Had a bad first 3 weeks?
Are things getting tight in your division?
Now is the time to shine. The BYE weeks begin- meaning: for the next 6 weeks or so- there will be a number of teams who will have the weekend off. And your players don't make you any points if they are sitting at home, watching games like you.
This means, you have to focus even more on your team of course. But what you REALLY want to watch especially close are the waiver wires.
Other managers in your league are going to have to make some serious decisions to keep their rosters full. Often, they have to drop a player they would rather keep.
That's when you come in and make the swoop.
The BYE weeks is also a chance to pick up some W's because there will always be a manager who doesn't keep up with who is not playing this week OR refuses to fill an empty spot because they would have to drop a player to do so.
Coin-Flip Futures...
Fantasy is like stocks. You want to buy low and sell high- BUT I always say- "If you drop a football, you never know which way it's gonna bounce." and that's true of the sport as well.
So, with that out there- I'm gonna try to predict some solid buy low types that might help you over the BYE weeks.
Ryan Torain
Some say the clock is ticking on Portis. Others say the bell has already rung- All agree, it's just a matter of time.
SOMEONE has got to be the starter in Washington.
Torain is a good runner. He got off to a great start in Denver 2008 but only played for a quarter when he was hurt and done for the season.
Week 3 he looked really good filling in for Portis who played less due to his wrist injury.
The Upside:
This is going to be the guy in Washington...soon. You can probably grab him pretty easily this week AND he's got a nice match up every other week before the Redskins' BYE (PHI, IND and DET with GB and CHI in between).
The Risk:
Well, we don't know WHEN he will get the shot. So, if you have to drop someone you might want to reconsider.
I personally had Portis riding my bench and I did the ULTIMATE gamble by dropping him for Torain- again, Portis was just bench riding so I didn't mind making the swap.
LeGarrette Blount
Watched this guy play during the preseason...AWESOME.
I was surprised the Titans let him go and only kept Ringer as a backup for CJ (if you have CJ and you don't have Ringer as a backup...strap on a jacket because you are crazy).
Now, he's the No. 2 behind C. Williams of Tampa Bay and Cadillac hasn't been looking all that hot over the past 3 weeks.
The Upside:
Cadillac tends to get injured- but even healthy, he hasn't shown much so there is a chance LeGarrette will see some action and earn a solid spot. Plus, the Bucs have a very nice schedule ahead for RBs.
If Blount gets the ball he makes plays and on Monday, Morris said Blount would be their goal line back...
The Risk:
Morris recently backed down from that statement saying Blount would have to outplay Earnest Graham to have a shot at goal line carries.
And we can't forget that we ARE talking about the Buccaneers. They could easily fall behind and turn away from the run.
If you know nothing about football and find yourself in a Fantasy Football league...Then, this guide is for you.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Okay, Gorden...I *&$% up my draft. What do I do?....
Okay. Okay.
Calm down. It would be very hard for you to COMPLETELY *&$% up your draft.
Sure, you might have gotten a defense too early or something but let me tell you a little secret about Fantasy Football...
The Draft is not the "end all" for your team. In fact, it's just the starting point. The REAL thing that's going to get you to the top of your league is how you MANAGE your team.
Which is what we are about to do- but FIRST-
If you want an AMAZINGLY detailed description of how good/bad your team is- I highly suggest you use the Footballguys' "Rate My Team" calculator. Just fill out the form and BAM! instant (and scary detailed) description of your team.
Now. Here are a few things you need to take care of:
If you have 2 kickers on your team- DROP ONE.
I know. "What about the BYE weeks?"
Look. A kicker is really NOT going to make a difference on your team unless you have someone that is missing goals a LOT or making really LONG field goals.
So it doesn't matter who you have for the most part. Drop one of the two you are carrying and pick up someone who will benefit your team- Like the backup to your main RB. Because if he goes down, his backup is going to get all the points that he normally would (this is called "Handcuffing").
You know how I pick Kickers? I pick the kicker on the team I like to watch.
So- I'm a Cowboys fan, so I pick their kicker. That way, when I'm watching the Cowboys game and they go for a field goal- It's extra special for me because now I REALLY want him to make it.
Unless one of your Defenses is a top 5 Defense- you shouldn't have two defenses.
So- this year- unless you have these Defenses:
Jets
49ers
Ravens
Steelers
Packers
(and arguably: Vikings)
You shouldn't have TWO defenses.
Because- very similar to Kickers, Defenses can be changed week to week. The biggest difference is: it's best to play defenses that have good match-ups. Kickers are just straight up interchangeable.
So you can look each week and see who is playing who and figure out which team is going to dominate the other and pick that defense.
This also can be read as "anyone who plays the Rams or the Lions"...hee hee.
This week- I like the Dolphins, who are going up against a Buffalo Offense that has a lot of chinks in it's armor.
Find yourself a Football information center and follow it.
