In the world of fantasy football there is a wealth of statistical knowledge and data that owners need to understand and take advantage of in order to create a successful team. Some of the things to consider regarding players are obvious, such as touchdowns and yardage. However, some of them aren’t that familiar to newbies and some ideas used by die-hard fantasy football players never work (but don’t tell the die-hards, they won’t listen to you anyway).
These are some of the more discreet strategies used when building a team.
- Money talks. It’s a well-known theory that a player who is playing in the final year of his contract is going to put up better numbers and try harder during the season. Hopefully, this translates into dollar signs for them during the next free agency. Sometimes this means nothing at all, but for the most part, if a player wants to be offered a lot of money, he’ll put in that little extra to get it.
- Third-Year Receiver: A common belief among many fantasy football players is that if a wide receiver is going to “break out” and be the deep threat his team wants him to be, it will happen in the magical third year when they catch him. at game speed. Several receivers have fallen into this category in recent years, and typically if it doesn’t happen on or before junior year, it won’t happen.
- Schedule Strength: Sometimes it helps to look ahead to see who your best players are going to play against. It might be worth waiting for a player who has a slightly lower projection but has an easy schedule at his position. These are based on the teams they are up against this year, but use last year’s numbers. For example, a running back facing the team that was the worst in stopping the run the previous year will have an easier Scheduling Strength than the running back facing the best defenses. The strength of the schedule takes into account the entire fantasy football season and the average.
- 29+ Running Backs: When it comes to running the ball, youth plays a big factor in back efficiency. Older players who have or had a lot of carries tend to not only get hurt a little more often, but also burn out late in the seasons. These players also lose a lot of value in more progressive goalie leagues or dynasties.
Hopefully, some of these lesser-known ideas will help you get at least a slight edge on your draft or weekly “adds” and “drops.” Remember, these are not tested for all players. However, they have helped me and many of my friends as we select our entrees week after week. You never know when you might need a little edge to get those last few vital points over your fantasy football opponents.