Keep in mind my players to watch (check Tuesday’s column) and don’t forget that it helps if the other owners in your league are a bunch of nincompoops.

Tip #1: Never draft a QB in the first round.

Assuming you follow normal fantasy football scoring, drafting a QB first is a huge no-no. The NFL is a passing league. It is an enormous cliché but it is also absolutely true. 

You can always get a better QB later in the draft. So many QBs throw for over 4,000 yards in a season, it’s OK to settle for Andy Dalton as your starting QB if you have LeSean McCoy or Jamaal Charles in your backfield.

The final points difference between the third-highest scoring QB last year (Matthew Stafford) and the 18th-highest scoring QB (Joe Flacco) was 128 points. The final points difference between the third-highest scoring RB (Matt Forte) and the 18th-highest (Giovani Bernard) scoring RB was 122 points.

Wait, so am I wrong? According to those numbers, there’s more parity among running backs!

No, I’m not.

Every fantasy league I have played in has started at least two running backs and only a handful have started two QBs. The relative value of a stud running back is higher than that of a stud quarterback.

Tip #2: Don’t be a hometown hero.

Seriously. Don’t be that guy who drafts Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, and Trent Richardson. You just look like an idiot. The biggest error you can make is to assume your fantasy team is better because it has lots of members of your favorite actual NFL team.

Another thing to consider is just because someone is on the Packers doesn’t mean they can’t contribute to your fantasy team. Draft Randall Cobb or Eddie Lacy and as long as you bench them when they play the Bears, it’s not a big deal.

That said, I am a Patriots fan and I will never, ever have a player from the New York Jets on my fantasy team. I am obviously violating my own rule, but in reality it doesn’t matter because the Jets suck.

Tip #3: Save D/ST and kicker for your last two picks.

You probably already wait until late in the draft for these two selections, but I would urge you to wait until the last two spots to make your decision on these positions.

Kickers are mostly interchangeable, with a few exceptions. Extra points are automatic (at least for now) and no kicker in last year’s top 20 made more than 36 or fewer than 26 field goals.

As far as defenses go, there is more range, but unless you play in a 20-team league, you’ll have the opportunity to pick up a defense that is in the better half of the NFL. It’s better to use the other late rounds to grab extra running backs or promising rookies in case someone has a breakout season. 

So keep it safe. Fill out your starting lineup before adding to your bench and go with players who have had sustained success over ones who have been boom or bust. Your fantasy choices have wide-reaching implications and must be handled with the utmost care.

Peter is a sophomore in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @pbaileywells22.