What I mean by this is- sign up with Footballguys or Rotoworld or something similar, where they will email you what is going on in the NFL on a regular basis.
OR
Make it a habit to check the NFL Fantasy site once or twice a week so you can see what trends are going on in the league- CBSsports is good for this, also (I'm gonna try to keep info flowing here, too).
BUT AT THE VERY LEAST:
Check the headlines on the players on your team on Saturday-Sunday morning.
Every online Fantasy League has a news system. It's often a just little symbol that will appear next to your player's name when there is something newsworthy about him- READ IT!
And then, adjust your roster accordingly.
Check your team once a day and make sure it is SET.
A lot of managers just check on Sunday morning and that is fine- but if you want to better guarantee a win- check your team once a day, like you do your Facebook or your Email.
You might not even do anything to your roster BUT this way- should something come up on that Sunday morning (like having to go to church, shopping, playgrounds, etc.) you aren't there thinking "Damn! I forgot to set my team! ARRRGH!"
Check it once a day and most likely, your team will be in pretty good condition come Sunday afternoon.
Calm down. It would be very hard for you to COMPLETELY *&$% up your draft.
Sure, you might have gotten a defense too early or something but let me tell you a little secret about Fantasy Football...
The Draft is not the "end all" for your team. In fact, it's just the starting point. The REAL thing that's going to get you to the top of your league is how you MANAGE your team.
Which is what we are about to do- but FIRST-
If you want an AMAZINGLY detailed description of how good/bad your team is- I highly suggest you use the Footballguys' "Rate My Team" calculator. Just fill out the form and BAM! instant (and scary detailed) description of your team.
Now. Here are a few things you need to take care of:
If you have 2 kickers on your team- DROP ONE.
I know. "What about the BYE weeks?"
Look. A kicker is really NOT going to make a difference on your team unless you have someone that is missing goals a LOT or making really LONG field goals.
So it doesn't matter who you have for the most part. Drop one of the two you are carrying and pick up someone who will benefit your team- Like the backup to your main RB. Because if he goes down, his backup is going to get all the points that he normally would (this is called "Handcuffing").
You know how I pick Kickers? I pick the kicker on the team I like to watch.
So- I'm a Cowboys fan, so I pick their kicker. That way, when I'm watching the Cowboys game and they go for a field goal- It's extra special for me because now I REALLY want him to make it.
Unless one of your Defenses is a top 5 Defense- you shouldn't have two defenses.
So- this year- unless you have these Defenses:
Jets
49ers
Ravens
Steelers
Packers
(and arguably: Vikings)
You shouldn't have TWO defenses.
Because- very similar to Kickers, Defenses can be changed week to week. The biggest difference is: it's best to play defenses that have good match-ups. Kickers are just straight up interchangeable.
So you can look each week and see who is playing who and figure out which team is going to dominate the other and pick that defense.
This also can be read as "anyone who plays the Rams or the Lions"...hee hee.
This week- I like the Dolphins, who are going up against a Buffalo Offense that has a lot of chinks in it's armor.
Find yourself a Football information center and follow it.
What I mean by this is- sign up with Footballguys or Rotoworld or something similar, where they will email you what is going on in the NFL on a regular basis.
OR
Make it a habit to check the NFL Fantasy site once or twice a week so you can see what trends are going on in the league- CBSsports is good for this, also (I'm gonna try to keep info flowing here, too).
BUT AT THE VERY LEAST:
Check the headlines on the players on your team on Saturday-Sunday morning.
Every online Fantasy League has a news system. It's often a just little symbol that will appear next to your player's name when there is something newsworthy about him- READ IT!
And then, adjust your roster accordingly.
Check your team once a day and make sure it is SET.
A lot of managers just check on Sunday morning and that is fine- but if you want to better guarantee a win- check your team once a day, like you do your Facebook or your Email.
You might not even do anything to your roster BUT this way- should something come up on that Sunday morning (like having to go to church, shopping, playgrounds, etc.) you aren't there thinking "Damn! I forgot to set my team! ARRRGH!"
Check it once a day and most likely, your team will be in pretty good condition come Sunday afternoon.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Preparing for your DRAFT.
There are basically three ways to get players onto your roster.
Auto Draft.
Live Draft.
Auctions.
I'm going to deal with Auto Drafting and Auctions first because MOST likely you will be doing a live draft.
AUTO DRAFTING
Auto draft is easy.
Normally, there is a list of players provided to you.
These players are in the order of importance (usually based on how many points they made last year, using your league's point system).
It is then up to you to rearrange the order if you want to attempt to get certain players.
I'm going to tell you right now that the majority of people just leave the list alone and let the auto pick do its thing. They just wait 'til after the draft to see who they got.
This can be to your advantage.
Know that most Auto Draft programs fill your roster by position first- meaning: after the program picks a QB for you it will make sure you meet all your "active" roster requirements are full before it picks your next QB.
Knowing this- you can kind of dictate what positions get picked first by grouping your picks by position in the order that you want them to happen.
