The draft is the most important day of the year. For those seeking advice in “how to win fantasy football” if this section is all you read, then read it thoroughly.
Fantasy football begins before the draft:
- Preparation is key, but tools are available in fantasy leagues that give “freshmen” an even chance at nabbing the best players.
- For those that want to do their own research, kindly avoid the magazine rack. The information of the glossy-print is old an often inaccurate; there are hundreds of websites that offer by-the-hour updates on NFL players and their fantasy projections.
- Those that are new to football, or new to fantasy football, should check their league’s website and pay attention to the NFL players’ “Percent Owned” statistic and the “Overall Draft Rank” during a live draft. These numbers will net solid players, and allows new players to skip the endless research and mindboggling second-guessing that goes with it.
How to win the fantasy football draft:
- The quarterback is the position that is most critical. Only one signal-caller can fit into a roster, and they rack up the most points. A team with a top three quarterback is instantly difficult to beat.
- Beware drafting running backs early. While ranked high on fantasy charts, most teams in the NFL have adjusted to a “running back by committee” scheme, meaning even the best back won’t be used for a full game anymore, and many backs are pulled off the field when it’s time for a team to punch the ball into the end zone.
- Wide receivers have emerged as lethal point getters as the NFL has become more and more a passing game. Ensure you nab a top receiver who is part of a good offense early on.
- Elite tight ends can serve practically as a third receiver on your team. Drafting an elite tight end gives fantasy teams a big edge in an otherwise low point production category.
- Great defenses emerge every year as the season rolls along, so avoid drafting one until the later rounds. Instead, watch the weekly NFL matchups and pick a defense off the waiver wire that is about to go up against a woeful offense for the next game day.
- Don’t draft a place kicker until the very end. This is the least important category, and it will be likely that plenty of fine placekickers will still be available on the waiver wire after the draft is done.
Other draft day tips:
- Watch out for bye weeks. If half of the players on a fantasy team have a bye week at the same time, then that team is guaranteed at least one loss.
- Mix it up – avoid taking players from a single NFL team. If a fantasy roster contains more than two players on the same NFL team and that NFL team gets shut out, then it’s another guaranteed fantasy loss.
- Avoid old players. Legends like LaDanian Tomlinson may be ranked very high up the draft charts, but when they flame out, they flame out in a big way and bring ruin to fantasy squads.
- Don’t be afraid of suspended star players. While many people avoid them on fantasy draft day, they do become impact selections – when they do come off of their suspension they add another elite player to a roster for the stretch run to the fantasy playoffs.
- Watch out for the bandwagon. Sometimes during a draft, everyone will start drafting up all of the best players from one position. If this happens, get on the bandwagon, because all of the good players from that position will be gone quickly.
The Season Begins
- Once the draft is over and the games start, the fun begins. There is only one game a week, so there is plenty of time for analysis and heckling with your opponents. But it can also be a very confusing and hectic time – injuries, hot rookies, and the actual NFL team matchups can force a lot of hard roster decisions.
- Most league websites have a “trend” page, where fantasy players can see who in the NFL is being dropped by fantasy teams, and who is being frantically scooped up. For those new to fantasy football, this is an invaluable tool to keep improving the roster.
- Beware of trades: no one in fantasy ever offers a fair deal. Either decline the trade request immediately, or suggest an alternative trade that benefits both teams. The trade is the greatest tool that veteran fantasy players use to prey upon rookies. Some people actually offer up incredibly imbalanced offers, in the hopes the victim will mistakenly hit the “accept” button.
- Without making an endorsement to betting, it can be advised that a very small amount be placed on games (even just one dollar). This won’t line anyone’s pockets, but it keeps people with losing records involved in the game in the late season. This allows for more trade activity with those desperate losing teams, and keeps the gullible rookies in the game.
- Be quick. With today’s technology, people can use cell phones 24 hours a day to pick up the latest hot player on the waiver wire. Make sure you log in to your league often enough to keep up with those upwards-trending NFL players.
- As aforementioned, watch that waiver wire for defenses going up against woeful offenses – especially offenses with quarterbacks prone to throwing interceptions.
At the end of the day, don’t lose any sleep over your team. Over-analysis only leads to roster mistakes. Watch the stats and trends, but trust your instincts, and have fun.
Frankly, the question of “how to win fantasy football” is an easy one to answer. As outlined above, fantasy football has the tools for anyone to be instantly competitive. Simple strategies and adhering to the trends of the NFL make it simple enough for anyone to win, on any given fantasy Sunday. In case you want to take a break from Fantasy football and place a bet on a real football match, make sure to use this Pointsbet Promo and get ahead of the game.
