This is the last time I get to talk to you all before the 3 drafts begin. My position in each is, well, terrible. The worst probably being the middle slot in the Beach Blanket Draft where I know the draft will snake back to me absent most of the players I wanted in the early rounds. I have the fourth pick there, which leaves me probably grabbing a running back I didn’t want. The thing I struggle with most in fantasy drafts is the acceptance that I need to pick players that the consensus thinks are good but I just don’t support. Dalvin Cook is a wonderful example of that. I’d rather grab King Henry and will if given the chance.
The key to each of these drafts is being able to recognize who is going to have opportunities beyond the well known and well worn names. It is also being able to take a chance on people who may let you down. Players like Jameis Winston may wind up being legit or may end up on the bench. Sam Darnold may give you solid numbers for a few games before he crashes. This is the fun of fantasy–you gotta watch and react and make moves very quickly. Of course, this is all for fun and money and a wonderful way to keep us folk glued to our seats for games we otherwise would not care about.
There are certainly a ton of those in the NFL. After all, without fantasy who would care about the Panthers?