Fantasy football season is upon us and that brings a new wave of players with it. Whether you have done this for most of your life, or this is the first article you read about fantasy football, we all started somewhere. Use this article as your first step into the fantasy football world and use it to win your league championship.
*This article is intended for standard 1QB redraft leagues.
Tip #1 – Have fun
Fantasy football should be something you do with your family, friends, or coworkers. It should not be an activity that stresses you out. It is an excuse to sit in front of your television for 10 hours of football on Sunday. Get some people that would be interested, plan out a draft, and have a great time. That is the most important tip that I will always give someone just starting.
Tip #2 – Don’t draft a QB early
This is something I always recommend to new players. Do not draft a QB until you acquire players at key positions. Patrick Mahomes may be the best player in the league, but that does not mean he should be your first pick. Personally, I like to wait until the 6th round to draft a QB. You want to stack up on RB,WR, and even one TE to begin your draft.
For example, last season Patrick Mahomes was being drafted as early as the 3rd round. If you were to wait three more rounds, you could have drafted Jalen Hurts. Hurts finished as the overall QB3 last year. In those three rounds separating Mahomes and Hurts, you could have drafted other positions. It allows managers to acquire depth, which is important in fantasy.
This season it has only gotten worse. In mock drafts you see Mahomes and Allen going as early as the 2nd round. It is getting crazy drafting these QBs; and if you want to win your league then wait until later.
Tip #3 – Do your research, be prepared
This tip can give you the biggest advantage over other players in your league. Take the time and do your research. There is a very good chance if you are starting a league with new fantasy football players, they won’t want to do the extra research. They may not know the potential of players like Chris Olave, Tony Pollard, or Mark Andrews. That is where you put in the extra work.
Here at The League Winners we provide Redraft and Dynasty rankings to give you the advantage over your leaguemates.
Tip #4 – Do not draft looking at bye weeks
This is one of the biggest tips for new fantasy football players. When I started drafting with my friends and family, this personally was a problem for me. If I saw players with the same bye week I’d target other, potentially worse, players who had a different bye week.
Do not pass on a player you love just because their bye week does not work with what you have drafted so far. I’m at the point where I do not even look at them anymore. Every draft I go into I want to do one thing – build the best team possible. Do not let bye weeks decide who you draft. Get your guys that you think will win you a championship.
Tip #5 – Do not get startled on draft day
I have learned this the hard way every year. You can’t go into a draft hyper-focused on one strategy. I can promise you, it will never go your way.
Fantasy football drafts are one of the best times of year. You get to build your championship squad with people you can’t wait to beat; but let me tell you one thing. There is a good chance you come out of the draft with a completely different team. You can have all these players on your draft list, but that can and most likely will change. This ties back to my third tip. You can love players, but be prepared if they were to get sniped from you.
These are my five tips for fantasy football rookie drafters. Once you get a taste of it, you will be hooked. Use these tips and find yourself winning your fantasy championship.
Harry Prskalo
Writer for The League Winners. Just a guy that loves Fantasy Football and will help you win your championship.