Post by John on Jun 23, 2006 16:57:00 GMT -4
Draft Preview: Scouting Fantasy Football
By Dave Richard
Senior Fantasy Writer
Welcome to the exciting world of Fantasy Football! You'll never experience so much fun, excitement and drama sitting at your computer anywhere else on the internet. Where else can you celebrate right alongside LaDainian Tomlinson every time he scores a touchdown?
If you want to make your Fantasy Football experience a great one, you have to do some homework. After all, there's a lot more to playing than just running off a list of names, setting a lineup and watching your score rack up every Sunday. There's plenty of preparation and daily participation involved in this game -- especially if you want to own the bragging rights to your league every offseason.
Here is our "can't miss" list of things you need to know about Fantasy Football before you start finagling with your team's depth chart:
• Get ready for a long season
Fantasy Football is a marathon, not a sprint. You can't win your league in the first few weeks. Be prepared to win some games, lose some games and change your roster along the way. Moreover, do not get involved in a Fantasy league unless you intend to play it all season long. Nobody likes a quitter -- and that includes the people you're playing with.
• Know your players
There are many ways to build a Fantasy team, but it's the people you select that will determine your team's fate. Before you make up your roster, be very familiar with all the players you could possibly draft. For some people, this might mean making a deep list of the guys you want to pick; for others, it could mean printing out every NFL roster just so you have all of your options open.
Once you do that, don't be afraid to label some players as "sleepers" or "busts." A sleeper is a player who you might be able to pick up late in the selection process who you think will be really good. On the other hand, you might want to completely avoid a player who you classify a bust because you don't think he'll play well at all. For example, in 2005 Carson Palmer was a great sleeper and Jamal Lewis was a horrific bust.
• Know your rules
A grossly overlooked part of Fantasy Football is not studying the scoring and league rules before your draft. Do quarterback touchdowns count for as many or fewer points than rushing touchdowns? Do receptions count for points? What about fumbles? There are some very good NFL players that rack up the stats but also cough up the football -- what their impact will be on your team is determined by the rules.
• Know your positions
You should be familiar with how many players you can start each week (and at what positions), plus how many players in total you can have on your team. What good is it to pick seven wide receivers when you can only start two? Do you need a tight end? As Bill Parcells might say, be aware of what you need to shop for before you hit the grocery store.
• Pay attention
Once the season gets started, be on the lookout for new players to add to your team. You might be happy with the running back on your bench, but a different one is on the waiver wire, and he just picked up starting job duties -- maybe you should make a switch. Don't forget to set your lineups, scan the waiver wire daily for roster bargains, and even talk with opponents about a possible trade.
• Have a good time
A lot of people (like us, for example) take Fantasy Football too seriously. We have an excuse -- it's our job. You can be serious about running your team, but for goodness sake, make sure you're enjoying yourself. Fantasy Football isn't filing taxes -- it's meant to be a diversion from the everyday monotony of life. Let's put it this way: When it comes to Fantasy, make sure you're playing, not working.
Expert tips
Keep an eye on the bye: When drafting players, make sure you don't pick too many guys with the same bye week, as it will hurt your starting lineup for that particular week. Also, players on teams with late bye weeks carry a little added value because they will be able to start for the first several weeks of the season.
Be up to date: You don't want to pick a player only to find out he's no longer on the team you thought he was on, or worse, a player who has retired. Make sure you know where everyone is playing and who's healthy and who's not.
Depth is underrated: A lot of people will fill their starting spots, then go willy-nilly for players on their favorite team, or too many players at one position. Depth is key in Fantasy Football -- if one of your players gets hurt, you need to have a good replacement ready. Having him on your team is what will separate you from the cellar dwellers.
Follow Draft Day trends and position runs: During a Fantasy draft, there will almost undoubtedly be a run (or two, or three) at a specific position. Be mindful when these runs happen and change your draft plan accordingly. For instance, most drafts will begin with a long run on running backs. If you choose to take Peyton Manning and Randy Moss instead of one or two RBs, your team will be hurting in that area. This year especially, expect to see that run on running backs early, a wide receiver run around Round 5 or 6, a backup quarterback run around Round 8 or 9, and a DST run around Round 12 or 13.
Follow these guidelines and you'll be on your way to a fun and hopefully successful Fantasy Football season. Remember, being aware of what's going on and being an active participant are the two general keys to getting the most out of this game.
When it's all over, hopefully you'll be atop your league as the big winner. Just don't pour the Gatorade jug on your monitor when it happens.
