06-29-2008, 05:41 PM
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 | The Voice Of Reason | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 11,042 Likes Received: 30 Likes Given: 3 | |
Five Mistakes to Avoid on Draft Day: 2008
1. Don’t Draft Your First Quarterback Late Just Because It’s What You Always Do.
Every year is different and there is real separation in my mind this year between the first half dozen guys and the rest of the pack. I always draft a QB late because I was burned early on in my ff career, but this is more about not passing on one of the top 6-7 in the fourth round because you always take a QB late. This one is definitely the loosest of the five mistakes
2. Don’t Shy Away From The Rookie RBs In Favor Of Declining Veterans.
The temptation is going to be “safer” choices like Jamal Lewis or Ahman Green, whether one is filling the #2 or #3 RB slot. Don’t do it. Look at Joseph Addai 2 years ago. Yes, Addai wasn’t the “starter” for most of the season, but he paid dividends in December. There are guys like Smith, Stewart and McFadden that may start out slow as rookies, but as long as your playoff system is inclusive of at least half of the teams in the league, you’ll want a guy like stewart or Smith and not Ahman Green
3. Don’t Be In A Hurry To Draft A Tight End Once Gates Is Off The Board.
TE is such a much stronger position that it was even 3-4 years ago, this is a no brainer
4. Don’t Draft More Than Two “Higher Risk” Players On Draft Day.
Here’s my advice on this one. Take out your cheatsheet for players at all positions and rank each player 1-3 in terms of risk for whatever reason (injury, competition for a job, or just general mental/emotional instability). A ranking of one means a player is low risk with respect to actually achieving what you have projected (players like Peyton Manning, Sjax come to mind). A ranking of a 2 means a player comes with some risk, but not enough that you need to seriously consider avoiding him (again, players like Marc Bulger, Frank Gore, or Javon Walker). Finally, a ranking of three is for players that while they offer some potentially high rewards also carry with them significant risk for leaving you high and dry (Donovan McNabb, Clinton Portis, Terrell Owens). Ideally, it would be nice to only take one player with a ranking of 3 but 2 is workable as long as there are some lower- risk players to group the duo with. Three players of high risk is a good way to end up frustrated and playing for peanuts come December. So, take a chance on draft day and roll the dice, just don’t do it often.
5. Don’t Make Picks Aimed At Getting People’s Attention.
I know you think this last one is a joke, but I can assure you that it’s not. I’ve been involved in several redrafts a year for the past 15+ years and I can tell you that sadly, even after all these years, I still like getting a reaction out of the room. When your draft is going along and no one is making any comments on your picks, the tendency internally is to begin leaning towards “making a splash.” But, It’s about sticking with your projections whether the other guys are impressed with your picks or not. Trust your projections and resist the tendency to bring attention to yourself just for the sake of doing so. And, be humble enough to admit that “Yeah, I tend to want others to be impressed with my picks at times.” Knowing that it’s a tendency is half the battle.
If you follow these five suggestions, are you going to achieve success in your league? I can’t answer that. Sometimes it just all comes together no matter what mistakes you make. But, my hope is that this will serve as a guide for staying flexible, open-minded, and yet disciplined as you roll through your league draft in a few short weeks. Oh, and if you are looking for a late-round flyer, there’s always David Patten. lol
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