i've only been playing FFB for a couple of years, but i do pretty good (especially with the help of you guys). however, what's everybody's secret to winning? this probably isn't a revelation to most of you, but i think that my successes have been due to my willingness to trade. i think that most players, judging by the people i've played, tend to over-value the guys they drafted. and whilst trading, i'm not worried about strengthening another team (even by a relatively large margin) as long as i strengthen mine (even if only by a modest margin); i figure, five extra points in play are worth more than 20 on the bench. i must admit, i sometimes spread my team a little thin (willing to trade my depth to upgrade my starters), but i've been lucky so far. so shark pool, what are the small things you've learned over the years, the secrets that tend to be the difference between losing and winning for you?
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secret to your winning? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter teh_jab
- Start date
FantasyTrader
Footballguy
You've already touched on a few of mine so you're well on your way. Trades are a key part of my strategy as well. But if you're looking for small things, some stuff that even experienced players tend to overlook?
Be crazy active on the WW early. It happens every year, there will be a handful of names who went un-drafted that will finish among the top 15 by season's end. And they generally reveal themselves very early on - be it a change in team philosophy or personnel. Pay attention to the injury reports, weekly pass targets and actual play on the field. They can reveal emerging situations a week or two in advance of the box score.
Transition your team for the playoffs. Assuming you've done your job and are comfortably sitting in position to make the playoffs in your league about 2-3 weeks before the trade deadline I try to swing a couple of 2 fer 1 or 3 fer 1 trades to increase the scoring power of my core group. Identify some of the bubble teams who could improve with depth to upgrade your starters. Pay attention to playoff SOS. Sometimes even trading away a slightly better player for another at the position straight up with a cake playoff schedule can be a coup.
Generally speaking, I've learned I "think" I know more than I really do and I overtinker with my lineup. I have my best success (generally) by settling on a lineup and sticking to it regardless of match-up. I've lost many more weeks by overthinking it than I've won.
Be crazy active on the WW early. It happens every year, there will be a handful of names who went un-drafted that will finish among the top 15 by season's end. And they generally reveal themselves very early on - be it a change in team philosophy or personnel. Pay attention to the injury reports, weekly pass targets and actual play on the field. They can reveal emerging situations a week or two in advance of the box score.
Transition your team for the playoffs. Assuming you've done your job and are comfortably sitting in position to make the playoffs in your league about 2-3 weeks before the trade deadline I try to swing a couple of 2 fer 1 or 3 fer 1 trades to increase the scoring power of my core group. Identify some of the bubble teams who could improve with depth to upgrade your starters. Pay attention to playoff SOS. Sometimes even trading away a slightly better player for another at the position straight up with a cake playoff schedule can be a coup.
Generally speaking, I've learned I "think" I know more than I really do and I overtinker with my lineup. I have my best success (generally) by settling on a lineup and sticking to it regardless of match-up. I've lost many more weeks by overthinking it than I've won.
flc735
Footballguy
im not great at redrafts but i dominate dynasties. trading often is the key. with 11-15 other teams, there is always a deal out there that can improve your team. i also never ever ever touch rookies. i think they are always ridiculously overvalued. i target those guys in their sophomore year, when 90% of them see their value either drop or stay the same. the advantage here is having a year of nfl play to evaluate their potential and grab them when the rookie hype is all gone
In a competitive league I go for high risk/reward guys and tend to draft them earlier then most.
Also like to stockpile as many lottery ticket backups as I can. Guys like:
M. Flynn
V. Young
B. Tate
J. Harrisson
J. Snelling
T. Gerhart
D. Murray
J. Ringer
I. Redman
R. Brown
B. Scott
Many times the starter goes down for the year and you are golden. More often the starter goes down for a game or two and you can trade, with the owner of the starter, and upgrade one of your starters. A. Peterson goes out for 2-3 weeks you can upgrade your WR3. Even when the starter is not banged up you can use these guys to trade with that owner. Often times they are hoping they get their handcuff late. When they don't they tend to pay a bit more for the insurance.
I draft these guys all day when other teams are drafting D. Bess/R. Williams/H.Ward. Guys who will be starting for you if you are not going to the playoffs.
Also like to stockpile as many lottery ticket backups as I can. Guys like:
M. Flynn
V. Young
B. Tate
J. Harrisson
J. Snelling
T. Gerhart
D. Murray
J. Ringer
I. Redman
R. Brown
B. Scott
Many times the starter goes down for the year and you are golden. More often the starter goes down for a game or two and you can trade, with the owner of the starter, and upgrade one of your starters. A. Peterson goes out for 2-3 weeks you can upgrade your WR3. Even when the starter is not banged up you can use these guys to trade with that owner. Often times they are hoping they get their handcuff late. When they don't they tend to pay a bit more for the insurance.
I draft these guys all day when other teams are drafting D. Bess/R. Williams/H.Ward. Guys who will be starting for you if you are not going to the playoffs.
LargeMouthBass
Footballguy
Do you get unlimited bench in your league?
