Draft Day Mistakes: Updated for 2021

Draft Day Mistakes- 2021 Edition

You aren’t going to win your league on draft day, but you could certainly lose it. Below is a list of mistakes that often lead to a poor draft, and more importantly, a poor fantasy season. Last season, I was fortunate enough to participate in a FantasyPros article which featured some of the most common draft day mistakes among fantasy football drafters. This first one listed below, was the one I shared with them.

The one featured in Fantasypros: “You should go into a draft with a strategy in mind, but being locked into that strategy will often result in missed opportunities. Drafters need to keep an open mind as the draft is unfolding, but instead are often reluctant to zig when others are zagging. You might want to begin your draft with two RBs, but others in your league wanted to do the same. Don’t reach for the next running back on your board, if it means passing up on a top-level wide receiver just because that is the strategy you wanted to employ.”

Be Familiar with the league rules: You ever join a league and not realize it is Standard scoring when you are used to only PPR (or vice versa)? Well, knowing what type of league it is, and roster construction is a very important part of the drafting process. Before drafting, go to the league info page and look over the scoring format, roster construction and limitations (if any), so you aren’t in for any surprises during or after the draft.

Magazines still exist?: Believe it or not, there are still people that show up to drafts with their outdated magazines. Nothing against those that are still putting out the magazines, but as a drafter, please stay away from them DURING YOUR DRAFT. If it’s May and your going to a doctors appointment or just anxious for something fantasy related, by all means go ahead. Many outlets will even put out a magazine, so you can free access to their website. That is completely fair, but please, this is 2021 and all the information you need is usually in the palm of your hand or on the screen your looking at during the draft. Information changes quickly and daily, especially in August when most drafts take place, so stay current and avoid the print that was constructed in March. So if you’re buying the magazine for the free digital service, please use that digital version on your draft.

Drafting to make a trade: This isn’t Madden. Hopefully you’re playing in a league with some knowledgeable people, so drafting a player just because you think you’ll be able to trade him isn’t the way to go. Draft the players that you want and not what you think will have immediate trade value. Do not pass up on a top wide receiver (when you don’t have any) and take your 4th mediocre running back (when you only start 2) just because you think someone will be calling for that player. I see this scenario the most with quarterbacks. You take Patrick Mahomes in the 3rd round and then take Russell Wilson in the 5th. Why? Assuming this isn’t a 2QB or superflex league, you can only start one! Those points will be rotting away on your bench. You think someone is going to trade you their RB1 or WR1 for a quarterback? I sure hope not.

Wait on Quarterbacks: This is something I still believe in and most of the time will continue to follow. However, I think there needs to be an exception to the rule in the current state of the game. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen separate themselves from rest at an alarming rate in my opinion, and probably both deserve to be drafted a lot earlier than everyone else. Will I spend a 1st or 2nd round pick on either of them? Outside of a superflex league, absolutely not. What about a 3rd round? It would probably be hard to pass them up at that point. Aside from Mahomes and Allen, there is no need to pull the trigger on any other quarterback before round 5 or 6 at the earliest.! Updated for 2021: I already made some 2021 revisions above, as I mentioned Josh Allen along with Mahomes. However, players such as Kyler Murray and Lamar Jackson also bring that added value in the rushing department, and all four of them are off the board by the middle of the 4th round. Not something I would normally do, but I can certainly understand the reasoning. The difference in production from QB1 to QB5 was less than 2 points per week, and Aaron Rodgers was the only one to finish in the top 5 that is not considered a “running quarterback”. One of the main reasons I’m not keen on drafting a quarterback early, is that the #1 consensus player usually doesn’t end the season as the top quarterback. Lamar Jackson was last year’s #1 and ended up being QB10. Yes, rushing yards matter, but a quarterback still needs to be able to pass the ball as well. So, while I still prefer to wait on quarterback, I may not wait as long as I would’ve in the past.

Avoid the runs: I’m not talking about your bowel movements…although you want to avoid those runs on draft day as well. I’m talking about the positional runs that you often see. The reason people aren’t following rule #5, is because they don’t follow this rule either. Someone in your league will take that first quarterback, and then the next player thinks “I better take mine now too before they are gone”..and so it goes. Here comes the run on quarterbacks, with everyone panicking that they may not get “a top one”. Don’t panic. Wait. Let them take those quarterbacks while you build up the rest of your team with valuable pieces.

Bye Weeks: Do not pay too much attention to the bye weeks (best ball excluded). It is easy to get caught up in the byes and pass on a great value because of it. If you’re drafting a second quarterback or tight end, then you could factor that in, otherwise cross that bridge when you get to it. It will work out

Holding grudges: We all have that player(s) that has let us down in a season or a championship game. Forget about it. It is a new year and the slate is clean.

