If I win my "Real Time Fantasy Sports" league this year, it will not be because of my first draft pick. Or my second. Or any of my first nine. As I preach in the book FF4W and discuss on this blog, the key to drafting is winning the late-round battle for talent.
Every preseason, the fantasy competitors who can spot the most underrated, below-the-radar players are in the best position to win their leagues, provided the rest of their players perform as expected.
As mentioned earlier on this site, I made a few very dumb (in hindsight) picks in this draft. But it was easy to shed those mistakes early. The more lasting effect has been the production of my under-the-radar powerhouses.
I drafted Ahmad Bradshaw in the 10th round (114th overall) and Mark Ingram in the 13th (151st overall). They fell into my lap because "experts" like ESPN ranked them well into the 100's overall, with Bradshaw listed as the 59th best fantasy RB. That's right: 59th.
Heading into Week 9, Bradshaw is the 5th highest scoring RB. Ingram sits at #20 despite missing three games (in games he's played, he's performed as a top 8 RB).
Heading into next season, keep this concept in mind: It's not about your early round picks; it's about which guys you can land near the end of your draft that no one's talking about, but who are highly likely to bust out.
We all make mistakes. Late round bargains help us compensate for those mistakes.
Every preseason, the fantasy competitors who can spot the most underrated, below-the-radar players are in the best position to win their leagues, provided the rest of their players perform as expected.
As mentioned earlier on this site, I made a few very dumb (in hindsight) picks in this draft. But it was easy to shed those mistakes early. The more lasting effect has been the production of my under-the-radar powerhouses.
I drafted Ahmad Bradshaw in the 10th round (114th overall) and Mark Ingram in the 13th (151st overall). They fell into my lap because "experts" like ESPN ranked them well into the 100's overall, with Bradshaw listed as the 59th best fantasy RB. That's right: 59th.
Heading into Week 9, Bradshaw is the 5th highest scoring RB. Ingram sits at #20 despite missing three games (in games he's played, he's performed as a top 8 RB).
Heading into next season, keep this concept in mind: It's not about your early round picks; it's about which guys you can land near the end of your draft that no one's talking about, but who are highly likely to bust out.
We all make mistakes. Late round bargains help us compensate for those mistakes.