It's that time of year again: FANTASY FOOTBALL. For Americans, the only thing better than a Sunday full of games is a Sunday full of games where you can compete and beat your friends and then make money. That's right, fantasy football is first and foremost about competition and nothing stokes the fires of competition like when there's money on the line.
As you get older and meet more and more people, you'll find yourself in more and more leagues. Your high school friends, your college friends, your work friends, those guys at the bar who keep calling you the wrong name...everyone wants you to be in your league. And they are all for money. And you don't want to disappoint anyone so you join all of them and it can get EXPENSIVE.
So, here are some tips to help you stay afloat this fantasy season.
1. Earn your entry fee. A lot of leagues, especially those whose teams come from all over the country, utilize PayPal for buy-in fees. Conveniently, a lot of the sites I recommend send money right to YOUR PayPal. I'm talking about NatureBucks, Superpoints, PaidViewPoint, and TopLine. If you have any questions about how to maximize these sites, check my archive, I've got tutorials on all of them. Utilize these sites to earn the money to enter your leagues and then turn it into big bucks by winning.
And how do you win?
2. Start your research early. It's tempting to wait until the day before the draft, but it's early August now and draft day is rapidly approaching. Pick a position every day read up on it. There are free resources all over the internet. Google is your friend. Just make sure that the people giving you advice are in the same type of league as you. For example, PPR (points per reception) are quite common so if you are not in one of those leagues, the rankings you find maybe skewed. Work on your sleeper list early and edit it as time goes by. The draft is the most important part of the season so be prepared.
3. Learn the tools of your league. Familiarize yourself with the settings. Are you getting points for receptions? How do special teams work? Make sure you know this so you can build your team accordingly. And don't hesitate to make use of the projections, reports, and rankings that come with your league. Most people don't realize that you can rank players by projected points per week or per season. Use these rankings to help make tough choices, but always rely on your own instincts when making your decision. Don't be a slave to numbers. If you watch a lot of football and you know a player is good, go with that impression.
If you're in a lot of leagues, you'll want to use the tools of the web to make the money for your entry fees. Otherwise, you'll find yourself really hurting at the beginning of the season and under a lot of pressure to win your leagues and make your money back. And that's not fun. Good luck!
