More than ever… our work is never over! In only a few more summer weeks that are sure to fly by, EPL 17/18 will kickoff on August 12th. That means we’re only a few short weeks away from rosters-locked for gameweek 1.

So it’s high time to talk EPL fantasy draft strategy. If this is your first crack at fantasy sports, Welcome! Be sure to check the Draft Fantasy Football scoring rules here. The game is sure to please many a football/soccer fan spread ‘round the globe and you can jump right in if you have even a passing interest in the beautiful game and/or its beautifully coifed and styled stars.

If this is your first time playing draft fantasy football, you’ll need to change your mindset. Although the scoring is roughly the same as other football games you might have played, the value proposition in draft is totally different.

In any case, whether you’re new to the draft phenomenon or a grizzled pro, be sure to check back to our blog often so we can help you crush your mini-league and climb the rankings.

I’d like to hammer home three key lessons for draft fantasy football:

1. You need to have a plan for the first four rounds.

The draft is going to the be the only way to get the top tier players, so you have to capitalize early, no matter your draft order. You won’t get another chance to nab Harry Kane, Alexis Sanchez, Eden Hazard, Dele Alli, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, etc. I’m using my first picks to go Forward, Mid, Forward, Mid, or some such combination in a different order so I have a core of goal-scoring players that I will play week-in and week-out regardless of the matchup, as long as they don’t go down to injury. This is no time to get cute – target automatic starters from the Big Six: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Liverpool.

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

2. Use the later rounds to get coverage against earlier picks.

This means you have to assess what your mini-league opponents have prioritized and find ways into their teams at a lesser cost. For instance, if De Gea is taken in the early rounds, I’m looking for a way into the Manchester United backline later, perhaps through new signing Victor Lindelöf or Eric Bailly. Same principle could be applied to Arsenal’s defense, or even the Man City or Liverpool midfields if they get spread out enough. With the volatility in performance from season to season, you still want 90 minute players first and foremost, but a player like César Azpilicueta might drop slightly more than his Chelsea counterparts and is still likely to be a solid contributor.

(thesun.co.uk)

3. Rotate your dispensable players ruthlessly and play the matchups.

I’m not rostering more than one injured player at a time (especially if they’re going to be out months and not weeks) and I’m quick to drop a player that doesn’t start and last 60+ minutes. I’m also purposefully keeping a rotating door for my fifth midfielder, fifth defender, and usually even my third striker. Even if you crush the draft, the season ebbs and flows and you’re going to have to make weekly changes. For instance, last year’s third Forward slot was occupied at times by Troy Deeney, Manolo Gabbiadini, Divock Origi, and whoever else was on the best run of form or had a double gameweek. And since there are no penalties for transactions, you should really be making multiple moves every week unless you’re in a greater than twelve or less than five team league where you likely won’t be able to get them back later.

(Watford Observer)

Feel free to follow @Cjacksondraft for links and any draft fantasy football advice I can give you.

@Cjacksondraft is an avid fantasy football (soccer) fan who currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and loves his day job. Peaked during the 2003 Kentucky All “A” Regional tournament. I still like waking up early on Saturdays and Sundays to watch EPL live on the West Coast.