Pay attention to what other owners do: Although this rule should be followed by all, it is even more important for those that are drafting at or near the turn of each round. For example, If you need a quarterback and you know that the next two people already have one, go ahead and draft that running back you want. Chances are that quarterback will still be there on the turn.

Don’t be a rankings and ADP slave: Yes, it is very important that you go into your draft with some type of rankings. Follow it and use it, but don’t let it be the end-all-be-all when making your selections. This goes for ADP as well. In my opinion, an even better tool to use are player tiers. Whether you’re using player tiers from a site, or ones you created yourself, they will help you in deciding which position/player you should go with now, and what could be available to you with your next pick. There is a reason things such as Rankings, ADP etc are listed under draft tools, because they are exactly that…tools. Use them as a guide and not as the end-all-be-all.
1. Make your own rankings/tiers/lists: Of course it is easier to find a site / expert that you really like and trust and just draft going off of their rankings. Take some of your precious time and create your own rankings /lists. Here is a little news flash: most experts and analysts don’t use their own rankings when drafting. Let me explain what I mean here. Rankings are constructed based on projections. Projections are constructed based on previous data and expectations. There’s a hell of a lot more to it than that, but I’ll leave it at that for now. Rankings don’t always represent the order in which someone should be drafted in. An expert might have Joe Mixon ranked higher than Antonio Gibson, but may actually prefer Gibson to Mixon when it comes to drafting either or at a certain spot in the draft. For another example I’ll use my personal rankings. I have Chris Carson ranked higher than Kareem Hunt by 5 spots based on projections. During a draft, if I’m faced with deciding between the two, and others in that tier, I would be drafting Hunt over Carson based on personal opinions.
Tiers: Using player tiers is a much more effective way to rank players than the typical rankings list. Tiers give you an idea of how many players from a tier could still be available on your next selection if you bypass one at the current pick. It also allows you to be flexible in your selections. Say you really want a running back with your upcoming pick. It’s ok to prefer one to another, but if your top two or three players in the same tier get drafted before your turn, don’t sweat it. Just draft another back from the same tier. Lists: I’m talking about sleepers, busts, targets and players to avoid. We all have our preferences for all of the aforementioned categories. Create your own list for each and have that ready during your draft.
Handcuffs: I recorded an entire podcast discussing this. In short, There are only a few running backs in the league currently in which I would want to handcuff (Ezekiel Elliot, Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook). Players such as Kareem Hunt and L. Murray aren’t really handcuffs as they have their own stand alone value without the lead back missing time. Bottom line: There is no need to waste a roster spot on your starting running back’s backup. If you are drafting a “handcuff”, it should be someone else’s.
Not having a player in queue: This is obviously for those that are drafting online. As great as computers and technology are nowadays, they aren’t perfect. They freeze, power goes out etc, so by not having players in your draft queue, you will be auto- picked based on the sites rankings and your team need. This coincides with either inputting your own rankings or just simply using your own during the draft. Using the default rankings just isn’t a very good idea.
Drafting a defense too early.: The previous seasons number one defense almost certainly never finished as the top overall defense for a second straight year. I happen to be looking back at some draft results from a couple of my leagues, and noticed how early the Jaguars defense was drafted…The 5th round! Yes, I know, even those that draft defenses early, even think that is too early! Needless to say, that team finished with the worst record in the league.
Drafting a kicker..at all. This is for those that aren’t drafting within days of opening kickoff. If you’re drafting 2, 3, or 4 weeks prior to the season, bypass the kicker altogether. Use that extra spot for an additional backup running back or 4th string wide receiver. Injuries happen in the pre-season, and you want to stay ahead of the curve. You will have time to drop someone off your roster for a kicker prior to week 1……The easiest thing to do though is just simply play in a league without kickers!! #BANKICKERS
Lineup Drafting: It is OK to draft bench players before your starting lineup is set. You will regret passing on the wide receiver that breaks out because you didn’t have a TE yet.

Follow these draft rules during your draft, and be sure to do adequate preparation before your drafts. If you are in a league where the draft order is randomized, be sure to do mock drafts. Many of them! Mock draft from all the different positions so you have a sense of what could be available when you are on the clock. In leagues where you know your draft position, mock from that spot. Get used to the players you could be deciding between. In those leagues that have been around a while, know your opponent’s tendencies. Look back at past drafts to get an idea as to who likes to draft that early quarterback and who likes to wait. You’ll be surprised what you find.