A Beginners Guide to Fantasy Football
As the new season approaches, more and more people are interested in creating and building their ideal team. New players are excited to put together an unbeatable team of sports stars, but fantasy football is a completely different game with its own tactics and strategies for success. If you think you can just pick your favorite players and call it a day, you’re sorely mistaken.
For those who haven’t enjoyed playing with friends and strangers from all over the world, succeeding in fantasy football can be a difficult challenge. With the help of this guide and some tips from advanced players, you will know the basic techniques and tricks to give yourself at least a chance of avoiding the dreaded last place.
Don’t try to fill your team with big players
When assembling their team, many fantasy football beginners start by drafting the biggest names in the sport. For a while, it’s fun pairing up Tom Brady, Aaron Donald, and the like, but soon a problem arises. That’s because the sport’s best players have historically been the most expensive, as Kashlad’s research proves. With the tight budgets of most fantasy football platforms, you’ll find that money runs out very quickly, meaning your only option at that point is to bring in some cheap rookie players.
It’s better to have a balanced team of good players than two or three expensive top players surrounded by guys who are unlikely to play. If you have a solid top 11, you will get more points with more players.
Don’t pick your team and then forget about it.
Whether you like it or not, fantasy football is a long-term commitment and if you want to do well, you need to be proactive about your team and starting lineup. No good fantasy football league player ever put together his first team by just putting it together and then letting it run.
A lot of things can happen during the season, so it’s important to focus on your team and how to change it. Injuries can reduce players’ playing time, which limits their points, or players can’t play well, which means they can cost you points. A good way to track your players’ performance is to check NFL Next Gen Stats so you can make informed decisions and transfers. Also, keep in mind that at the end of the season, some teams may drop out of the league, which means if they are on your team, they will no longer play for points.
Know your most valuable positions
When building a team, it is important to consider which positions you want to fill early on and which positions are best filled later. Since most fantasy football platforms use a draft circuit, you want to make sure you pick the players important to your team early so others in your league don’t get them before you.
A good tip is to pick RBs early and often, and picking two good RBs in the first three rounds is a good choice. Also, make sure you have one elite WR in the first three rounds because they are a big source of points.
Don’t waste early picks on kickers or defenders, because there are a lot of players at those positions who can do a good job for you in the later rounds. A quarterback is a great option for the middle rounds. There are a lot of productive players at this position, but the top ten quarterbacks are likely to be drafted before the tenth round, so use your initiative at this position.
These are just a few basic tips to give you a good starting position if you play in fantasy football leagues. There’s always more to learn, but if you’re active and get into the game, you’ll soon master the strategies and tactics yourself.
