Table of Contents

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Conventions Used in This Book 2

What You’re Not to Read 3

Foolish Assumptions 3

How This Book Is Organized 4

Part I: The Xs and Os of Fantasy Football: Just the Basics, Please 4

Part II: Advanced Scouting and Drafting Secrets 4

Part III: Let the Games Begin: In-Season Strategy Guide 4

Part IV: The Research Guide to Online Play 5

Part V: The Part of Tens 5

Icons Used in This Book 5

Where to Go from Here 6

Part I: The Xs and Os of Fantasy Football: Just the Basics, Please 7

Chapter 1: The Reality of Fantasy Football: What’s It All About? 9

Understanding Fantasy Football: A Quick Overview 10

How fantasy and the NFL differ 10

How to play fantasy football 10

How scoring makes you a winner 12

How important fantasy terms keep you in the loop 13

Recognizing that Fantasy Success Starts with the Draft 15

What draft? Am I joining the Army? 15

Identifying the two types of drafts 16

Drafting the Right Players for Your Roster 17

Breaking down positions 18

Rating players with the fantasy formula 19

Your New Day Job: Managing Your Team Week by Week 19

Setting your lineup 19

Making changes to your roster 20

Striving for the fantasy championship 22

Are You Ready to Play? 23

Chapter 2: Just Score, Baby: The Name of the Fantasy Game 25

Scoring 101: Only the Basics 25

The Proof’s in the Points: Offensive Fantasy Scoring 26

Running backs 27

Wide receivers 28

Quarterbacks 28

Tight ends 29

Kickers 30

Shooting for Shutouts: Scoring with Defense 30

Dissecting team defense scoring 31

Getting advanced with IDP scoring 32

You versus Who? Knowing the Scoring Format 33

Head-to-head leagues 33

Rotisserie leagues 34

Chapter 3: Finding a League Right for You 35

Understanding Your League Options: Public or Private 35

Entering the public domain: Anyone can play 36

Joining the private sector: An invitation required 38

Identifying Other Important Considerations 39

Pick Your League: The How-To 41

How committed are you? 41

How much do you know? 42

Why are you playing? For love or money? 44

Starting your own League: You Want to be a Commissioner? 46

What a commish does: The basics 47

Chapter 4: Preparing for Your Fantasy Draft 51

Dissecting the Two Main Draft Types 52

Riding the snake: The standard fantasy draft 52

Going once, twice: The auction draft 55

Researching the NFL: Where to Look and What to Look For 57

Watching TV programs 57

Flipping through magazines 58

Surfing the Net 58

Mastering Your Domain: Focus on League Rules and Settings 60

Roster requirements 60

Size matters: How big is your league? 60

Checking your league’s discard pile 62

Scoring system: Look for loopholes 64

Cheat sheets: Fantasy’s version of crib notes 65

Identifying and Preparing Your Draft Venue 69

Drafting online 70

Drafting offline 71

Practicing with a Mock Draft 73

Joining a Practice League 74

Part II: Advanced Scouting and Drafting Secrets 75

Chapter 5: Scouting Running Backs and Quarterbacks 77

Running Backs: Riding the Workhorses of Fantasy Football 77

Recognizing the importance of RBs 78

Rushing to find the good RBs 79

Other dilemmas when pre-ranking the RBs 83

Quarterbacks: Counting on the Arms of the Field Generals 85

Contemplating the value of a good quarterback 85

Uncovering a good QB 86

Chapter 6: Scouting Wide Receivers and Tight Ends 91

Eyeing the Go-To Guys: Wide Receivers 91

Finding a few good WRs 92

Capitalizing on a WR’s breakout year 96

Blocking Bore or Big-Time Threat? Picking Tight Ends 97

TE fantasy production: Feast or famine 97

Digging for gold: Finding useful TEs, not just the elite ones 98

Chapter 7: Scouting Kickers and Defenders 101

Nailing the Field Goals and Extra Points: The Kickers 101

Going with a kicker: The deepest position 102

Eyeing a kicker’s chances 102

Selecting just one kicker: No more, and not early 104

Guarding the Gridiron: The Team Defenses 104

Spotting the important factors 104

Identifying the starting 11: Look for the superstars 106

IDP: The pursuit of tackles, sacks, and picks 107

Chapter 8: Incorporating Important Draft Strategies into Your Game 111

Why Strategy Is Important in Fantasy Drafts 112

Identifying the Most Popular Draft Strategies 113

Taking two RBs: The stud-RB theory 113

Drafting for best value: The best-available player theory 114

Taking elite WRs ahead of average RBs: The stud-WR theory 116

