Archive for August, 2006

The Blogpound draft is complete, and the wheels have been set in motion for yet another dominating season for my teams. I can usually hear the sound of slot machines in my head around round 3, and last night was no different. It’s a shame so many fine bloggers will be humiliated in public, but that’s the price you pay when you go against the best.

At the end of the season, people often walk up to me–on the street, in the super-market, at the Oscars–and say, “CroutonBoy, I knew you were handsome, funny, and humble, but I had no idea you were such a kick-ass fantasy football player. How do you do it?” Well, in a Draft Day Suit exclusive, I’m going to share with you my eleven tips for building a monster fantasy team.

1. Never draft an RB or WR coming off season-ending injury. This is the “Terrell Davis rule”. Sure some guys come back (Edge, Steve Smith) but the number who don’t far outnumber the ones who do. Avoid if at all possible.
2. Don’t draft players with “personality issues” or “off-the-field problems.” A really talented guy that only plays half a season or gets clocked by his teammates in practice won’t do you much good.
3. Never draft Fred Taylor. Ever. Even in the 15th round.
4. Your #3 RB is more important than your #2 WR. There’s at least two weeks when one of your studs will be riding the pine…do you really want Mike Alstott starting for you those weeks? Plus, there’s a good chance somebody is going down to injury, so you’ll want insurance for that position. Meanwhile, WR’s are susceptible to shut-down corners, favoritism, and lost concentration far more often, and frankly there’s a billion of them out there. Know your priorities and stick with them.
5. A stud TE is more important than a #2 WR, too. That’s a roster spot that’s got to be filled every week. Draft well and you’re starting three WR’s. Draft poorly and you’re starting Dallas Clark.
6. Any offensive player on the Lions roster not named Sanders you draft will be an albatross around your neck. Just say no.
7. Be careful with great players that switch teams. A stud RB needs a good system and offensive line as well as talent. WRs need good (or at least desparate) QBs throwing to them, and the talent around them can dramatically impact their numbers. Don’t draft them based on where they were last year…draft them on where they are now. (This is the “Muhsin Muhammed rule”)
8. Know your rules! Drafting Peyton Manning in the second round may seem like a good idea, but not if he only gets 3 pts for touchdowns and loses 2 for interceptions. Let someone else burn high draft picks on QBs if your scoring system doesn’t favor them. There’s a lot of talent out there.
9. Try not to draft players from the team you love. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but it avoids two things: (A) It keeps you from unwittingly elevating guys on your draft chart who don’t deserve it, and (B) it smooths out the emotional roller-coaster of the season.
10. Don’t ignore the kicker. Kickers are almost always one of the last positions I draft, but having a good one will win you two more games than if you don’t. Just because a kicker is on a high-scoring team doesn’t make them good, either. Find the guy who is on the team that is good at getting close to the end-zone, but not good at getting it in (this is the “Matt Stover rule”)
11. Save defense for last. It’s always a crap shoot…even the good ones collapse (see Buffalo). You’re just as likely to find a good defense as a free agent pickup in week 3 as you are in the draft. I recommend anybody that plays Houston or San Francisco twice.

That’s it! Good luck this year, and if you’re playing against me I hope you enjoy second place.