The first ever Fantasy Football league for The Sports Brat will commence with a draft at 6:30PM PST this Tuesday. I have recruited my most nearest and dearest to partake in the inaugural season and true to my social circle, it’s a combination of sports fanatics and first timers and a little in between. So since these ladies are sweet enough to participate, I’m returning the favor by sharing some tips to selecting your best team!
Here are my recommendations…
- Do some research: It may seem super overwhelming but its really not so bad and there are so many tools to help! I personally love Her Fantasy Football’s…its easy to follow. Unlike your finals in college, you can actually use a cheat sheet, so keep it close by on draft day. Click here for their rankings and here for their cheat sheet!
- Pay attention: This may seem simple, but there’s a Real Housewives reunion, there’s your boyfriend, there’s a bottle of wine, there’s a sale on Shopbop…there’s something else always going on so just make sure you’re prepared to be focused during your draft. You don’t wanna lose track of who’s been picked and end up frantic and making a poor decision at the last min.
- Understand what kind of league you’re in: This may seem simple and obvious…you’re in a fantasy league. Yeah well there are all kinds of leagues, just like there are all kinds of “heels”. Know whether you’re in a standard league, PPR, survivor, etc. For the girls in The Sports Brat league…we’re using standard scoring. Head to the “League” tab and select “scoring&settings”for the breakdown.
- Take a running back first: Even though you only have eyes for Tom Brady, find a running back for the first round. They can really make or break your team.
- Don’t only focus on your starters: Yeah so football is a brutal sport. It’s what we call a collision sport, so injuries (lot’s of em) happen. Make sure you have a back up in case something happens to your go to guy. And in that same vein, keep an eye on injury reports. Don’t wanna start your stud only to find out he just had ACL surgery yesterday….that will leave a major gap in your roster.
- Watch the schedule: You will have players from many different teams, so watch the schedule. There’s this little thing called a bye week, that means that team has the week off…as in they’re not playing…so NO points. So make sure you don’t play them.
- Take risks in the later rounds: I personally believe that the first 5 rounds are crucial, make your best decisions in those rounds…then draft riskier players (the ones that may or may not come up huge!) and a back up QB. Also, pick your kicker and defense later in the draft…kicker last usually.
- Diversify: If you’re new to Fantasy Football, make sure you don’t just take every guy from your favorite team. That is a surefire way to end up at the bottom of the pack. I love a gal with a sports allegiance, but this isn’t the place for that. You’ve got 32 teams to pick from, so let go of rivalries and go for the best players, individually.
- Trust your gut: Us ladies know what’s up…so whatever your strategy may be, go with it. I know a gal who happened to win her survivor league last year by simply making selections based on what cities she liked. I mean its risky, but anything is possible, so if you wanna take a risk later in the draft just because someone seems to be sticking out to you, why not go for it. It’s called Fantasy football for a reason.
- Have fun: It wont’ be perfect, but it should be fun. Get involved and talk a little smack in your league. This is your team, your chance to practice so go with it and have a little fun.
There you have my top tips, stay tuned for my roster!! Can’t wait! Oh and if you’re having a hard time picking a name for your team try ESPNW’s name generator. Good luck! And make sure to check back for TSB league updates!