The This and That of Fantasy Football

Drafting Tips

Consider trading down -If you're picking anywhere from number-four to number-seven and can't decide which player to take, consider trading the pick for the number-eleven or number-twelve pick. In one of my drafts, I had the number-four pick. If I kept the pick, I would have selected Ricky Williams. But, I thought that was a little too early to take him. Another choice that a lot of owners make in that slot is selecting Kurt Warner. I don't believe in taking a quarterback in the first round. You figure if you take a QB, it's an early pick in the first round, because the QB would have to be somebody like Warner to warrant the selection. But for the punishment for taking a QB at number- four is that in say a 12-team league, which is the most common league I have participated in, you don't pick again until the 21st pick. At the 21st pick, the elite running backs are going to be gone. If you don't have a top RB, you're in trouble.
Have you ever seen an owner in your league have weak RBs and win? I know I haven't. Most QBs are capable of having a big game here or there. There are a ton of talented wideouts. Yet, there are only an elite few of solid RBs that get the job done year in and year out. Even in a game where the defenses dominate and hold down the offenses, a RB can still score on a one-yard plunge at the least and help your team win. When a QB throws two TDs in a game, well he's supposed to and it's not uncommon. But, usually in a head-to-head game or even rotisserie, the running backs will be the key factors in who wins the game.

Last season, ten QBs threw for more than 20 TD passes. Only 11 RBs scored 10 or more TDs. That means that almost all of the teams in your fantasy league will have a QB that threw for over 20 TD passes last season.

Steal Trung Candidate from the owner with Faulk - Sure you can use Candidate as trade bait, but what will the owner really give up to get him? Not much unless Faulk gets hurt. But, if you draft Candidate, just keep him around as a very attractive insurance policy. Faulk has missed two games in each of the last two years due to knee injuries. Last season Candidate scored six TDs and averaged 5.7 yards a carry. I hate to say it, but I think Faulk will have some injury problems this year again. Even if Candidate only starts two games for you, he still plays for the greatest offense on earth and in a head-to-head league could help you win the games he starts. The other objective is to keep Candidate off the team with Faulk. Often if Faulk goes down, the team that has him is doomed. If they have Candidate, they would keep rolling. I have taken Candidate in as early as round six, which I admit is a little early, but if no player is jumping out at you to take, why not take Trung. The potential for huge upside is tremendous. Forget about all that talk about rookie Lamar Gordon supplanting Trung as Faulk's backup. Trung is the guy.

Take backups of your backups - At some of the drafts I have participated in so far, I knew I was in good shape as far as winning the league. I knew this when I heard other owners complaining about how long the draft was taking, and saying things like it doesn't matter who you pick at this point. If you're serious about winning, you can't have that kind of attitude. In the late rounds, you can still make quality picks especially by taking the backups of backups. I have Brian Griese as my starting QB on a few of my teams. I think Griese is primed for a big year. But, he does have a history of shoulder problems and he does have a guy backing him up in Steve Beuerlein, who threw for 4,436 yards in 199 with Carolina. If Griese goes down with injury, Beuerlein can come in and post similar numbers considering all the talent the Broncos have in guys like Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe, Ed McCaffrey and Clinton Portis. I have been taking Beuerlein with my last pick as my third QB. If you have Griese, get him now. If Griese gets hurt, everyone will be trying to claim Beuerlein. Of course you only want to draft the backup if the backup is actually talented. Another case where the backup is talented is Lamont Jordan backing up Curtis Martin, and yet another is Amos Zereoue backing up Jerome Bettis.

Wait on kickers and defenses - Don't start taking kickers, defenses and tight ends until you feel comfortable with the rest of your roster. I participated in one draft where I was the last owner to select a kicker, and at the point I selected Adam Viniatieri some owners had two kickers. Viniatieri had 113 points last year. The leading scorer among kickers, Jeff Wilkins, had 127 points last year. Mike Vanderjagt, the number-two scorer, had 125 points. There's not that much of a difference where you should be picking kickers before you have your key reserves.

I have seen owners take a defense in the fifth or sixth round, before they take a third RB. I've been waiting in all of my drafts to take a defense, and I walked away with Cleveland in a few drafts. The Browns led the league in interceptions and takeaways last year, so what sense would it make to take Pittsburgh as I have seen some owners do in the fifth round.

Coming before week one will be my weekly NFL picks. Because the season starts on Thursday, here's my pick for the San Francisco/New York Giants game. I'll take the 49ers 27 Giants 21. Terrell Owens will light up the young defensive backs of the Giants. Second-year pros Will Allen and Will Peterson start at CB with a recovering Jason Sehorn (knee) in the game in nickel situations.