Spike.com Fantasy Five: Draft-Day Mistakes to Avoid

Contrary to what waiver wire enthusiasts will obnoxiously claim on message boards, Fantasy Football Leagues are won and lost the day of the draft. While there are a plethora of possible errors to hinder a victory, we’ve mapped out five of the most common gaffes made by even the most seasoned veterans. For the love of God, do not make these mistakes!

5. Over-thinking the Bye Week

Most Fantasy Football drafts allow you to select more than one quarterback, running back, or wide receiver for just this reason. Having a deep team structured around an entire season of play is a lot more valuable than making sure your tight end and kicker don’t share the same week off.

4. Drafting too Many Players from Your Favorite Team

Do you know how often the guy who picks Mark Sanchez, Braylon Edwards, and Shonn Greene wins his fantasy football league? Well, neither do I, but are you prepared to be the guy who finds out this season? Pick the best player available, not somebody you want to cheer for.

3. Ignoring the Team Defense Category

In most fantasy football leagues, team defenses can earn 10-15 points with a solid performance. In deeper drafts (12-14 entrants) this means that participants who pick a top five defense could score a dozen more points than the guy who waited till the end of the draft to jump on the Arizona Cardinals’ unit.

2. Forgetting Your League Scoring System

Every league has a different system, and your draft should reflect every unique aspect of this. Whether it’s point-per-reception, negative points for missed field goals, or heightened scoring for quarterback touchdowns, it’s important to keep these things in mind during every selection.

1. Not Having Fun

Please don’t be that guy who places his mental well-being on fantasy football success. Quite frankly, it’s just embarrassing. This should be a fun activity amongst friends and a great way to avoid your wife for a few hours every Sunday. Nothing more.