Fantasy Football 2012: Surefire Ways to Lose Your League

Listen, I can give you advice, make you aware of statistics or write about the trends in the NFL to help you draft the best team in your fantasy football league. In other words, I can help.

What I can't do, however, is definitively tell you how to win your own fantasy league. For all of the research and analysis I do each year, I don't win every league I join. This isn't an exact science.

But one thing I can definitively tell you is a number of ways that you can guarantee yourself a losing season in fantasy football. There are certainly a number of tried-and-true mistakes fantasy players make that inevitably ruin their seasons.

So consider this article a dire warning to avoid the five following traps. If you find yourself considering any of them, think twice. Then a third time. Then do something differently.

Trust me—I've made almost every mistake on this list at least once. Consider me reformed.

Don't Take Too Many Risks Early

If you find yourself with Andre Johnson, Darren McFadden, DeMarco Murray and Michael Vick on your team after the first four rounds, you've certainly drafted four players with a ton of upside.

You've also added four injury-prone players that are a good bet to miss 15 games this year combined. Is that really a risk you can afford in the early rounds?

No, it's not. Good fantasy players aren't afraid to take risks, but they should always be calculated. It's one thing to draft one of the above players early on—it's another to select them all. The above team is a ticking time bomb. 

Make sure you nail your first four picks. Feel free to take more chances in the middle rounds. And once the end of the draft comes, feel free to throw caution to the wind. 

Don't Go Crazy Researching Sleepers

I've written about this before in more depth, but the concept is simple—filling your brain with too many obscure players and getting too excited about "upside" and "potential" can distract you from focusing your research on the early-round players you should be targeting. 

Always have a crop of sleepers ready to go—this year, I love Titus Young, Ryan Williams, Isaac Redman and Jermaine Gresham as some of my deeper targets—but keep it reasonable. There are only so many Victor Cruz-like sleepers out there, after all.

Things You Should Never Find Yourself Saying

"Oh man, I can't believe Mark Sanchez dropped to me in the fifth round."

"I will select (insert kicker name here) with my (insert any round other than the last one here)."

"I think the Indianapolis defense will surprise people this season."

"I don't care what you guys say, I'm positive Tim Tebow will be my fantasy starter by the end of the year."

"I am going to take Isaiah Pead, but only because I wanted to say his name aloud." (Note: Pead is a fine pick if you like him as a sleeper or Steven Jackson handcuff. Make sure those are the reasons you draft him.)

"I swear, this is the year that Felix Jones has his breakthrough."

"You guys go ahead and target Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III or Russell Wilson. When it comes to rookie quarterbacks, it's all about Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden this year."

"A Mike Shanahan running back will be the fantasy MVP this season, you'll see."

"I like Santonio Holmes in this round, his attitude will turn things around."

"Michael Vick will play 16 games this season, mark it down."

Failing to Pull the Trigger on a Player You Really Want

Last season I had targeted Jimmy Graham as a tight end that I thought would have a big year. There he was, sitting for me with the last pick of the sixth round. I was tempted to take him, but I really thought I could wait one round to do so.

So I did what I thought was playing it safe and took Shonn Greene in the sixth round to bolster my running backs. Sure enough, one pick before I was set to select Graham someone else took him, and the rest is history.

The moral of the story? If you really like a player, take him a round or two early. You'll feel way worse if you don't land the player than if you have him and you overpaid slightly. Trust me.

And Finally, DON'T DRAFT NAMES

Just because you know who somebody is doesn't mean they should be on your fantasy team. Is Ben Roethlisberger a better football player than Tony Romo?

Of course he is. He has two Super Bowl rings to prove it.

But is he a better fantasy option?

Nope, he sure isn't.

DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are better running backs than BenJarvus Green-Ellis. It's not debatable. But last year, the Law Firm had more fantasy points than both.

So again, what have we learned here?

DON'T... DRAFT... NAMES!

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