Drafting tip - know who your handcuffs are ahead of time

kearly

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I would recommend everybody do at least a few simulated drafts every year before the real thing. Not just because it helps you get a feel for where players are going, but because it helps you discover and prepare for scenarios where you need information quickly.

Say for example you reach the third round, and there are four players you like the most. Lets say LeSean McCoy is at the top of this list. You want to draft him, but you want to know who his handcuff is an how much you can trust him. It's hard to google all this information accurately, then make an informed decision in just 30 seconds. The clock is ticking.

It's very important to make sure that you are informed before the draft on all the potential handcuffs so as to not make a mistake. I learned this lesson the hard way last year, when I drafted Jamaal Charles in round 1 but then drafted Knile Davis as his handcuff instead of taking the time to verify Charles handcuff situation before the draft. Ultimately, Davis was demoted to 4th string and someone else got Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware, and reaped the rewards while I was left holding the bag when Charles went down with an MCL early in the season.

Sometimes RBs have clear handcuffs but other times the backup RB situation is murky and requires some detective work. Don't simply trust what drafting sites list as handcuffs. They listed Knile Davis as the Jamaal Charles handcuff for me last year and I lazily figured they were right. Currently most sites are still listing CJ Procise as the handcuff for Thomas Rawls, even though all us Seahawks fans know that it's almost certainly C-Mike. The handcuff list in the draft center is not especially accurate or up to date.

It's important to figure all this stuff out before the draft. Because in the moment, you won't have enough time to accurately verify and will be forced to take a bit of a stab in the dark.
 

Hawk-Lock

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Good post.

Handcuffs are important. Usually my bench is made up of at least 2 handcuffs. I only stash a handcuff on my bench if there is a clear RB who will takeover. You did nothing wrong drafting Knile, everyone thought he was the handcuff to Charles before the season started.
 
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kearly

kearly

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Apparently there were rumblings of his demotion before I drafted him. I made the mistake of making assumptions instead of doing due diligence.
 
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kearly

kearly

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It's also a good thing to do these simulations because you might have a four way tie at a pick and only have 30 seconds to decide who you take. I've had so many times where this happened to me and ended up second guessing my decision a few minutes later when I had a little time to think it over. Doing these mocks are nice because you encounter these scenarios in a practice environment and that means there's one fewer unforeseen circumstance to worry about in your real draft.
 

EverydayImRusselin

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There is also the other position, which I take sometimes. Don't draft your hanscuff. Draft someone else's handcuff. If you draft your own handcuff it caps your upside but if you draft someone elses handcuff you can swing for the fences.
 

HAWKAMANIA

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EverydayImRusselin":24psdvf4 said:
There is also the other position, which I take sometimes. Don't draft your hanscuff. Draft someone else's handcuff. If you draft your own handcuff it caps your upside but if you draft someone elses handcuff you can swing for the fences.
This is usually the route I take. It seems to work out more often than not.
 
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