Fantasy football is quickly becoming the "must play" fantasy sports game out there. With weekly match-ups, smaller player pools and huge tv contracts, it is the easiest one to play as well. 
This is an excellent combination that has proven immensely lucrative for Yahoo! Fox Sports.com and so on. So much so that walking into Barnes & Nobles last week I was inundated with magazines claiming to be the "authority" on drafting, some even making guarantees.
But there's so much more to a fantasy draft than the game itself. It's about getting together with your buddies, talking smack and dreaming big. But unless you're a manly version of Martha Stewart, setting up an offline draft is a LOT of work. That's where sites like CommishKit.com come into play. They can take the drama out of planning the draft and put it squarely in it (like when are you going to take a kicker)?
We caught up with VP of Operations, Andre Huaman of CommishKit.com to chat about Draft Boards, Babes, Sleepers and Beer?
Andre, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! First off, we just have to know, what gave you the idea to start CommishKit.com?
Thanks for the interview guys! CommishKit started out 8 years ago in the San Francisco Bay Area. We saw that a majority of the draft kits on the market were extremely plain; the labels didn’t stand out, the boards were blank pieces of paper with lines running through them, and the websites were all empty without any life. CommishKit’s President and Founder, Eddie Frias, decided that it was time to jump into the market and give fantasy players the draft kit they deserve. Since that point, we have grown to the top of the fantasy football draft kit market.
Who is your favorite NFL team?
This question brings me back to high school. I am going to have to say the San Francisco 49ers. Growing up about 15 minutes away from Oakland, the majority of my friends would give me an extremely hard time about that answer. But having two parents from San Francisco made me a true gold and red follower. The only problem now is that I am located in Southern California, which makes watching the 49ers that much harder!
What are some of the key benefits to a draft kit from CommishKit.com?
Our kit has everything your draft will need to be successful. Our kits come with over 400 color coded player labels, team defensive labels included. These labels stand out from a mile away and make your board extremely easy to read. Our boards have the top design, with cool helmets on top to designate each fantasy player, and round numbers clearly stated on the side. In addition, we send all our boards with blank labels and a marker for fill in players. Our labels are up to date with the top three rounds of rookies drafted in this years draft. Oh! And don’t forget the two sided tape that is included to prop your board up on a wall!
We must know, the girls in your tutorial video, do they come with a draft kit? And if so which one (because we’re totally getting that one)!
Ha! I will tell you the girls have been a hit for us. As you can tell on our website, we now allow our customers to vote for the “ Hottest Babe”. The girl with the most votes gets a cash prize and becomes our main model for the following year. But unfortunately, the girls do not come with the draft. If they did, I would be most likely take part in every CommishKit draft possible!
When it comes to drafting a fantasy football team, what are three key things you make sure to do to ensure victory?
My first piece of advice would have to be to draft running backs first, NOT QUARTERBACKS! The running game in the NFL is big and can not be overlooked.
My second piece of advice is going to have to be about bye weeks. You can definitely lose yourself here. Be aware of your potential players bye weeks and plan accordingly. The last thing you need is all your quarterbacks lined up for the same bye week.
Finally, take chances! The last couple rounds you need to go out on a hunch. If you have a guy in a major slump who hasn’t been drafted, take him! Go for a rookie that has a chance to get some starting time, or that one time pro bowler who got injured. These risks can pay off!
In your opinion, who are the most overvalued and undervalued players this season?
Oh no, I knew this question would come up. This is where I can get some heat from friends. This year, CommishKit combined with the Bruno Boys to produce a free online magazine. This magazine is going to be the key to my draft, so I am going to have to use that as my reference. The most undervalued pick is easily Carson Palmer. Ochocinco and Coles at WR for Palmer is enough said. This guy will do some damage. If you can snag him after the second round, do it! The most overvalued is going to have to be a guy I have used in the past: Terrell Owens. Plain and simple, he won’t be putting up the numbers we all saw in the past.
Finally, what are the four most important things to have, in order to run a successful live fantasy draft?
- Food and beer. Your draft should contain a little more then a competitive edge. At a certain point, you have to enjoy what you are doing and enjoy spending a couple of hours with the buddies.
- A clock/timer. I have been part of drafts that have taken up an entire Sunday. Plan ahead. Set out a couple bathroom breaks that will happen before certain rounds. Give each player a specific amount of time to complete there pick. With this, comes the next piece of advice.
- Be organized. Have an individual responsible for putting up each player label. Have another person run the clock. Have another player keep track of each pick. If your draft is organized, it will help ensure there are no bumps during the draft and season.
- USE A COMMISHKIT! We want to help speed up drafts, get rid of double picks, and help inform fantasy coaches which players have been picked. Our board contains everything you need to have the perfect fantasy draft with the perfect looking draft board!
Draft kits are available in a variety of league sizes and are available on their website CommishKit.com. You can also find cool apparrel, babes and in-depth draft analysis. Now, go forth and DRAFT!
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