Simple tips for drafting your fantasy team

With another exciting season of fantasy football lurking just around the corner, managers everywhere are getting prepared to compete yet again. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you draft your 2009 fantasy football team.

1. Know your league's scoring system

Although this is one of the golden rules in fantasy football, if you don't know what your league's scoring system is, you are at an automatic disadvantage before making a single pick. You need to know what the scoring categories are and be able to project the highest scoring positions so you can draft accordingly.

2. Develop a plan

Being prepared before the draft is what separates good fantasy managers from bad ones and if you don't have a basic plan or strategy, kiss your chances goodbye, plain and simple. Every manager has his or her own unique perception of how to build a team and it is up to you to find that championship niche.

3. Don't reach

This tip is pretty strait forward, but when drafting your fantasy team you do not want to take a player such as Randy Moss over Adrian Peterson with the #1 overall pick. If you REALLY want Moss, draft Peterson anyway and then trade him immediately. In addition to acquiring Moss, you should be able to get his 4^th, 5^th, or 6^th round pick at worst (hypothetically speaking).

4. Use strength of schedule to your advantage

One of the lost arts in fantasy football is being able to decipher who to draft when you are on the clock, under pressure. Nobody wants to freeze up, but we have all been there.

For example: it is late in the 4^th round and you are on the clock. As your 2 minutes pass faster than ever, you need a wide receiver and realize you are torn between Braylon Edwards and Chad Ochocinco. When you are in this situation, make the deciding factor strength of schedule. It is safe to assume that barring injury, Edwards and Ochocinco have an equal opportunity to produce based on their situations in their respective offenses, therefore making the player with the better schedule the better choice.

There are hundreds of aspects to consider when drafting your fantasy team, but if you can follow these four basic pieces of advice, the chances of your team succeeding will become greater, win or lose.