Fantasy Football Advice

Fantasy football is a major passion in my life. It makes football an even more interesting sport, it gives a friendly competition among my group of friends, and the ones that do the research normally do the best. I am a person that does my research for almost anything I do, and fantasy football is certainly not an exception. Although I have never won a league in my six years of participating in fantasy football, I have never had a team that was outside the top four at the end of the season in any of those leagues.

This is why I’m often asked by many of my friends for advice in fantasy football. I may not always be right, though. Fantasy football is often an unpredictable game in which a single injury can give fits to fantasy owners. As an owner, one has to be ready to take action in case anything unforeseen might happen to any one player, so here are some steps that not all experts will give and that can be taken to ensure a good finish for nearly any fantasy owner.

Do your research
Sure, a fantasy owner can look at a magazine and draft players based off of what the experts say. Then all they have to do is start players based on the experts’ projections. However, if you really want to have a good team, put your own time in. I can’t imagine the research I’ve done, both before and during the season, to decide what I want to do with my fantasy roster. Small stats can make all the difference. For example, did you know that in Andre Johnson’s nine-year career, he has finished in the top 12 in receiving in only three seasons? This is why I didn’t draft him and why I’m confused on why most experts had him at number two on their draft charts. Granted, Johnson might have an incredible season and prove me wrong, but it’s numbers like that can keep you from falling into the “expert” trap.

Watch the Waiver Wire to keep the bench stacked
This is probably the most important piece of advice I can give anyone. The teams that are most successful in the playoffs are usually the ones with the best pick-ups of the season. In the two leagues that I was a part of in 2010, both champions of those leagues made week one pick-ups (Michael Vick, Arian Foster) that killed me in the championship. Don’t be afraid to drop a struggling player that was projected to do well in the beginning of the season for a player that is actually doing well as the real season goes on. This goes for any starters or bench players. Bench players have a huge impact on fantasy team if an injury (C.J. Spiller for me) means that a bench player becomes a starter (Darren McFadden for me).

Consistency trumps streaky
Kevin Ogletree certainly opened some eyes in the national spotlight in the NFL’s opening game of the season. Not only did he catch eight passes for over 100 yards and two touchdowns, he also caught the attention of many fantasy owners. Many of those owners most likely went out and dropped some good players for Ogletree, only to get disappointed the past two weeks with mediocre numbers. Sure, he scored over twenty points, but I can think of many more players that have scored week-to-week double digits and have the resumé to prove that they’ll continue this production. That’s why it’s good to favor a player like Reggie Wayne who has proven throughout his career that he’ll keep his numbers up. Wayne may not have won an owner the first week, but he’s done much better than Olgetree and most likely will continue to do so throughout the season.

That’s my advice. Keep in mind that fantasy football is not a science. There isn’t any formula or strategy that’s guaranteed to win. If there was, we would all be undefeated in all of our leagues. That doesn’t mean, however, that a decent finish isn’t out of reach. I’ve seen it again and again-- the people who put in the time and follow these steps, more often than not, will finish the season with an excellent shot at his/her championship.