- theluciemitchell
Beginners Fantasy Football – For the Ladies
Wanting to join in on the fantasy football fun, but nervous to try for the first time? Maybe you know the game, love the game, watch every week, and ready to add a little more competition. Maybe you just want to tolerate your husband, partner or roommate’s hogging of the TV every single game day… Whatever your reason for being interested in fantasy football, it’s not too late to start this year! Generally, you can start a league up to 4 weeks into the season--meaning there’s still time to join in the fun!
Personally, I LOVE fantasy football! I’ve played for 7 years now, and still pick my team solely based on if they are cute, have nice butts, and projected scores for the season! The main thing is, you only need to take it as seriously as you want to. So, for those who are interested, but feeling intimidated by the typically male-dominated leagues and instructions, I wanted to share a quick explanation and how-to-play for beginners… from one woman’s brain to another.
What Is It?
A fantasy football team is just that – an imaginary team where you get to choose your favorite players from any NFL team and put them together to form your “dream team”. Where you are the scout, coach, manager, etc. There are free leagues, as well as paid. You can join a league with others online, or gather 12 of your football-loving friends to create your own!
Why Do It?
Participating in a fantasy league creates excitement on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays for nearly the whole fall and winter seasons. It can help you connect with your spouse/significant other/friends who enjoy football, while enjoying a little friendly competition. Plus, it’s just a great excuse to get together (online or in person) on draft day, and for games throughout the season!
How-to:
Though it might seem a little complicated at first, your fantasy football team will only take as much time as you wish to dedicate to it. Having a team does not require you to watch every single game; although, it does make them more fun to watch, in my opinion. The most time-consuming part of the season will likely be the draft. Once drafting is complete, managing your team can take as little as a few minutes once or twice a week to check and set your roster. There is so much advice online, and much of the work is already done for you. Rating boards are available online so that you can pick your team with little knowledge of the players, and points are automatically tracked each game day.
Drafting:
Teams can vary depending on your league, but your team will likely consist of a starting quarterback - QB, 2 running backs - RB, 2 wide receivers - WR, a tight end - TE, a kicker - K, a defense - D, a flex - usually a RB or WR, and 6 bench players to sub in. The draft is where each person in your league will choose their players, one at a time, in a rotation.
Have your list of desired players ready prior to the draft.
You and the others in your league will draw to determine draft order (who gets to choose a player 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on).
When drafting begins, each person will be given 90 seconds to choose their pick. Once a player is chosen, they are no longer available to draft.
Once the first round is completed and everyone has chosen their first player, the order will reverse. Meaning, if you were the last person to draft your player, you’ll be the first to choose in the next round, followed by the person who went ahead of you in the first round, then the person ahead of them, and so on.
The rounds will continue until each person has a full roster, including starting and bench players.
Tips/Notes:
A little draft strategy prep goes a long way. Your time to choose a player is limited, so you want to have a list of the players on your wish list. You can find a list of players and ratings on the ESPN website.
Have multiple players on your list for each position, as your desired player may get chosen before your turn in each round.
Choose first the players who you believe will get you the most points. Your RBs and QB are likely to get you the most points come game day.
When choosing your bench players, look to be sure their bye week is NOT on the same day as your starter. You want to have an active player each week.
Game Day Management:
Update your roster each week to set who you are going to “play”. Your starting team will then earn you points for gaining yards, scoring touchdowns, passing, etc. Your bench players are there for you to put in before the game starts, but will not earn you points. You will only score the points your starters earn you. So, if any of your starting players are injured, have a bye week, or are not going to be playing for whatever reason, you’ll want to switch them out with one of your bench players.
Ideally, check and update your roster at least twice per week. On Thursday before kickoff, you’ll want to set up your roster for the week. Then, on Sunday morning you’ll check for injuries, and again on Monday morning if there is a Monday game. If you don’t want to keep up with ESPN, a quick Google search of each of your players and teams will help you discover any injuries or bye weeks.
This is a very basic explanation of how Fantasy Football works, but I hope it has been helpful and encouraging for some of you to get out there and try it! Of course, the more you play, the more you’ll learn. You’ll enjoy it most if you let go of the pressure. Take a couple minutes a week to set it up, then get yourself a cocktail and an appetizer and enjoy the game! If you’re trying it for the first time, I’d love to hear about your experience!
As a Certified Transformational Nutrition® and Life Coach, I specialize in helping others find their healthiest selves – inside and out! If you could use some guidance in any of these areas, I’d love to book a completely free consultation with YOU!
Xoxo,
Lucie Mitchell, CTNC & CTLC
Fierce and Beautiful Wellness, LLC
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Disclaimer:
This blog post is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical, mental health or healthcare advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any illness, medical condition or mental or emotional condition.