.

As for TE, Gronk surely was terrific but owners had to endure a slow start. Graham's owners had to deal with the annual 3-4 games missed and associated slow comeback. Julius Thomas' owners got a slew of TDs but don't have him right now at crunch time.

I centered around WRs and like the results until the end, when my receiving corps slowed.

Graham didn't miss any games this year

 

[RushHour]

Patience. I fail at it every year.

 

[LittlePhatty]

In Keeper or Redraft: Starting the season with what you believe is a "stacked" team can be problematic. Every year, without fail, there will always be some highly-rated players who put up disappointing seasons. If you think your team is stacked then you are more likely hold on to those highly-rated players too long and miss out on waiver wire gems. Sometimes an "average" draft is easier to manage during the season because you know exactly who you can cut to pick up that breakout player.

 

[zamboni]

In Keeper or Redraft: Starting the season with what you believe is a "stacked" team can be problematic. Every year, without fail, there will always be some highly-rated players who put up disappointing seasons. If you think your team is stacked then you are more likely hold on to those highly-rated players too long and miss out on waiver wire gems. Sometimes an "average" draft is easier to manage during the season because you know exactly who you can cut to pick up that breakout player.

This is a pretty good one. Not that it isn't necessary a new lesson, but overoptimism on players can cause you to hold on too long. Cordarelle is one for me that could have been dropped awhile ago for a better option (albeit I am in a deep keeper league).

 

[Sabertooth]

Don't cut bait too soon. If I'd listened to that advice, I'd still have CJ Anderson, Shoelace Robinson, and Lesean McCoy on my team. Also, go with your favorite players on draft day. I was soooo close to taking Eddie Lacy over Lesean McCoy but I went with the consensus and regretted it most of the season.

 

[MattFancy]

Patience. I fail at it every year.

Same with me.

I had guys like McKinnon, CJ Anderson and Herron on my bench. The week I dropped them, they all would go off and I wasn't able to get them back.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Just like i been saying forever, dont draft rbs early, almost cost me in the 1 league i did,

 

[joffer]

I now know to draft players that score a lot of points, and avoid players that don't.

 

[MattFancy]

I'd also say this year underscored how important working the WW is.

If you were active on the wire this season you could have guys like Sanchez, Forsett, Mason, Ingram, Anderson, Matthews, Sanu, LaFell, Beckham, Kelce, Allen, Daniels, Donnell.

 

[iamkoza]

a 1st round rookie WR is worth a flyer if less than 10 auction dollars.... in my 12 team redraft every one of the 1st rounders this year went for less than $10 and they all had periods of elite production

 

[Gawain]

I am terrible at the WW. Next year I need to throw my money at Best-ball, no moves/trades types of leagues.

 

[tangfoot]

Pay attention to your league's rules and adjust accordingly. PPR vs standard makes a massive difference in your strategy both at the draft and during the season.

Every draft strategy is valid, in the right circumstances, and in the right scoring system, so don't fall for the upsidedown, inside-out, 3 TE, zero QB trap because it worked for someone else. Have a REASON for everything you do.

 

[mphtrilogy]

WRs are the new RBs, take them early and often

 

[MattFancy]

WRs are the new RBs, take them early and often

Sort of. The elite RBs are still the elite RBs. It just seems after those top 10 or so, there isn't really a difference between say RB11 and RB30. If you can get that one elite RB and then load up on WRs, you should be fine.

 

[Run It Up]

I don't have any data to support this, but my hunch is that the best approach these days is to build a team around an elite QB or TE (as these seem to be the most predictable year in and year out)

In a two TE league I own Graham and Julius, as well as Charles, Emmanuel Sanders and Edelman. Had Forsett from week 2 to week 11 when I traded him for Megatron.

I missed the playoffs.

