How to make a cheat sheet

If you're going to bother throwing any money at fantasy football this year, promise yourself that you'll make your own cheat sheet.

Use Microsoft Excel, it's very easy to use. Also, learn to highlight things in color, because a good cheat sheet is color coded.

What I do each year, rather than list the top players 1-100...I rank each position, and also assign tiers to each ranking.

For instance, for running backs...I pick a group of them I would say was top tier, that they were the best of the best. I normally have about 6-7 running backs as a top tier group.

I do the same with WR/TE's and QB's. I include 2-3 of each in my top tier, and then pick second tier players, highlight those in red, and then third tier players, and highligh those in green.

There's no science in how many of each I put into which tier...just do it the way you feel it works.

I'll do the same for kickers and Defenses, but i'll normally only have 2 tiers for each, and I'll explain why later.

Using this type of spreadsheet is easy, it allows for you to have a little decision making power, but keeps your decisions based on good strategy.

The one rule to this is...never draft a 2nd tier player when a 1st is still on the board. Regardless of need, whatever. Even if you have 2 RB's already, if there's a 1st tier RB and no WR's or QB...you draft the RB.

If deciding between 2 positions of the same tier, this is when you consider need. Normally, if there is only 1 or 2 players left at a certain position and tier (say 2 RB's left in tier 2) I'll take one of those players. I'm certain to get a relatively equal QB or WR in the next round, because there's more of those left.

Ideally, you can get 2 or 3 top tier players. Then you get as many 2nd, and then as many 3rd tier players as you need.

With defenses and kickers, I mentioned you have 1st and 2nd tiers. Either get 1 first tier or 2 second tiers of each.

With ranking defenses...read the rules of scoring. This is cruicial. Some leagues give points based on yardage, and some based on turnovers/scoring only. Your first step into ranking defenses is to apply the points to what each defense had in 2008 if they had been in your league, and work from there.

Also, for each position, you have the players bye week next to his name. pay attention to these, so you don't have your backups with the same bye week as your starter. (remember, that's what backups are for).

I'll continue to work on my cheat sheet, and I'll post it here when I'm done.