Fantasy Football Draft Guide: What To Do at Pick Seven?

For the first time in my life, two days before my fantasy-football draft, I have no idea whom I want.

Why can’t I have a top-five pick? I can’t go wrong with LaDainian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, Brian Westbrook, Steven Jackson, and Joseph Addai.

But I’m stuck drafting seventh, where the prospects are much bleaker.

Is it possible I get a guy that is as good as one of the aforementioned running backs? Of course there will be more than five fantasy studs, but who can possibly predict which player will step up?

Before I go any further, let me explain the league rules.
•    10 yards per point, rushing or receiving
•    25 yards per point, passing
•    6 points per touchdown, rushing, receiving, or returning
•    4 points per touchdown, passing
•    QB, WR, WR, RB, RB, TE, W/R, K, DEF, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN
•    12 teams, week 14-15-16 playoffs
•    Entry fee: $100, $2 per transaction

This is the most important thing to know going in. My league actually has a few added bonuses for reaching yardage milestones, but for the purposes of this article, I won’t mention that.

Make sure you know your league rules though! Know how many bench spots you have, know whom you need to start, and know when you pick.

But back to my dilemma at the seventh pick.

Assuming the five running backs I mentioned earlier are gone, I have the pick of almost anyone else. I’ve made awful first-round picks the last few years (Larry Johnson last year, Edgerrin James two years ago, and Daunte Culpepper the year before that), but I’ve still done very well, which leads to my first rule of thumb.

Always be prepared for anything.

Last year, for instance, I was able to steal a great third running back (Brandon Jacobs), and I was able to mix and match Johnson, Jacobs, second-round pick Travis Henry, Selvin Young, Kolby Smith, Ron Dayne, and Aaron Stecker at running back.

Out of those, I drafted the first four, and I was able to roll with them for a while until the Broncos' situation became muddled and L.J. and Jacobs got hurt.

Always scour the waiver wire. Players, particularly running backs and certain quarterbacks, get hurt. Know what backups are on teams that can run the ball, especially behind injury-prone starters (Chester Taylor, Ahmad Bradshaw), and look for promising young players that are trying to supplant mediocre starters (Chris Johnson, Pierre Thomas, Leon Washington).

I’m not suggesting to draft players like this, though I’ll be targeting Thomas in a later round, but keep an eye on how players like Ray Rice, Chris Perry, Tim Hightower, and Jerrious Norwood perform in limited action.

If the starters get hurt or disappoint, someone will step up and be this year’s Earnest Graham or Ryan Grant.

Also, keep an eye on potential plug-n-play options like Stecker was last season. A starting running back on a good offense is a good commodity to have and start, even if it is just for a week or two.

Receivers also can be watched this way, though since receivers usually stay healthier, it’s less likely you’ll find a diamond in the rough. Scouring the newswires for injury news is important for both positions.

And besides, sometimes your fellow GMs will make dumb moves. I was able to snatch Andre Johnson off the waiver wire last year when someone dropped him. Don’t expect someone that good to fall in your lap, but be vigilant and try not to waste your waiver priority on someone who will just be a backup on your team.

This rule works for draft night as well. While it’s good to have a plan and know what you want to do, keep an open mind. Say I decide to take Randy Moss at seven, but somehow Joseph Addai is sitting on my lap.

Deviate from that plan and grab the stud back. Or if you want to take a running back in round two, but you don’t like anyone available, grab the top receiver.

This leads to my next rule.

Tier your players on draft night.

A few draft books I bought this year finally started doing this, and it’s very smart. It’s always been the philosophy among quarterbacks, as fantasy analysts have preached for years to wait on that position since most quarterbacks after the top few are very similar.

This year, it looks like that’s the case at running back. Will Marion Barber and Frank Gore be that much better than Brandon Jacobs and Maurice Jones-Drew? That’s a decision that must be made if you have a late pick.

It’s always better to take the last guy than the first guy in a tier.

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