Punting the other positions to the mid to late rounds 117

Applying the Draft Strategies: Who to Pick and When 120

Building your core early 121

Moving and shaking in the middle 125

Finishing strong late 128

Manipulating Your Budget during an Auction Draft 131

Preparing for an auction draft 132

Eyeing key auction strategies 134

Chapter 9: Considering Other Draft Tactics to Build a Winning Team 137

Avoiding Personal Biases 137

Don’t overdraft your favorite team’s players 138

Do consent to drafting players you dislike 138

Don’t live in the “fantasy” past 139

Drafting Your Studs’ Backups as Insurance Policies 140

Handcuffing strategy by position 140

Knowing which handcuffs are worth drafting 143

Considering Rookies: Are the Top Rookies Worth Drafting? 144

Rookie running backs 144

Rookie wide receivers 145

Rookie quarterbacks 146

Rookie tight ends 147

Rookie kickers 147

Thinking Ahead to the Fantasy Playoffs 147

Knowing what to look for 148

Getting the edge: The how-to 149

Part III: Let the Games Begin: In-Season Strategy Guide 151

Chapter 10: Setting Your Weekly Starting Lineup 153

Why Reviewing Your Roster Is Vital 154

Reasons Why You May Need to Adjust Your Lineup 154

Checking the injury reports 155

Replacing players on their bye weeks 156

Making the NFL matchups work 157

Taking managerial advice from Mother Nature 159

The How-To: Making the Actual Adjustments 161

When to bench your studs 161

When to start your scrubs 162

Replacing RBs, WRs, and QBs 163

Replacing TEs, Ks, and DEFs 164

Meeting Your Lineup Deadlines 164

Hitting the Film Room: Using Media to Your Advantage 166

Watching the games on television 166

Turning to the printed word 167

Surfing the Net 168

Chapter 11: Acquiring Players via Free Agency, Waivers, and Trades 169

Investigating Free Agency 169

Open access: Diving into the free agent pool 170

Restricted free agent access: No diving allowed 171

Walking the Waiver Wire 172

How to use the waiver wire 172

Using your waiver moves wisely 174

All the Right Moves: Tips for Adding to Your Roster 175

Is he a breakout player or a one-week wonder? 176

Should I go fishing or cut bait (trade or drop my underachievers)? 177

The Art of the Deal: Making a Trade Offer 177

Determining trade values 178

Trading from strength 179

Reviewing the basic types of trades and how to make them 179

How to make a trade offer 182

Offering trades, off your provider 183

Getting league approval for a trade 184

Understanding your fellow coaches: Trading to your advantage 185

Working the trade deadline 188

Chapter 12: Finishing Strong: Down the Stretch to the Fantasy Playoffs 191

Welcome to the Show: The Fantasy Football Playoffs 192

Getting in and going forward 192

Timing and structure of the playoffs 193

Playoff action by league 194

Aiming for the Playoffs: Ways to Improve Your Roster 197

Zeroing in on the matchups 197

Adjusting your bench after the NFL bye weeks 198

Continuing to coach 199

Setting Your Playoff Starting Lineup 199

Reaching the Big Kahuna: The Fantasy Title Game 201

Help! My stud is resting up for the NFL playoffs 201

Taking the booty: Prizes and pride 202

Part IV: The Research Guide to Online Play 203

Chapter 13: Playing Yahoo! Fantasy Football: Simple and Effective 205

Playing Yahoo! Fantasy Football Basic: A How-to Guide 205

Grasping Yahoo! Fantasy Football Plus 212

Meeting the Yahoo! Experts 215

Chapter 14: Trying CBS Sportsline: Professional Pigskin 217

Analyzing CBS Sportsline’s Lineup of Games 217

The “Fantasy Football Tribune”: Sportsline’s League Home Page 221

Fantasy-Traffic Controller: Your Sportsline Team Page 227

Chapter 15: ESPN Fantasy Football: Virtual Sportscenter 24/7 231

Understanding ESPN’s Fantasy Site and Your Three Options 231

Navigating Your ESPN League 235

Chapter 16: Checking Out Some Other Popular Providers 241

Rotowire: Charge Up Your Game 242

Fanball: Gaining the Edge 246

Rotoworld: A Compendium of Fantasy Facts 249

Part V: The Part of Tens 255

Chapter 17: Ten Quick Fixes to Make the Day after Your Draft 257

Chapter 18: Ten Newbie Mistakes to Avoid 261

Index: 265

About the Author

Martin Signore is a screenwriter and interactive gamewriter/designer. While working in Los Angeles, Martin founded the Hollywood Football League with his friends and co-workers. Many years, trophies, and leagues later he admits to being a fantasy expert and addict.