With the NFL preseason getting ready to wrap up, many people, myself included are gearing up for fantasy football.

A lot of people have already completed at least one fantasy draft, but others may be waiting for this weekend to see who comes out injury-free in the final preseason game.

Draft strategy is very important in fantasy football. Sure you can go into a draft with no prior research take the top pick off the board every time and come away with a decent team some years, but a little research beforehand never hurts your chances.

The thing that happens most often that causes fantasy managers trouble during the season is drafting a quarterback too early. You can make a case for taking Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck late in the first round in a 12-team league, or a league that uses two quarterbacks, but in a normal one-quarterback league, you shouldn’t even consider taking a quarterback before the third round.

Sure Tony Romo isn’t going to have the same fantasy numbers as Rodgers or Luck, but Romo’s will and quarterbacks like him will still have solid numbers.

Running backs and wide receivers should be the target in the first round. The fantasy value of the running back class this season appears to drop significantly outside of the top 10 backs. It’s far easier to find a quarterback in the mid to late rounds that can provide consistent points than it is to find a running back or a receiver.

Kickers aren’t very important in fantasy football, and a lot of leagues have gotten rid of them all together. If, however, your league still employs kickers don’t take one before the final round. It’s a crap-shoot when selecting a kicker, and over the course of a season they are all going to get about the same points.

With that said, there is no wrong way to pick a fantasy football team. It’s just fun way to compete against friends for a year’s worth of bragging rights.