Let's say I want to get an RB first.
I would put my top 5-6 RB choices together.
Then, let's say I wanted an WR next-
I would then list my top 5-6 WR choices (starting at 7 after the RBs).
I would then do the same with every other position (if there are two of the same positions to be filled- because most leagues let you run 2 RBs and 2 WRs) I might add a few more players to my list (instead of 5-6 I would do 8 or 9).
I've had a lot of success with this in Auto drafts.
But here is the important thing you MUST do in an Auto Draft:
YOU MUST BE SURE TO DELETE PLAYERS YOU DO NOT WANT ON YOUR TEAM FROM YOUR AUTO DRAFT LIST.
This is vital. The computer doesn't know that Sidney Rice is going to be out with a hip injury for half the season. It just knows that he kicked butt last season and would be a hell of a draft pick in round 3.
If you take Rice out of your list- then the computer would ignore him and pick another player who isn't going to be out the first 6 weeks of the year.
So, this is important.
Otherwise, Autodrafting is easy as pie. No need to worry. Really. That is why it is automatic. It is rare for the computer to completely mess up your draft.
AUCTIONS
I actually don't have a lot to say about these because I've only participated in a couple and the rules between them vary wildly.
All I can tell you is to know the value of the players and don't be afraid to go for it when it comes to the ones you want. Some people like to spend their money at the top on just a few players and then fill the rest of their roster with whatever fodder ends up at the bottom of the barrel- others like to have a more balanced team.
There's no evidence that one is greater than the other.
The best kind of auction is one where you and all your fellow players get together and have some food and drinks. Auctions are better parties than anything else. If you get the chance to do one, TAKE IT.
LIVE DRAFTS
Ahhhhh... now, this is where the meat of filling your roster is.
Most people participate in Live Drafts online. This is where- one by one, each manager gets a turn to pick a player.
When all the managers have picked a player, that is called a "Round".
So, if you are in a 12 team league- Picks 1-12 would be considered "Round One".
The turns in the Rounds "snake"- so that the picks in Round Two are in reverse order of the picks in Round One.
That means, in a twelve team league, Round One would have the managers pick their players in the order of 1-12 THEN in Round Two, the last team to pick (12) would pick first (yes, that is two picks in a row) followed by the 11th team, 10th team, 9th team, etc.
Until they got to Round Three, where the first team would pick again.
By now, you've read up on a few players and you've gotten an idea of who you want on your team- but before you get into the Draft Room- make sure you have a cheat sheet with you that lays out some backup plans because a Live Draft could very easily go differently than you expect and you don't want to pass up any opportunities or make any mistakes.
A good way to do this is to simply list on a piece of paper the players you think have value- I mean, outside of the ones you KNOW are valuable (you don't have to be told that Adrian Peterson is a good pick- if you are somehow 4th in the draft and the top 3 teams don't grab him for whatever reason...and that DOES happen, believe it or not...you WILL get him.
What I mean is- players that you might forget about if you get flustered. Like if you are interested in Jabar Gaffney- you could very easily get to the middle of the draft and not know who to pick. You forget about Jabar and you grab a Defense instead. Next thing you know Jabar is gone and you missed out.
A list would help you.
Now this is important.
You DEFINITELY need to get online and use one of the many Mock Draft setups that are available.
A Mock Draft allows you to go through the drafting process without having to commit to the team you picked. In other words- its a Live Draft practice room.
There are several and more and more every day but I'm gonna recommend two of them:
The one at CBS sports
and the one at the NFL
This is the best way to let you see how a Live Draft flows.
You will see how players are being drafted and best of all- there is a chat box at the bottom of the screen, so you can ask people WHY they made their picks when they made them.
You can Mock Draft as much as you want for FREE.
So get out there and do it before your draft is due!
Auto Draft.
Live Draft.
Auctions.
I'm going to deal with Auto Drafting and Auctions first because MOST likely you will be doing a live draft.
AUTO DRAFTING
Auto draft is easy.
Normally, there is a list of players provided to you.
These players are in the order of importance (usually based on how many points they made last year, using your league's point system).
It is then up to you to rearrange the order if you want to attempt to get certain players.
I'm going to tell you right now that the majority of people just leave the list alone and let the auto pick do its thing. They just wait 'til after the draft to see who they got.
This can be to your advantage.
Know that most Auto Draft programs fill your roster by position first- meaning: after the program picks a QB for you it will make sure you meet all your "active" roster requirements are full before it picks your next QB.
Knowing this- you can kind of dictate what positions get picked first by grouping your picks by position in the order that you want them to happen.
Let's say I want to get an RB first.
I would put my top 5-6 RB choices together.
Then, let's say I wanted an WR next-
I would then list my top 5-6 WR choices (starting at 7 after the RBs).
I would then do the same with every other position (if there are two of the same positions to be filled- because most leagues let you run 2 RBs and 2 WRs) I might add a few more players to my list (instead of 5-6 I would do 8 or 9).
