As a reigning champ of my fantasy football league, I feel compelled to let go of some of my tips and secrets.

I’ve won a couple of fantasy leagues in my life, and I’ve also did terrible throughout the years starting in middle school. Through the years I’ve picked up some keys that many folks don’t think about. Being that I’m a sports writer that has dedicated much time to watching football games, there are some nuances that may not be considered the statistically correct, but it works. So here they are.

Don’t fall for big names

Back in college I drafted Odell Beckham early and all the guys laughed at the decision, and they were right. We look at Beckham as the guy with the one hand catch that is good at route running, but in reality, he has never put together a solid season, let alone dealing with consistent injuries.

Football is one of those sports that because of the physicality, players have a short shelf life of their prime. Especially for running backs who face contact nearly every time they touch the ball. Just because they’re coming off a great season, doesn’t mean they’ll do the same the following year. Teams are now aware of that player and have came up with a gameplan to stop that player from doing the same thing they did last season.

A star is born every week, so pick rookies and young guys

The NFL is unpredictable. There’s always at least one major injury Week 1 in which a superstar will be out for the season. With that being said, a new wide receiver, running back, or corner back that we never heard of will make their name known in the league. Therefore, never forget to pickup a rookie or second-year guy on your fantasy team that’ll likely get more playing time as the season goes on. Don’t be one of those guys that’s rushing to free agency each week to see if the guy who had a 200-yard receiving game has been picked up yet. You have to take a gamble in the fantasy draft, and it’s likely that gamble will pay off for one week at the least.

Quarterbacks aren’t super important

Every season it seems that there’s a guy who’s quick to pick up Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or whatever quarterback that may have won an MVP. The reality is that the quarterback position in fantasy football isn’t that important, especially with the older quarterback who are considered “elite”. The reason why being that those top guys are now aiming for a Super Bowl, which means they aren’t likely going to throw the ball 30-40 times a game, or scramble down the field and put their body at harm, and their coach may sit them out towards the end of the season when they clinch a playoff spot (which is the same time around fantasy playoffs). Pick the young quarterback who’s still got much to prove so they’ll throw the ball a ton, or dive for the pile on and so on. Guys such as Jordan Love, CJ Stroud, Trevor Larwrence and such.

The tight end era is over

Let’s be honest here, if you don’t have Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews, than put your attention somewhere else in the early rounds. Sure, there are some talented tight ends who can have really good weeks, but the likelihood of finding one that will be productive week in and out is not high nowadays. Unless you have a guy you’re really high on that’s young and can surprise everyone, in that case go for it, but take my advice on this one.

Kickers are important but don’t pick them too early

Don’t be that guy to pick the “top” projected kicker in the mid rounds of the draft, you’re wasting a pick. Pick a kicker that’s on a team that will be in close games each week. Meaning, don’t always go for the kicker on the best or worst team. The best team will likely use their kicker for extra points (which is less points in most leagues) and the bad teams will have their kicker kick from far out putting them in a position to miss (which can be negative points). Instead, just pick kickers on teams that are in the middle of the pack. That way they’ll always be in the mix, which will allow for you to rack up points.

Hope this helps.