With the arrival of football in the fall comes the most notorious trash talking season of the year. Friends and family will compete in fantasy football leagues around the United States in hopes of crowning themselves a champion.
So, even if your favorite NFL team is horrible, you still can be excited about something this football season.
What makes fantasy football great is the capability of controlling a roster of players you will draft based on your knowledge or guessing of a player’s past and future performances.
Most fantasy leagues are free, but you can compete for money if you choose to.
The commissioner (the creator) of the league sets up the rules and point system prior to sending out invitations. This way you know what you are getting yourself into.
Generally for a touchdown, running backs receive six points, quarterbacks receive four points, and wide receivers will get four. Scoring is subject to change depending on your commissioner’s choices or rules.
Running backs are highly regarded in most fantasy leagues and usually are drafted first, but when the quarterback, running back, and wide receiver all receive six points per touchdown, all hell breaks lose and the team’s owner should grab the best player available.
Based off of last year’s statistics, one might think about drafting QB Peyton Manning with their first pick. But the odds of Manning repeating his performance from last year are pretty slim. Manning and the Broncos lost a 1,000 rusher and receiver this past offseason.
However, the odds of RB Jamaal Charles scoring 12 touchdowns along with rushing for 1,200 yards is much more likely. This is why he is projected to be drafted number one overall in the majority of leagues and Manning is 11th.
In order to have a successful year in fantasy football, you need more than just a great first pick. A strategy is needed for your draft.
My personal strategy has worked more often than it has failed in recent years. The strategy is to not think you’re smarter than the computer. By this I mean, DO NOT OVERDRAFT a player.
If a player is ranked 76th overall on the draft board and you have pick 17, and you want a QB, and you see your favorite one sitting at 76, just wait. Odds are you can take a few better players before that QB. Remember, your goal is to have a well-rounded team. This may help you later with trades and in the scoring department.
Something else to consider is to NOT draft your favorite players. This can collide with problems later in the season, such as to sit or start a player. Your heart can sometimes ignore your brain and tell you this player is going to have a decent year. I made this mistake last year with Ravens RB Ray Rice.
The most important thing to know in order to have a fun and exciting fantasy football season is to talk as much trash as you possibly can to your friends and family, especially when your fantasy team stinks. This will be the best time to make bets to change other team’s names. This shows everyone that you are still having fun and don’t take things too serious. After all, it’s just a game.
