Divas, it’s that time of the year again. Break out your cheat sheets and draft kits because it’s time for Fantasy Football! I am super excited about football this year, especially since I was unsure about whether the season was actually going to happen. The lockout had me stressed! But no need to worry…the season is about to start, and so is Fantasy Football!
For those of you who know me personally, you are well aware of my love for Fantasy Football. This will be my third year participating in a least one league, and I think my fellow Professional Divas should join me on the bandwagon. I am a firm believer in the wise saying, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!” And you should! Participating in Fantasy Football has fostered camaraderie amongst my co-workers/fellow league owners, opened up a new level of communication between me and my hubby, and provided conversation fodder at networking events. Aside from all of these perks, Fantasy Football is fun!
Have I convinced you to drink the Kool-Aid yet? If so, find a league (or create one), and get ready for the draft…there’s still plenty of time! Here are a few tips to get you started!
1. Prepare Before the Draft – This should be easy for you Divas. What do you need? First you need a copy of the rules for your league, which will provide the number of allotted players/positions for each team, the scoring system for the league, and player drafting procedures. Knowing the rules will guide you in deciding who and who not to draft. You should also do a little Internet research for various cheat sheets from the experts. I really like ESPN’s Cheat Sheet Central. By the time you make it to your league’s draft, you should have compiled your own cheat sheet. Remember, preparation is key!
2. Don’t Allow Team Loyalties to Drive Your Draft – Okay Divas, please note that it is perfectly fine to have an allegiance to a team. It is not okay, however, to only draft players from your favorite team. Not a good move...don’t do it…no further explanation needed.
3. Take Note of Bye Weeks – During the regular season, NFL teams play 16 games over 17 weeks. Each team gets one of these weeks off….hence the Bye Week. Here’s where strategy comes in. In Fantasy Football leagues, you typically have a starter and a backup for each position. What you don’t want to do is draft two players in the same position whose teams have the same Bye Week. For example, you do not want to draft a starter and backup quarterback that both have Week 7 as a Bye Week. This would result in you having to drop one of your chosen players for another who happens to be playing that week. Wouldn’t be such a big deal, except your fellow team owners may scoop up your dropped player….you don’t want that!
4. Don’t Forget to Set Your Lineup Before Thursday Night – Here is a mistake I made during my first year. I completely forgot that during the season, some teams play on Thursday nights. I had become accustomed to setting my team lineup on Sunday Morning just in time for the lion’s share of the games, and neglected to put one of my better players in the game…who was playing on Thursday. That player ended up having a monster game, and he was sitting on my bench….The Pro Diva was quite upset and inconsolable. I never made this mistake again! In sum, make sure you know when your players are playing during the week, and consider this when deciding on when to set your lineup.
5. Have Fun and Enjoy Yourself – This is by far the most important tip. Whether you win, lose, fail to make the playoffs, or come in last, remember that Fantasy Football is all about fun. Talk a little trash; take a few risks; have a good time!
These are just a few tips to encourage you Divas to get excited about Fantasy Football. How many of you have participated in a Fantasy Football League? Are you participating this year? What are your tips? In the meantime, check out my favorite Fantasy Football commercials!
0 comments:
Post a Comment