So you say you couldn’t have had a better fantasy football draft. You ended up with Manning, Tomlinson or Holmes, that receiver you wanted, a kicker from a high-powered offense (after the 10th round at least, right?), and Baltimore’s defense.

While fantasy owners put most of the emphasis on research before the draft, don’t forget, any fantasy rookie can pick up the same magazine you did and read down the ‘Top-200’ list. Without any prior football knowledge or fantasy experience, they can end up with a team just as good as yours by simply following what the experts had to say.

Unless you’re part of a relatively small league, one in which virtually every roster spot is a Pro Bowler, chances are rosters will have some sleepers, back-ups, rookies, or just plain bottom-of-the-barrel picks on them. And guess what? These guys don’t always pan out.

So, what really separates the snotty rooks from the crusty vets? It’s all about the decisions you make after the draft. It takes a nose for following developments as the season wears on. I’m not talking about watching the obvious stars here, but the up-and-comers, the rookies, the rejuvenated has-beens and the simply forgotten.

For starters, if you’re going to make a commitment to winning, watch and listen to as many games as you can.

It sounds obvious, but this live coverage is where you’re going to quickly see which free agent pickups are fully recovered from that knee blowout, which players their coaches and quarterbacks are gaining confidence in, and just as importantly, which of your back-end roster spots aren’t holding their own fantasywise and need to get cut.

In addition, because it’s live, you might be able to get the drop on the other owners in your league for a quality pickup. Timeliness is crucial. The eventual champion in my league last year jumped all over Dallas running back Julius Jones during his breakout game; he’s gone by the 2nd round easy this year. These kinds of moves tend to be a deciding factor in a championship fantasy run year after year.

If you’re not able to (or don’t want to) sit in front of the TV on Sundays, log into a net sports site and break down the stats available. Or, if you’re one of the three people on campus without web access, grab a newspaper the next day and check the box scores and recaps. It’s easy to see when the guy you thought was the No. 2 receiver is getting 3rd receiver looks; just watch for receptions, rushing attempts, etc.

It’s also crucial to watch the early-season position battles, like the running-back situation in Cleveland or Denver. Another good fight to watch might be the one between quarterbacks Joey Harrington and Jeff Garcia in Detroit, as whomever wins will have three young talented receivers to throw pigskins at.

There’s more to discerning who to pick up and who to stay away from than this, but my point is, if you really want to play the game, don’t be that person who sets up their starters in the first week and then quits paying attention. Unless, of course, you’re in one of my leagues.

Josh Terrell can be reached at [email protected]