Fantasy Football: 5 Ways You Can Start Planning for 2012

The 2011 NFL and fantasy seasons had some highly entertaining storylines thanks to some impact fantasy rookies, high-producing TEs, devastating injuries to high fantasy picks (Jamaal Charles, Darren McFadden) and, of course, Tim Tebow.

While the NFL season wraps up and heads for the playoffs, here are five ways you can start planning for the 2012 fantasy season from now until next year's fantasy draft.

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2011 was a great year for rookies in terms of fantasy production. Panthers QB Cam Newton was the No. 2 overall fantasy scorer (thanks in large part to his rushing touchdowns). And he wasn’t the only rookie QB to have success. Andy Dalton of Cincinnati had a solid year and so did his No. 1 receiver, fellow rookie A.J. Green.

Newton and Green were must-starts in most leagues, and Dalton was a solid backup QB to have on your fantasy roster.

DeMarco Murray, Roy Helu and Mark Ingram were all rookie RBs that were good fill-in players or bench options.

Next season’s draft class will again include a few players who will be draft-worthy. Trent Richardson (RB) and Justin Blackmon (WR) could be instant starters in the right situation. Tight end Dwayne Allen could also be an impact player as a rookie.

The QB situation will be something to watch with Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley. More than the other skill positions, their fantasy draftability depends on which team takes them in the NFL draft.

Add New Tools for Player Valuation

The number of helpful statistics that are readily available is growing. For instance, a statistic I found particularly useful this season was targets per game for WRs.

Wide receivers that have opportunities to make plays are the best waiver pickups. When you’re in a bind, you at least want to go with a player that is going to get the opportunity to put up fantasy points.

Here’s a link to Advanced NFL Stats, which provides some of these additional valuation tools.

Spend Some Time Looking at the TE Position

The reason that tight end has become such an important position this year in fantasy football is because of huge seasons from Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham.

These two were far and away the best fantasy producers at their position.

Rob Gronkowski is the No. 13 fantasy producer out of all positions this year. Jimmy Graham is No. 31.

The next TE is Tony Gonzalez at No. 68.

Now, I’m not saying that the gap between these two and the rest of the pack will be this big next year, but there will clearly be a tier of two in any fantasy draft scenario. Meaning if one is gone, take the other and if both are gone, wait on a TE.

Gonzalez will be 36 next year and he’s still a solid starting option, but not worth the reach right after Gronkowski and Graham.

Jason Witten seems to be getting lost in the shuffle of Tony Romo’s outside threats, and Antonio Gates is a healthy now, but seems to be a constant health risk.

Vernon Davis is capable of another big year in 2012 and could be a value pick in later rounds of the fantasy draft. In 2009, Davis had 13 receiving TDs.

Dwayne Allen of Clemson is the No. 1 rated TE prospect for the 2012 NFL Draft. I would definitely keep an eye on where he lands.  

The TE situation is something I also discussed in my article “5 Disturbing Trends You Should Know for Next Season.”

Decide What Players You Want To Target

If you hate the players on your team, you’re probably not going to do well. That’s why you should create a short list of two to four players that you will reach for.

Yes, I’m encouraging you to reach.

Having players on your fantasy roster that you want to succeed beyond your fantasy matchup makes it even better when they do well. Whether they are players from your home team, alma mater or just players you like to watch, it can make the whole fantasy experience more enjoyable.

And if you do it right, your team won’t be hurt either. If you’re using the tier system for drafting, you can get your guy by starting the drafting of the tier they’re in. Starting a run on a position isn’t bad; ending one is.

Also, if you’re in a league with the same people every year, figure out what players they target or have targeted in the past. This can help you predict how your draft might unfold, especially in the early rounds.

Design a Draft Strategy

I’m not here to offer the one ultimate draft strategy. But I will give you some things to consider when creating one.

Do you know the other owners in the league, and are trades a regular occurrence?

If trades are commonplace in your league, then a best available player draft strategy is more viable. However, in an ideal draft situation, you should feel comfortable with your team as drafted. you don't want to be stuck with three top-10 QBs and no top-10 WRs.

Are the league settings different from standard scoring?

Most of the advice, mock drafts and rankings you will see will be based on standard scoring. If you're league has custom settings, it's important to figure out where the differences lie.

For example, in a league where passing TDs are worth six points, having two stud QBs is important. Or in a league with points per reception, pass-catching RBs are the golden gooses.

What do you want out of your fantasy football experience?

Whereas I make some concessions in my draft strategy to get a few players I root for, maybe you care solely about winning and statistics. Or maybe you want to try to win with all your favorite players, no matter where they are rated.

Either way, a well-thought out draft strategy will insure that you're on the right track to getting the experience you want.