I've had a lot of success with this in Auto drafts.
But here is the important thing you MUST do in an Auto Draft:
YOU MUST BE SURE TO DELETE PLAYERS YOU DO NOT WANT ON YOUR TEAM FROM YOUR AUTO DRAFT LIST.
This is vital. The computer doesn't know that Sidney Rice is going to be out with a hip injury for half the season. It just knows that he kicked butt last season and would be a hell of a draft pick in round 3.
If you take Rice out of your list- then the computer would ignore him and pick another player who isn't going to be out the first 6 weeks of the year.
So, this is important.
Otherwise, Autodrafting is easy as pie. No need to worry. Really. That is why it is automatic. It is rare for the computer to completely mess up your draft.
AUCTIONS
I actually don't have a lot to say about these because I've only participated in a couple and the rules between them vary wildly.
All I can tell you is to know the value of the players and don't be afraid to go for it when it comes to the ones you want. Some people like to spend their money at the top on just a few players and then fill the rest of their roster with whatever fodder ends up at the bottom of the barrel- others like to have a more balanced team.
There's no evidence that one is greater than the other.
The best kind of auction is one where you and all your fellow players get together and have some food and drinks. Auctions are better parties than anything else. If you get the chance to do one, TAKE IT.
LIVE DRAFTS
Ahhhhh... now, this is where the meat of filling your roster is.
Most people participate in Live Drafts online. This is where- one by one, each manager gets a turn to pick a player.
When all the managers have picked a player, that is called a "Round".
So, if you are in a 12 team league- Picks 1-12 would be considered "Round One".
The turns in the Rounds "snake"- so that the picks in Round Two are in reverse order of the picks in Round One.
That means, in a twelve team league, Round One would have the managers pick their players in the order of 1-12 THEN in Round Two, the last team to pick (12) would pick first (yes, that is two picks in a row) followed by the 11th team, 10th team, 9th team, etc.
Until they got to Round Three, where the first team would pick again.
By now, you've read up on a few players and you've gotten an idea of who you want on your team- but before you get into the Draft Room- make sure you have a cheat sheet with you that lays out some backup plans because a Live Draft could very easily go differently than you expect and you don't want to pass up any opportunities or make any mistakes.
A good way to do this is to simply list on a piece of paper the players you think have value- I mean, outside of the ones you KNOW are valuable (you don't have to be told that Adrian Peterson is a good pick- if you are somehow 4th in the draft and the top 3 teams don't grab him for whatever reason...and that DOES happen, believe it or not...you WILL get him.
What I mean is- players that you might forget about if you get flustered. Like if you are interested in Jabar Gaffney- you could very easily get to the middle of the draft and not know who to pick. You forget about Jabar and you grab a Defense instead. Next thing you know Jabar is gone and you missed out.
A list would help you.
Now this is important.
You DEFINITELY need to get online and use one of the many Mock Draft setups that are available.
A Mock Draft allows you to go through the drafting process without having to commit to the team you picked. In other words- its a Live Draft practice room.
There are several and more and more every day but I'm gonna recommend two of them:
The one at CBS sports
and the one at the NFL
This is the best way to let you see how a Live Draft flows.
You will see how players are being drafted and best of all- there is a chat box at the bottom of the screen, so you can ask people WHY they made their picks when they made them.
You can Mock Draft as much as you want for FREE.
So get out there and do it before your draft is due!
Friday, July 30, 2010
QBs, RBs, WRs- what do they mean and what is most valuable?
Let's go over what the positions are on your roster.
When you take over a Fantasy Football team- you will see a slot for:
QB (Quarterback)
RB (Running Back)
WR (Wide Reciever)
TE (Tight End)
K (Kicker)
DEF (Defense- this is sometimes listed as TM for Team Defense)
You might even see what we call "Flex Spots". These are roster positions where you can choose what kind of player to run. They often look like this:
RB/WR
WR/TE
RB/WR/TE
We'll get into Independent Defensive Positions in another post...
QB- This guy handles the ball pretty much every play. He's either passing it or handing it off OR simply running with it.
RB- Next to the QB- The RB is getting the most touches. Not only does he get handed the ball regularly- but many good RBs are used as receivers as well. This is VERY valuable if your league gives points for every catch made.
WR- The QB will targeting these guys (hopefully, for the long ball into the end zone)- The best of them can not only catch the ball but get a bunch of yards once they do.
TE- These are guys that block defensive players to help protect the QB- THEN roll out for a pass. The best of them are targeted by their QB almost as much as a WR.
K- Kickers kick the ball through the field goal- MOST are only asked to make extra points but there are a few who are damn good at kicking field goals from 40 and 50 yards out...this is worth some decent pointage in most leagues.
DEF (TM)- Defenses play defense. They stop all the above from doing what they do. Depending on how your league points defensive actions- a DEF may be vital to your line up.
