Average Draft Position (ADP)
There are a lot of factors that go into having a successful draft. Probably the single more important factor is preparation. There are many tools on the Internet you can use to help be better prepared. One such tool is the mock draft. A mock draft is nothing more than a bunch of would be owners getting together and drafting a mock team. Participation in mock drafts serves multiple purposes. First, you get some exposure to the players in this season's draft. Second, after the draft has completed you can analyze your mock team to find your weaknesses and strengths. Third, the data provided to the host site during the mock draft can be analyzed to produce reports for future drafting. One such report displays the average draft position of each player.
The average draft position report can be a very useful tool come draft day. By using the experience you've gained from participating in a few mock drafts and this report can help minimize the weaknesses. Almost everyone knows who to take in the first round in the draft. Using the average draft report won't help you in the first few rounds. Where this report comes in handy is the later rounds. When you're unsure who to pick next this report can be used to help make that decision.
Lets say you're in a 12-team league and it's the fifth round. So we're talking about picks 49-60. You're in the market for a starting quarterback or a third running back. You're probably thinking why would I take a third running back before a starting quarterback? The answer may be simple and using an ADP report can show you why.
By this point in your draft, the first tier of QBs will likely be off the board. So now you need to look at the next tier of quarterbacks. All these guys would be respectable starting quarterbacks for your fantasy team. So who should you take? Well that depends on who's still available at running back. By this point most starting running backs are off the board, with a few exceptions. By reviewing the ADP reports, it can help you decide who to draft next.
Now that we have our pool of possible draft selections let's see where they're being drafted in most leagues. Basing our decision solely on the ADP report we should be selecting one of these probable fourth round running backs. Now that decision was a little too easy. Had those running backs all been off the board who should you select? That decision depends on a lot of factors, where you're selecting in the round, when you select in the next round, who's selecting between your fifth and sixth picks and what are their needs. If you're partial to one of the quarterbacks and can't live without him then now would be a good time to draft him. Just make sure it's one of the quarterbacks that should be selected this round. Don't draft Brooks, Hasselbeck, Droughns or Suggs and definitely stay away from quarterbacks Brady, Breese and Plummer and running backs T. Jones, L. Johnson and Bettis as these guys should still be available in the sixth round and probably still there in the seventh or eighth round.
Now lets move to the eleventh round and see how an ADP report can help. By this point in the draft you're looking to solidify your backups and cover your bye weeks. In most drafts these middle to early late round selections are what make or break a season. So you want to make intelligent decisions and not waste a pick. Lets say you're in the market for a wide receiver. Look at who's still available. Maybe someone is being overlooked. Calico, Houshmandzadeh, Colbert and Stallworth may still be available. All of these guys are better selections than some more well known names like Keyshawn Johnson, T. Glenn, D. Givens and M. Robinson. You may be tempted to select Troy Williamson with this selection. Although the eleventh round is about where Williamson looks like he'll be drafted in most leagues he may not be the right fit for your team. Rookies don't always produce and if you're relaying on this guy to fill in for bye weeks or an injury you may want to hold off and select a more seasoned veteran.
Using the ADP report can be a helpful tool come draft day when used right. Use the average draft position reports below and using copy and paste create an spreadsheet. In the spreadsheet create one tab for each position and one for overall. This way if you want to select a certain position you can do so easily. If you don't have a laptop to bring with you to the draft then sort each tab of the spreadsheets by average draft position and print them out. As players are selected during your draft cross them off your cheat sheets. This way when it's time to make your selection you'll know exactly who's available and you can make an intelligent selection.
