Your fantasy draft is an emotional rollercoaster. Maybe it's a normal snake draft … or maybe you're dealing with an auction. Wonky and borderline irresponsible home league rules are also always looming to throw a wrench in our best-laid plans. There's a LOT going on while attempting to build the sort of fantasy squad that will largely determine your general happiness and well-being from Labor Day to New Year’s Day.

Accordingly, we have five simple rules to follow ahead of draft day in an effort to optimize both your experience AND future fantasy squad. Remember: It's a great day to be great.

Five Rules To Win Your Fantasy Football League

1. Don’t be a hero in the early stages of the draft

Fantasy drafts are sort of like the NFL Draft in terms of average draft position (ADP): Many can logically predict a good amount of the early rounds (especially the first), but things get far more random and tough to call in the later stages.

This is mostly because of the heightened attention paid to the top 20 or so players at each position; early-round ADPs are sharper and better to follow than what you get in the mid-to-late stages of drafts.

This isn’t to suggest you can’t draft your RB7 ahead of the guy the public has deemed the RB6. Rather: Don’t make a habit of going after players with an ADP well below (12-plus spots) where you’re presently picking in the early rounds. This allows you to potentially have your cake and eat it too as opposed to overly reaching on someone.

The ADP on sites such as Yahoo and ESPN can sometimes be different enough to foster some serious values. Getting “your guy” is great; just realize there’s a better chance you won’t need to go out of your way to secure the player you want in the third round as opposed to the 13th.

With this in mind …

2. Be Like Water

Zero-RB, robust-RB, hero-RB: There’s a place and time for any fantasy football draft strategy, but predetermining what you want to do before the draft even starts is an easy way to not take advantage of a particular room.

Listen to the late, great Bruce Lee and be like water.

Don't throw draft strategy out the window, but rather be willing to scoop up massive ADP value when given the opportunity.

Knowing where and when there are viable later-round options at certain positions helps to (wait for it) be like water and adjust to the draft at hand without completely throwing all roster construction strategy out the window. This brings us to our next point …

3. Don't hate the player, hate the ADP

The fantasy lows from 2024 are still fresh in all our minds; this regret is often responsible for pushing players too far down the board, when, as a matter of fact, we are now playing fantasy football in 2025.

For instance …

• Deebo Samuel was a major disappointment in 2024, failing to make the most out of his opportunities in a season where the 49ers needed him to step up, given their plethora of injuries elsewhere. But what about now? Seemingly healthy following calf, rib, and pneumonia issues, Samuel finds himself with triple-digit touch upside inside an ascending Jayden Daniels-led Commanders offense.

Don't automatically fade last year's disappointments when they are now in new situations and come with far more affordable price tags. Cool? Cool.

Also…

4. Take an extra five minutes and review your scoring and roster settings before the draft

I won’t reveal names, but a few years ago I participated in a “Fantasy experts” draft in which a truly smart individual who I really respect picked Jonathan Taylor with the 1.01 selection … and then admitted that they failed to realize it was a SUPERFLEX format that gives drafters the opportunity to start two QBs.

From third-round reversal to maximum position settings to TE premium scoring: There are tons of factors that can turn a draft upside down in a hurry.

As ace UFC commentator Jon Anik once said: “Preparation is the No. 1 thing that I can control.” There’s nobody to blame but yourself if you don’t understand your league’s rules.

5. Have fun

Have a drink! Talk some smack! Go get your guy! It is just fantasy football, after all.

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