A lot of factors go into where a player is selected during an online fantasy draft. Health, buzz, last year’s stats, position scarcity and preseason performance all play a part. But nothing holds more weight than the pre-draft rankings provided by a site running the league, and that’s really unfortunate.
As I wrote last year, in a perfect world every fantasy draft would be live (yes, actual face-to-face interaction). It would force owners to come with their own lists instead of relying on these default rankings.
However, we don’t live in a perfect world. Some unprepared – or even prepared -- owners use these rankings as a crutch. That means they may be afraid to pull the trigger on X guy in the second round because they are listed a fifth-round guy in the draft room. Or maybe they take Y guy early just because his name is on top of those default rankings. And if there are auto drafters, being aware of who is on top of the list is crucial.
Regardless, we have given you tons of tools so you can simply ignore those rankings that pop up when you open your draft applet. In the Draft Guide, you’ll find complete rankings and projections for all different formats. Evan Silva has told who to shy away from. Chris Wesseling has released sleepers and busts. I’ve analyzed a snake draft, an auction draft and given out some late-round fliers to take a risk on. Mike Clay has talked handcuffs. We've also discussed camp winners, camp losers and much more.
Now, we’re preparing for the actual act of the draft. And, unfortunately, taking advantage of the default rankings are a part of that. Here is a look at what to keep an eye on as you draft on each of the major sites:
ESPN.COM
Players listed higher overall than expected:
5. Maurice Jones-Drew
11. Andre Johnson
13. Matthew Stafford
14. Roddy White
19. Mike Wallace
27. Eli Manning
44. Willis McGahee
62. Roy Helu
67. Ben Tate
75. Michael Bush
86. Matt Schaub
Strategy: There’s a lot to chew on here. Even if you like Maurice Jones-Drew, Andre Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Mike Wallace or Eli Manning, you’re not going to get him. An unprepared owner or auto-drafter is going to scoop them up based on these ranks. Move on. … If you take Arian Foster, you’re going to have to reach for Ben Tate. Don’t let him get to the top of the “available players” in the applet. The same can be said for Matt Forte owners in search of the Michael Bush handcuff … Let someone else get fooled by Matt Schaub this high. He was featured in Chris Wesseling’s busts list.
Players listed lower overall than expected:
28. Darren McFadden
70. Doug Martin
87. Aaron Hernandez
96. Kenny Britt
105. Jason Witten
Strategy: Know your opponents. If they’re relying on the default ranks, we can wait an extra round or two on Doug Martin, Aaron Hernandez and Kenny Britt. I wouldn’t wait on Darren McFadden since so many other sites (including us) have him as a top-5 option. … ESPN did adjust their rankings to reflect the Jason Witten injury. Just be aware.
Where the buzz guys are ranked:
33. Julio Jones
47. Brandon Lloyd
54. Stevan Ridley
68. Eric Decker
73. Matt Ryan
78. Kevin Smith
80. Torrey Smith
95. David Wilson
101. Cedric Benson
113. Titus Young
Strategy: Pretty standard across the board here. We obviously have Julio Jones much higher, but that’s personal preference. … If you want Stevan Ridley, you’re going to have to pay through the nose. … We’re not getting any bargains on Matt Ryan, Kevin Smith, Titus Young or David Wilson either. Disappointing.
Who to scroll down for:
144. Greg Little
163. Ryan Williams
166. Brandon LaFell
170. Evan Royster
174. Kendall Wright
182. Kendall Hunter
192. Jacquizz Rodgers
194. Randall Cobb
198. Greg Olsen
199. Jake Locker
203. Rashad Jennings
207. Kyle Rudolph
232. Santana Moss
235. Austin Collie
276. Alfred Morris
Strategy: Lots of goodies in here. We can start plucking off our favorite fliers in Round 10 or so and gain a ton of high-upside bench players. … Make special note of Austin Collie’s ranking. It doesn’t reflect the latest news regarding his status. … Santana Moss is ranked as if he didn’t make the team.
ended up having to draft while drunk at a friends cookout lol, any feedback is greatly appreciated, my 3 keepers were Rodgers, forte, and gates 
. I doubt he'll accept, but if he does I'm gonna try and flip him for a RB1.
