Five Fantasy Football Tips for Dummies
Fantasy football writer Aaron Lieberman breaks down the game for the casual owner.
Okay, so you’re not dummies.
Maybe you’re an avid football fan that has never dabbled in fantasy before. Maybe Deb convinced you to play in her league at the water cooler. Or maybe you just want to be hip, cool, and fun like the rest of us.
No matter your background, here are 10 quick tips on how to hit the ground moving this fantasy season.
5. Don’t buy into all the rookie hype.
Corey Coleman, Josh Doctson, Laquan Treadwell. These three receivers were all taken in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft and combined for 68.4 points in standard leagues. Were there some injuries mixed in there? Yes. Were there offensive rookies that performed well last year? Also, yes. But the point is that everyone wants to be the owner to jump on that rookie talent based on combine stats and college tape alone. However, winners tend to rely heavily on candidates with a bona fide NFL resume (and adding in some youth when appropriate).
4. Don’t overvalue the quarterback position.
If you want to just read past this one, go ahead. But based on the theme of this article, this tip is a must-have. Last season I brought in a couple newcomers to play a fantasy league with some classmates. One of the rookie owners proceeded to take two quarterbacks in the first three rounds. This represented a bold move that should have never happened in the first place. Despite the fact that the QB position is responsible for the most points on your team every year, the shier depth of reasonable fantasy talent has warded veteran fantasy owners away from the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady for years. In most cases, you can steal a QB of this caliber in the fifth round — that tends to be the sweet spot.
3. Do a couple mock drafts before your real draft.
Before you start groaning about how this one is overkill, just hear me out. A lot of leagues play for money, and all leagues play for pride. It’s a high-stakes game that takes no prisoners and leaves the weak in its wake. Would you walk into such a high-risk situation with no preparation (if you do, come join my league). Doing a couple quick mock drafts (which you can join at a moments notice and take about 30 min if your life) will help you understand where most players will land and help you better understand the way the draft will roll out this year. Will there always be that homer that takes Dak in the second round? Yeah, probably. But overall getting through a couple mock drafts that start you at varied positions will help you build your draft day strategy.
2. You can never have too many good running backs.
It doesn’t matter if you play PPR (point per reception) or not. PPR is another way to play fantasy football wherein players receive a point for every catch they get (on top of the regular amount of points) which tends to increase the value of running backs who catch the ball a lot. When it comes to fantasy football, running backs are your biggest trade asset. As a result of the beating these players take, injuries run rampant and tensions run high when the injury bug bites. Ensuring that you have at least three running backs that you feel comfortable starting every week is a necessity. You never know when you may need one, or when someone else may need one.
1. Have fun. (lol, jk)
If you got this far (which really isn’t far at all) you deserve a little laugh. Of course the number one rule is NOT to have fun, it’s to dominate your competition. And you know how to do that? BE A WAIVER WIRE TROLL. The waiver wire refers to the act and process of picking up free agents during the season. Traditionally, the owner that is in last place will have the highest waiver wire priority. This means that if the best owner and the worst owner try to grab the same player after he has a great week, the worst owner would receive the player as compensation for how much they suck. Keeping your eyes on the waiver wire is everything. Kirk Cousins, Jordan Howard, Davante Adams, Michael Thomas, and Cameron Brate. These players were all top 10 performers at their respective position and were all free agents in my leagues last season. Keeping up-to-date with the trends and bends in the NFL will be the difference in your fantasy league this season.
Aaron Lieberman is a cofounder of The Ocho, as well as our fantasy editor. You can catch him (almost) every week on The Ocho Podcast on Thursday nights with fellow cofounder Riley Nicklaus Evans. Follow Aaron on Twitter at @aliebs93.
