The Final Step to Winning Fantasy: Bringing it All Together

   Alright, you've got some sweet running backs, wide receivers, a QB you don't hate, a TE that has a resounding sameness to everyone else's TE, and you're rolling into the final rounds deciding when to grab a defense and a kicker.  In this final post on my fantasy strategy I'm going to bring all the steps together and tell you how to finish strong.  A lot of analysts claim that waiting until the last two rounds to grab a defense and kicker is the way to go, but I beg to differ.  Like I've said this is a game about advantages, and I feel that the defense/kicker advantage almost always goes overlooked.  The total points they amass may be only slightly different (with the exception of the Bears' D last year), but extra points are extra points, so there is no reason to pass up on them.  Wait til the end for a D?  Not on my watch:


   I'm not going to go to the trouble of outlining what the best defenses are because, quite frankly, it's really obvious.  You want the Seahawks', Niners', Bears' , or Texans' D ideally, but there are a couple other reasonable ones if you so desire.  I don't care all that much which you take, but when you take them is key.  Once you have your starting roster completely filled out with the exception of these two positions, start opening your eyes.  There will probably be a couple more "sleepers" or interesting pieces (one or two I'd say) that you want to pick up, and by all means go for them.  But once you are satisfied and have a few serviceable backups, jump on a defense.  Be THAT guy.  Having the best defense in the game WILL pay off, and defenses can win you games.  But my strategy isn't focused on grabbing the best D necessarily.  What I want to do is grab a couple of the best D's.  As I mentioned before, I traded the Texans' D last year for Matt Stafford.  Insane.  It benefited both teams, so while everyone else was bitching about how unfair it was, me and my trading partner were both satisfied.  I was a little weak at QB, and Stafford helped me to solidify it.  This was only possible because I also had the Bears' D.  It's the drafting best available strategy.  I don't necessarily need this piece, but I know every other team in the league would like it.  Take that, other teams!  I can't wait until you get desperate for a defense that doesn't drop 0's every other week and trade me a solid flex or RB2 play.  I know this may be a little difficult to do because everyone else in the world says to do the exact opposite.  Just believe me; this will work for you, and you won't miss out on any sleepers that win your friend's team the league.  How often do you find a Doug Martin past the sixth round anyway?  Almost never.  The only cases I can think of would be the breakout QBs this past year and Cam the year before.  So if you want to grab Geno Smith (please don't) or EJ Emanuel (no seriously, don't), be my guest, but I will be the proud owner of the Niners' D and the Bears' D.

 As for kickers, I still prefer to grab them before everyone else, but they are a last two round choice.  Try to grab one in a high octane offense, but even if you don't you should be fine.  Good defenses are much more rare than consistent kickers.  Sometimes I even find myself thinking "shouldn't I grab a kicker on a bad team, because they will kick more field goals and score fewer TDs?"  Then I remember it's a kicker and I'm overthinking it, so just grab one that feels good to you and it'll be fine.

   Time to bring it all together!  A round by round walk-through, if you will:

Round 1:  Grab a running back.  No thinking, just do it.

Round 2:  Go for another top three levels RB.  Ignore the sexy wideouts!  If all the RBs are gone grab Jimmy Graham

Round 3:  Grab Brees or Rodgers if they are there (they won't be), but otherwise grab a really solid number 1 wideout

Round 4: Risk on Gronk if he is there, grab Bush or Sproles if you don't have a second RB yet (although they probably went in round 3), or grab another wideout which is what I will probably do.

Round 5:  This may be your last chance to grab a solid flex, so grab one more wideout

Round 6: Finally time to grab a QB.  Look for RG3, Russell Wilson, Kaep, Stafford, or Romo.  They will all do great.

Round 7: Start grabbing bench warmers and/or possible flex substitutions

Round 8:  See round 7

Round 9: Grab a TE! Look for Olsen or Daniels

Round 10: Grab one more bench guy

Round 11/12:  Piss everyone off and take two of the top defenses!

Rounds 13-15:  Pick super sleepers or possible backups to your startings RBs

Round 16: Grab some kicker, any kicker really; just not the Jets' kicker.

  Follow these steps and I have a feeling you will really like your team.  I have loved my team in almost all of my mock drafts (except that time I took Peyton in round 4, I just couldn't resist).  If nothing else just make sure you love your team.  You might ignore every single thing I have said here, but I'm okay with that if you love your team, because there is no worse feeling than thinking you don't have chance going into the season; than seeing everyone else's teams and wishing they were yours.  Don't let that happen.  If you have to pick that one guy from your home team, do it.  I won't, but that's because it hurts to much to lose fantasy and watch the Panthers lose on a given Sunday.  Have fun, and don't give up during the season.  I hate that.  Everyone hates that.  But most importantly, keep reading this blog and recommend it to your friends have a good time.  No worries, I'll be back with plenty more fantasy material, so stay on the edge of your seats.