Does Percy Harvin get points for return
yardage in your league? Know your league rules inside and
out.
Fantasy football is a simple game. Draft your players. Set your
lineup. Score more points than the other guy. That’s it right?
Right! Wrong! There are many complex concepts you can grasp and
master to give you a leg up on your competition. But despite your
vast knowledge of player stats, trends, sleepers, and hyped rookies,
it is important not to overlook something as simple as knowing your
league.
Fantasy football success may boil down to scoring more points than
the other team, but how can we put ourselves in the best position
to do that? For starters, take a look at your league type and settings.
Few things are more disheartening than getting excited about Percy
Harvin bringing that kick back only to realize that return yards
and touchdowns do not count in your league. With about two months
until the season starts, there is plenty of time to delve into player
research, draft strategy, and advanced preparation. Don’t try and
run before you can walk. Let’s tackle a few key settings to be aware
of when your league forms.
Touchdowns
In the NFL, every touchdown is worth 6 points. In fantasy football,
touchdowns are worth whatever your league commissioner decides they’re
worth. I have a friend who runs a league where passing touchdowns
are worth 5 points, receiving and rushing touchdowns are worth 10
points, and defensive touchdowns are worth 15 points. I do not participate
in this league, but those that do must alter their draft strategy
based on these settings.
Obviously this league is a radical departure from the norm. For
the vast majority of you, all touchdowns will be worth 6 points,
with the exception of leagues with four-point passing touchdowns.
When you join a new league (or even return to an old one), be sure
to review the scoring system. Four-point quarterback touchdowns
could be the difference in deciding to take that third wide receiver
over a quarterback.
Yards Per Point
One area where scoring between positions should be different is
yards per point. A common scoring system would be 10 yards per point
for receiving and rushing yards and 25 yards per point for passing
yards. Since the NFL does not assign point values for yards, it
is up to your fantasy commissioner to determine. When inspecting
your league settings, make sure you know the yards per point settings.
If, for example, your league awards one point for every 10 receiving
yards and one point for every 20 rushing yards, that should tell
you to value wide receivers more than running backs. If your fellow
managers aren’t aware of this type of change, you now have
an advantage on the competition by doing nothing more than examining
the scoring system.
Fractional Points
Admission: a rant is coming. You’ve been warned. Believe it
or not, there are leagues out there that do not award fractional
points. Although the scoring system reads 10 yards per point, that
should not mean your player must gain 10 yards before scoring any
points. Have you ever lost a matchup by less than a point? I once
lost a semifinal playoff matchup because of a missed extra point.
Fantasy can be heartbreaking. This is not calculus, but I ask you,
the reader, to channel your inner Newton (Isaac, not Cam) and ask
yourself the following question: Is 80 yards equal to 89 yards?
If your league does not award fractional points, my best advice
is to find another league.
Bonuses
Many leagues award bonuses for milestone performances (100 yards
rushing, 100 yards receiving, 400 yards passing, etc.). This means
the rich get richer. After all, the players who are being awarded
the bonuses are usually the elite players who are already having
a big day. If your league awards bonuses, take a quick peek at
how many times players eclipsed the milestone marks. It may sway
your opinion when stuck deciding between two players on draft
day. Remember, every point matters.
Waivers
It should go without saying, but make sure your league has a waiver
system. I remember the days of years past; the time before Waivers.
You and your friends are sitting together, watching the games,
and suddenly you witness a big time running back go down. You
know it’s bad. But so do the other five people in the room
and it’s a mad dash to the computer to grab the backup.
There is no fantasy sport quite like football where a backup can
suddenly come into tremendous fantasy value purely because he
is now getting playing time.
Now that the NFL has a Thursday night game every week, you have
to be even more aware of when players go on waivers. What happens
at kickoff of that Thursday game? Does every player go on waivers?
Or is it just the players in the Thursday game? What happens on
Sunday at 1:00 pm? Is it everyone on waivers or just the 1:00
pm players? Knowing your waiver system is crucial to effective
lineup management. No one enjoys that helpless feeling when you
find out your questionable wide receiver is inactive Sunday night
and you can’t pickup a replacement.
Week 17
Allow me to paint a picture for you. You found yourself a stellar
quarterback. He led his team to a 13-2 record, clinched the conference,
leads the league in yards and touchdowns, and has cruised to the
No.1 fantasy quarterback spot. His coach, rewarding him for a
job well done, gives him a much deserved week off to rest up for
the playoffs, and because of this, you’re now starting a
quarterback in the championship game that you just picked up off
waivers. If you happen to find yourself in a league where your
championship matchup occurs in Week 17, be mindful of that fact
during the draft and throughout the season. Unfortunately, it
means you may need to avoid players on teams you fear may rest
starters at the end of the season. However, my best advice is
to make sure your studs are determining your fate and your league
ends Week 16.
Roster Composition
You’re a running back guy. Always have been. Always will
be. You build all your teams around a strong running back corps.
You just joined a new league with some work buddies and you’re
ready to dominate. Round 1: Marshawn Lynch. Round 2: Jeremy Hill.
Round 3: Alfred Morris. You’re stoked. Then everyone starts
laughing at you. You’re confused. You don’t understand
what was so funny? Do they all hate Alfred Morris? No, but they
wonder why you felt it necessary to burn your third round pick
on a bench player. This league starts two running backs and has
no Flex. Had you only looked beforehand, you surely would’ve
gone a different direction with that third-round pick.
A common league starting lineup is 1 quarterback, 2 running backs,
2 wide receivers, 1 tight end, 1 kicker, 1 defense/special teams.
Just as common is replacing one of the wide receiver slots with
a Flex. There is no right or wrong, but you need to know your
roster positions and starting lineup requirements.
It is impossible to predict exactly how your draft will go. You
will have your plan. You will have your backup plan. But you never
know who will go early, who will fall, or who will get hurt between
now and draft day. You do not want to back yourself into a corner.
If your league has no Flex, you may not want to completely fill,
for example, your starting running backs early because you may
not be able to capitalize on great value later on when that third
round running back is still there in the sixth and you need to
take your first wide receiver.
Two Quarterback Leagues
This type of league has become increasingly rare, but I would
be remiss to ignore it. If you are in a two quarterback league,
it is imperative that you draft a quarterback within the first
few rounds and expect almost every quarterback to be drafted.
You want to roster at least three. Don’t get caught with
Josh McCown and Ryan Mallett as your starters.
There are countless other areas where leagues vary. It is impossible
to cover them all. Just remember that the most important settings
are those of your league. For the fantasy football veterans, you’ve
been playing this game a long time. You know these things. I know.
I get it. But you haven’t watched football since February.
You do not realize how much you forget during the offseason. Can
you name the starting skill positions on every team? I bet if
I ask you this question three months from now, you’d laugh
at how easy it is. For many of you, leagues have yet to form.
When they do, the first thing you should do is check out the league
settings. Know what you’re getting yourself into from the
beginning. This is the foundation of your draft strategy. It’s
a long summer. Get started on the right foot.
