You’re on the clock. What do you do? Do you choose Baltimore Ravens’ running back Ray Rice, Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers, or Detroit Lions’ wide receiver Calvin Johnson? Every owner of a fantasy football team faces a dilemma during their league draft. Here are a few tips to follow, along with common mistakes to avoid.

DO:

Look For Production and Opportunities

Fantasy football isn’t necessarily about the best players. Rather, it’s more about productivity and opportunities. For example, players such as New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady and Houston Texans’ wide receiver Andre Johnson may be two of the most talented players at their respective positions, but players such as Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Andrew Luck and Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver Randall Cobb are projected to score more fantasy points during the 2013 NFL season, according to ESPN.com. It’s not that Luck and Cobb are better, but based on their team offenses, they are projected to get more opportunities to produce, as compared to Brady and Johnson.

Find Sleepers/Beware of Busts

Every season, there are players that either exceed expectations or fall very short of them. Due to team injuries and upgraded roles, sleeper picks find their way into the spotlight and get an opportunity to produce at an unexpected rate. Busts, on the other hand, are usually players who lack consistency, or are in a role that is possibly too large for them. Some of the year’s potential sleeper picks include Jacksonville Jaguars’ wide receiver Cecil Shorts and Packers running back Eddie Lacy. Potential busts include New Orleans Saints’ wide receiver Marques Colston and San Francisco 49ers’ tight end Vernon Davis.

Remember Tight Ends!

Tight ends are usually overlooked in favor of other positions. However, if you can find an elite tight end, it’s as good as (if not, better than) drafting another skills position. For example, if Saints tight end Jimmy Graham was a wide receiver, his projections (179 fantasy points, according to NFL.com) would make him the seventh highest-ranked receiver in the NFL. As only seven tight ends are projected to score over 100 points, drafting one of them could make a huge difference in your league.

Be Active on the Waiver Wire

Just because the draft is over, it doesn’t mean that your roster is set. As soon as the draft ends, there are sometimes last-minute free agents you can add to your team before week one of the season. Plus, players who are free agents may have a big game, and you want to try to sign the player before the rest of the league trounces on him. You also have to be aware of your opponents’ dropped players as they may drop a player who’s struggling or injured, making a potential steal likely if the player returns to top form.

DON’T:

Reach for Quarterbacks

According to NFL.com, only seven quarterbacks (Brady, Luck, Rodgers, Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos, Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers, and Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers) are projected to score over 300 fantasy points over the course of the season. However, 11 other quarterbacks are projected to score over 225 points, leaving over half of the NFL’s starting quarterbacks as serviceable options for your team. Besides, quarterbacks are not usually not the difference-makers, as much more emphasis is put on running backs and wide receivers.

Draft All of Your Favorite Players

Drafting your favorite players will break your heart every time. The problem with drafting all of your favorite players is that you disregard everything, including projections, injuries, opportunities, and position needs on your team, just to draft a player that you’re infatuated with. This strategy will likely lead to drafting players too high and subjecting yourself to a weak fantasy team.

Believe the Preseason Hype

Preseason is not a good predictor of regular season success. Because of the lack of repetition and meaninglessness of the game, stats and performances can easily be skewed. For example, New York Jets’ quarterback Mark Sanchez has generally had good preseason outings, with almost 1,400 yards, 10 touchdown passes, and a 86.6 passer rating in 17 career preseason games, according to NFL.com. However, the founder of the “Butt Fumble” is widely regarded as a lower-tier quarterback in the NFL. By default, you don’t need to ignore preseason outings, but you must be skeptical of them.

Ignore your Gut

Fantasy football is unpredictable, and those who win their leagues have to make gutsy decisions. So don’t always follow the stats and projections, and make the choice that you think is best. Nothing is sweeter than that decision paying off for you.

Best of luck!