 

[FF Ninja]

Just like i been saying forever, dont draft rbs early, almost cost me in the 1 league i did,

Don't listen to people like this. Be flexible in your yearly strategy. Take what the draft gives you. Personally, I identify some undervalued players I know I can get later and base the rest of my draft around that. For instance, in 2013 Mathews was a 5th/6th round guy. I planned on him being my RB2 so I was able to focus on other positions in the earlier rounds. If you can identify a cheap WR2 or TE1 then you can alter your strategy in a similar fashion.

The key is being right. Do your research (player research, ADPs, league drafting tendencies) and execute your plan. Also, have some backup plans if the first one gets sidetracked. If you do it right, you should be able to tell roughly what your team will look like before you even draft. It's much more satisfying than simply following some dumb script like "don't draft RBs early" and just taking the highest guy on your cheatsheets at other positions.

Also, don't be afraid of old WRs. This isn't a lesson I just learned, but Steve Smith and Anquan Boldin should reaffirm this lesson. I'm not sure I'd count on one of them, but at WR48 and WR53 on the last ADP, you don't have to count on them. Great depth players.

 

[fightingillini]

I have learned that

1) the rookie curve at WR isn't a steep as in the past.....in college, these elite WR prospects are likely working in a pro-style offense. This year there are a lot of WRs that made immediate impacts like Watkins, Beckham, Cooks, and Mike Evans. Don't be afraid to use a rookie as your 3rd wideout.

2) since 1) applies, it makes the WR pool even deeper than before.

3) since 1 and 2 apply, having a bellcow RB that can consistently get 20+ touches is an even bigger advantage. There are so few of them...maybe 7-8. Pair one up with great WRs and that easily can lead to a title. I will still go RB in the first round if I have one of the top 5-7 picks.

4) Aaron Rodgers is easily the best QB in football, and you will need to spend a 1st rounder on him next year.

5) the TE position is such a crapshoot after Gronk/Graham/Julius. With the WR and QB pools so deep, I think it's well worth spending an early pick on these elite TEs.

6) Trent Richardson sucks even more than I thought.

7) Emmanuel Sanders is even better than I thought.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

1) Anyone can draft based on ceiling instead of floor ... but it's only a winning strategy if you aren't afraid to sell low (or cut bait entirely). My "high-upside" teams generally did poorly this year because I held onto my shiny new toys like Harvin, Hunter, Floyd, Sankey, etc. far longer than their performance justified.

2) Avoid guys from offenses that can't get out of their own way, no matter how talented they seem. "Someone's got to catch the ball" almost never justifies a draft pick, especially if that someone plays for a tire fire like the Jets or Raiders.

Fun trivia question: Using PFR's scoring system, NFL fantasy players have collectively put up 2,838 points of VBD through 12 weeks this season. How much of that 2,838 was contributed by players on the NFL's bottom 8 offenses? Answer below.

3) Install, or at least loudly advocate for, larger starting lineups and deeper benches in your leagues. This reduces the impact of luck, encourages trades, and rewards owners who read the SP and are able to jump on a guy a week or two before he blows up.

*******************

Fun trivia answer: 88 points, or 3.1% of the total. You read that right: 25 percent of the NFL's offenses have so far combined to produce 3 percent of VBD.

 

[Soulfly3]

Learned this a year or two back now....

Do not draft for value.

To further clarify this: DRAFT THE PLAYERS YOU WANT, NOT THE PLAYERS YOU SETTLED ON.

If you gotta reach, reach. If you're confident in who will be the best players, you're never actually reaching.

 

[fightingillini]

1) Anyone can draft based on ceiling instead of floor ... but it's only a winning strategy if you aren't afraid to sell low (or cut bait entirely). My "high-upside" teams generally did poorly this year because I held onto my shiny new toys like Harvin, Hunter, Floyd, Sankey, etc. far longer than their performance justified.

2) Avoid guys from offenses that can't get out of their own way, no matter how talented they seem. "Someone's got to catch the ball" almost never justifies a draft pick, especially if that someone plays for a tire fire like the Jets or Raiders.

