It wouldn't be a proper series without a roundtable. Here is some advice from the pros here at Footballguys:
Chad Parsons
The divide between "valuable in the NFL" and "valuable in fantasy football" is a key distinction for fantasy football players starting out. Whether it is understanding the scoring involved in your initial league (or fantasy football in general) or starting requirements, etc. the divide between the two subsets can eliminate a longer learning curve.
Also, blend your fandom into your team to some extent. Be reasonable to some degree in terms of how high is too high to value your favorite players, but having someone from your favorite team where they are a priority watch each week for your NFL enjoyment and also now helping your fantasy team is part of what makes fantasy fun.
Finally, enjoy the process. Every fantasy football player has plenty of growing pains as they figure things out. You may hit lightning in a bottle in your first league or season with a championship. You may finish in last place. The key is the journey, enjoyment, and learning along the way. That process is never finished. The NFL and fantasy football continue to evolve over the years. You are embarking on a fun activity which enhances the game we all know and love. Welcome aboard!
Jason Wood
Beginners today have a decided advantage, as the quality, availability, and breadth of tools and services has never been better. When we started Footballguys, the league hosts (e.g., ESPN, CBS, Yahoo!) didn't focus much on the content/advice side of the ledger, and so it took a lot of ad hoc analysis and information retrieval to compete as a first-timer. Today, every hosting site has built-in rankings, analytics, and recommendations. While those tools may not afford you the skill to compete against the best of the best, they're good enough to assure you're in playoff contention with a bit of luck and a modest amount of time commitment.
The trick a beginner has to ask is when and if they want to transition from someone who is in the hunt but rarely gets a championship ring to someone that's feared by league members and is considered one of the favorites year in, year out. If that's their aspiration, leveraging Footballguys is the answer.
Keith Roberts
While it may be overwhelming to jump into fantasy football brand new, to Jason's point, you actually do have quite an advantage given the breadth of information available. While that is indeed a significant advantage, it could also seem pretty daunting in and of itself as far as how to absorb and utilize the info being thrown out at you.
Sure, you can follow your host site's (i.e. ESPN, Yahoo, etc) recommendations and projections as the single source of truth, but realize most of your competition will also be doing this. Where you can gain an advantage is using a source like Footballguys, in combination with other research and general awareness of NFL news, to form your own informed opinions. Develop a process from week to week on how you best can absorb this information and make decisions about your team in a way that fits both your schedule. The bare minimum would be checking your lineup Thursdays and Sundays. Anyone can log in and do that. What will set you apart is knowing things like when and how to plan your waiver wire claims, what an injury really means for a player or team, how to evaluate or make trade proposals, how to interpret and use positional rankings based on your weekly matchup, plus much, much more. This is where Footballguys comes in, as we have developed a variety of ways for you to absorb this kind info in as quick or as lengthy of a fashion as you please!
Andy Hicks
It may be overwhelming competing against seasoned pros at fantasy football, but the truth is you can compete on an even footing from day one. You need skill, dedication, the right information, and luck.
- In almost every league there will be guys who just draft a team and then put no effort in. Be better than them.
- In almost every league there will be guys who draft from a homer perspective or just take their favorite players. Be better than them.
- In almost every league there are people who will not alter their opinion on a player when it comes to trading in season. Be better than them.
- Every week, look for available players on the waiver wire who will make your team better. Many championships can be won when you have a bad draft.
- Every player has value and that changes from week to week. Be on top of this. Trading in season is a good way to strengthen weaknesses.
- Footballguys will help you become a better judge of who can help your team win and why.
David Dodds
- Despite quarterbacks having the highest name recognition, the best fantasy players wait at quarterback. Wait until 10+ quarterbacks have been drafted before you even consider taking your first.
- Use your last two picks to draft your kicker and defense.
- After 2/3 of your draft is complete, you are likely going to end up with a better roster by drafting young players on great offenses instead of stockpiling compilers where their best season is likely behind them.
Joe Bryant
- Understand value. Which means basically two things:
- Completely understand your scoring system and starting lineup requirements, and
- Understand Supply and Demand and how that affects value. Russell Wilson in an 8-team league that starts one quarterback has a very different value than Russell Wilson in a 14-team league that starts two quarterbacks.
- Understand Fantasy Football is two events. First the draft and then managing your team. Both are equally important. But understand a great draft makes managing your team that much easier. With that said, most leagues are won or lost by how they manage the Waiver Wire and how quickly they're able to spot trends.
- Have fun. It's your team. Draft accordingly. If you can't stand Tyreek Hill off the field, don't draft him. If you think Darrell Henderson will be a huge value snag him late. Be part of the community of the league and realize it's like most things in you'll get out of it as much as you put in.
