Considering joining the millions of Americans who play in a Fantasy Football league this year? It's all fun, unless you really want to win. Then it's only fun if you work a strategy and avoid some key rookie mistakes. Here's how:
Tips for Fantasy Football newbies
Choose whether you want to be nostalgic or competitive. If you want to win at Fantasy Football, you have to quit thinking of the players and teams as your all-time favorites or as enemies. The fun part of a mock draft is selecting a roster that can earn points, not drafting all your favorite players. Essentially, you'll be enjoying football on two levels once you join a fantasy league. You'll still root for your favorite teams, and you'll simultaneously get to follow other players you may not even like and see how they do – in terms of your league's scoring.
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Read the rules of your league. This can't be stated enough. Even if your league has the luxury of holding an in-person draft, you won't be seeing all the other members in that scenario again. And you'll be tweaking your lineups and trading players on your own. So make sure you know exactly what actions earn you points. If you don't earn many points based on yards per catch, for example, there's no reason to choose or hold onto lots of players from teams that rarely run the ball.
Don't take on too much. Especially if you've been a fan all your life, you may want to go all in your very first year at Fantasy Football. Resist this urge. This isn't like dropping in to play Texas Hold 'Em any night you're free. To have fun and a chance of winning at Fantasy Football, you'll need to spend some time on the initial draft and you'll want to keep up with your trades. You'll also want to see what the other players are up to. A few years down the road, you may be able to cope with multiple leagues, but for the first year, just enjoy learning the process.
Remember the Thursdays. Different leagues have unique rules about how long you can wait before you have to have your roster set for the week. But don't forget Thursday night NFL games. If they involve some of your current players, you'll want to know that and make trades and create rosters accordingly. If you forget about the Thursday game, some of your players have already played once you're trying to balance your strategy for Sunday.
Select a league that isn't all old-timers. This has nothing to do with age. For your first time out, join a league that hasn't been together for years and years. The exception might be if you're hooking up with a family league after all this time. But players of any age who have strategized against each other over the course of a few seasons have a great advantage over a newbie joining up. They know each other's go-tos, and how everyone will react in a shakeup during the season. You don't.
Don't obsess about your quarterback. Seriously. Maybe if you were a real owner of an actual league that was filling seats in your local stadium, but in fantasy, almost all of the quarterbacks you'll be considering are pretty good. "Don't even think about a QB until Round 4," advised Bleacher Report. Instead, your top priority should always be the best running back. "Seek out do-it-all RBs first. The most dangerous weapon you can acquire for your fantasy team this year is a pass-catching running back, so there's no question that there's a premium on the position," BR added.
As you progress
Read the rules again. Make sure your league hasn't switched anything up this year.
Find a good scouting source. Now that you're more familiar with the process, it's time to find some unique sources of player information. It's like protecting a great fishing spot: Try to find some sources of scouting information that the other league members don't already use. A few places to start include Bleacher Report, ESPN, CBS and the other usual suspects. But after going to the big sources, consider following some fantasy bloggers on Twitter, or finding an unlikely blog. Everyone's playing with the same NFL teams, so it doesn't matter if your insightful blogger is in Hawaii or just down the street.
Consider joining a new league where no one knows you. If you're feeling super competitive, as an experienced mock drafter, you can benefit from being in a league where other people can't predict your every move.
Maybe get an app. Cell phones have made Fantasy Football even more popular and after your first year is done, you could be ready for an app. They let you manage your league from anywhere with a signal, and will ping you when your players do something point-worthy. According to the Sports Management Degree Guide, the five best are:
• NFL Fantasy Football
• Yahoo Fantasy Sports
• CBS Sports Fantasy
• Rotowire Fantasy Football Draft Kit
• Footballguys Fantasy Football Draft Dominator
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Strategy just for 2019 mock drafts
Mock draft is fluid and ever-changing, just like the NFL itself. As Bleacher Report puts it, "The game of football continues to evolve year to year, and as a result, so does fantasy strategy. Don't be caught out in the cold when it comes to your draft." Someone's always got a new riff on a league, from who can play (think double quarterbacks) to how to score. And every year the players and teams change, and your strategy must change with it. For some fresh insight on this year's mock draft, consider these sources:
The Ringer's list of The Top 150 Players for Standard Leagues: Top tip as of Aug. 5, 2019: "Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys: If Elliott reports to the Cowboys by the start of Week 1, he'll be in the conversation to be the top player in all of fantasy football."
Matthew Berry's Top 200 fantasy football PPR rankings: Top player as of Aug. 5, 2019: New York Giants' running back Saquon Barkley
Bleacher Report's Fantasy Football 2019: Sleeper Cheat Sheet: Top tip as of July 19, 2019: "Geronimo Allison, WR, Packers (ADP: 108, WR43): There are a lot of moving parts to head coach Matt LaFleur's new offense for the Packers. The trouble with drafting any Green Bay skill position player is we don't know for sure who will fall into favor with the first-year coach and Aaron Rodgers. But Allison has made case for top-three usage. He had a 121.9 passer rating when targeted last season, and Rodgers always needs reliable hands."
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