Do’s and Don’ts of Fantasy Football

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Fantasy football season is finally upon us. For most of us, this means spending countless hours taking part in mock drafts trying to create the perfect team before you actually pick your squad. Now, whether you are a fantasy football veteran or novice, everyone can use some helpful tips in terms of who you should draft or stay away from. Hopefully, this list will help you rise to the top of your league this year.

DO: Draft Arizona Cardinal’s running back David Johnson if you have the first pick in the draft. He was unquestionably the best player in fantasy football last season. He ran for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns, and then caught 80 passes for 879 yards and four touchdowns. His production was unreal, and even though the Cardinals look to be a better team this year, we shouldn’t see a drop in his carries. He should be one of the top-three scorers again in the 2017-18 season.

DON’T: Draft New England Patriots tight-end Rob Gronkowski in the first two rounds of the draft. It’s just not worth it. The first two rounds are for picking up either a wide receiver or a running back. Personally, I’m a fan of picking up two top-tier running backs with my first picks. When Gronk is on the field he is amazing, but he has missed 22 games in the past five years because of health issues. Drafting a tight end who is injury prone just does not make much sense. There are plenty of capable tight ends in the later rounds of the draft.

DO: Draft one of the big-name rookie running backs with one of your first four or five picks in this draft. Don’t be afraid to pick them because they’re a rookie, just as Ezekiel Elliott and Jordan Howard were at this time last year. The reports on Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook have been tremendous, as have the reports and tape of the Carolina Panther’s rookie Christian Mccaffrey. Though unproven, these first-year players have the potential to be breakout candidates this season.

DON’T: Draft a Kicker or Defense in the first ten rounds. Neither are going to get you a consistently significant amount of points. Wait until the last rounds to pick up a player or team for this position.

DO: Wait until after the first five rounds to draft a quarterback. There are so many viable options at quarterback this year. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are the top players in this position, but younger stars such as Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, and Derek Carr are absolutely capable of leading your team to a championship. These quarterbacks will also be available in the fifth to tenth round. Draft wide receivers and running backs in the first few rounds and then build up the rest of your team from there.

DO: Draft Green Bay Packer’s running back Jamaal Williams at some point in the last couple of rounds in your draft. While Ty Montgomery is currently the starter in the Packer’s offense, Williams is simply a workhorse who I believe will take over the snap-count at some point. He is a better blocker, a harder runner, and I think he has the potential to have a great season in his first year in the NFL. There’s no reason as to why you shouldn’t take a flyer on him in your upcoming draft.

Patrick Pace can be reached at [email protected] or @PatPaceSports on Twitter.