Fun trivia question: Using PFR's scoring system, NFL fantasy players have collectively put up 2,838 points of VBD through 12 weeks this season. How much of that 2,838 was contributed by players on the NFL's bottom 8 offenses? Answer below.

3) Install, or at least loudly advocate for, larger starting lineups and deeper benches in your leagues. This reduces the impact of luck, encourages trades, and rewards owners who read the SP and are able to jump on a guy a week or two before he blows up.

*******************

Fun trivia answer: 88 points, or 3.1% of the total. You read that right: 25 percent of the NFL's offenses have so far combined to produce 3 percent of VBD.

Except at RB, taking players from the bottom tier of offenses is usually a mistake.

I will add to Mr Irrelevant's list

4) add a superflex. In my ideal league, the lineup would be 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1 TE, 1K, 1D, 1 superflex (any offensive position) and 1 regular RB/WR flex. When you add a superflex, it greatly raises the value of QBs, keeps from having starting QBs on the waiver wire, and they become more expensive to trade for. Also, the draft strategies become endless.....since in a superflex, elite QBs are legit 1st round picks and you can argue for Rodgers, Manning and Luck to be top 5 picks overall.

 

[RealReactions]

Honestly for me its to be the first one to draft a top tier kicker. Ive lost 4 games this year bye less than 5 points and its mostly against people whose kickers get 12+ and mine gets 5. I'm out of the playoffs because of my ####ty kickers all year. I thought I had the golden ticket in denvers kicker but he was terrible.

 

[JoeyJoJoJuniorShabadoo]

I've had the best stretch of FFL results in the last 3 years by:

Going away from RB/RB in the first 2 rounds. A combination of RB + WR seems to have worked for me

Spending one of my top 3-4 picks on an elite QB. Drafted Brady and Brees on Round 3 in 2012, 2013, and Luck in round 4 in 2014.

 

[Sabertooth]

WRs are the new RBs, take them early and often

Sort of. The elite RBs are still the elite RBs. It just seems after those top 10 or so, there isn't really a difference between say RB11 and RB30. If you can get that one elite RB and then load up on WRs, you should be fine.

Unless that elite running back is McCoy or Peterson.

 

[Sabertooth]

I am drafting Gronkowski in the first round of redrafts next year. If I get #1 overall I'll try to trade back to about 3 and then I'll snag him.

 

[Skoo]

That RB is still, by far, the most important position in fantasy.

 

[MattFancy]

WRs are the new RBs, take them early and often

Sort of. The elite RBs are still the elite RBs. It just seems after those top 10 or so, there isn't really a difference between say RB11 and RB30. If you can get that one elite RB and then load up on WRs, you should be fine.

Unless that elite running back is McCoy or Peterson.

Peterson, I'll give you. McCoy is up to RB10 now in my main PPR league. Not quite what people were expecting of him going into the season, but not terrible.

 

[FF Ninja]

WRs are the new RBs, take them early and often

Sort of. The elite RBs are still the elite RBs. It just seems after those top 10 or so, there isn't really a difference between say RB11 and RB30. If you can get that one elite RB and then load up on WRs, you should be fine.

Unless that elite running back is McCoy or Peterson.

Peterson was unpredictable. McCoy is now 10th in scoring. If you drafted any of these guys outside of Peterson and aren't in the playoffs, the fault lies elsewhere.

Name ADP (current)

Charles 1 (6)

McCoy 2 (10)

Peterson 3 (suspended)

Forte 4 (4)

Lacy 5 (8)

Lynch 6 (3)

Murray 7 (1)

 

[Shutout]

Patience. I fail at it every year.

This was what I was going to post. THe people that freaked out on Shady, Eddie, and got frustrated with holding CJ Anderson and Foster's injury...all the example like that when it came to RBs this year is the biggest difference I see in my leagues.

The teams that held have risen and the teams that bailed are sinking.

