The first step toward solving a problem is admitting you have one.
It’s okay to say you suck at fantasy football.
Over here at Pro Football Network, we are here to help you go from enduring last-place punishments to becoming a league champion in the blink of an eye.
Here are five tips to help you drastically improve your chances of changing your misfortune and dominating your fantasy league in 2024.
How To Win This Year in Fantasy Football
Let’s discuss how you can avoid being your own worst enemy when constructing your roster on draft day and beyond.
Over my fantasy career, I’ve seen some managers make the same egregious mistakes that normally end terribly over my fantasy career. My goal is to help you steer clear of those mistakes so your team doesn’t suck in 2024.
1) Don’t Draft Multiple QBs and TEs Early in Hopes of Trading Them
Over the years, I’ve come across one very common draft day mistake that almost never works out: drafting two or three quarterbacks (or tight ends) within the first seven rounds in hopes of trading them later to leaguemates who decided to wait on the position. This reasoning mostly applies in leagues where you can start only one QB and TE on a weekly basis.
In theory, the idea of drafting Patrick Mahomes in the second round and Lamar Jackson in the fourth with the intent of enticing a fantasy manager who’s starting Matthew Stafford may sound like a strategy. But all you’re doing is creating major holes on your starting roster while keeping a talent like Mahomes or Jackson on your bench every single week.
Most leagues require you to start a minimum of two running backs and wide receivers weekly. Deploying this strategy would mean you’d be sacrificing the opportunity to add a crucial starting piece with likely both a consistent weekly floor and potential top-10 upside at the position.
2) Don’t Draft Multiple Players Coming Off Of Injuries Early In Drafts
Every year, there are multiple talented players recovering from season-ending injuries who present an intriguing draft day discount. In some cases, it works out well (Breece Hall). In others, it may not work out so well (Javonte Williams).
This season, players like Jonathon Brooks, T.J. Hockenson, and Nick Chubb headline such a scenario as candidates who could drastically outperform their current draft day price. If you want to take one of these three players to grab some real upside, I am all for that. What I am suggesting is don’t draft all three.
MORE: Try PFN’s “Who Should I Draft?” Tool
A risk-averse approach is the way to go. If you have IR spots in your league, I’m far more inclined to draft these players because it won’t cost me a roster spot on a weekly basis if they miss time to start the season.
Again, feel free to take one of these discounts. Just remember that drafting three or more players who could all be unavailable for Week 1 — with no guarantee of when they will return — is likely to put you in a hole that will be tough to climb out of.
3) Don’t Fade Players Who Could Be Suspended Into Oblivion
A player like Rashee Rice could potentially face league discipline for off-the-field incidents that took place earlier this year. Admittedly, the potential of a suspension should push him down the board a bit because of the added risk, but it doesn’t mean you should avoid him completely.
As we saw with Alvin Kamara going into the 2022 NFL season, his legal situation didn’t play out in time for him to receive discipline from the league, which presented a nice draft-day bargain for fantasy managers.
Rice is currently going at No. 81 overall, which puts him in the seventh round. To me, the upside at that price is certainly worth the risk because the league hasn’t formally handed down any discipline at this time. It makes Rice an option who could finish the year in the top 20 at his position at a price that feels like stealing.
4) Fight the Temptation to Blow Your Entire FAAB Entering Week 2
In the NFL, random players are going to have big weeks out of nowhere. For example, Tyler Allgeier, Roschon Johnson, and Joshua Kelley all finished as top-12 fantasy backs in full-PPR formats in Week 1.
Do you know where they all finished the season? RB36, RB47, and RB60.
If you overreact and blow your entire FAAB budget on the wrong player or because you are in desperation for a starting RB the next week, then you are putting yourself at a real disadvantage for the rest of the year.
MORE: PFN’s Consensus Fantasy Football Rankings (Updated Weekly)
Not to mention, if an injury happens early in the season, there is no guarantee the next guy on the depth chart will assume the leading role. Last year, the aforementioned Chubb suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2, which cleared the way for Jerome Ford to be the leading ball carrier for the Cleveland Browns.
What did the team do a couple of days later? It signed veteran running back Kareem Hunt, who had nine rushing touchdowns last year.
I’ll level with you: I have been guilty of this in the past. Ultimately, if you believe a player is the next Kyren Williams, then go get your guy. Yet, history has shown us time and again in fantasy football that outlier performances happen all the time, which will have to make you a week ahead of the curve.
5) Don’t Send Insulting Trade Offers to Your Leaguemates
A quick way to alienate, anger, and annoy your leaguemates is to send them offers like Luke Musgrave for Ja’Marr Chase after Musgrave had a career performance and Chase had a rare bad outing.
All you will do is either insult or annoy your leaguemate with that type of offer, making them far less likely to negotiate with you in the future.
Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer to help you formulate an offer that favors you but is still fair to the other owner as a starting point for negotiating in good faith with your leaguemate.
Win Your Fantasy Draft!
Ultimately, we circle back to the ultimate goal, which is winning your fantasy league!
If you’re looking to find player analysis, projections, and draft information, then I would highly recommend you check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Draft Kit, which has all of the resources you need to help you win your fantasy league this season.
Good luck to you all!