Despite our obsession with lists, many fantasy owners don't really consider their players that way. They tend to group players of similar talent into tiers. While it makes sense to give each player a number at the very top (you might see Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham, Jr. and Julio Jones as a clear one, two and three), it gets murkier as you delve into the talent pool. Is there much of a difference between your 32nd-ranked receiver and your 35th-ranked one? How do you determine exactly when to abandon one position's list and jump to another one with your next pick?

Sometimes it's based on who someone else takes, making your decision easier. Sometimes it's a gut feeling. But there's a better tiebreaker out there, because it relates directly to your personal success: Your league itself.

Every league is different. We know that, but we don't always act like it. We tend to think of "our PPR league," or "our keeper league," or "our redraft league." In reality, you could be in a dozen redraft leagues and none of them would be exactly the same. Aside from awarding a point per catch, my PPR league is probably very different than yours. And somewhere in the rules or format is a hint as to how to approach your draft or auction.

Good owners already use this to their advantage. On the most basic level, a running back who catches passes has more value in a PPR league than a redraft league. A quarterback has more relative value in a league with six points per touchdown pass than one with four points. No secrets there, but there's always more to it.

The more teams you have, the more rounds you draft, and the more bench spots you have, the more diluted your waiver wire will be. If you start three receivers and have a couple of flex positions with a deep bench, you're not going to find pass-catching gems just sitting there in week 3. But the opposite is also true. If there are four bench spots, the Jamaal Charles owner probably can't afford to keep Spencer Ware on his roster. But nobody else can, either.

In a league with a shallow bench, it's also more costly to stash Tom Brady and hope for a late run. But that gets complicated based on how many teams go to the playoffs. In a 14-teamer where eight go to the post-season after week 14, you should be targeting players like Brady and Le'Veon Bell. That situation is more like the NHL, where the playoffs is what really matters. But if that same 14-team league only sends four clubs to the post-season after 13 weeks, you'd better have some good replacement prospects for that first month. You're running a pretty big risk by taking players who won't contribute early on.

There are leagues that require everyone to take backup kickers and defenses to start out the year. That ties up your bench spots and can ruin your strategy. The only thing worse that being forced to select guys you don't want is to not know about it until you start drafting. And if you say "yes" to a bunch of leagues without too much thought, it could happen to you.

Do you really know the nuances of every league? Are you assuming it's one point for every 20 yards passing, instead of 50 yards? Is there a bonus for a 300-yard passing game, or a 100-yard rushing or receiving day? Are you allowed to take a zero at a spot if you don't want to ditch one of your bench players? It all matters during the year, and it could make a difference on draft day.

I've played in leagues where all rosters lock when the first game of the week starts. I've played in leagues where you could drop/add while the games were playing. I've played in leagues where it's acceptable to not even draft a kicker or defense, and pick them up right before the games. In other leagues, that's not allowed. Every league has rules. You just have to know what they are.

I suggest you delve past the basics today, and find out everything you can about each league's setup. Spend a few minutes on each one, and see if your player selection can be tweaked to accommodate it. You might find that an annoying quirk in a league can be an advantage, especially if other owners didn't take the time to learn about it. Good luck on draft day.

Do you consider each league's specifics when choosing players? Does your league have a format that affects the way you draft? Have you created an advantage by doing so? Share your thoughts below.