5 rookie errors to avoid in Fantasy Football Week 1

#3 – Don’t ignore your defense

Darius Leonard will be a forced fumble machine again in 2022

Whilst the least fashionable part of Fantasy Football, a defense can provide you with some valuable points. Too many players simply ignore their defense and draft the best group available based on 2021 stats, or who is ranked as the best defensive unit in the game.

This isn’t necessarily a smart way to select a defense, you have to be more pro-active in how you assess a D-Line. You’re looking for playmakers and favorable matchups. You need to look for offenses that are prone to turnovers and a defensive group that has an elite rusher.

Note - TURNOVERS WILL GAIN YOU POINTS. Forcing fumbles and interceptions are decent points from a defensive perspective. Instead of looking at teams that don’t concede a lot of points, look for players who force a lot of fumbles and see if they’re facing a poor offense.

Von Miller is a great playmaker, but he is going up against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. Instead, you should look at Darius Leonard, who forced eight fumbles in 2021. The Indianapolis Colts face the Houston Texans in Week 1 and the Texans have a generally awful offense. Leonard is a player who could perhaps help the Colts defense score a lot of fantasy points.

#4 – Don’t assume Tyreek Hill will shine

Fantasy players may be shocked at how much Tyreek Hill's production drops in 2022

Tyreek Hill was a lock selection in previous Fantasy Football drafts with his partnership with Patrick Mahomes verging on the incredible. With Hill traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins, don’t assume he will continue to shine.

The Dolphins have a far-less refined offense and Tua Tagovailoa is not the playmaker that Mahomes is. This will see Hill’s production drop and it could well be a dramatic drop. Don’t rush to bring him into your team when his production levels are too difficult to predict at the moment. Instead, go for a proven, less explosive receiver who is settled in his environment and has a partnership with his quarterback.

#5 – Don’t discriminate against older players

Old Man Rodgers will still get you a bucket-load of Fantasy points

Fantasy Football gives you the opportunity to act as a General Manager. It is natural for when amateurs get the chance to make such decisions and they tend to be unconsciously biased against older players.

You will see this throughout Fantasy Football drafts. You'll see players like Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady left on the shelf for quite a few rounds. Many of the early selections feature Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen. Discriminating against older players can be a fatal mistake in Fantasy Football and you can find value in the later rounds of the draft.

Rodgers will be an MVP candidate in the upcoming campaign and Brady will always score points. By building a solid base of running backs and receivers, you can secure a better roster of players with more scope for weekly rotation. So select an older QB further down the draft board.