Word to the Winners: Fantasy Football Advice

Need a Fantasy Fix? All Hail the NFL Combine! -- By Russ Bliss

It's not difficult for even the casual fan to name the top players at the skill positions likely to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. But after them, most fans go scrambling for a draft guide to find information about the rest. A strong showing by a player at the NFL Combine can elevate that player into being selected much higher in the draft. Every year during the NFL Draft, we see players selected higher than we thought they would go, and we also witness players sliding down from where he was projected to be drafted. Paying attention to the NFL Combine can give you insight to why that happened.

At the NFL Combine, players get tested in an assortment of categories. While some are specific to the position that player plays, some are universal. Things like speed, strength, agility and injury history go across the board and apply to every position. A really fast time in the 40 yard dash increases a player's value at RB, WR, and CB. A showing of exceptional strength increases the chances an offensive or defensive lineman moves up in the draft.

However, just because a player improves his stock by showing well in these categories, it doesn't always translate into them being a better fantasy player. WR Troy Williamson and RB J.J. Arrington last year wowed everyone with their exceptional speed, but their performances as rookies were of little help to those who drafted them in their fantasy leagues. An opposite example is WR Anquan Boldin. Boldin slid into the second round of the 2003 draft because his time in the 40 was considered to be slow. But his performance on the football field has been outstanding for those who looked past that one element of his game.

The NFL Combine is also a chance for fantasy players to get back in touch with their favorite NFL team. Every team will have a staff of coaches and scouts in Indianapolis to evaluate every participating athlete. With the advent of the NFL Network, a lot of the drills will be broadcast for fantasy players to watch, and interviews with teams will be plenty. This helps soothe the emptiness experienced by many after the Super Bowl is over.

There are so many things a fantasy football fanatic can pay attention to during the off-season to keep their football cravings satiated. The NFL Combine, the NFL Draft, free agency, mini-camps, etc. are all things that can fulfill our appetites during this time.

Russ Bliss - fantasy football expert and radio host of "The Red Zone with Russ Bliss" on KDUS-AM - went head-to-head with the Line-Up Analyzer last year, and still wishes he had worn a helmet. Russ was so impressed with our predictive analysis engine, he joined the team at FantasyFootballStarters.com.

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