Whether you already know all the players and teams in professional football like the back of your hand, or you just want to learn enough to appear less blank when conversing with friends, family, or co-workers, fantasy football can get you better. your NFL viewing experience.
As a commercial lottery says, “you have to be in it to win it.” To join the fun, you must choose a “host,” select your favorite NFL players, and join or start a league.
You have a ton of options when considering where to host a fantasy football team. Some of the more commonly used “hosts” include CBS Sportsline, SportingNews, YahooSports Fantasy Football, and CDM Fantasy Sports.
Depending on the host and the league, you will play in one of several formats. One requires an up-front payment to get into your league, but doesn’t charge you for the players you draft during a free-agent season or “waiver” pool. In general, the higher you pay as an initial fee, the higher your prize will be if you win your league for the season.
The second format is free to join, but it will cost you for most or all of the players you claim as free agents or as free agents after the initial draft period ends. Trades with other players are generally free. However, be careful! Those trades can otherwise be expensive for you if you give away too much to get that must-have player.
The most common formats allow you a team consisting of one or more quarterbacks, one or more running backs, one or more wide receivers, one or more tight ends, and one or more defensive units/special teams (DSTs). Depending on the league, you can play all your players at once or choose some players as “starters” and assign others as “reserves”. Only your active (starting) players earn you points that week. You earn points for your league-defined achievements every week. What and how much your team will score will vary from league to league.
Now you need players in your team, so it’s time for you to “select” some soccer players. Using your basic understanding of American football and leveraging your knowledge of the NFL, or some free or paid sources of information to check out, you’ll rank real NFL players ahead of their league draft. You can also use players as “seeded” by your host.
You’ll also need to decide if you want the excitement and time commitment of a live draft or the relative ease and less time that an automatic draft offers. If you are a beginner, the auto eraser is highly recommended.
During the season, there are “BYE” weeks, during which an NFL team and its players have the week off to recharge. Real players can also get injured, so you lose your productivity. On the other hand, you and your team don’t have any free time, so you’ll probably have to make trades and waiver moves to ensure you have a complete and strong team playing every week.
Those are the basics. Now, it’s up to you to apply your special knowledge, instinct or hunches, and “Win one for the Gipper”. Before your draft, you may want to challenge friends, family, or co-workers who have similar skills to yours to join your league. A little healthy competition can make your fantasy football experience even more enjoyable.
As with any game, keep in mind that it’s just a game. You won’t get rich or popular depending on how well you play. It is mostly purely entertainment. If you keep this in mind and don’t take yourself or the game too seriously, you’ll have a great time. It’s a great game and you shouldn’t have a problem finding others with your passion and skill level. Have fun and good luck!