When going into a fantasy football season, there is one tool every fantasy owner should take the time to take advantage of: mock drafts. These simulations are a critical element to your game planning. They are a dress rehearsal to your real fantasy draft, offering a glimpse into the drafting minds of fellow fantasy owners, and giving you the opportunity to refine your strategy without any real or lasting consequences.
So, what exactly is a mock draft? It’s a pretend version of the real thing. You join a table of either real people or computer-generated teams, and perform a draft, just as you would in your real draft. It’s the closest thing you can get to the real draft day, complete with all the unpredictability and strategy. Once your mock draft is complete, you can look through the draft and see who was drafted in which order, and in which round, but once you are through analyzing how it went, that’s it. That team is dissolved, and you can try again and again, as often as you have time for.
The benefits of mock drafts are insurmountable. Through these simulations, you can gain insights into player values, or at least how other fantasy owners consider their value. They can help you to understanding who’s possibly over hyped, and who could be vastly overlooked. Use mock drafts to learn the rhythms of the draft: when runs on certain positions might occur and when you can afford to wait another round to pick up a targeted player. It can sharpen your decision-making, so when your real draft day comes, you’re ready to attack it with poise and confidence.
Developing Your Draft Strategy
A well thought out draft strategy is key when heading into any fantasy football season. It starts with a thorough understanding of your league’s particulars. Whether it’s PPR (Points Per Reception), standard scoring, number of teams, or roster slots, each nuance can greatly influence which players you target and in what round you choose to draft them.
One thing I do every year, is identify the player I would draft if I happened to land the number one pick. You really have to do a little homework on this, because, although it may seem great to get first dibs on the cream of the crop, you won’t get a pick again for possibly 20-21 picks, depending on the number of teams in your league, so it’s important to nail that pick. I’ll also put together a list of who I believe to be the top 10-12 projected non-quarterback fantasy players, and take the highest one available, when it gets to my place in the draft order, in that 1st round.
You can never predict exactly who is going to come out on top in fantasy points, but by playing the statistics, your odds of drafting the players needed to win the ‘chip greatly increase.
I have done the research to develop a few rules of thumb to consider before your draft:
- Only draft RBs or WRs in the first 2 rounds. (Exception:if you are drafting last, or next to last in the 2nd round, a top TE is acceptable, because you will have another pick right away in the top of the 3rd round.)
- Despite what you may hear from “the experts”, RB is still the way to go if you are drafting 1-5. From 6 on, draft your highest ranked RB or WR available.
- Drafting 2 players of the same position in the first two rounds is fine, but you would then need to look to draft another position in the 3rd round, bar none.
- Never get too deadlocked on a certain player. Stay flexible and open minded, and draft the best player available.
- The last round is for kickers
- No drafting a Defense before the 10th round.
For more insight as to why these rules apply, see my articles on drafting strategies.
Mock Draft Tactics to Try
Engaging in fantasy football mock drafts equips you with invaluable insights before the real action begins. By simulating various draft positions, you stand better prepared, regardless of where you pick in the actual draft. It’s essential to understand how your draft strategy can shift based on your starting position.
One effective approach is to systematically cycle through early, middle, and late draft positions. This cycling helps you to anticipate runs on positions—such as a flurry of quarterbacks or tight ends being selected—and determine the best point to secure your targets without reaching too early.
Another aspect worth paying attention to is the prevalence of surprises. Mock drafts are the perfect platform to practice calling an audible for unexpected scenarios. Maybe a top player falls to you unexpectedly or there’s a run on a particular position group that leaves you scrambling. How you react could be the difference between panic and poise.
The hallmark of any skilled fantasy owner is draft flexibility. It means being nimble enough to adjust to the unexpected, in a draft. Be wary of fixating on a particular strategy or player, as this can cloud judgment. Instead, remember the importance of adapting to the flow of the draft, ensuring that each pick optimizes your roster’s potential, including those late rounds.
With a variety of mock draft tactics under your belt, it’s crucial to scrutinize your mock draft hauls. A rigorous post-mock analysis will reveal whether your strategies are sound or need tweaking. In the next section, I’ll explain how to dissect your mock draft performances and adapt your strategies to stay nimble and well-prepared.
Post-Mock Draft Analysis and Adaptation
An incredibly important aspect of the mock draft is the critical analysis that follows. After you’ve completed a series of mock drafts, take the time to review the results. What combinations of players consistently lead to a team you feel confident about? Are there certain rounds where you felt stuck or consistently reached for a player?
Consider the tools at your disposal for post-draft analysis. Any online mock drafts I’ve participated in over the past decade or two, offered insights into draft outcomes, ranging from draft grades to projections to average draft positions. Use these to pinpoint where your strategy hits the mark and where it may need refinement.
Your mock draft doesn’t have to be a one-and-done experience. Use what you’ve learned to refine your draft strategy. See if it holds true in multiple drafts.
The draft season is a fluid period. Player values will shift due to trades, injuries, and emerging news. Stay informed and be ready to adapt your approach accordingly. Remember, the more you practice and analyze, the more intuitive and successful your drafting will become. When your actual draft day arrives, you’ll be primed and ready to go with confidence, equipped with solid game plan that can adapt on the fly.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article, and as always, feel free to leave any comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts or opinion. Thanks!