Fantasy Football 2015: 7 Keys to Nailing Your Draft

Before fantasy football participants begin their quest for a league championship, the season starts with the draft. Teams take turns selecting the best players in the NFL in hopes of capturing a fantasy football league title.

While winning a fantasy football league isn't easy, there are a few basic steps to ensure inevitable success.

Here are the seven keys to nailing your fantasy football draft.

Know the Scoring System

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One of the most undervalued components of fantasy football is a league’s scoring system. The system can dictate which players to draft and when to draft them.

If quarterback scoring in your league depends highly on passing touchdowns, a player like Peyton Manning might be the right selection. If quarterback scoring depends on passing yards, a player like Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees would suffice.

The ultimate objective to win at fantasy football is simple: score more points than your weekly opponent. If you know the scoring system and the ways to use it to your advantage, you’ll be in a great position to capitalize on it.

Pay Attention to Bye Weeks

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Chances are most fantasy football veterans have at some point picked numerous players with the same bye week. This can impact certain matchups and, ultimately, your roster moves for the entire season.

In most leagues, for example, there are at least two roster slots for running backs. If you pick two starting-caliber running backs with the same bye week, you’ll have to rely on a subpar bench player to carry the load for at least a week.

It is also important to analyze exactly when a player’s bye week occurs. If a quarterback’s bye week occurs early in a season, the chances that he will fall off in the second half of the season due to fatigue are high.

Be Prepared

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It is important, especially in prize-driven leagues, that each fantasy football owner is prepared for the draft. Whether it’s making a wish list of players you want or analyzing a player’s statistics from the previous season, it is important to prepare for just about anything.

Many fantasy football owners trust their gut and use their instincts to make sudden picks. While instinct is important when researching players before the draft, it’s a risky choice to trust your heart over your head during the draft.

Like most things in life, what separates fantasy football champions from last place teams is the preparation. If you’re not prepared for your league’s draft, the chances of you finding success in fantasy football are unlikely.

Watch for Injury-Prone Players

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While injuries can happen to any NFL player at any time, some players are more at-risk than others due to past injury problems.

It is important to look at specific types of injuries a player has suffered. If a player has a history of knee-related injuries, he is likely to suffer setbacks up to a few years after he was originally injured.

Reviewing a player’s past can be the best way to predict his future. Player injuries are a frustrating component in fantasy football, but there are many ways to prevent the inevitable.

Wait to Draft a Starting Quarterback

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The temptation to select a player like Rodgers or Manning with your team’s first selection can be relentless. While selecting the right quarterback is important for fantasy football, there are plenty of above-average fantasy football quarterbacks to choose from.

High-caliber running backs and wide receivers are not as plentiful as many believe. Players like Jamaal Charles and Calvin Johnson can sometimes make a fantasy football team an instant contender.

Chances are there will be at least one person in your league that selects a quarterback with one of their first two picks. If you wait until later in the draft and select a consistent fantasy threat like Philip Rivers, there will be more rewards than risks.

Save Defense for End of the Draft

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A fantasy football team’s defense can sometimes make-or-break a team’s performance from week-to-week. However, selecting a defense like the Seattle Seahawks’ too early usually isn’t the right choice.

When drafting a defense, it is important to look at a team’s schedule. If a team has a weak strength of schedule and plays a lot of lower-tier offenses, the chances for success are high. It is also important to focus on teams that force a lot of turnovers, as that is how you earn the most points with your defense.

Defense wins championships, but points win games. Drafting a defense can wait in order to make room for playmakers at various positions.

Stack Bench with Potential

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Fantasy football owners usually wait until the second half of their draft to focus on their bench players. When figuring out who to select as backups to star playmakers, it’s important to focus on upside.

Analyzing an NFL team’s depth chart entering the season can often be the best way to go about picking backups. If a wide receiver selected as a top pick at the NFL draft joins a team that is in dire need of a receiver, taking a chance on a rookie might not be a bad thing.

Looking at a player’s progression and statistical improvement from season-to-season is another way to go about loading your team’s bench. If a player has a history of inconsistent play, he is not the player for you.