As always, if you own Broncos and Colts and Patriots and a few others, you were competitive enough to hang in there.

 

[Raiderfan32904]

I have learned the value of hoarding defenses. My waiver wire is particularly thin, and has been all season. And I blew most of my FAAB wad early. So I scanned the wire and saw a lot of quality defenses out there. I now roster 5 defenses and even though that limits my bench, I have my choice of matchups any given week. And I get to watch everyone else scramble for the breadcrumbs.

 

[msudaisy26]

The lesson is the same as every year. Trust your gut and draft the way you are comfortable with. If you are good at finding late or waiver wire running back draft receivers early and so on. Know your scoring, lineup and rules of your league.

 

[Shutout]

I said this in the offseason and will repeat here because I truly believe it has made all the difference in the world for the way I build teams and their success.

As much as it goes against what everyone wants on this site, my biggest advice is to completely ignore football between the time your season ends and when camps open. When I stopped ramping up and buying into constant off-season hype of rookies, "this guy is going to break out", etc, etc, I found myself coming back and saying "ok, where did we leave off?" and that has helped me remember things like "oh yeah, this Eddie Lacy guy was pretty good in college. I like him on a team like the Packers" and ignore the "fat Eddie" stuff. It also helps me temper my expectations about how Hunter and Patterson and Tate all these guys are going to do this and that and instead I focus on how good Demaryius was, Dez was, Antonio Brown was, etc.

I just think we live in an overly saturated information state. What's the old saying about paralysis by analysis? K.I.S.S.

 

[32 Counter Pass]

I have learned the value of hoarding defenses. My waiver wire is particularly thin, and has been all season. And I blew most of my FAAB wad early. So I scanned the wire and saw a lot of quality defenses out there. I now roster 5 defenses and even though that limits my bench, I have my choice of matchups any given week. And I get to watch everyone else scramble for the breadcrumbs.

[SIZE=13.63636302948px]Did that prove to be a winning strategy?[/SIZE]

 

[zamboni]

That RB is still, by far, the most important position in fantasy.

Absolutely if only because there are so few three-down all-purpose RBs, as others have said.

Not that this is new, but it's important to handcuff your stud RBs, but only if they are high quality backups that can step right in (e.g., Knile Davis).

 

[Raiderfan32904]

I have learned the value of hoarding defenses. My waiver wire is particularly thin, and has been all season. And I blew most of my FAAB wad early. So I scanned the wire and saw a lot of quality defenses out there. I now roster 5 defenses and even though that limits my bench, I have my choice of matchups any given week. And I get to watch everyone else scramble for the breadcrumbs.

[SIZE=13.63px]Did that prove to be a winning strategy?[/SIZE]

For me it was. I have what I consider to be a rebuilding roster, but somehow I'm in second place with a playoff berth wrapped up. I kept churning the wire every week for post-waiver fodder and it helped get me where I'm at. But my rotation of defenses has consistently given me an extra 5-10 points weekly vs my competitor.

 

[32 Counter Pass]

I said this in the offseason and will repeat here because I truly believe it has made all the difference in the world for the way I build teams and their success.

As much as it goes against what everyone wants on this site, my biggest advice is to completely ignore football between the time your season ends and when camps open. When I stopped ramping up and buying into constant off-season hype of rookies, "this guy is going to break out", etc, etc, I found myself coming back and saying "ok, where did we leave off?" and that has helped me remember things like "oh yeah, this Eddie Lacy guy was pretty good in college. I like him on a team like the Packers" and ignore the "fat Eddie" stuff. It also helps me temper my expectations about how Hunter and Patterson and Tate all these guys are going to do this and that and instead I focus on how good Demaryius was, Dez was, Antonio Brown was, etc.

I just think we live in an overly saturated information state. What's the old saying about paralysis by analysis? K.I.S.S.

