August 24, 2012; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White (84) on the bench during the fourth quarter in a game against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

The smell of fresh air fluctuates outside while the sun shines bright. What are you doing? Sitting at your computer researching players for your upcoming draft? No need, as I will walk you through draft night right here. I will give you all the tools you need to succeed, and have  a championship-caliber team.

Draft Strategies 

Going into the draft, you are going to want to have some sort of strategy to follow. Before making your strategy, there are things to consider.

The first thing to consider is the amount of teams are in your league. If you have a smaller league (4-8 teams is on the small side), you can take more risks earlier in the draft. For example, in an eight team league, I would be much more willing to take the risk on an injury prone player, like Darren McFadden. If I was in a 14 team league, I would pass up McFadden for a less risk Matt Forte. If you are in a bigger league (10-20), then be a little less willing to take risks. I am not saying to not take risks, as the only way to get a championship is taking some risks, I am saying to limit risks. Safe players are always nice during the season, as you can count on them. An example of a safe player is Aaron Rodgers. You know you can count on Rodgers for 20-30 points a week.

The second thing to consider is your draft position. This is a crucial piece to consider before creating a strategy. Why? Well, if you are picking 1st, you are going to see a lot different players than if you are drafting 7th. There isn’t much to elaborate on here, just to estimate what players will be there at your spot, and plan around those estimates. I suggest completing a mock draft in the position you would draft in.

The third thing to consider is the settings of the league. This is the most important variable. The settings of the league immensely changes the values of certain players. For example, Darren Sproles. In a standard league, Sproles is a flex option, or a maybe your second RB. If it is a PPR (Points Per Reception) league, he is a fantastic #2 RB, and maybe a #1 RB. Another example is the amount of points a QB receives for each TD he throws. If a QB receives 4 points per passing TD, the QB will be worth his standard value. On the other hand, if he receives 6 points per TD, he is worth 3x the standard value.

Now let’s get to the actual draft strategies themselves. The first strategy I will present to you is RB-RB-RB-WR-QB. This is one of those strategies where you have to have a good position for it to work. The  ideal position for this strategy would be the first pick, or the last one, because you get two picks in a row. I love this strategy, considering how shallow RB is this season. You have to be careful with this strategy. It usually works, but this is one of the riskier strategies. You will see WR thinning as you select that third RB and as you wait for your 1st WR. Don’t panic, as you will get decent WRs. If this strategy isn’t for you, try this one.

The next strategy I will suggest is the classic RB-WR-QB. This is the safest option, as you establish talent across the board. You will be a very balanced team, but won’t be spectacular at one specific position. This also limits your trading appeal and ability, as you won’t have the depth to trade as much. But none the less, still a good strategy.

There are plenty more strategies, and I encourage you to find a strategy that is right for you. There are infinite amount of strategies, but the two above are the ones I use most, and have been effective for me. Stay tuned for more fantasy advice coming throughout the weekend. Good Luck in your drafts! Cam is signing off, and until next time, GO FALCONS!

Hello all. Here at Blogging Dirty, we love our readers and all our fellow Falcons Fanatics. With this being said, we want to commend our readers, with an official Blogging Dirty Fantasy Football League (or Leagues if it comes to that).

They will be 10 team league(s), and will be held on Yahoo. It will be standard scoring, and whole ton of fun! If you are interested in joining in this great community event, shoot me an email at ceadamczyk@yahoo.com.

The results of the league(s) and drafts will be posted here on BD, as with some Fantasy Football advice from your truly. I will be competing in one of the leagues, so if you would like to compete with me, then send me an email first, as it is first come first serve.

The email again is ceadamczyk@yahoo.com. Please, no spam mail.

Matt Ryan, QB

Matt Ryan is a solid option for your starting QB in 2012. I have him ranked #10 on my board, and would feel pretty good if I got him in the 6^th round. I expect about 4100 yards and 30 TDs. There are definitely better options than Matt Ryan for your quarterback position, but there are upside for getting Matt Ryan in such a late round. You can improve your other positions by drafting them earlier. That is something to think about when waiting on Ryan.

Roddy White, WR

Many think this season, Julio Jones will surpass Roddy White as the best fantasy WR on the Falcons, and I am here to disagree. While I think there will be a bit of a drop off from past seasons, but I fully expect him to have around 100 receptions and 1200 yards. 7 TDs is a solid estimate for this upcoming season. What does this mean? It means Roddy is as safe a WR #1 this season as any. White is a safe keeper selection for a few more years.

Julio Jones, WR

Julio Jones is another solid fantasy option this season. I believe Julio is a borderline #1 WR, but a very solid WR #2. As Falcon’s fans, you are sure to know that we saw Julio really develop last season. He had 5 100+ yards receiving last season, but also some days that we saw very little production. I feel this season Julio’s numbers improve, and he finishes with about 1100 yards and 7 TDs. If you are In a keeper league, Julio is worth keeping for many years, as he will only improve through the years.

Michael Turner, RB

Michael Turner has been a solid #1 RB for many years in the past, but as he hits age 30, you should expect a drop off from Turner this season. I would feel good about drafting Turner in the 4th round, as your 2^nd RB. He is not going to put up the 1,340 yards he did last season. I expect about 1000 yards, and 9 TDs. This means you should see a spike in production from other RBs such as Jaquizz Rogers and Jason Snelling.

Tony Gonzalez, TE

Tony Gonzalez has always been a great fantasy TE, and I don’t expect that to change. While he won’t be putting up Rob Gronkowski type numbers, he will be a very solid option. I expect around the same numbers as last season (which he had 875 yards, and 7 TDs). That is a good estimate for this season.

Thanks for reading. If there is any other player you would like me to analyze, feel free to tell me. Until next time, Cam is signing off.