YOU DON’T win your AFL Fantasy Draft league on draft Day, but you can certainly lose it.

Like any good boy scout, you need to be prepared.

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Having your pre-draft list loaded ahead of the draft will help to avoid too many on-the-spot decisions - especially when the countdown timer closes in on zero when it's your turn.

Highlighting smokeys and players you believe will improve their average, is how you can gain an edge on your opponents. While some will draft based on last year’s average or even ADP (Average Draft Pick), taking a player in a break-out year can add an extra 10 points to your team per week.

Best of the backs: Fantasy defenders ranked
The ultimate mids: Fantasy midfielders ranked
The right ruck call: Fantasy ruckmen rated

Don’t get greedy with your expectations.

Coaches who have unrealistic scoring predictions can 'lose' their draft if they don’t come off. Save these for later rounds.

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Last season, Nick Riewoldt was the highest averaging forward and, after losing a lot of the top end players who were dual-position, he is more than 10 points per game ahead of the next best in Jack Macrae.

It can been argued that Macrae’s average doesn’t reflect his usual output (he went at 104 in the two previous seasons) and that Riewoldt’s final-round score of 200 boosted his average by an extra five points. This would put the two averaging close to each other.

Thirteen of the available forwards averaged more than 85 points in 2016, however 59 players scored in the range of 70-85 points per game.

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It is often fraught with danger selecting key position forwards in Fantasy Classic. However, in Fantasy Draft they can be important for your season. Adelaide's Tom Lynch, for example, has been taken in the top eight forwards on ADP.

Quite often the break-out candidates come from the Fantasy forward line. The midfield probably sees the larger group of players improve their average, but the value is in the forwards who take their game to the next level. Usually this is through extra midfield time or new opportunities.

Jack Steele has flown up draft boards and his ADP of 144 is definite value. He is likely to go well inside the top 100 selections post-JLT.

The Traders' forward rankings

There are different mindsets when it comes to the forward line. Some aim to avoid key position players, while others aim for DPPs. Some even keep spots open and draft players who may gain FWD status during the season – eg. Gary Ablett, Dustin Martin or Robbie Gray.

Isaac Heeney has been a hyped player up until the glandular fever news, ranking him as the ninth forward taken overall according to his ADP of 43. He will slide now as his return date is unknown. Same goes for Brett Deledio. His calf injury has the boys scared as they collectively rank him tenth overall when ADP placed him at fifth.