The Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: A Draft Prep Guide For the Busy Fantasy Player
Need to catch up on this week's fantasy movers and shakers? Here's a quick overview of what you need to know!
With a full slate of NFL Preseason games this weekend, let's catch up on some of the best from Fantasy Life -- a draft prep express, if you will. In this cheat sheet, you'll find actionable updates, news, and notes all designed to make you a better fantasy football player.
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Let's get moving!
The Basics
Preseason Week 2
As the preseason rolls on, the data points continue to stack up.
You know what that means? Dwain McFarland is in his element as he continues to bring us the most detailed, actionable insights we need to be the very best, like no one ever was.
In his Preseason Week 2 Fantasy Football News, Dwain broke down every offensive position (even offensive linemen) and mined them for useful nuggets. Here are a few snippets that stood out to me:
- Rashid Shaheed could smash ADP as the WR53 off the board—even in a bad offense.
- Isaac TeSlaa could force his way past Tim Patrick in the lineup as soon as Week 1. He is my favorite late-round WR in deep leagues.
- Things could start slow for Jayden Higgins, but the Round 2 pick still offers considerable upside when considering his range of outcomes as the season progresses.
It's pretty amazing that Dwain not only breaks down each and every team, position, and player but that he also compiles his research into an easy-to-read article for our enjoyment. He truly is the best.
Oh, and here's one more of his takeaways for the road…
He is my WR17 and is a screaming value on most fantasy sites, making him a core component of my 2025 WR draft strategy.
You better go check out Dwain's article for more insight on that one…I couldn't give away ALL of his secrets, could I?!
Fantasy Football My Guys
I'm a big fan of "my guys" but I'm an even bigger fan of Chris Allen's writing.
That makes this article a win-win, as they say.
In his latest piece – Three Players I Love Drafting Right Now – Chris starts off by giving us the holy trinity of RB usage:
- Early-down attempts
- Short-yardage/goal-line work
- Pass-game involvement
If you know from where Chris hails, and which team his roots for, this player won't come as a surprise. Even so, that doesn't make his homer-pick incorrect. In fact, I think it only adds more credibility to his case.
On a team that projects to be putrid on defense, especially with their star defensive player likely holding out barring a late contract extension, this talented RB should be a mainstay across your various teams this fall.
Don't overthink it; draft good players with great opportunities on elite offenses.
For a sneak peak at another of his highly-anticipated "my guys", Chris leads with this absolute gem:
Find the guys who can boogie in the open field.
Once this player took over as the starter, only Matthew Berry's favorite QB had a higher scramble rate — and he was sixth in rushing yards per game.
You better get in on these talented players before the rest of your league catches on.
Mock Draft SZN
The best part about mock drafts is there's never a bad time for one. Good thing our Draft Champion is here for anytime you need to scratch that itch.
Waiting to pick your kid up from practice? Fire up a mock draft. Agonizing through the offseason without any meaningful football? Fire up a mock draft. Recently finished a mock draft but want to see if you can draft a better team? Fire up a…okay you get the idea.
Fortunately for you, Kendall Valenzuela recently completed a 10-Team PPR Yahoo Mock Draft and provided a pick-by-pick analysis of each selection.
A few highlights, if you will, especially from a few players getting extra buzz lately:
- Enter: TreVeyon Henderson. I love this pick and will take him in this range almost every time. His fit is perfect with the Patriots and even if a massive workload isn't fully in the cards, he can still pay off this ADP easily.
- Also enter, Tetairoa McMillan in the sixth round?! This is basically a cheat code.
- Jordan Mason is one of the later-round running backs who could have standalone value this season, even with Aaron Jones in Minnesota.
Curious where Kendall specifically drafted the aforementioned players? Give the rest of her phenomenal mock draft a read.
Guillotine Leagues™ Draft Kit
It's time to survive and advance…survive and advance. Start a league here!!
The blade will come for many, but not for you (so long as you check out the amazing Official Guillotine Leagues™ Draft Kit from Paul Charchain).
This draft kit contains everything you need to make a deep run at a championship. While many things in fantasy football are out of our collective control, we can control our preparation and no one does that better than the crew at Fantasy Life.
Looking for strategy articles? We have you covered from mock drafts, tips from a champion, lessons learned, and who to draft and not draft.
Maybe you're someone who wants insights on specific positions. We have that in spades. Guillotine Leagues are different from traditional fantasy leagues which means each offensive skill position can be more or less valuable depending on the player.
If you like to consume our content via listening, check out our Podcast and YouTube channel.
It's undoubtedly the best way to play fantasy football and we've got everything you need to make the most of the unforgettable experience. Let us help you become a champion.
Looking for more amazing content? Use promo code SAM for 20% off ANY FantasyLife+ Tier.
