Making a Draft Day Cheat Sheet
An Intro to Fantasy Football for BeginnersBy Outside Guest Charlie River
No amount of brilliant in-season trades or waver claims is going to make up for totally bombing on draft day. That's why it is so important to be prepared when your fantasy football draft comes around so you get the top players available. And a great way to make these preparations is by creating a cheat sheet before the draft starts.
A cheat sheet is crucial because it helps you out when the draft doesn't go as planned. So you thought Tom Brady might fall towards the bottom of the second round, but he got picked right before your selection. Big deal! You don't have time to cry about it because you're on the clock and still looking for a good quarterback.
So when the draft plays out like poker and you're dealt random players, cheat sheets help you to make good decisions in a short amount of time. How you set your cheat sheet up is a decision that is be entirely up to you. But many successful fantasy owners set theirs up according to how each player ranks within their position as well as a list of top overall players.
Of course everyone's cheat sheet will differ because there are different ways to rank a player's draft value. 4for4.com provides a variety of ways to rank players depending upon what type of draft your league uses.
SEE: http://www.4for4.com/content/what_fantasy_rankings.php
If you want to get a quick look at a sample unofficial cheat sheet before checking out the rankings, see the cheat sheet I'll be using for my draft below. A list of top overall players is provided as well as rankings for each position and team defense.
NOTE: Below is not an official 4for4.com ranking. Rather it is a highly simplified overview for those new to the cheat sheet concept.
Charlie's Very Unofficial Short Cheat Sheet
Top 15 Overall Players1. Adrian Peterson; RB, Minnesota
2. Michael Turner; RB, Atlanta Falcons
3. Maurice Jones-Drew; RB, Jacksonville
4. Matt Forte; RB, Chicago
5. Steven Jackson; RB, St. Louis
6. Chris Johnson; RB, Tennessee
7. Larry Fitzgerald; WR, Arizona
8. DeAngelo Williams; RB, Carolina
9. Drew Brees; QB, New Orleans
10. Randy Moss; WR, New England
11. LaDanian Tomlinson; RB, San Diego
12. Steve Slaton; RB, Houston
13. Tom Brady; QB, New England
14. Brian Westbrook; RB, Philadelphia
15. Peyton Manning; QB, Indianapolis
Top 10 Running Backs
1. Adrian Peterson; RB, Minnesota
2. Michael Turner; RB, Atlanta Falcons
3. Maurice Jones-Drew; RB, Jacksonville
4. Matt Forte; RB, Chicago
5. Steven Jackson; RB, St. Louis
6. Chris Johnson; RB, Tennessee
7. DeAngelo Williams; RB, Carolina
8. LaDanian Tomlinson; RB, San Diego
9. Steve Slaton; RB, Houston
10. Brian Westbrook; RB, Philadelphia
Top 10 Quarterbacks
1. Drew Brees, New Orleans
2. Tom Brady, New England
3. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
4. Philip Rivers, San Diego
5. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
6. Kurt Warner, Arizona
7. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia
8. Tony Romo, Dallas
9. Matt Ryan, Atlanta
10. Jay Cutler, Chicago
Top 10 Wide Receivers
1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
2. Randy Moss, New England
3. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis
4. Calvin Johnson, Detroit
5. Andre Johnson, Houston
6. Roddy White, Atlanta
7. Greg Jennings, Green Bay
8. Anquan Boldin, Arizona
9. Terrell Owens, Buffalo
10. Marques Colston, New Orleans
Top 10 Tight Ends
1. Jason Whitten, Dallas
2. Antonio Gates, San Diego
3. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis
4. Tony Gonzales, Kansas City
5. Greg Olsen, Chicago
6. Chris Cooley, Washington
7. Dustin Keller, New York Jets
8. Kevin Boss, New York Giants
9. Vinsanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota
10. Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay
Top 10 Kickers
1. Stephen Gostkowski, New England
2. Neil Rackers, Arizona
3. Nate Kaeding, San Diego
4. Jason Elam, Atlanta
5. Mason Crosby, Green Bay
6. Robbie Gould, Chicago
7. Ryan Longwell, Minnesota
8. Garret Hartley, New Orleans
9. Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis
10. Matt Bryant, Tampa Bay
Top 10 Defenses
1. Baltimore
2. Pittsburgh
3. Minnesota
4. Tennessee
5. New York Giants
6. Philadelphia
7. New England Patriots
8. Washington
9. Miami
10. San Diego
