There are a million-and-one opportunities available to enjoy the
great game of fantasy football. From mail order salary leagues to
the plethora of variations that are available on the Internet, there
are plenty of ways to tickle the fancy of a fantasy fanatic.
However, when searching for the ultimate experience in fantasy football
there is only one option that will fully quench your thirst. Seize
the day my friends, and organize your very own grassroots league
within your neighborhood, college or workplace.
Recruitment
The first step that must be taken is the recruitment
of competitive, yet friendly, fantasy owners. Over the course of
a sixteen game NFL season, owners who do not hold the game in high
regard may begin to lose interest. The possibility of a team being
neglected is directly related to the interest level that an owner
holds in professional football. A valuable deterrent to owners with
a short attention span is a league entrance fee. This monetary contribution
reminds everyone that their hard earned dollars are on the line,
with a possible cash prize awaiting the winner at the end of the
season. When it comes to the size of your league a nice round number
is preferable, 10 and 12 being the most common. Be wary of inviting
more than a dozen participants though, you don't want the draftable
talent stretched too thin.
Once you have your league ownership good to go, set a preliminary
meeting where the group can get together and decide on rules for
scoring, weekly competition and prize money. A democratic approach
to all functions within your league is a must in order to make each
and every owner feel that their opinion is considered valuable.
Scoring System
Scoring systems vary from a basic "touchdown only" format,
to the more flexible "performance scoring" method. In
a basic scoring system, your league would only count points for
the touchdowns that players produce. Quarterbacks usually vary anywhere
from 3-6 points for a TD, and all other positional players are traditionally
awarded a full six points for their score. Kickers are given three
points for field goals of 1-39 yards, four points for 40-49 yards,
and five points for 50+ yards (along with a single point for all
TD-extra points).
The other route your league could go is the more popular performance
scoring method. This system incorporates both touchdowns and yardage
production from each player. The scoring system detailed above would
apply here for all TDs, along with the following for yards gained:
Quarterback is awarded one point for every 20 yards passing, and
award all other positional players with one point for every 10 yards
rushing/receiving. The collective ownership also must decide on
what form of defensive presence is wanted in the league. Many fantasy
leagues draft a single "team defense." Another popular
option is to draft and play individual defensive players.
Scheduling
It can be argued that fantasy football is just as much a game of
luck as it is strategy. Try to keep this in mind when choosing your
league's competition format. Head-to-Head leagues pit one owner
against another each and every week, with each team accumulating
a win/loss record. By going this route, your league will need to
decide when to end the regular season and kick off the fantasy playoffs.
On average, eight of the either ten or twelve owners will move on
to their league playoffs. Three weeks of playoff action will require
you to wrap up your regular season in either Week 13 or 14 of the
NFL campaign, depending on whether or not your owners want their
league championship played during the unpredictable Week 17.
The Draft
Arguably the most enjoyable part of your fantasy season, a live
draft can be a night chock-full of great memories, if prepared appropriately.
By renting out a private party room at your local restaurant or
bar, all of the food and drink preparation is already taken care
of. A more cost effective approach would be to have one of your
league members volunteer to hold the live draft in their home. Everyone
brings some food and drink, and the league can redirect some of
that spending money towards the victor's prize. (Just a word to
the wise: keep the beer flowing to every league owner except yourself.
By mid-draft your competition will be inebriated and confident that
Barry Sanders is worthy of an 8th round choice.)
League Management
In today's technologically advanced society, the Internet offers
fantasy football league's a variety of enticing options when it
comes to running your league. However, almost any fantasy league
service worth a darn charges an operational fee. The following are
just a few of the more reliable websites available for hosting your
fantasy league: CBS Sportsline, RealTime
Fantasy Sports, Commissioner Online and NFL.com.
The dying breed of free fantasy football hosts is kept alive by
a single quality website, Yahoo!
Fantasy Football. I don't want to sound like an advertisement
for Yahoo, but this service can hold it's own when compared to any
of the better known pay sites, and the price is more than fair.
I hope that this article inspires all you readers to take the initiative
and try to organize your own community fantasy league. Whether it
be with coworkers, classmates or just a bunch of pals from the neighborhood,
the friendly competition and camaraderie that will come from your
league is worth it's weight in gold.
Bob has been a fantasy football fanatic
for eight years now. As a diehard Philadelphia Eagles fan, he prays
for the day when Donovan McNabb actually drops to at least the fifth
round, where Bob would dare take his first quarterback. He holds
an interest in both keeper and auction drafts, but prefers the renewed
interest that a redraft holds for each and every league owner, both
successful and down-on-his-luck.