HOWEVER DEFs (and Kickers to some degree) are interchangeable- so some people simply grab whatever DEF (or Kicker) is available that week.
Will that be your strategy?
Idunno.
I'm not in your league but this brings me to a VITAL point in your Fantasy Football training:
Rule no. 1:
YOU MUST KNOW HOW YOUR LEAGUE SCORES POINTS.
That doesn't mean you have to have it memorized but if you are in a league that awards QBs 6 points for every TD (touchdown)- then you should know that.
Most leagues give a QB 4 points per TD pass- so if you're getting 6 points per TD pass then you want to make sure you have a good QB.
If your league awards a point for every catch- that makes RBs who are targeted often for passes extra valuable.
Okay- now you're all messed up.
You're like- "Now I gotta STUDY!? I got no time for this!"
Don't sweat.
The point is this-
You want to fill your roster with the best of each position and you want to fill the best positions first- but you might be wondering "which position is MOST valuable", "How do I tell what is more important to get first?".
Here is what you do:
If your league is online-
The players are usually listed (under the "Players" tab/menu) by who's scored the most points in the previous season (or the current season to date) according to YOUR LEAGUE RULES.
Make sure you select "ALL Players " so you aren't excluding any one that is already on a team.
Now, look at the positions of those players.
Do you see a lot of RBs? Are there some QBs mixed in there? Or even some WRs?
If so- you have a nicely balanced League.
If you see a lot of RBs (which is most leagues) then your league focuses on running yards and rushing TDs more than anything else.
Hint: RBs get an advantage because they get the ball the most and therefore have the most opportunity to score Fantasy Points.
Sure- the QB gets the ball every play BUT he doesn't earn points for handing the ball off-(and they do that a lot) whereas the RB DOES get points for running the ball (and even just ATTEMPTING to run the ball in some league...know your rules!).
If you see a lot of any other position- you'll want to focus on THEM.
Now we are getting into some real Fantasy Football strategy as the point is to get the most point every week.
If you can load your team with the best of the best in the position that gathers the most points in your league...well, you are that much closer to the playoffs.
But how do you know who is the best of the best?
There are several lists available to tell you which RBs are the best RBs and which WRs are the best WRs but what you really need to know is:
Rule no. 2:
WHO IS THE STARTER!?
When you go to pick up a RB, QB, WR or whatever- you want to make sure you get the guy that is going to be used the most. The "Starter" at that position on their team.
For example: look at The Cincinnati Bengals.
They just signed Terell Owens (T.O.) to the WR position- but their Starter WR position belongs to Chad Ochocinco.
So Chad would be more valuable than T. O. (though, you will have those who argue this point).
This rule is VERY important when it comes to RBs over any other position because:
1. A true starter is going to see the ball a lot more than those who doesn't start (they might not get the ball at ALL).
2. It's hard to tell who the starting RB is on a lot of teams because they share RB responsibilities among 2 or more players. This is called Running Back By Committee (RBBC).
3. You'll want to know who is going to be handed the ball when the team is at the 1-5 yard line and wants to make a quick run into the end zone for 6 points!
So here is What you need to do:
Go to a book store or newsstand and buy a Fantasy Football magazine. It doesn't matter which one you get- as long as it's for this season.
For the record: I don't like these magazines because they are usually expensive and the information in them is dated by the time they hit the press BUT to a new comer they are a MUST.
In it, you will see players listed by importance in their position as well as overall. You will get familiar to who is good at what AND how good they are over others in their positions.
You will also get a sense of how each team operates. Do they like the run over the pass? Chad Ochocinco is the starter but T.O. will see more targets because he gets along with Carson Palmer more...
Not that that is true but you get the gist.
Buy one mag and get cozy with it.
Next time we talk about The Draft!
When you take over a Fantasy Football team- you will see a slot for:
QB (Quarterback)
RB (Running Back)
WR (Wide Reciever)
TE (Tight End)
K (Kicker)
DEF (Defense- this is sometimes listed as TM for Team Defense)
You might even see what we call "Flex Spots". These are roster positions where you can choose what kind of player to run. They often look like this:
RB/WR
WR/TE
RB/WR/TE
We'll get into Independent Defensive Positions in another post...
QB- This guy handles the ball pretty much every play. He's either passing it or handing it off OR simply running with it.
RB- Next to the QB- The RB is getting the most touches. Not only does he get handed the ball regularly- but many good RBs are used as receivers as well. This is VERY valuable if your league gives points for every catch made.
WR- The QB will targeting these guys (hopefully, for the long ball into the end zone)- The best of them can not only catch the ball but get a bunch of yards once they do.
TE- These are guys that block defensive players to help protect the QB- THEN roll out for a pass. The best of them are targeted by their QB almost as much as a WR.
K- Kickers kick the ball through the field goal- MOST are only asked to make extra points but there are a few who are damn good at kicking field goals from 40 and 50 yards out...this is worth some decent pointage in most leagues.
