2017 NFL Fantasy Football Draft Strategies

this man is going to do work this year! (https://mobile.twitter.com/terrellepryor)

Today marks one of the biggest days of the year for me: The Dad League Draft. Among the league members are many of my oldest and dearest friends, and one of their fathers, the association's namesake. The stakes are not high financially, but a lot of pride is involved. It is an intense months-long competiton in not just skill and luck but also wit, creative insults, crude humor, and figurative dick comparing. It is the league I most want to do well in every year, and, alas, over a decade since Dad League's inception now and I have yet to win a championship.

I plan on changing that this year. In the course of my preparation, I compiled a short list of strategies for picking the best team that I decided to share here. Stick to these bits of advice and all you fellow fantasy-football-playing Steemians I assume are out there will be humiliating your own close friends and winning money in 2017.

1. Invest in Wide Receivers: This was the prevailing logic last year but due to some busts has become less popular this time around. Here I'll zig while others zag. To me, top receivers are still more reliable week-to-week and for the season than their ground-based counterparts. As long as your league has a flex spot or three wide-outs, I see no issue with taking pass catchers with your first three picks. This is especially the case in my league where you start three WR's and a flex. Not only is a decent receiver usually a better flex option than a marginal back, but they are also harder to find as midseason pickups due to the high attrition of the latter position.

2. Don't Try to Buy a Whole RBBC: I have made the mistake in the past of trying to get a value by taking multiple running backs on the same team (running back by committee) in the hopes that one of them emerges as the clear-cut favorite. Not only does this create the problem of not knowing which to start in any given week, but it can also clog up your bench with guys that might never help you. If you like one guy in a timeshare, go after him and pray it works out. If you end up with one of the first-round top guys and want to get his handcuff on the cheap late, that's fine too. But don't chase the RBBC.

3. Identify Mid-Round RB's and See Who Falls: Instead of going after a first-round back or investing in a whole team's running game, I have made a target list of about 15 running backs in the 3rd-10th round range that I like. I plan to sit back and wait for guys on the list to become values before I jump into the RB fray.

4. Go after Gronk or Jordan Reed If They Fall: Elite tight ends can be a big advantage as well in today's pass-happy NFL and these are the best two you can have. Both come with risk of injury but if one drops due to these concerns, I will grab one in lieu of one of my early wide reciever slots. You need to have some gambles pay off in order to build a championship-caliber team.

Other quick hits:

-KNOW YOUR LEAGUE RULES! This is obvious, but is also a mistake experienced players make from time to time. Is it PPR? Flex? Can you flex a tight end? Is it a 2-QB league? Knowing these things is vital to successful team construction.
-If you're in an auction draft like I am today, the first player nominated almost always goes for too few dollars because people will be hesistant to make a splash early and the market has not yet been set.
-Resist from getting involved with players you don't like even if it seems to be a value. Whether auction or snake draft, trust your intuition. Don't bid up players you didn't plan on pursuing because they seem to be going too cheaply. Don't use a high pick in a snake draft on a guy you don't want just because he shouldn't be there.
-Look at the rankings on the site you will be drafting on. Rankings vary between Yahoo, espn, Nfl.com, etc and your league-mates will rely on these rankings even if only unconsciously, especially as the draft progresses to the middle and late rounds.
-Have fun! It's a game!
-For Goddess's sake, wait until the last two picks to get a kicker and defense!

Lastly, here's a player I really like at each premier position. I'm not saying these guys will be the best overall at their spot, but they should represent a value based on where they are going now.

QB: Jameis Winston- I see this as the breakout year for the former number one pick. The offense added a 6'6 tight end in the first round of the NFL Draft and speed demon Desean Jackson to complement the beastly WR Mike Evans, whom I also love this year. And the team should be better off as a whole. Plus, the size and physicality of Winston should get you some goal-line touchdown runs as well, which are always nice.

RB: Danny Woodhead- The new Raven was enjoying a blazing start last year before going down with an injury. Age and health are concerns, but for what he will cost you, the possible juice of him being the lead back in B-more is well worth the squeeze.

WR: Terrelle Pryor- Full disclosure: I am an unapologetic Redskins homer, but I think Pryor is going to be an absolute animal this year. A few years removed from trying to make it in the league as a quarterback, Pryor cleared 1,000 yards receiving last year with a turnstile of turds at QB throwing the ball to him. Such a rapid and successful position change is virtually unheard of in the NFL, and I see it as evidence of his own personal determination to succeed, a quality I love in my fantasy players, students, and people in general. This season, he will have a much better passer in Kirk Cousins and will be featured in an offense that nearly produced three 1k-receiving-yard receivers last year. Furthermore, two of that trio are no longer in Washington and Pryor's speed and size will especially help in the red zone, the one area the Skins offense struggled in last year. Get Pryor and thank me later!

TE: Eric Ebron- Ebron is currently on the sidelines with a hamstring issue, but if he returns to health, he could be a bargain top-5 tight end if you don't choose to go big on Gronk or Reed. When on the field, he produced at this level last year, but he is another guy where the injury caveat is a big issue. Considering Matt Stafford will be throwing the ball his way a lot, his size and skills, and the minimal investment it will take to get him, Ebron is another guy whose upside outweighs his health concerns.

Good luck and enjoy! Football is coming!
Light and Love, y'all!