Raiderfan32904
Footballguy
Up-to-date-Intel:
In a way, owning a FF team is similar to owning stock in the market. You choose a stock to purchase or short based on the best information you have at your disposal. Just as you use current events and outliers to determine stock price to flip stock, you do the same in fantasy football. Except this is just a hobby, but the effort you put in is proportional to your success.
Trades and Team Management:
I think we all feel pretty confident on draft night that a lot of preparation will net us the best team. And even if you do your homework, you find out a few things will change in a short time. You start to see weaknesses, or excess strengths on your team. The thing I try to do is scout my league's rosters for teams that could be benefit from a trade. I will examine if the potential trade makes sense for them before I offer. This strategy has netted more successful trades that help solidify my roster. The key is balance at every position, not just relying on one or two guys.
In a way, owning a FF team is similar to owning stock in the market. You choose a stock to purchase or short based on the best information you have at your disposal. Just as you use current events and outliers to determine stock price to flip stock, you do the same in fantasy football. Except this is just a hobby, but the effort you put in is proportional to your success.
Trades and Team Management:
I think we all feel pretty confident on draft night that a lot of preparation will net us the best team. And even if you do your homework, you find out a few things will change in a short time. You start to see weaknesses, or excess strengths on your team. The thing I try to do is scout my league's rosters for teams that could be benefit from a trade. I will examine if the potential trade makes sense for them before I offer. This strategy has netted more successful trades that help solidify my roster. The key is balance at every position, not just relying on one or two guys.
Large enough that I could roster 2-3 of those guys.
Sabertooth
Footballguy
I've won a couple league but more importantly I can't remember the last time I missed the playoffs. The key to me is constantly trying to improve the bottom of your roster depth. Make sure that WR5 is actually performing like an WR3 or WR4. Cut dead weight.
Checking target data plays a big part too. You can't make plays without the ball.
Checking target data plays a big part too. You can't make plays without the ball.
I agree with this. Its also important as you can keep your opponents from getting players they may need when injuries occur or on bye weeks,
Mr. Know-It-All
Footballguy
Too many people obsess about bye weeks when drafting - letting good talent fall because a player doesn''t fit their bye week needs. Draft best talent available, remembering that a bye week is just one week in a 17 game schedule. You can always make a one week pickup to cover a bye - or in worst case scenario just take a loss in one week. Overall, having the best players regardless of bye week will have long term success.
Underachievers
Footballguy
bengalbuck
Footballguy
This is something people just starting out don't always get. They'll see Ward projected for 150 points and Isaac Redman projected for 70 or whatever and think its a no-brainer that Ward is a better pick. But like you say, you want to use those last few rounds of your draft with the thought in mind, can I ever envision this guy starting a playoff game for me? It's better to grab those guys who are an injury away from being a top 10 player (Redman) than a guy like Ward who is at best a low level bye week fill-in type guy. Obviously, there is some balance involved and you want a couple safe options with a little upside on your roster (Nate Burleson, etc.) but you don't want to fill the bottom of your roster with too many of those types.
Hoss Style
Footballguy
Everything that these guys said above. All great points of focus.
To me, though, underlying it all is research. If you know more about what's going on than the next guy then your trades, pick ups, roster moves, etc will be more likely to succeed. Like one poster said above, Luck is a big factor, but you can overcome that if you know more than your opponent on average.
If he knows as much as you then...cross your fingers!
To me, though, underlying it all is research. If you know more about what's going on than the next guy then your trades, pick ups, roster moves, etc will be more likely to succeed. Like one poster said above, Luck is a big factor, but you can overcome that if you know more than your opponent on average.
If he knows as much as you then...cross your fingers!
Jerry Lawler
Footballguy
I try to stock my rosters with guys who at least have some chance of being one of the top 10 starts at his position at some point during the season. Sometimes, a reliable depth guy is needed to fill a gap in the lineup, but they're usually pretty readily available on the waiver wire or through trades.
Teef
Footballguy
A lot of 
's
I've been playing FF since '96 and was pretty bad at it for the first 4-5 years. Didn't get that beginners luck. Now Im in 4 competitive leagues, sometimes 6 (I'll only play in 12-16 team leagues) and am pretty much a given for playoffs and sometimes win the whole thing.
What started working for me was becoming hungry for info, studying for drafts (read VBD) and always concentrating on loading my team with as much depth and potential as I can.
Another is getting good at trading. All player values have an eb & flow throughout the season. Having an expendable player go off or getting that player splashed on the front of CBS Sportsline is usually an indication some guy is gonna over-value your player because of one good week or injury (Brandon Jackson '10). Strike while the iron is hot and deal him. 2 for 1 or 3 for 1's are the best (you getting the 1). You'd be surprised how much you can Improve a position with these kinds of trades, sometimes getting their 1st, 2nd or 3rd round pic. But what isn't considered in the makeup of the deal is the added value I see when I make these trades ...more open roster spots. Now I have another open slot or two to mine the WW. That's gold to me cause I feel like trading and finding talent is my strength.
