I agree with Nick, above. If you want to put together the best team possible, this level of organization is very helpful.
But I'm totally gonna just wing it this year. Just doing it for entertainment and educational purposes. Couldn't care less about where I finish. I'm experiencing a little DKC burn out, so I thought this might be a fun distraction.
It's funny, I had some ok success in this thing*, but never once made a spreadsheet or looked more than a round or two ahead at a time. More, my strategy was win trades, and draft for value, without putting too much thought into it beyond that.
nick's approach is a good one, I just never had the organizational skills to pull it off.
An easy rule of thumb for trades past the first round: A pick in one round is worth picks in each of the next two rounds. So, for instance, a fair trade is a 3rd rounder for a 4th and a 5th rounder. It's not perfect (don't trade an early 2nd for a late 3rd and 4th!), but it's a guideline.
*
Co-founder of CB Draft
* Two time official winner
* One-time unofficial winner and "Team Of The Future" in same year
* Never lost in the CB Draft when playing from the start of draft
* Made Final Four even when taking over an abandoned team
* Founder of Pick 2 Draft
* Winner of DKC Draft; architect of two-time defending champions