DEF (TM)- Defenses play defense. They stop all the above from doing what they do. Depending on how your league points defensive actions- a DEF may be vital to your line up.
HOWEVER DEFs (and Kickers to some degree) are interchangeable- so some people simply grab whatever DEF (or Kicker) is available that week.
Will that be your strategy?
Idunno.
I'm not in your league but this brings me to a VITAL point in your Fantasy Football training:
Rule no. 1:
YOU MUST KNOW HOW YOUR LEAGUE SCORES POINTS.
That doesn't mean you have to have it memorized but if you are in a league that awards QBs 6 points for every TD (touchdown)- then you should know that.
Most leagues give a QB 4 points per TD pass- so if you're getting 6 points per TD pass then you want to make sure you have a good QB.
If your league awards a point for every catch- that makes RBs who are targeted often for passes extra valuable.
Okay- now you're all messed up.
You're like- "Now I gotta STUDY!? I got no time for this!"
Don't sweat.
The point is this-
You want to fill your roster with the best of each position and you want to fill the best positions first- but you might be wondering "which position is MOST valuable", "How do I tell what is more important to get first?".
Here is what you do:
If your league is online-
The players are usually listed (under the "Players" tab/menu) by who's scored the most points in the previous season (or the current season to date) according to YOUR LEAGUE RULES.
Make sure you select "ALL Players " so you aren't excluding any one that is already on a team.
Now, look at the positions of those players.
Do you see a lot of RBs? Are there some QBs mixed in there? Or even some WRs?
If so- you have a nicely balanced League.
If you see a lot of RBs (which is most leagues) then your league focuses on running yards and rushing TDs more than anything else.
Hint: RBs get an advantage because they get the ball the most and therefore have the most opportunity to score Fantasy Points.
Sure- the QB gets the ball every play BUT he doesn't earn points for handing the ball off-(and they do that a lot) whereas the RB DOES get points for running the ball (and even just ATTEMPTING to run the ball in some league...know your rules!).
If you see a lot of any other position- you'll want to focus on THEM.
Now we are getting into some real Fantasy Football strategy as the point is to get the most point every week.
If you can load your team with the best of the best in the position that gathers the most points in your league...well, you are that much closer to the playoffs.
But how do you know who is the best of the best?
There are several lists available to tell you which RBs are the best RBs and which WRs are the best WRs but what you really need to know is:
Rule no. 2:
WHO IS THE STARTER!?
When you go to pick up a RB, QB, WR or whatever- you want to make sure you get the guy that is going to be used the most. The "Starter" at that position on their team.
For example: look at The Cincinnati Bengals.
They just signed Terell Owens (T.O.) to the WR position- but their Starter WR position belongs to Chad Ochocinco.
So Chad would be more valuable than T. O. (though, you will have those who argue this point).
This rule is VERY important when it comes to RBs over any other position because:
1. A true starter is going to see the ball a lot more than those who doesn't start (they might not get the ball at ALL).
2. It's hard to tell who the starting RB is on a lot of teams because they share RB responsibilities among 2 or more players. This is called Running Back By Committee (RBBC).
3. You'll want to know who is going to be handed the ball when the team is at the 1-5 yard line and wants to make a quick run into the end zone for 6 points!
So here is What you need to do:
Go to a book store or newsstand and buy a Fantasy Football magazine. It doesn't matter which one you get- as long as it's for this season.
For the record: I don't like these magazines because they are usually expensive and the information in them is dated by the time they hit the press BUT to a new comer they are a MUST.
In it, you will see players listed by importance in their position as well as overall. You will get familiar to who is good at what AND how good they are over others in their positions.
You will also get a sense of how each team operates. Do they like the run over the pass? Chad Ochocinco is the starter but T.O. will see more targets because he gets along with Carson Palmer more...
Not that that is true but you get the gist.
Buy one mag and get cozy with it.
Next time we talk about The Draft!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Dude. I don't even know how Football is played!...
Okay.
Don't sweat it because we're gonna learn ya. No need to get into Nickle Defenses and Hook Routes or anything like that-
We're gonna break it down to the basics. That's all you need to know to be a good Fantasy Football Manager.
Here we go!
The base of Football is this:
The Offense has four plays (or "Downs") to move the ball ten yards (which are marked by poles at the sideline and is usually that yellow line on your television screen).
Once they get past that yardline they earn another four plays to move the ball another 10 yards from where the ball was last marked down.
The Defense tries to stop them, of course.
They continue this "march" until they get into the "end zone". When they get here it is called a "Touchdown" and the offense is awarded 6 points.
Immediately after the Touchdown, the offense is allowed to go for an extra point by kicking the ball through the goal posts from the 20 yardline (usual) OR they can try to carry the ball into the end zone for two points.
And THAT is what is going on in Football.
Yeah, there are penalties and interceptions and things that make things more complicated but all you need to really understand is the movement of the ball and how players score.
