Thank you for checking back in for Part II of our 2022 Fantasy Football Do’s and Do Nots. Hopefully, you have had some time to work through your tiers and created your plan using the Do’s I provided last week. To me, the Do’s are much more challenging than the Do Not’s. The main reason I feel this way is the Do’s take much more preparation whereas the Do Not’s are simply a short list of negative trends to be mindful of and avoid. I published Part I a week ahead to ensure the longer part of the process was in your hands prior to the start of RazzBowl 4 and other Best Ball drafts.
As discussed last week, the Do’s, when combined, are a process for success via a short list that basically builds off each other. Now that we are in RazzBowl 4 week, it is time to put your plan into action and avoid those pitfalls noted below. We are about four weeks from the start of the NFL season, so now is the time to further tailor your strategy for Best Ball and season-long drafts. One big takeaway you should see at the end of this second portion of the article and your RazzBowl/best Ball draft is your personal feeling about the roster you have constructed. If you feel really good about the first squad or two, then you are doing the right things and the draft is falling your way. If you are lukewarm or disappointed, then now is the time to adjust your process to ensure you address those areas that make you uncomfortable. As mentioned in Part I, the key is you have a plan (and tiers) in place and you may need to make slight adjustments to solidify your process.
For context, the Do’s are based on Best Ball format since we are still a few weeks away from most home league drafts and some of the long-time readers are prepping for next week’s RazzBowl 4 slow drafts. The recommendations below are not solely for RazzBowl and can/should be used in all formats. Starting lineups consist of QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, FLEX (RB, WR, TE). Scoring is standard (QB = 6pt for TD pass) plus full PPR. I will not be addressing SuperFlex leagues.
Onto the Do Not’s…
Do Not’s:
1. Do Not limit your pre-draft research to one magazine/site/expert. In fact, you should strive to get your hands/eyes on as much data as possible. Razzball pulls in our ADP Data from six different sites. Also, we offer as part of our 2022 NFL tools, DFS ranks, weekly ranks, weekly snaps/rush/target shares, overall positional rankings, consensus rookie rankings (nine sites), and we lean on our guy @RudyGamble for his annual ranks while providing information for each team/division.
2. Do Not chase position runs. This plays into Do #2 above and will prove to ensure you do not chase a Tier 2/3 RB when you should be selecting a Tier 1 WR. Do not freak when the names you are looking for go off the board right in front of you because you have followed Do #1 above and created tiers to keep you focused on the end goal of the best scoring roster possible. Chasing position runs means you were already behind and are basically helping the other owners by selecting players in lower tiers just to fill a gap. I subscribe to the “zig when they zag” philosophy if and when it is supported by the tiers I have created.
3. Do Not trust Zero RB. The shiny new toy we fell in love with called “Zero RB” should be considered a fad and ignored moving forward. Based on my tiers, there are legit 20 RB1’s available. Of those 20, you need to come away with two of those names to win your league. That means you cannot subscribe to Zero RB and be successful. At the very least you need to be One RB focused and then load up, similar to Zero RB, in the mid-rounds of your draft. Never forget how injury-prone RBs are and then ensure you have plenty of them to fill your bench.
4. Do Not try to shock the draft room. Some owners live for the moment they hear (or read in the draft chat box) ‘great pick’. Funny thing, there are many more times the other owners were quietly laughing at that splash pick. There is no need to get fancy because you have tiers and a plan (See #1 and #2 Do’s above). Not every rookie WR is going to be Ja’Marr Chase and very few, if any, should be treated like they will be. For every Justin Jefferson, there are 100 Laviska Shenault’s. Allow your prior research (and tiers) to protect you from being the Laviska owner trying to trade him all season based on the ‘upside’ you reached for early in your draft.
5. Do Not be the deadbeat owner. You drafted the team now live with it while trying to make it better through FAAB or trades. If you agree to be in a league then be there until the bitter end. Keep fighting! Remember, only one team can win the championship and that will not always be your team. Reply to trade offers no matter how ludicrous and/or one-sided they appear at first blush; make counter-offers. The more activity you bring to the league, the better. Do not simply disappear after starting 1-4 for the season.
Continue to refine your process ensuring you have a plan consistent with your league scoring. Use your tiers and trust them. Remember you built those tiers for good reason and let them help you draft a successful team. Let me know your thoughts on both sections of this two-part article and let’s all get better together!
