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Have you finished your fantasy football league draft and found that you woke up the next day suffering from buyer’s remorse? Do you find yourself a little blue, depressed and maybe not as excited about the upcoming NFL season based on said draft results?
Have no fear, step back from the ledge and put down the butter knife – there is hope for you.
It’s true that a quality draft develops a firm foundation to build on throughout the season, but it is certainly not the end all. The draft is simply the start, the first leg; the proverbial “point A” of the journey that is your fantasy season. You’ve heard the story of the tortoise and the hare, right? Strong starts don’t always equate to strong finishes.
Let me give you an example. Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues give out awards to teams throughout the season, with the first award being the league’s best draft award. I was a member of a league last season in which I saw the recipient of this award actually fail to make the playoffs.
How is that even possible? The Yahoo award is based on a score that is calculated using the stats of player’s from the previous season. The best draft recipient probably used a cheat sheet that had players ranked, in many cases, based on their previous season’s performances.
Of course, in fantasy football, a players previous year’s stats don’t always roll over season to season. Once the season started, he grew complacent with his team based on draft results and the rest is history.
You are not that person. Sure, you may feel like you are lying in your own sweat on the mat of fantasy football humiliation now, but you are a survivor, you are a fighter and you are going to start doing your homework to better your team. You will get up and you will succeed!
NFL preseason football is in full swing. While many quickly grow tired of the game once the starters are pulled, you are going to remain focused as you search out that uncovered fantasy gold cloaked in their current obscurity as a team’s second or third-string player. There are a number of players that you will find on your league waiver wire now that have tremendous upside.
Tyler Eifert has the upside to be a productive contributor to the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense this season. Zach Sudfeld has had an impressive camp for a New England Patriots team in dire need of a healthy and available tight end.
Keenan Allen seems to be the forgotten rookie wide receiver, even though he is taking first-team snaps with a San Diego Chargers team minus Danario Alexander and Malcolm Floyd. Kenbrell Thompkins has turned heads as an undrafted wide receiver for the Patriots, a team currently without a no. 1 option at wide receiver.
These are just a few examples of probable undrafted players in your league with probable upside. And let’s be honest — if your draft was that bad, the waiver wire is now officially your holy grail; watch it, become one with it, learn to love it.
Next, test your negotiation skills. Find active GMs in your league that won’t sit idle with their current roster simply because it’s boring and uneventful. You know who that person is – target him or her. Begin trade negotiations now.
Finally, watch games throughout the season with a quick trigger finger. Injuries are an unfortunate fact of NFL life. Unfortunate to the players and teams involved, that is – not unfortunate for you. Injury will open doors for your team, so watch games with fidelity and take advantage of injury situations.
Things seem bleak for you now. Your draft just didn’t go your way; in fact, it was a complete disaster. However, your time for self-pity is now gone. Your season is not over; it’s just going to require a little effort to get back on track. Roll up your sleeves, put on your work boots and get to work. Good luck, my friend.
Jim Heath is a Fantasy Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_heath, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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