With the 2015 fantasy draft on the horizon, it’s time to talk strategy. Championships are won and lost during the draft and preparation goes along way to bringing one home. Scouring the internet for expert advice, crunching numbers, and mock drafting can go along way towards preparing for your draft but every one knows fantasy football is a fickle woman. One injury or bad draft pick and a season can come tumbling to an end. Don’t let that season be yours. Today we talk about risk management and how to have a good draft and a consistent season.
Step 4: Lottery Tickets Late
You can’t win if you don’t play.
So far the first three steps have been about reducing risk, but this isn’t “The 5 Steps of Risk Reduction,” now is it? While the first half of the draft is searching for a sure thing, the second half is all about grabbing guys with upside. Every year there are players who come out of nowhere and blow up the league. Whether it is a rookie or a backup poised to take the lead role there are players that have undeniable upside but a non-existent floor. Now not all of these guys will pan out, but when you’re drafting a player who is likely to ride your bench for the season, they don’t have to. A 2014 example is Emmanuel Sanders. At ADP 80+ he was a steal finishing as a top 10 WR. Sanders was a player with many of the question marks that Step 3 talked about. He was moving to a new team and his record was not amazing. He was moving into a better situation though and at his price your team wasn’t shot if he didn’t pan out.
For the 2015 season rookies like Nelson Agholor are prime targets. With Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin both leaving the Eagles, Agholor is in a great position to fill in where they left off. He is 6’0 198lbs and runs a 4.42 40. His route running is clean and he should easily be able to beat out the weak NFC East secondaries. He has the opportunity for a 1,200 yard 8 TD rookie season and for a 7th round pick that is incredible value.
If there is a player you think is going to break out don’t be afraid to reach for them after the 7th round. With your core team picked you are looking for that difference maker who can win you the championship. Just don’t risk one of your early rounds going to waste when there is so much talent that early in the draft.