I am of the complete opposite approach. I go back rewatch all the games to evaluate teams and players. Where it proves particularly valuable is in avoiding over hyped players. Then I watch a lot of college highlights to get a handle on the incoming rookies. Love it!

I always like this topic but we should be cautious about what lessons were learned. I have 3 lessons:

1. Elite QBs do matter. I am reassessing my "wait on QB strategy." Rodgers, Luck and Manning give their owners at least a half of man advantage each week.
2. Rookie WRs can make a difference. In the past I had always avoided drafting rookies because of their lack of impact as rookies. That has changed. Evans, Matthews, Cook, Benji, Beckham and Landry are all legit #3WRs with very high upside.
3. Be more aggressive in waiver bidding to cover a need. I went WR-WR-WR-TE which makes the RB position a big need post draft. Had I bid aggressively for Forsett and CJ I would have won the championship rather than finish in second place.

 

[FF Ninja]

Rodgers, Luck and Manning give their owners at least a half of man advantage each week.

Sorry to pick nits, but this just isn't true unless you play 6pt passing TD and 0 ppr. Non-elite QBs Wilson and Roethlisberger are only about 3-4 points behind those guys in 4pt PTD leagues. Elite QBs do matter, but you need to draft pretty well if you are going to survive taking Brees in the 2nd round and he didn't even bust badly - he's just about 3 points behind those guys you listed and no longer giving much advantage over a QB12 type guy. Personally, I chose to reach for Gronk in the second instead of taking an elite QB. I still think QBBC is a very feasible approach.

 

[mbrasi]

Honestly for me its to be the first one to draft a top tier kicker. Ive lost 4 games this year bye less than 5 points and its mostly against people whose kickers get 12+ and mine gets 5. I'm out of the playoffs because of my ####ty kickers all year. I thought I had the golden ticket in denvers kicker but he was terrible.

drafting a top tier kicker shouldn't be the key to your season, even you said you thought you had the golden ticket in Denver's kicker. Don't waste anything more than a last or second to last pick on a kicker.

Its a crap shoot, find a productive one by working the waiver wire after 3-4 weeks if yours isn't working out. Then roll with your waiver pickup.

I have 5 cash leagues... I made the playoffs in 4 leagues and 1st round byes in 3 of the 4. I drafted my kicker with the last pick. All of my top picks hit and I filled gaps with the WW.

In the team I missed the playoffs it was misses like Megatron, Keenan Allen, crummy QB play that led to me missing the playoffs. The guys that you can't help but starting and they stink it up.

 

[just_want_2_win]

Don't cut bait too soon. If I'd listened to that advice, I'd still have CJ Anderson, Shoelace Robinson, and Lesean McCoy on my team. Also, go with your favorite players on draft day. I was soooo close to taking Eddie Lacy over Lesean McCoy but I went with the consensus and regretted it most of the season.

In your defense it took McCoy 12 weeks to truly live up to his potential and CJ didn't arrive much sooner. Hard to be patient when you see the clock ticking on your season and have to contend with byes and injuries too. If it were fantasy baseball or basketball with their slew of games having patience is easier to have but in FF man it's hard when you only have 13-14 games.

 

[rickyg]

Use bpa strategy for the first half of your draft. Even if it means no RBS after the first 8 rounds. You want the most proven player that is consistently very involved in a high scoring offense with a great qb. Or an elite qb.

The only ex ion to this rule is for an elite feature RB in his prime that is proven with over more than 2 seasons of elite production.

 

[zoonation]

Rodgers, Luck and Manning give their owners at least a half of man advantage each week.

Sorry to pick nits, but this just isn't true unless you play 6pt passing TD and 0 ppr. Non-elite QBs Wilson and Roethlisberger are only about 3-4 points behind those guys in 4pt PTD leagues. Elite QBs do matter, but you need to draft pretty well if you are going to survive taking Brees in the 2nd round and he didn't even bust badly - he's just about 3 points behind those guys you listed and no longer giving much advantage over a QB12 type guy. Personally, I chose to reach for Gronk in the second instead of taking an elite QB. I still think QBBC is a very feasible approach.

