Cleveland (92.3 The Fan) - With the draft quickly approaching, it’s time (well past that time actually) to get into the proper mindset for your league’s biggest and (hopefully) most enjoyable day of the fantasy football season.

Without further adieu, I (Chris Fillar of “The Ken Carman Show”) and Kenny Kidd (also of “The Show that sometimes features Ken Carman”) would like to remind you of what to be prepared for on Draft Day.

Research, Research, Research:

(Fillar) – Don’t be caught unprepared.  The last thing you want is to show up with a 2012 Fantasy Football magazine and vague recollection of which offenses played well last season.  You’d be surprised at the amount of players you forgot moved from team to team (as I see Kevin Boss catch a pass wearing a Chiefs uniform on my TV while typing this), suffered a fluke injury during preseason games or may even be headed to jail*.

*I’ll never forget the awful feeling of having the rest of the league laugh at you for making an uneducated selection.  My father and I received a rain of snickers while drafting the slightly unstable Koren Robinson back in 2006.  Sorry to say it was not because we thought he would be an impact player the moment he completed his 90-day prison sentence.

(Kidd) – If this is the first article you’re reading, you are already behind the pack. Fantasy Football can be a yearlong hobby and chances are it is to the best teams in your league. All hope isn’t lost though, you can easily catch up but you must start now. Magazines are a useful tool but are out-dated as soon as they’re printed. Take advantage of technology, twitter is a tremendous tool for fantasy. Most teams and beat reporters tweet breaking news before it hits print or the airwaves.

Know Your League:

(Fillar) – I probably average about five or six different fantasy football teams every year depending on my mood when I’m invited to each of them.  Almost all of those leagues have completely different (sometimes wildly different) scoring rules.  Know them.  The commissioner should clearly post all point values and changes from the previous year.  Take everything into account when adapting your strategy.  One of my leagues gives bonuses, which I hate, for reaching yardage checkpoints for passing, rushing, receiving, kick returning and probably smack talked.  Something as minute as a change in points-per-completion, which I hate, can make a big difference in player value.  Know them.

(Kidd) – Understand how it scores. If it’s PPR (point-per-reception)—and really at this point all leagues should be–running backs that catch the ball will be worth more. If it’s 6-points for all Touchdowns (including passing), then elite quarterbacks are a must. Wide receivers can take a slight dip in value if you can also use a tight end in that slot. Etc, etc.

Mocking Is More Than A Method To Torture Your Little Brother:

(Fillar) – Like most things in life according to that creepy piano instructor which was forced upon your childhood, practice makes perfect.  Drafting is no different.  If you remember back when I said “develop your draft strategy”, you’ll want to do so with other unpredictable separate fantasy players.  There are many sites to find these Mocks, including CBS Sports.  Likely, you’ll want to Mock on the site where your league is set-up (but we HIGHLY recommend CBSSports.com.  Highly.  Are you seeing this, bosses at 92.3 The Fan?  Highly.)

(Kidd) – Participate in Mock Drafts daily.  You’ll get a better feel for who’s going where and how it can affect your team if you reach too early on a player you have ranked higher than their ADP (Average Draft Position)..

Final Tips:

(Fillar)

1.  Know the byes.  Have a sheet handy or a web page open as a cheat sheet for each team as you’re planning the rounds ahead.  Also, know your “Bye Strategy” going in and how they will affect your decisions early and late.  Personally, I’ve begun enjoying the method of having most/all of my starters on bye during the same week if possible.  This essentially forfeits a head-to-head match-up (if that’s your league format), but you’ll be at full strength against everybody else.

2.  Have FUN.  I can’t stress this enough.  Nobody joined fantasy football to mimic another job which only pays one of 12 workers at the end of the 17 week period.  “That Guy” who takes it all far too seriously will be in every league. Ignore him, enjoy yourself and relentlessly text him pictures of your winnings at the end of the season.

(Kidd)

1.  The golden rule of “Draft the Best Player Available” still reigns supreme. Always get the most value at your pick, which should be drafted with your head and not your heart. Don’t draft Trent Richardson because you’re a Browns fan, draft him because he’s the best available player at that spot.

2. Draft Sober.  Most drafts are 15 rounds.  A beer-a-round will have you selecting Owen Marecic in the 15th because you GDAB (Gotta Draft A Brown).  Party after the draft to celebrate your impending championship.

Find Chris Fillar (ItsFillar) and Kenny Kidd (Kidd923thefan) on Twitter.

Fillar@923thefan.com

Kidd@923thefan.com