Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

We strongly recommend staying attuned to the current information regarding players on your individualized list and to continuously examine your own cheat sheet. Too many people panic on draft day and rely solely on cheat sheets of various services or magazines. The key element in fantasy drafting is to “know thyself”. Sun Tzu clearly understood that a person that is unaware of his self, is unable to consistently gain insight from the actions of those around him. You have done the work and analyzed expected performance levels and basically developed a game plan for the type of team you want assemble. As Don Shula stated, “Sometimes it takes just a little extra something to get that edge, out but you have to have it.” Your draft sheet should be a simple one-page format. On draft night one doesn't need additional distractions and should clearly focus upon his draft needs and those of his opponents. Too many times I've seen people fumbling through a variety of magazines and cheat sheets unaware of the drafting that has taken place. The key element of drafting is being focused upon the task at hand. At all times, you need to be aware of your league's drafting by the other owners. So keep your sheet simple - remember your analysis has already been completed!

For simplicity, let’s examine a cheat sheet using a ten-team format. The list would include 20 - 25 quarterbacks, 40 - 45 running backs, 40 - 50 wide receivers, 20 - 25 tight ends 20 kickers and 20 defenses or special-teams. Initially we would arrange each position according to the average projected point total of each player for the season. We would also want to include the bye week of each player listed for future reference. After completion of this list, stop and print it out. Complete a thorough examination of this sheet. Pay close attention to each positional column as to where the natural breaks are occurring. Do this for every position and before long you’ll realize that you have created different tier levels. Put a line between each level because that will indicate player value in that position.As your draft progresses into the mid-rounds this will become a very valuable feature because not only are you drafting quality and depth, you present your team with excellent trading value.

An important point to remember here is to adjust the tiers based on the knowledge you acquired during the off-season. Depth charts will change and injuries will occur on each team. Check into injury reports regarding the extent of each player's injury. A serious or lingering injury will affect that player throughout the season. This should also serve as an indicator to rate a backup player a little higher. Adjustments to the sheet become a vital element of success. At this point, I normally add a special feature to my sheet- the sleepers. I have a separate column that designates potential players not on my list who may break out during the season. When you're scrolling through newspapers or online sites during the exhibition season make a list of players that are performing well. Add this list to your cheat sheet especially if your gambler in the final rounds of the draft. You'll take great pride in discovering talent! Then take out the magic markers or colored pencils and shade in players that have the same bye week. There's nothing more embarrassing or costly in selecting players on the same bye week especially if one is a backup
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