Now.
Let's see it in action a little bit...
The game starts with one team receiving the ball:
Alright.
This is just a Madden version but it's the only play online I could find where the kick wasn't returned for a touch down.
So. The ball is marked down where the runner is tackled (or goes out of bounds) and the "First Down" yard line is marked 10 yards from that point.
Now the Offense has four "Downs" (plays) to get to that First Down yard line.
There are two types of plays-
A Run: Where the team runs the ball.
And A Pass: Where the team throws the ball.
You will find that there are teams that favor one or the other but usually the situation a team is in will dictate what type of play they use.
If you have a short distance left to get a First Down- often teams will hand the ball to their Running Back (RB) to get it over the line.
Here are the Dallas Cowboys in a 3rd (down) and 1 (yard to the First Down) situation.
Note how the field is digitally marked to show you that it's 3rd down and a yellow line illuminates the First Down marker.
Dallas would now get a fresh set of Downs at the 35 yard line after this play.
Now here is a play by the Cowboys where they decide to throw the ball at 2nd and 10 yards to go.
Typically, successful Passing plays get you more yardage- so they are often used when a team needs to make up a lot of distance to get that First Down.
Now this all happens until you get a result like this:
Awwwwwww YEAH!
Do you get it?
Good.
Now-
When a team is facing 4th down and doesn't think they are going to get the First Down- they may opt to kick the ball (Punt) to the other team- (so that they aren't close to the goal line when they take over the ball) or to go for a field goal (if they think their kicker can make it from where they are) for 3 points.
So, you are probably asking how all of this translates to Fantasy Football.
Well, briefly-
Romo- who threw the ball to Witten, might earn a fraction of a point for completing a pass.
Witten would earn a point for catching that pass.
If Witten had made a Touchdown on that pass he would have earned 6 points and Romo 4 points (depending on your league rules).
In the last run, Felix Jones would have earned 6 points for the touchdown and 1 point for every 10 yards he ran (so 6.6 points for that one play- 12.6 in total).
If you owned those players, you would get those points.
More on that in the next post...
Now to close it out- here is an NFL retelling of the best Drive Ever:
Don't sweat it because we're gonna learn ya. No need to get into Nickle Defenses and Hook Routes or anything like that-
We're gonna break it down to the basics. That's all you need to know to be a good Fantasy Football Manager.
Here we go!
The base of Football is this:
The Offense has four plays (or "Downs") to move the ball ten yards (which are marked by poles at the sideline and is usually that yellow line on your television screen).
Once they get past that yardline they earn another four plays to move the ball another 10 yards from where the ball was last marked down.
The Defense tries to stop them, of course.
They continue this "march" until they get into the "end zone". When they get here it is called a "Touchdown" and the offense is awarded 6 points.
Immediately after the Touchdown, the offense is allowed to go for an extra point by kicking the ball through the goal posts from the 20 yardline (usual) OR they can try to carry the ball into the end zone for two points.
And THAT is what is going on in Football.
Yeah, there are penalties and interceptions and things that make things more complicated but all you need to really understand is the movement of the ball and how players score.
Now.
Let's see it in action a little bit...
The game starts with one team receiving the ball:
Alright.
This is just a Madden version but it's the only play online I could find where the kick wasn't returned for a touch down.
So. The ball is marked down where the runner is tackled (or goes out of bounds) and the "First Down" yard line is marked 10 yards from that point.
Now the Offense has four "Downs" (plays) to get to that First Down yard line.
There are two types of plays-
A Run: Where the team runs the ball.
And A Pass: Where the team throws the ball.
You will find that there are teams that favor one or the other but usually the situation a team is in will dictate what type of play they use.
If you have a short distance left to get a First Down- often teams will hand the ball to their Running Back (RB) to get it over the line.
Here are the Dallas Cowboys in a 3rd (down) and 1 (yard to the First Down) situation.
Note how the field is digitally marked to show you that it's 3rd down and a yellow line illuminates the First Down marker.
Dallas would now get a fresh set of Downs at the 35 yard line after this play.
Now here is a play by the Cowboys where they decide to throw the ball at 2nd and 10 yards to go.
Typically, successful Passing plays get you more yardage- so they are often used when a team needs to make up a lot of distance to get that First Down.
Now this all happens until you get a result like this:
Awwwwwww YEAH!
Do you get it?
Good.
Now-
When a team is facing 4th down and doesn't think they are going to get the First Down- they may opt to kick the ball (Punt) to the other team- (so that they aren't close to the goal line when they take over the ball) or to go for a field goal (if they think their kicker can make it from where they are) for 3 points.
So, you are probably asking how all of this translates to Fantasy Football.
Well, briefly-
Romo- who threw the ball to Witten, might earn a fraction of a point for completing a pass.
Witten would earn a point for catching that pass.
If Witten had made a Touchdown on that pass he would have earned 6 points and Romo 4 points (depending on your league rules).
