Okay, so today I decided to finally get my act together and start prepping for my fantasy football draft. I’ve been putting it off, but the season is just around the corner, and I don’t wanna be caught with my pants down. So, I started by making some draft rankings.
Scouring the Internet for Information
First thing I did was hop online to get some expert opinions. I hit up a few of the major sports websites and checked out their pre-draft rankings. You know, just to get a general sense of where players are valued this year. I also looked at a couple of “sleeper” articles, because who doesn’t love finding a hidden gem in the later rounds?
Compiling My Own Spreadsheet
Next, I pulled up a good ol’ spreadsheet. Gotta have a place to organize all this info, right? I created columns for player name, position, team, projected points, and a few other stats that I like to keep an eye on. It helps me remember all these, and it can make it easier to plan for my drafts.
Personalizing My Rankings
Now, this is where it gets interesting. I didn’t just blindly copy the expert rankings. I mean, those are helpful, but I’ve been playing fantasy football for years, and I have my own opinions and strategies. So, I started tweaking the rankings based on my gut feelings and what I’ve seen in past seasons. Here’s my thinking process:
- Injuries: I bumped down a few guys who are coming off major injuries, even if they’re supposed to be “fully recovered.” I’m always a little cautious with those players.
- New Teams: Players who switched teams during the offseason? Yeah, I’m keeping a close eye on them. Sometimes it takes a while for a player to adjust to a new system.
- Offensive Scheme: I thought long and hard about those players. Some players may be in a better offensive scheme this year, some worse.
- Gut Feeling: Honestly, sometimes it just comes down to a gut feeling. There are certain players I just believe in, and others I’m avoiding like the plague.
Ranking, Re-ranking, and Re-re-ranking
I must have spent a solid few hours moving players up and down the list. It’s kind of a never-ending process, really. As I read more articles, watch more preseason games, and just generally overthink everything, my rankings will probably keep changing.
The End Result
But for now, I’ve got a solid first draft of my rankings. It’s not perfect, but it’s a starting point. And most importantly, it’s my starting point, based on my own research and instincts. Now I need to do some mock drafts to see how it all plays out!