Patience, or lack thereof, can get you in serious trouble...

How many times have you seen a guy sit around with his cheat sheets, lists and books, trying to figure out his next move and ends up taking a guy 5 rounds before he should have?  First off, those are the guys, if you're in a money league, that you like having since they are the "pigeons" that we all feast upon.  Alot can be learned from these guys, believe it or not.  You learn to be prepared and learn patience.  I will be talking about non-auction leagues.  I think everyone knows how a lack of patience in an auction league can put you into a spiral that you probably won't get out of.

As I'm sure many a fantasy football player has found over the years, you can make or break your draft by hitting the accelerator peddle too quickly to try and get some of the players you feel are your "sleepers".  I look to have a couple draft strategies beforehand based on the flow of the picks (i.e. runs at a certain position) and the position I am drafting from.  A knowledge of the other members is also a big help because most other less-experienced people follow a specific course and don't veer from it.  Because of that, you can theorize what positions they will be picking long before they do, making it easier to plan your own picks.

If a particular position begins a run, you need to evaluate fairly quickly how many picks will be made before it gets to you and determine if you want to get the middle to end of the pack of players from that run or be the leader to go against the grain and be the first to pick the first guy at another position, starting a run yourself.  It is very easy to get caught up in a run and following everyone else when you suddenly realize, you lost your patience and picked a player several rounds before you should have.  That is what happens to most people.  Instead, immediately, once you see that the run has started, look at the other positions and determine which players have the best value at your draft position.  If you can find better value at your pick, change the course of draft and switch off to a different position, grabbing the best player available.  Other owners may very well follow your lead and begin a new run, which is exactly what you want to happen.

Your patience can lead you to the promise land if you handle it properly.  If you have it, don't lose it.  If you don't have it, you are doomed to defeat.