My other secret is kind of like a theory I have. Usually when teams draft QBs early, some of these teams are weaker than the rest of the non-QB drafting teams. By week 6 they may be 2-4 or 1-5 and figure out their team is gonna sink unless they can make a move. I love targeting the slow-starting team's QBs because I can usually give them a productive mid-tier QB and a mid-tier WR or RB and take their top-5 QB. it's an easy sell and makes a lot of sense to them on paper. It's strange, but I do this often and it works.
Don't be that guy that makes insulting offers all the time though. Know your team strengths, look over rosters, find their holes and see if you can fill in for them. Explain your rational and why it makes sense for them to make this deal. If they say No, be thankful for them considering it and keep in touch because they might get back to you the next week when they realize you were right. If you're a ####, they'll write you off out of male pride.
I think something that helps tho is that I'm a natural salesman and do just that as a job (business dev). So I love going after a deal, bartering and making it work.
Best of luck!
'sI've been playing FF since '96 and was pretty bad at it for the first 4-5 years. Didn't get that beginners luck. Now Im in 4 competitive leagues, sometimes 6 (I'll only play in 12-16 team leagues) and am pretty much a given for playoffs and sometimes win the whole thing.
What started working for me was becoming hungry for info, studying for drafts (read VBD) and always concentrating on loading my team with as much depth and potential as I can.
Another is getting good at trading. All player values have an eb & flow throughout the season. Having an expendable player go off or getting that player splashed on the front of CBS Sportsline is usually an indication some guy is gonna over-value your player because of one good week or injury (Brandon Jackson '10). Strike while the iron is hot and deal him. 2 for 1 or 3 for 1's are the best (you getting the 1). You'd be surprised how much you can Improve a position with these kinds of trades, sometimes getting their 1st, 2nd or 3rd round pic. But what isn't considered in the makeup of the deal is the added value I see when I make these trades ...more open roster spots. Now I have another open slot or two to mine the WW. That's gold to me cause I feel like trading and finding talent is my strength.
My other secret is kind of like a theory I have. Usually when teams draft QBs early, some of these teams are weaker than the rest of the non-QB drafting teams. By week 6 they may be 2-4 or 1-5 and figure out their team is gonna sink unless they can make a move. I love targeting the slow-starting team's QBs because I can usually give them a productive mid-tier QB and a mid-tier WR or RB and take their top-5 QB. it's an easy sell and makes a lot of sense to them on paper. It's strange, but I do this often and it works.
Don't be that guy that makes insulting offers all the time though. Know your team strengths, look over rosters, find their holes and see if you can fill in for them. Explain your rational and why it makes sense for them to make this deal. If they say No, be thankful for them considering it and keep in touch because they might get back to you the next week when they realize you were right. If you're a ####, they'll write you off out of male pride.
I think something that helps tho is that I'm a natural salesman and do just that as a job (business dev). So I love going after a deal, bartering and making it work.
Best of luck!
Shane Falco
Footballguy
research
buy low/ sell high
don't fall in love with players
know and understand your scoring system and use it to your advantage
don't waste high picks on QBs in any format
don't waste high picks on injured guys, guys who are or just did hold out
don't over think anything
don't blame luck, it doesn't get you into the playoffs but you'll need it once you get there
buy low/ sell high
don't fall in love with players
know and understand your scoring system and use it to your advantage
don't waste high picks on QBs in any format
don't waste high picks on injured guys, guys who are or just did hold out
don't over think anything
don't blame luck, it doesn't get you into the playoffs but you'll need it once you get there
Teef
Footballguy
bleachercreacher
Footballguy
He isn't available until next season. My biggest secret is just keeping track of my league mates tendencies. There are 5 or 6 guys that do the same thing every year.'osubuckeyeman said:
For my league at least, I tend to have better success trading when I come out with trade offer that is pretty close to what I'm willing to give up.
I like to be decisive with my offers. Come at them with a quality offer right off the bat. I don't try to start low to see what is the least they'll bite on. If you do that you'll scare them away. Once they decline an offer it's hard to change their mindset even when you sweeten it. Whereas if you had come with the sweetened deal first the owner might have accepted it.
I like to be decisive with my offers. Come at them with a quality offer right off the bat. I don't try to start low to see what is the least they'll bite on. If you do that you'll scare them away. Once they decline an offer it's hard to change their mindset even when you sweeten it. Whereas if you had come with the sweetened deal first the owner might have accepted it.
The Sniper
Footballguy
Never draft a rookie.
Badgers Fan
Footballguy
Being an active owner and making good trades is an obvious plus. The biggest thing is you need good luck with health. I had a dominant team last year, but it's football, any week they could've all gotten hurt.
LargeMouthBass
Footballguy
Most people get 6 bench players and you want them to waste 3 of them on players you most likely won't use for the whole season? Drafting Tate for Foster is one thing but keeping 3 or more useless players is just plain right idiotic...'Daywalker said:
