Are you new to fantasy football and aren't sure where to start when it comes to setting up your own league? Don't worry, it isn't as hard as you think. In this article I will take you through everything you need to know to set up your own fantasy football league and have the time of your life this season.
First, you need opponents. In my opinion fantasy football is the most fun when you know your league mates so invite your friends, family and co-workers to join your league. You really need to have an even amount of teams, so be sure that you don't end up with an odd number. I recommend 10 or 12 teams which is usually enough to thin out the player pool so that the teams aren't all loaded. The thinner the player pool the harder the league gets. If you cant come up with enough people don't worry, there are always public leagues on sites like Yahoo or ESPN.
Next, you need to consider a scoring system. In fantasy football players are given points for that week's stats, and the team with the most points wins their match up. Typically players get 1 point for every 10 yards rushing or receiving, 1 point for every 25 yards passing and six points for touchdowns. Kickers get points for field goals and extra points and defenses get points for turnovers and sacks. All of these numbers can be modified to make the scoring higher or lower, so feel free to tweak with the stats. Most league setups will allow you to modify the numbers and show you how the players rank out after the change. If you don't like how it looks, adjust it again.
Lastly, you need to figure out when and how you are going to hold your draft. In the past people met in person to hold drafts but now you can draft online as well. If your league is spread out geographically online may be the best option, however if you are all local holding a live draft is a lot of fun. At the draft a random order is drawn and the players are picked in order. Most drafts are "snake drafts" where the person with the last pick in the first round gets the first pick in the second round, and the second round order reverses. This keeps it fair for everyone. You can also do an auction draft where everyone is given an amount of money and can bid on whatever players they want, up to their budget. Be warned though, auction drafts are a lot of fun, but can take a long time to complete with everyone bidding on players rather than just calling out their name at a draft.
If you are new to fantasy football I hope this has been helpful for you. Fantasy football is a lot of fun, and really makes watching every NFL game enjoyable.
First, you need opponents. In my opinion fantasy football is the most fun when you know your league mates so invite your friends, family and co-workers to join your league. You really need to have an even amount of teams, so be sure that you don't end up with an odd number. I recommend 10 or 12 teams which is usually enough to thin out the player pool so that the teams aren't all loaded. The thinner the player pool the harder the league gets. If you cant come up with enough people don't worry, there are always public leagues on sites like Yahoo or ESPN.
Next, you need to consider a scoring system. In fantasy football players are given points for that week's stats, and the team with the most points wins their match up. Typically players get 1 point for every 10 yards rushing or receiving, 1 point for every 25 yards passing and six points for touchdowns. Kickers get points for field goals and extra points and defenses get points for turnovers and sacks. All of these numbers can be modified to make the scoring higher or lower, so feel free to tweak with the stats. Most league setups will allow you to modify the numbers and show you how the players rank out after the change. If you don't like how it looks, adjust it again.
Lastly, you need to figure out when and how you are going to hold your draft. In the past people met in person to hold drafts but now you can draft online as well. If your league is spread out geographically online may be the best option, however if you are all local holding a live draft is a lot of fun. At the draft a random order is drawn and the players are picked in order. Most drafts are "snake drafts" where the person with the last pick in the first round gets the first pick in the second round, and the second round order reverses. This keeps it fair for everyone. You can also do an auction draft where everyone is given an amount of money and can bid on whatever players they want, up to their budget. Be warned though, auction drafts are a lot of fun, but can take a long time to complete with everyone bidding on players rather than just calling out their name at a draft.
If you are new to fantasy football I hope this has been helpful for you. Fantasy football is a lot of fun, and really makes watching every NFL game enjoyable.
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