The Blueprint for Building the Perfect Fantasy Football Team

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This is the time of year everybody starts putting together their fantasy football team and think it will carry them to their league championship. Over the years, I have developed and re-developed a plan, or blueprint, that has led me to numerous championships and maybe can help you.

Now, I am not guaranteeing a championship if you follow my blueprint because there is one aspect of my plan that you can't plan for and that is luck. You will need Lady Luck on your side during the draft by having certain players fall to you, getting lucky with waiver pick ups and having those so called sleepers pan out.

In the end, luck won't matter if you haven't built a strong base to work off from in the draft. The best thing you can do when drafting a team is eliminate as much risk as possible. For example, I have Adrian Peterson ranked higher than Arian Foster, even though Foster may score more points than AP.

The reason is because that Peterson has been a top fantasy producer for a couple of years and Foster could be a one-hit wonder and he has already tweaked his hamstring this past week.

I have broken down each position and will give you pointers on how to build the perfect fantasy football team.

Running Back

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Comparing your fantasy football team to a building, the running back position is the foundation. It is very hard to have a successful fantasy football team without at least one top running back.

NFL coaches haven't done fantasy owners any favors over the years by relying more on a running back by committee. Even some of the best running backs in the game, like Jamaal Charles, have to share the rock with another back.

When looking at running backs, find ones that are on teams dedicated to the run but where the running backs contribute in the passing game as well.

Ray Rice, Jamaal Charles, Chris Johnson and Darren McFadden all immediately come to mind because they become even more valuable in leagues, specifically point per reception (PPR) leagues.

Other running backs who I think are in line for big years and can be had in mid to later rounds include Felix Jones, Tim Hightower and Willis McGahee, who I expect to take over the starting job in Denver sooner rather than later. 

Wide Receiver

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Heading into a draft, I put running backs as priority number 1A and wide receivers as priority number 1B, especially in point per reception leagues.

There is always that handful of wide receivers who emerge as threats but there is also those wide receivers you know will dominate, and those are the ones you want.

When looking at wide receivers I focus on one stat in determining their value and that is receptions. At any position, touchdowns are hard to predict while looks are easier to predict because that is generally in a game plan before the game.

Wide receivers who have a high number of receptions are generally a focal point of the team's offense.

When looking at wide receivers think of them as salesmen in the aspect that receptions and yards is the base salary and touchdowns is the commission or bonus.

Grabbing an Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson or Roddy White, you know they will grab a couple of receptions and most likely close to 100 yards receiving every game. That kind of consistency is hard to find at the wide receiver position.

Some wide receivers who I like but may slide into the mid to later rounds include Stevie Johnson, Mario Manningham, and Pittsburgh Steelers' Antonio Brown, who is having a strong preseason.

Quarterback

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A good quarterback is unquestionably the most valuable position to an NFL team, but they are priority No. 3 when building a fantasy football team. The only time you should value quarterbacks higher is in leagues that award points for completions.

After the top four quarterbacks (Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Phillip Rivers), I think you can find pretty good quarterbacks in later rounds. Players like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh Freeman, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy all have great upside and I think will produce higher than their draft position.

Like every position, I want to eliminate risk and stay away from turnover-happy quarterbacks like Jay Cutler and Eli Manning, as well as injury risks like Michael Vick and Matt Stafford. All these quarterbacks are very talented and could end up top five in the position, but they also have big red flags attached to them that will keep me away from drafting them.

Generally, once my starting wide receiver and running backs positions are filled, I will start looking at quarterbacks in my pursuit of building the perfect team.

Tight Ends

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Drafting a tight end in 2011 will be the hardest position to draft, and you will need luck more than anything with this spot. There is really only one tight end, Jason Witten, who doesn't have any questions entering the season.

Dallas Clark, Owen Daniels, Jermichael Finley and Antonio Gates all dealt with injuries and missed extensive time last season. Some of the other big names like Tony Gonzalez, Brent Celek, and Heath Miller all had down years last year.

Then some of the better tight ends switched teams this off-season and there is no idea how they will produce, like Kevin Boss, Greg Olson and Zach Miller.

Lucky for fantasy owners, the tight end spot is almost on the same level as kickers and defense. It provides very little value and you can generally find a decent tight end option in late rounds.

I still rank Antonio Gates No. 1, followed by Dallas Clark and Jermichael Finley but some sleepers to target include Tony Moeaki, Brandon Pettigrew and Jared Cook.

Defense

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Team defenses are generally pretty easy to pick and you just need to look at last year's stats to figure out the top teams this year. The Ravens, Packers, Steelers and Jets will all be at the top; grab one of them and you are set.

Individual defense players or IDP leagues are a little tougher to draft and does require some strategy. Just like with wide receivers and finding the ones that get a ton of receptions, tackles are a great determining factor for their success.

Look to grab the top linebackers (middle or inside) as they will be the ones with the most tackle opportunities. Interceptions, sacks, forced fumbles are like touchdowns in that the way that they are tough to predict. They should not be expected each week but rather seen as bonuses.

Generally, I look to pick inside or middle linebackers first followed by outside linebackers, strong safeties, free safeties, cornerbacks then defensive lineman. Obviously, there are exceptions to this rule but try to  find the players with the most tackle opportunities. 

Kickers

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There is no real strategy here, and drafting a kicker is strictly a formality. The last pick in the NFL draft is named Mr. Irrelevant and the last round in fantasy football should be named the Kicker Round.

There is no reason to take a kicker before this point. The top kickers are the ones on the top offenses with San Diego's Nate Kaeding being the top kicker in the game. There are some exceptions like Rob Bironas but this is one position you don't need to overthink and can find a quality kicker at any point. 

Keys to Success

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• Minimize risk- Potential is great, but in the early rounds you want to minimize risk and grab the "safer" picks. It is very hard to win your championship with your first-round pick going down with an injury or under-performing.

 

• Pick Dual Threats- Find running backs who contribute both in the rushing game as well as the receiving game. Ray Rice, Jamaal Charles and LeSean McCoy come to mind as perfect examples.

 

• Touchdowns are Bonuses- When looking at a player's value, focus on carries for running backs and receptions for wide receivers. These are much easier to predict than touchdowns. If they are getting a high number of looks, they are generally going to have a higher probability of finding the end zone.

 

• Wait on Quarterbacks- Make sure to secure your starting running backs and wide receivers before turning your focus to quarterbacks. They are not as valuable in fantasy football as they are in the NFL.

 

• Go with your gut and have fun- At the end of the day, this is your team and you will need to live with them for the next 16 weeks. So while it is good to read what the experts are saying and following the rankings, it is just as important to follow your instincts.