The Pre-Season in the NFL is under way and with that comes the other side of football..the fantasy football draft. If you have no idea what fantasy football is then sit down and get ready to take some notes. Before I begin let me tell you a few reasons why you should play fantasy football NUMBER 3) You can win money. Yes this is true most leagues have like a $25 entry fee with a possible $250 cash out...not bad for a "FANTASY game." NUMBER 2) When your real life team eats crow then you still have a chance to save your Sunday with your fantasy team. AND THE NUMBER 1 REASON you should keep reading this. BRAGGING RIGHTS!!! If you do your homework right and dive head first into researching all you can about every team and player you can shut the big mouth in the bar who rants and raves about how good his team is!!! Hopefully those reasons are enough to keep you reading. If so this is the next thing you should know. Years ago starting a fantasy football league was rather simple and cut and dry but now there are a few more options below is a brief explanation of the different types of leagues.
Standard Draft League
The standard draft leagues are by far the most common fantasy leagues out there. The league will have a draft that is usually serpentine in nature (which means that the first person to pick overall in round one will be the last to pick in round two, conversely the last pick in round one will pick first in round two, etc.). The owners will pick out a starting lineup each week depending on the regulations of the league and match up against a different owner each week. A starting roster usually consists of 1 quarterback, 2 running backs, 3 wide receiver's, 1 tight end, 1 kicker and a team defense. Scoring more points than your opponent results in a win whereas scoring fewer points will result in a loss. The best overall win/loss records will meet in the playoffs. Each new season, all of the NFL players go back into the pool and can be drafted all over again.
Standard Draft League(total points)
These leagues start off the same as head-to-head leagues. Once the draft is finished however the ultimate goal is to finish with the most points overall instead of the most wins. There is no weekly head-to-head schedule and it is simply a matter of building up as many points as possible. Personally this league seems mind numbing so I stay far far away from it.
Auction Drafts
Auction drafts are a relatively new type of fantasy league. These drafts can be a ton of fun and offer unique challenges but it also takes up a lot more time on average than a standard draft. As an owner in an auction draft, make sure to devote a block of six to ten hours in order to complete your draft. Each owner in this kind of league gets a sum of play money in which they will use in order to build their fantasy roster. Each owner can bid on any player on the auction block as long as he/she has enough money remaining to win the bid. The best part of an auction draft is simply that every player in the league is available to a fantasy owner. I actually like this concept because I have always hated games like magic where your wallet can determine how well you play. Although money is involved in this people need to remember this is a contact sport and its also any given Sunday. You could spend your wallet on 2 or 3 players then boom they literally break a leg and your season is in shambles and you are broke so again DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!
Keeper Leagues
Keeper leagues are very similar to the leagues above. The difference being that the owner can keep a predetermined number of players from his draft in the previous season to carry forward into the new campaign. In some leagues you can keep one player, in others three and in others five or more. Sometimes it costs an owner a draft pick to keep a player from the previous season and sometimes no penalty is paid. It really depends on the leagues rules.
Dynasty Leagues
A dynasty league is similar to a keeper league but each team can keep their entire roster of players from one year to the next. After the inaugural draft in year one, the players will stay on the team they are drafted to unless they are traded away or released. Each offseason a rookie draft will take place in which the owners can add talent to their rosters. These leagues can be really challenges to rebuild a poor roster as it may take years of wise trading and shrewd drafting in order to rise to the top. Great leagues if you want to challenge yourself.
IDP LEAGUES
Welcome to a MAN'S LEAGUE!!! These leagues use defensive players as well as offensive players. This is only for the diehard fantasy player as it takes a lot more research, knowledge and experience to know not only what defensive players to draft but when. Football is a contact sport so who wouldn't want to get points for contacting someone or an interception? Given it is a bit tougher but the pay out is great because you are forced to learn about the entire game instead of focusing just on certain teams.
That is all for now go out and join a league, If I had to give you a recommendation I would say try Yahoo! They offer mock drafts and have a very good app. Don't worry there will be many more posts related to fantasy football in the near future.
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