After a draft mistake, how do you attempt to recover?

Question

All of the draft advice I read is presented as though a manager will make a perfect draft with no errors or omissions. In reality, we s***w up. We overreach. We accidentally draft two starting WRs with the same bye week. We follow the herd and draft the fifth TE of round six.

What advice do you have for managers after they make a draft error?

Answer 1

Mistakes are rarely fatal flaws, and in most cases real "errors" aren't fully revealed until the season is well underway.

Last season, I had the opportunity to draft Tom Brady in one league, yet through my research and a gut feeling took Drew Brees.  I have nightmares to this day.

But, let's say you did make a mistake and chose two QBs on the same bye week....

1. Show no weakness.  Offer no "tell" in a live draft.  You are practicing Value Based Drafting, and value is value.

2. Move on.  Get back on plan.  So long as you've chosen healthy players with no lingering issues (suspensions, legal trouble, drugs, whatever), just get back on track.

3. Fill your positions.  

4. If needed, skip backups at TE and kicker.  A good time to make up for a mistake, or to legitimately "reach" is in the final couple of rounds.

5. Don't overcompensate.  If you have two QBs on the same bye week, don't go further adrift and take a third.

6. Most things can be fixed.  If you practice VDB, real reaches are rare, and you'll have trade fodder for later.  You'll be jettisoning players in the early going eventually anyway...

Answer 2

Well hello again,

Even the best fantasy players make mistakes on draft day and you have to be able to adjust on the fly.  The important thing is to not get flustered and be aware of all available options.  I think there are two important things that could minimize the chance of making a mistake and help you recover from a mistake should you make one:

1.  Properly Prepare - If you've done all of the necessary research and prepared a detailed fantasy cheat sheet then you should have most of the information you need right in front of you.  If you make an error, review your documentation and take the necessary steps to correct it.  Of course if you've done 5 keg stands corrective action may be more difficult, but at least you've given yourself the best chance possible.

2. Post-Draft Diligence - As soon as your draft is over you should start reviewing your roster to ensure you didn't s***w the pooch.  Did you draft 3 WRs on the same bye week?  Did the RB you selected in Round 6 twist his ankle in his pre-season game?  Go through each player selected and ensure he's healthy and on the up and up.  Chances are your fellow fantasy owners will be doing the same thing and you want to have first shot at the waivers should you discover that you've made an error.

As I said before, even the best players will make mistakes, but if you're well prepared you should have enough information in front of you to make the necessary adjustments to your draft strategy and continue forward.  In the link in my source list, I go into these points in more detail and reviewing some of these tips could help you avoid routine errors (and recover from them) on draft day.

Lata