Friday, August 21, 2009
In our times of vampires, wizards and shape-shifting robots, my fantasies dwell in another realm: football.
The start of the school year also means the birth of a new NFL season. As popular as professional football is, there is still an untapped reservoir of fans not getting in on the fantasy action. I’ve met too many casual fans who could benefit immensely from joining a league.
Years ago, I did more than not watch football. I avoided it at any cost. But one year, I was put into a fantasy football league, not of my own accord. I put the effort into it and came in third in my first year while knowing absolutely nothing of the sport. Now Sundays mean a little more than just dreading school the next day.
When you watch games on television and they aren’t your favorite team or players, how do you find joy? After all, value is determined by the individual. Terrell Owens’ three touchdowns may mean nothing to you, but those are 18 points for me.
I’ve heard all the excuses, and none of them excuse anyone from the potential bragging rights, monetary winnings or overall fun of fantasy football. Some don’t have time to do it, but five minutes a week is really all you need to be somewhat competitive. If you have no interest, that’s fine, but you don’t know what you are missing. Even people who dislike sports in general should see it as a different kind of game or a source of income, whatever their preference.
Having your own fantasy team may sound lame to some, but as you become privy to new players, you learn their stories and connect to them on a personal level. Sports are a lot about finding a connection between you and the athletes. If you can find that link, you’ll find a lot more to enjoy. When I’m enjoying my football on Sundays, there isn’t a lot of, “Did you just see that play by so-and-so?!” Instead it’s, “That’s my boy.”
FOR THE MANAGERS
I’d like to think I’m an expert on fantasy football. I have yearly Yahoo! trophies to prove it. So for those of you who do have teams, here’s some quick advice you can use whether you are new or experienced.
1. Draft as late as possible. You don’t want to have it more than a month before the regular season in case injuries occur or Brett Favre decides to return midway through preseason. It should go without saying, but don’t do it after week one, either.
2. Be wary of the experts. Where’s their time machine that makes them so special? Don’t waste your money on the magazines. They are good references, but when it comes down to it, everyone knows the same amount of information about who to draft and when: nothing.
3.If you really want to perfect your team, do mock drafts. This is the best way to create the perfect draft strategy based on your numbered pick. You can try different approaches without any of the consequences.
Happy drafting.
— Edited by Samantha Foster
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Comments
Morning Brew: Fall for Fantasy Football
Hey, good article. I agree with your comment number 3, the best thing for both the novice player as well as the experienced fantasy football player is to get at least a couple quick mock-drafts under your belt. Most websites that offer leagues offer some kind of mock-draft capability, take a look or you can even sign up for free over at mockdraftcentral and pick your own spot in the draft as well. Being that it's pretty late in the summer camps as well you can pick up draft guides and cheet sheets that will help as well, and there's some good cheap ones out there too, rotoworld has one and www.fantasysleeperdraft.com has a training camp draft guide as well...
thanks for the article, good stuff...
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