consider signing up for a league with a salary cap draft.
Pay versus free: The previous sections discuss some pros and cons of pay and free leagues. When you’re looking to make your choice, remember that pay leagues are more competitive while free leagues are more casual. If you just want to keep your fantasy games casual, avoid betting on yourself and play for fun. It’s all about the Benjamins for the more serious fantasy players. Remember that when people pay, they tend to take it more seriously, and the higher the entry fee, the more competitive a league tends to be. Sometimes, an entry fee just covers the costs of a premium league service, which offers more helpful tools for casual players to manage their teams. Higher league dues, on the other hand, means that money goes to the victor or is used to buy trophies. (Check out the “Why are you playing? For love or money?” section later in this chapter.)
Number of coaches (also known as level of competitiveness): The bottom line is that the more competition you have (the number of coaches in the league), the less casual your league will be. So if you want a relaxed casual experience, look for a smaller league. If you want your league to be more cutthroat, go with a larger league. An eight or ten-team league, for instance, is always easier, because you’ll have more great players to choose from in the first ten rounds of the draft. In a twelve-team league, the stars will get snatched up quickly, so you’ll need a deep understanding of all the NFL rosters in order to build a competitive team. Anything more enters the “deep league” domain, where the best players will go quickly and you’ll need to dig deeper to fill your roster.
Size and configuration of league rosters: Many leagues have different team requirements, ranging from simple to complex. For example, the basic Yahoo! league features nine starters and eight bench players — a manageable number, even for a beginner. If your roster requirement is smaller, team management is easier and the draft is shorter. If your roster is 20 players or more, team management becomes more challenging and the draft takes longer. The starting position requirements also vary from league to league. If your league requires you to start two or more QBs, three or more RBs/WRs, and one or two FLEX spots, you’re playing in an unusually complex league. Hope you have some free time! Most fantasy football providers use default roster configurations that first-time players can easily use. Be sure to read your league’s rules and settings page before signing up, if possible. If your league has a commissioner, email them to find out if the league has any wrinkles that you need to be aware of.
Picking Your League: The How-To
Many types of people play fantasy football, and no one league fits everyone. Some people focus only on the draft and spend little time adjusting their teams during the season. Others like to micromanage their rosters and spend hours reading game stats, expert advice, and injury reports. Choosing the right game type and the right level of competition is essential for having fun in this game.
Ask yourself the questions in this section when you’re picking the fantasy league to play in. The answers can help you narrow down your choice.
How committed are you?
How much time (and even money) you have to devote to fantasy greatly affects which league is right. For example, if you’re busy working 70 hours a week, do you really have the time to devote to your team? You may identify with one of the following as you decide which league is right for you:
You’re a fantasy newbie, have only an hour a week to play, and don’t want to spend any money. If so, start with a free public league. A free league runs automatically, using the league provider’s default settings. If you want to practice and get better before you decide to take on friends or coworkers, playing in a free public league makes sense.
You’re new to fantasy football, don’t have any buddies who play, and don’t mind spending a little money. If you’re willing to dedicate the time, you may want to consider playing in a public pay league. All the major league providers offer multiple levels of service. If you have the time, you’re probably going to be more dedicated to scouting and preparing for the draft, and then managing your team each week. The higher the league fee, the more bells and whistles you get.
You’re fairly new to fantasy football, but your coworker invited you to play. You don’t have much control over how your friend sets up his league. That person is the commissioner, and they select the default settings (such as the draft type, the number of players on the roster, and such; check out the earlier section, “Identifying Other Important Considerations,” for more info). A private league can still give you an opportunity to play. Your coworker’s league may be free or pay. Before you commit to the league, make sure you can devote enough time so other players won’t feel like you aren’t doing your part.
You’re somewhat familiar with fantasy and played in a few leagues, and you’re willing to devote more time (and money). If so, a more competitive public pay league with certain defaults that you like (such as larger roster sizes, more competitive leagues with more coaches, and such) may be a viable choice. (Refer to the “Identifying Other Important Considerations” section for questions to consider.) If you can’t find a league that you like, you may want to start your own league and customize it. (Check out the “Starting Your Own League: You Want to Be a Commissioner?” section later in this chapter.)
You’re a fantasy expert and love spending hours upon hours playing. If so, this chapter isn’t required reading. Read Part 2.
How much do you know?
When picking a league that’s right for you, you need to know how familiar you really are with the fantasy football world. If you’re like many of the people reading this book, you probably know very little about fantasy football. Or perhaps you’ve played a season or two and really want to get a better grasp of all the strategies that can help elevate your game. Joining a standard snake draft, head-to-head format league would then be the way to go. If the price is right, feel free to join an affordable pay league that you (and your rivals) will be interested in playing even if your team falters.
If you’re more of an advanced player, you may want to experiment with different types of game variations to add some excitement. (If you’re a newbie, feel free to skip the rest of this section.) The tried-and-true formula for fantasy football uses a snake draft (see Chapter 4) to create a league of six or more teams that play each other in head-to-head matchups during the regular NFL season (an 18-week schedule). However, many veterans of the game become bored with this setup after a few years. Even a larger buy-in won’t satisfy their hunger for competition. For these players, many websites have created new variations to spice up their fantasy leagues. By definition, any new variation is harder to play and makes the league more serious, but if you’re ready for a challenge, the variations can be great fun. The following are variations you may want to consider if you’re a bit more advanced:
IDP leagues: For true fantasy geeks, IDP (individual defensive players) may be the way to go. The basic fantasy game focuses on individual offensive players, in addition to a defense that’s represented by an entire NFL team’s defense (known as DEF). In an IDP league, not only can your standard offensive players score points, but also any of the 11 guys on an NFL team’s defense (depending on your draft) can score you fantasy
