You will always make a mistake whether you are a newbie or a fantasy football veteran. While some of them can be minor, some can also be devastating to the point that it makes you lose a lot of money. But what are these mistakes, and how do you avoid them? Luckily for you, this article will discuss some of the most common mistakes every fantasy football owner makes. Let’s start.
Not Learning From Past Drafts
At this point, the draft is a breeding ground for mistakes since many people commit many mistakes during drafting. Heck, even actual NFL owners do them from time to time. However, as we all know, learning from past mistakes helps us avoid them in the future, and of course, this can be applied in the draft.
Fortunately, it’s simple to see the past since most fantasy football websites allow us to view past drafts by clicking the ” draft recap.” When viewing your past drafts, you should not focus too much on the names of the players you took; instead, you must look more closely at the positions you put these players in.
Maybe you drafted too many receivers early on or didn’t put enough running backs. No matter what it is, you need to learn from your mistakes so the next time, you will be more efficient in picking players in the draft.
Not Collecting Intel from Fellow League Owners
If you have friends who are fantasy football owners and regular bettors of odds, you might want to sniff some intel from them. This is fantasy football, so pretty much anything goes. For example, if you know that your friend wants Ray Rice, you need to draft Ray Rice and use him as a bargaining chip for someone else your other friend might have.
In short, if a league owner wants that player, it’s either he is his favorite or he knows the player will have a big year. In any case, you need to grab that player, as you know that that league owner will do anything to get that player. It’s called a hustle, sweetheart.
Don’t Waste a Draft Pick
This one seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people waste a draft pick just because the player they want is unavailable. If your draft-picking strategy is off, then so will your team. So, how can you be efficient in the draft? You need to pick six players in the draft’s early rounds. Make sure you focus on running backs, quarterbacks, and wide receivers.
These positions are the center of the team and where most of the points will come from. You can draft the best kicker and the number 1 team on defense, but they are a waste of your picks. Also, if you’re new to fantasy football, a general rule would be to pay attention to when the players around you switch away from the above positions. This should prompt you that it’s time to switch.
Not Having a Sleeper List
What is a sleeper? A sleeper is a player that seems to be ignored by many people but you think will have a big season this year. There are a lot of players like that, and in fact, many NFL superstars once started as sleepers. A good example of this is Lance Moore. For some people, Lance Moore was the highest-rated sleeper back in 2011, and it turned out that he was a great pick.
That being said, you need to be careful about your sleeper picks. These players being sleepers means they have an inherent risk. Also, if your sleeper pick was picked in the first two or three rounds, they are not sleepers. In conclusion, you should always have a sleeper list for when the player you’re aiming for is already taken. They can serve as backup.
Not Reading the Reports
As a fantasy football owner, one of your responsibilities is always reading the reports. There are a lot of media outlets out there, especially on the internet, so you don’t have an excuse unless you’re extremely busy. But why does it matter? Usually, journalists have some insightful news about a specific player in the league.
If one of your picks is featured, you can use the report to decide whether to stick with the player or throw him away. Also, the news features injury reports, which you can use to your advantage.
Final Words
Fantasy football may be fantasy, but the risks involved are real, specifically money. If you want to win big in fantasy football, you need to know the mistakes you may or may not have committed during your career. And who knows, maybe one of these mistakes is why you’re not winning in fantasy football.