By Dave Richard
Senior Fantasy Writer
Welcome to the exciting world of Fantasy Football! You'll never experience so much fun, excitement and drama sitting at your computer anywhere else on the internet. Where else can you celebrate right alongside LaDainian Tomlinson every time he scores a touchdown?
If you want to make your Fantasy Football experience a great one, you have to do some homework. After all, there's a lot more to playing than just running off a list of names, setting a lineup and watching your score rack up every Sunday. There's plenty of preparation and daily participation involved in this game -- especially if you want to own the bragging rights to your league every offseason.
Here is our "can't miss" list of things you need to know about Fantasy Football before you start finagling with your team's depth chart:
• Get ready for a long season
Fantasy Football is a marathon, not a sprint. You can't win your league in the first few weeks. Be prepared to win some games, lose some games and change your roster along the way. Moreover, do not get involved in a Fantasy league unless you intend to play it all season long. Nobody likes a quitter -- and that includes the people you're playing with.
• Know your players
There are many ways to build a Fantasy team, but it's the people you select that will determine your team's fate. Before you make up your roster, be very familiar with all the players you could possibly draft. For some people, this might mean making a deep list of the guys you want to pick; for others, it could mean printing out every NFL roster just so you have all of your options open.
Once you do that, don't be afraid to label some players as "sleepers" or "busts." A sleeper is a player who you might be able to pick up late in the selection process who you think will be really good. On the other hand, you might want to completely avoid a player who you classify a bust because you don't think he'll play well at all. For example, in 2005 Carson Palmer was a great sleeper and Jamal Lewis was a horrific bust.
• Know your rules
A grossly overlooked part of Fantasy Football is not studying the scoring and league rules before your draft. Do quarterback touchdowns count for as many or fewer points than rushing touchdowns? Do receptions count for points? What about fumbles? There are some very good NFL players that rack up the stats but also cough up the football -- what their impact will be on your team is determined by the rules.
• Know your positions
You should be familiar with how many players you can start each week (and at what positions), plus how many players in total you can have on your team. What good is it to pick seven wide receivers when you can only start two? Do you need a tight end? As Bill Parcells might say, be aware of what you need to shop for before you hit the grocery store.
• Pay attention
Once the season gets started, be on the lookout for new players to add to your team. You might be happy with the running back on your bench, but a different one is on the waiver wire, and he just picked up starting job duties -- maybe you should make a switch. Don't forget to set your lineups, scan the waiver wire daily for roster bargains, and even talk with opponents about a possible trade.
• Have a good time
A lot of people (like us, for example) take Fantasy Football too seriously. We have an excuse -- it's our job. You can be serious about running your team, but for goodness sake, make sure you're enjoying yourself. Fantasy Football isn't filing taxes -- it's meant to be a diversion from the everyday monotony of life. Let's put it this way: When it comes to Fantasy, make sure you're playing, not working.
Expert tips
Keep an eye on the bye: When drafting players, make sure you don't pick too many guys with the same bye week, as it will hurt your starting lineup for that particular week. Also, players on teams with late bye weeks carry a little added value because they will be able to start for the first several weeks of the season.
Be up to date: You don't want to pick a player only to find out he's no longer on the team you thought he was on, or worse, a player who has retired. Make sure you know where everyone is playing and who's healthy and who's not.
Depth is underrated: A lot of people will fill their starting spots, then go willy-nilly for players on their favorite team, or too many players at one position. Depth is key in Fantasy Football -- if one of your players gets hurt, you need to have a good replacement ready. Having him on your team is what will separate you from the cellar dwellers.
Follow Draft Day trends and position runs: During a Fantasy draft, there will almost undoubtedly be a run (or two, or three) at a specific position. Be mindful when these runs happen and change your draft plan accordingly. For instance, most drafts will begin with a long run on running backs. If you choose to take Peyton Manning and Randy Moss instead of one or two RBs, your team will be hurting in that area. This year especially, expect to see that run on running backs early, a wide receiver run around Round 5 or 6, a backup quarterback run around Round 8 or 9, and a DST run around Round 12 or 13.
Follow these guidelines and you'll be on your way to a fun and hopefully successful Fantasy Football season. Remember, being aware of what's going on and being an active participant are the two general keys to getting the most out of this game.
When it's all over, hopefully you'll be atop your league as the big winner. Just don't pour the Gatorade jug on your monitor when it happens.