A Beginner’s Guide To Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football Steve O Speak

So, you’re thinking about fantasy football, eh? DFS NFL is pretty popular, fantasy sports in general have really gained some traction among the sporting fan community. 

 

But, getting your teeth into it is not the easiest feat out there, but it is very fun once you get the hang of it. If you have a free weekend, and you want to set yourself up for a season of fun, this is the way to go. 

 

It does take time and effort to manage your fantasy football set up, however, getting it all ironed out at the beginning takes longer, so a free weekend will give you all the time you need. 

 

This is a great way to spend your time if you love football anyway, and as a football enthusiast, you are already ahead in the game, know your players, know the sport and get playing! 

 

To Start: Finding A League

 

A majority of people who start off in the fantasy football world begin by competing in leagues with their friends, co-workers or even family. Others may join a league through online resources and researching leagues. 

 

Oftentimes these fantasy platforms will have different public leagues that you can join as well. If you do not like these leagues you could also create your own as well. It’s not too tricky, you just need to be ambitious enough for it to work. 

 

Redraft or Dynasty?

 

Some people will look at 2 options, they will look at redraft or dynasty leagues. There is no real ideal choice, however, many beginners will start off in a redraft league, this is where you will do a new draft in every season. 

 

Dynasty will have managers keeping players as things roll over to the next season. Redraft is ideal, however, once you have tried out this, dynasty leagues can be a good idea to dip your toes in and see if you like it. 

 

Things To Know About Your League

 

Before you start drafting you need to understand the rules and settings of your league. Different fantasy platforms will have different default settings however commissioners will also be able to customize these settings as well. 

 

The format could be point per reception, it could be based on standard scoring, or it could be a conglomeration of many settings. 

 

The ideal thing to do is just want to know the rules and settings as well as the roster rise, league size, and the type of draft they host as well. 

 

The Basics Of Fantasy Football

 

If you are totally new to this you’ll want to know what to do once you get set up. Typically, a draft will allow 15 NFL players. The basis of fantasy football is math, doubled up with the real-life NFL player production. 

 

Every week you will start players at their positions based on the specific settings of your league. These usually include a QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 D/ST, and a FLEX position. 

 

A flex position is usually a player who is a running back or a wide receiver. Some leagues can allow for a quarterback or a tight end as a flex, but it really depends on your league. 

 

Your players will accumulate stats on the field, and they will contribute to a point total at the end of the playing week. Total these from all your players, and you have a weekly score. 

 

If your weekly score is higher than that of your opponent then you win! Woo!

 

Preparing Your Draft

 

As you prepare for your draft you need to remember the above, you want good players who will have good weekly scores to heighten yourself. 

 

It is ideal to mock drafts sometimes, it can help you to understand how you should use the app or website for doing so, as well as learning about forming your roster. 

 

You might be a bit confused as you start up, so having a mock run is a good idea. 

 

How To Pick Your Players

 

There is no golden rule on how you should pick your players. The best thing you can do is just solid research, this is why we say that being an avid football fan gives you an advantage anyway. 

 

However, even if you aren’t there are so many websites and resources that will help you evaluate players and get an idea on who is worth picking. They can guide you in the right direction, so you make good choices. 

 

Do You Need To Keep Your Players All Season?

 

You do not actually need to keep the same roster all season, it is up to you how you manage your team during the season, you could add in, drop, or even trade players if you want. You can also trade with other managers in your league. 

 

Setting A Lineup

 

The first rule is to know the rules of your league for this, make sure you start filling out your roster every week, some players will get injured or have bye-weeks so always play close mind to this. 

 

If you forget, you will get a goose egg for whatever play doesn’t play, your league won’t be happy so stay on top of this.


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