It will be fun, they said. It's easy! You just pick players and when they play well you do well! They said. Well, all you are thinking now is what did I get myself into. The draft clock ticks away as you try to pick a player. Your brother talks nonstop about Tom Brady, but when you tried to pick him, your brother yelled in protest and started blabbering on about something called ADP. You just did this because everyone else was, you don't know what YAC is or how a player's ODP should affect their draft stock. Well, while I won't be able to give you every bit of advice to make 100% sure you'll be gloating to your old bro at the season's end, I can get you up to speed on this crazy game of sports and numbers.
Part One: The Basics
For you beginning out there that barely know what a football is and are only in this because a friend begged you to fill a spot, this paragraph is a good place to start. Simply put, fantasy football is a game where you pick players who play real, NFL football in the hopes that they perform well. When the real games are played out, the better these players that you have on your team do, the more points you score. If the player you have scores a touchdown, that's six points. There are points for yards, field goals, negative points for a player throwing an interception, and sometimes a point is given just for catching the ball. But don't worry about all that. So, you have your players from all different teams in the NFL and you have your team play against another team from your fantasy league in a game of whose players can perform better in the real football game. The team with the most points wins.
Part Two: The Draft
Now that we have the basics down we move on to the draft. Ah yes, they save the most confusing part of fantasy football for the very beginning. The draft can be daunting. It can be difficult trying to coordinate positions, byes, teams, and considering a myriad of other factors everyone else is telling you are essential. I'd like to break it down into three simple tips on draft day:
1. Use your first three picks on either RBs or WRs.
Don't even think about anything other than these two positions for your first three picks. Some people may tell you to take a tight end, but I'm telling you there's talent later in the draft at that position. Focus on these two positions. In most leagues, you will need two RBs (Running Backs) and two WRs (Wide Receivers) plus a fifth slot for either an RB or a WR called a Flex. When you draft, the game will suggest players that people have taken when drafting at the same position you are. Players with lower numbers are traditionally being picked earlier and are generally better. Try to find 2 RBs and 1 WR or vice versa in those first three rounds if you can.
2. Don't draft a QB until after the 10th round.
Quarterback is the most important position in real football and most of the famous players (Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and others) are quarterbacks. In fantasy, they are not as important. The best QBs and the middle-of-the-pack QBs will score very similar numbers from week to week, so look for better players at WR, RB, and TE before you pick a QB. Good players to target at QB are Matt Ryan (Falcons) and Phillip Rivers (Chargers)
3. Wait to draft your defense and kicker until the final four rounds.
It can be tempting to look to fill that Kicker and that Defense slot early to make sure you have all the players you need, but trust me, wait. Remember when I said the difference between the best and the ok QBs is a small difference? It's even smaller for a kicker and a defense. Wait until the very end of the draft until you pick up anyone at these positions. If you have a favorite team it can be fun to pick their defense, as long as they are a good team their defense will do the trick.
So there you have it, three beginner tips for drafting a fantasy football team. Remember to relax, it's only a game, and have fun! Happy drafting!