Did you survive his absolutely atrocious start?

 

[just_want_2_win]

WRs are the new RBs, take them early and often

Sort of. The elite RBs are still the elite RBs. It just seems after those top 10 or so, there isn't really a difference between say RB11 and RB30. If you can get that one elite RB and then load up on WRs, you should be fine.

Unless that elite running back is McCoy or Peterson.

Peterson was unpredictable. McCoy is now 10th in scoring. If you drafted any of these guys outside of Peterson and aren't in the playoffs, the fault lies elsewhere.

Name ADP (current)

Charles 1 (6)

McCoy 2 (10)

Peterson 3 (suspended)

Forte 4 (4)

Lacy 5 (8)

Lynch 6 (3)

Murray 7 (1)

Sort of disagree with McCoy. He's really bumped up his stats the last two weeks so that 10 rank is a bit deceiving. Prior to that an owner was having to make due with RB2 type stats almost every week. Your team could've sunk out of contention by the time McCoy came to life.

 

[Cyclones]

Get an elite QB while everyone else is loading up on RBs. I got Rodgers in all 3 of my leagues this year and made the playoffs in all 3, one of them I won the overall league points and record title and the $$ that go with it.

Stay active on the WW. Be online when free agent pickups start (got Mike Evans this way.) Trade for guys who are proven studs but are injured or underperforming (got Calvin this way.)

 

[jurrassic]

I said this in the offseason and will repeat here because I truly believe it has made all the difference in the world for the way I build teams and their success.

As much as it goes against what everyone wants on this site, my biggest advice is to completely ignore football between the time your season ends and when camps open. When I stopped ramping up and buying into constant off-season hype of rookies, "this guy is going to break out", etc, etc, I found myself coming back and saying "ok, where did we leave off?" and that has helped me remember things like "oh yeah, this Eddie Lacy guy was pretty good in college. I like him on a team like the Packers" and ignore the "fat Eddie" stuff. It also helps me temper my expectations about how Hunter and Patterson and Tate all these guys are going to do this and that and instead I focus on how good Demaryius was, Dez was, Antonio Brown was, etc.

I just think we live in an overly saturated information state. What's the old saying about paralysis by analysis? K.I.S.S.

Funny you stated this. I often think of doing this every year but keep getting sucked back in too early.

 

[Shutout]

WRs are the new RBs, take them early and often

Sort of. The elite RBs are still the elite RBs. It just seems after those top 10 or so, there isn't really a difference between say RB11 and RB30. If you can get that one elite RB and then load up on WRs, you should be fine.

Unless that elite running back is McCoy or Peterson.

Peterson was unpredictable. McCoy is now 10th in scoring. If you drafted any of these guys outside of Peterson and aren't in the playoffs, the fault lies elsewhere.

Name ADP (current)

Charles 1 (6)

McCoy 2 (10)

Peterson 3 (suspended)

Forte 4 (4)

Lacy 5 (8)

Lynch 6 (3)

Murray 7 (1)

Sort of disagree with McCoy. He's really bumped up his stats the last two weeks so that 10 rank is a bit deceiving. Prior to that an owner was having to make due with RB2 type stats almost every week. Your team could've sunk out of contention by the time McCoy came to life.

All my Shady teams made the playoffs. You guys are talking like he was putting up Ronnie Brown numbers of something. He was serviceable. A little bit of a letdown compared to himself? Sure. But he wasn't an albatross hanging around your team's neck. When you pick a guy very high and he is out for the year or pulls a Peterson then, sure, you can say he killed you.

But if "All" he did was consistently get you RB 12-17 points and then, over the past few weeks, pushed himself up to RB 10 overall, then the blame is on YOU if you can't weather that level of adversity. It takes a team, not just one player at the top of the draft.