In the last run, Felix Jones would have earned 6 points for the touchdown and 1 point for every 10 yards he ran (so 6.6 points for that one play- 12.6 in total).
If you owned those players, you would get those points.
More on that in the next post...
Now to close it out- here is an NFL retelling of the best Drive Ever:
Friday, July 23, 2010
It Begins... An introduction to the site.
It's that time of year again.
All of your sport fan friends are gearing up for another season of Football... Fantasy Football.
As pointless as you think it all is, you can't help but notice two things:
1). There are more and more of your friends playing every year.
2). They DO seem to be having a lot of fun.
So THIS year, you've decided to take the plunge and try it out- BUT you know slim to nothing about Fantasy Sports.
Actually you don't even know anything about FOOTBALL!
Fear not.
This blog is going to help you through the season AND if you follow closely you might even find yourself in the playoffs! Trust me, it's not that difficult.
So, here is how this site is gonna work.
Each week on Tuesday and Friday- I'm going to give tips on what to do and where to go in order to optimize your lineup.
Because Blogs are chronological with the last post on top, I'm going title each post as to exactly what it's about.
This way it will be easy for new comers to start from the beginning and if you want to re-read some tips about something, it will be easy to find.
I'll try to keep each post as short as possible as well.
At this point (or maybe earlier) you might have asked yourself "Who the f*** is this guy to tell me anything?"
To which I respond- "HEY! You're the one that don't know nothing about Fantasy Football, jackass!"
Actually, I've been playing Fantasy Football for a while now and I usually run between 5-7 teams a season- all of my teams make the playoffs and the majority of them go to the Superbowl.
Two seasons ago I helped coach a fellow league player (who was literally picking players by the color of their uniforms) get to the playoffs.
Last season, I lost two games to her.
So- I CAN help you develop the habits that are going to make you a competitor in your league. You must remember two things though:
1). Your team is YOUR team.
You are about to told a lot of stuff from a lot of people about who you should sit and who you should start but in the end- it's YOUR decision. Own it.
2). If you drop a football, you never can tell which way it's gonna bounce. The game of Football is the same way.
Just because one team/player is expected to dominate/fail doesn't mean it's gonna happen. No Football season goes the way anyone plans- that's what makes it fun.
Lastly, I would like to say- You don't HAVE to watch a second of a real Football game in order to succeed at Fantasy Football.
HOWEVER, if you do watch the games (even the ones that don't feature your favorite team) you will find yourself seriously invested. Fantasy Football amps the watching of Football immensely. Join your friends at a bar and have a good time.
You are about to take your first step into a larger world. Enjoy it.
Good Luck and Good Football.
Commissioner Gorden
All of your sport fan friends are gearing up for another season of Football... Fantasy Football.
As pointless as you think it all is, you can't help but notice two things:
1). There are more and more of your friends playing every year.
2). They DO seem to be having a lot of fun.
So THIS year, you've decided to take the plunge and try it out- BUT you know slim to nothing about Fantasy Sports.
Actually you don't even know anything about FOOTBALL!
Fear not.
This blog is going to help you through the season AND if you follow closely you might even find yourself in the playoffs! Trust me, it's not that difficult.
So, here is how this site is gonna work.
Each week on Tuesday and Friday- I'm going to give tips on what to do and where to go in order to optimize your lineup.
Because Blogs are chronological with the last post on top, I'm going title each post as to exactly what it's about.
This way it will be easy for new comers to start from the beginning and if you want to re-read some tips about something, it will be easy to find.
I'll try to keep each post as short as possible as well.
At this point (or maybe earlier) you might have asked yourself "Who the f*** is this guy to tell me anything?"
To which I respond- "HEY! You're the one that don't know nothing about Fantasy Football, jackass!"
Actually, I've been playing Fantasy Football for a while now and I usually run between 5-7 teams a season- all of my teams make the playoffs and the majority of them go to the Superbowl.
Two seasons ago I helped coach a fellow league player (who was literally picking players by the color of their uniforms) get to the playoffs.
Last season, I lost two games to her.
So- I CAN help you develop the habits that are going to make you a competitor in your league. You must remember two things though:
1). Your team is YOUR team.
You are about to told a lot of stuff from a lot of people about who you should sit and who you should start but in the end- it's YOUR decision. Own it.
2). If you drop a football, you never can tell which way it's gonna bounce. The game of Football is the same way.
Just because one team/player is expected to dominate/fail doesn't mean it's gonna happen. No Football season goes the way anyone plans- that's what makes it fun.
Lastly, I would like to say- You don't HAVE to watch a second of a real Football game in order to succeed at Fantasy Football.
HOWEVER, if you do watch the games (even the ones that don't feature your favorite team) you will find yourself seriously invested. Fantasy Football amps the watching of Football immensely. Join your friends at a bar and have a good time.
You are about to take your first step into a larger world. Enjoy it.
Good Luck and Good Football.
Commissioner Gorden
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