Column:
Bernie's fantasy football advice
Published Aug. 30, 2005
For football enthusiasts all over America, September means having one thought on their mind: If I get the first overall pick in my fantasy draft, who do I pick — Peyton Manning or LaDainian Tomlinson?
Yes, for those of you who truly bleed pigskin, September is a time for over-analyzing, second-guessing and reading lots of overpriced fantasy football magazines in hopes of getting even the slightest edge over the rest of the fantasy owners in your league.
You're wasting your time. Put down that stat sheet. Cancel your subscription to ESPN Insider. Stop playing little mind games with your friends by lying to them about who you're going to pick just to see if they'll open up and tell you who they're going to pick. It won't work. So don't try.
Rather, take these few simple bits of advice from me, a guy who's won two of the last three fantasy football leagues he's been in, and you're team will be so indestructible, even a defensive mastermind like Bill Belichick won't be able to come up with a scheme good enough to stop your star-studded roster.
To begin, always pre-rank your players. You might think you know every player's stats inside and out, but trust me, things happen. You don't want to be stuck in a situation where you're sure you're getting wide receiver Joe Horn in the fourth round, only to see that he gets picked right in front of you, and suddenly you have no idea who to draft. Be prepared. You don't want to panic and end up drafting Tatum Bell — a guy who isn't even starting — just because Yahoo! pre-ranked him in the top 25.
You're not going to win just with Peyton Manning. Sure, it'd be nice to get him, but depth at the running back position is going to win you the championship. There usually are two or three running back slots on your roster, and I guarantee you'll score more points with two quality running backs like Shaun Alexander and Julius Jones than if you get Manning first, and wait until later to get a sub-par back like Warrick Dunn later.
Be a leader, not a follower. I know it's hard. Players are getting drafted left and right. You're scrolling like a mouse with its left-click on autopilot trying to find the next receiver you're going to draft, and, out of nowhere, someone picks a kicker. A kicker! It's only the seventh round, and now you're thinking, "Wait, I don't have a kicker, do I need a kicker? Why the hell did he pick a kicker? Should I get one kicker now, and then another kicker the next round, and then trade one later for Cardinals' backup running back Obafemi Ayanbadejo? What do I do?"
Not that. Calm down.
Let the other owners foolishly follow the kicker trend while you pick up a receiver, such as Lee Evans, a touchdown machine who most owners will completely overlook.
And lastly, don't draft running back Maurice Clarett. The Broncos cut him. Shocking.