Welcome to the very first week of my Fantasy Football advice column.

I actually don’t really know anything about football; I was just really chomping at the bit to use my name for a clever column title and this was all I could get.

Just kidding.

To be honest, I’m a pretty big geek when it comes to sports statistics. And Fantasy Football brings out this quality in me most. During the season I keep up with everything football related on a daily basis.

Now I’m no expert, but I’ve been playing Fantasy Football for the last few years and have been fortunate enough to come out on top of every league I’ve played in (Honest!).

After all that hype, let’s finally get to some advice.

When it comes to drafting, there are two important things you always need to keep in mind.

First, you have to live with these players for an entire season, so make sure you ultimately draft who YOU want.

It’s great to read all of the opinions across the web and to peruse the numerous cheat-sheets ranking each player based on their projected values. But don’t let these tools make your decisions for you.

Ultimately, they are all just that: projections.

If you really don’t like a guy, then don’t draft him. Who cares if some “expert” on ESPN told you they think this guy will have a breakout year. If that player flops, you are going to regret it all season.

Only use those tools as a supplement to help you make your own decision.

Second, always draft based on value, not a player’s position.

Too often people get caught up trying to fill each position slot when they are drafting. This is a potentially fatal mistake. Maybe not for you, but at least for your Fantasy season.

If you already have two good receivers and still need a running back, don’t feel obligated to get a back.

If there is another good receiver still on the board and only sub-par running backs left, you should go with the good receiver.

In doing so you’ll accomplish a few things. For one, it’ll add valuable depth to your team. But, more importantly, you’ll be giving yourself some important trade bait.

Someone with a good extra running back might be looking for a receiver down the road. In this case you’ll be able to swap players with them and turn what would have been a mediocre back into a good one.

It’s also important to realize in this situation that there will probably still be more mediocre backs left in future rounds anyways.

Try to keep these two things in mind on draft day and you’ll have a good basis to start from. Happy drafting!