Fall is just around the corner and I am not trying to get ahead of finishing the summer. For as long as I can remember once my birthday week hits it’s all downhill from here to the fall.

This weekend for instance the Minnesota Vikings rookies report to camp, and veterans report on Tuesday. The rest of NFL Training camps will be starting soon and then you have the Hall of Fame inductions on Aug 11-13 in Canton,OH.

So what does all this mean? Well, fantasy football drafts are about to be taking place. You can go the main site experts for your top picks and how to draft your team. Or you can take advice from this guy. Before you say I have been listening to (insert fantasy expert name here) forever and he almost never steers me wrong. But how many times have you won your league with their “insider” knowledge?

Or how many times have they been right on a guy that will be a sleeper?

I am not knocking them at what they do. I know I am a baseball, and basketball guy. You listen to my podcast and you find that out.

However, I have been playing online fantasy football since 1996 when my cousin got dial-up. We happened to stumble upon a fantasy football website.

As a 14 year old I had no idea what was happening, I just found it cool to be able to have control of my own team like I would do when I played Madden. That first year didn’t go well. I think I won like 5 games. I beat my cousin though so that’s all that mattered to me.

I continued to play for the excitement of it. And it brought me closer to football. I wasn’t a big football guy as a teenager. I hated playing it and wasn’t that interested in watching it. Fantasy football changed that for me. I developed a passion to study rosters, games, and tendencies. The things that people find boring I found fun and interesting. I have since this time won 6 league titles in all sorts of sized leagues. I have won in 4, 8, 10,12 and 16 team leagues.

I have won in standard leagues and PPR leagues and auction drafted and snake draft.

Before I give you my draft lists in the coming weeks. Let me give you the rules I have learned to live by. When I first started out playing I wouldn’t make any moves. I would start my best players and roll with the outcome. Over the years I have come up with some rules that I live by that haven’t failed me yet. Lets get in to them.

Rule 1 –

Draft running backs in round 1 and 2. Don’t get cute and try and draft a QB or WR. I know Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase catch a lot of passes. But do they run the ball and get you rushing yards as well?

A top 10 running back can give you 7.5 points with 75 rushing yards. They can get you 5 receptions and 35 receiving yards for another 8.5 points and throw in a touchdown for 6 points and that just got you 22 points.

Rule 2-

Draft a wide receiver during rounds 3 & 5. These rounds you get the most value. You will get a team’s number 1 receiver for sure. And you will get the best number 2 receiver on a team in the the 5th round.

Rule 3 –

Round 4 is when you either get your TE or your QB. Look at the QBs available before you make a decision. Usually you can get a good value at QB. But if Mark Andrews, George Kittle, TJ Hockenson, or Darren Waller is available draft , my move would be one of them over a QB. Then in Round 6 draft your QB.

Rule 4 –

Round 7-9 you pick 3 players for your flex play. You do this so you can rotate if you need to and they are also going to be your first guys off the bench when the Bye weeks roll around.

Rule 5 –

Once your draft is over look at the waiver wire and start to mark the guys you are going to watch. Just because you drafted well doesn’t mean your job is over. You aren’t going to hit on every pick. You need to make in season adjustments and weekly ones as well. You work the waiver wire every week and pick up players. You need to keep at least 2 spots for this so make sure to draft players you have no issue with dropping.

Rule 6 –

Start looking for trade partners after week 2. You are either going to be the leader at this point and need to keep stacking your team or you are playing from behind. I like to play from behind after week 2 cause the teams leading usually become complacent.

Rule 7 –

Almost everyone is expendable. Players on your team you don’t have to be loyal to. You are playing fantasy football. Trading or cutting a player in fantasy football isn’t going to affect them on the field. Make sure if you trade away your superstar, you get 2 needed positions back. If you need a superstar go get you one but don’t sell the farm for him.

The 7 rules for fantasy football have been established study them and get to know them. Next Friday I will have the running back and wide receiver tiers for you to start targeting.

-Chad Cain

*Photo courtesy of Cleveland Sports Talk*