Many fantasy football sites will write 100s of articles describing things for you to do going into your fantasy drafts, but what about afterwards? Like Christmas, there is 364 days of buildup and once the day is complete, it feels like a big disappointment. Just like a kid who sits there looking at his new toys, you should take the same approach with the new players you just acquired. A fantasy draft is a big step in winning your league at the end of the fantasy year, but it's only one step of many in the process.
That being said, here are 5 things you should do after your draft is complete. But before you do anything, decompress. You just likely spent a good portion of an entire day with your brain on overdrive. Enjoy the rest of the night. Drink. Eat. Be merry. The next day? That's when business begins.
1. Look Over Your Roster
It's easy to remember those first several picks you made near the start of your draft, but what about the guys you picked up at the tail end? If you're in a league without a time limit, those 17th, 18th and 19th round picks might be hazy since you were already a good 3-4 hours into your draft. Once your head clears, look over all your players from top to bottom. Do you see any holes at certain positions? Maybe you drafted a guy who is better off on the waiver wire. Studying your roster carefully will give you an edge over the other owners who are sitting there just waiting for the season to start. And if you feel like you need a second opinion, sign up to one of our Dominator Service packages and post your roster in the forum. Not only will we give opinions, but we will lead you into the next step on how to make your team better.
2. Look At The Players Who Weren't Drafted
I remember after our 2005 local-league draft was over, my Dad, my Uncle and myself were looking over the draft board to see how everyone did and graded them. It's been a tradition for years now. The one thing that everyone noticed was Thomas Jones wasn't on the board. It kind of surprised us, but didn't at the same time. In 2004, Jones' first year as a Bear, he had 948 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Not spectacular numbers, but good enough for at least a flex spot. But at the time, Jones had floundered in Arizona and Tampa Bay. So all of us thought 2004 was more of a fluke. Lo and behold, Jones wound up having his first breakout season with 1335 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns, both career highs at the time. My Uncle wound up snatching him up that year and he became the cornerstone of his fantasy team. Lesson learned. Even if you think there are scraps left on the waiver wire after you're done drafting, there is always a chance you'll either find a diamond in the rough. Or maybe something happened to a starter between your draft and Week 1 that makes a guy who didn't get drafted valuable. It happens.
3. Assess Everyone Else's Roster
Once you're done looking over your own roster and seeing where your strengths and weaknesses are, look at everyone else's roster. If you have a strong running back unit, but your receivers look weak, there is a good chance that someone else has a strong receiving corps, but desperately needs a running back. Never be afraid to trade if you feel it will make your team better. I've seen a lot of owners refuse to trade because they don't want to help someone else out. That's the idea of a trade. Yes you help a fellow owner, but you're also bettering your squad in the process. And if you are dealing with an owner who desperately wants a certain player on your team, you might even be able to squeeze a little bit more out of him or her. Screwing over an owner entirely is not something I condone. Giving up garbage for gold to an owner who might be new to fantasy football not only makes you look bad, but it will give the impression that you want to screw everyone else as well.
4. Don't Trade Just To Trade
Unlike Rule 3, don't trade just because you can. If you look at your team and you like what you see and think a trade isn't needed, then don't do it. I've seen owners make trades that did nothing to make their team better. If you trade an ounce of gold for an ounce of gold....well, you get the point. And don't let people talk you into a trade you don't feel comfortable with. Many fantasy owners turn into used car salesmen, trying their best to make a trade look like the best trade in the world, even though you don't like it. And if you don't know whether to make a trade or not, let us help you (If you're a member) by posting it in our forum. Trading can be a headache sometimes, but you don't need to do it alone.
5. Stay Up On Any Late Breaking News
This goes hand-in-hand with the last sentence of Rule 2. I remember I had a draft back in 2006. It was still several weeks before the start of the regular season. At the time, Donte Stallworth was still a starter on the Saints, but there was a rookie named Marques Colston who was making waves in training camp. I took a gamble, thought "What the hell?" and picked him up. Sure enough, Stallworth was traded to the Eagles and Colston was promoted to the starting roster. I was the first one to snatch Colston up because I had stayed ahead of everyone else just by reading training camp updates. Do the same. Even if you have a family and a job, take one hour out of your evening and skim the news from that day. Is someone turning heads in training camp who everyone else in your league ignored? Is there a rookie, who wasn't getting much press in June and July, pushing a veteran for a starting job? Keeping up with everyday updates is one of the best ways to stay ahead and make your team a success.