Who To Start in Your NFL Fantasy League

It’s that time of year again! Time to start prepping for your NFL Fantasy League draft. But who should you start on your team? Check out our blog post for some tips.

Know the scoring system

In standard scoring, a touchdown is worth six points. The extra point is worth one point. A field goal is worth three points. A safety is worth two points.

Standard scoring

The standard scoring system is the most commonly used scoring system in fantasy football. In this system, your fantasy team accumulates points based on the actual statistical performance of the NFL players on your team.

For example, if you have a quarterback who throws for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a game, he would earn you 25 fantasy points (4 pts for every 25 passing yards + 6 pts for every touchdown pass).

This is the scoring system used in most ESPN fantasy football leagues.

PPR scoring

In most cases, PPR scoring is the default scoring system used in fantasy football. PPR stands for “points per reception,” and it’s a scoring system that awards one point for every catch made by a player. In a typical PPR league, quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers all earn PPR points, but tight ends and other players do not.

PPR scoring is designed to make the fantasy game more representative of real football by rewarding players who catch the ball more often. In standard fantasy football leagues (sometimes called “non-PPR” or “traditional” leagues), only quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers earn points for catches. As a result, players who catch the ball more often (like wide receivers and tight ends) are typically more valuable in PPR leagues than they are in standard leagues.

If you’re new to fantasy football, or if you’re considering switching to a PPR league, it’s important to understand how PPR scoring works. Here’s a quick overview of the basics:

In a PPR league, each player is assigned a certain number of points for each catch they make. The number of points awarded per catch depends on the league settings, but it is typically one point per catch. For example, in a typical PPR league, a player who catches five passes in a game would earn five points (one point for each catch).

In addition to awarding points for catches, most PPR leagues also award bonus points for longer catches (called “yardage bonuses”). For example, in a typical PPR league, a player who catches five passes for 100 yards would earn ten points (five points for the catches, plus five bonus points for the 100 yards).

Finally, some PPR leagues also award bonus points for players who score touchdowns (called “touchdown bonuses”). The number of touchdown bonus points awarded depends on the league settings, but it is typically six points. For example, in a typical PPR league, a player who catches five passes for 100 yards and one touchdown would earn 16 points (10 points for the catches and yardage bonuses, plus 6 bonus points for the touchdown).

Half-PPR scoring

In Half-PPR scoring, players still earn 0.5 points for every reception they make, but they now also earn 1 point for every 10 yards they gain receiving, in addition to the usual 1 point per 10 yards rushing/receiving and 6 points for a touchdown. This slight modification turns a potentially high-scoring but low-volume receiver like Keenan Allen into someone slightly more valuable than he would be in standard scoring, while also keeping big-play running backs like Saquon Barkley slightly ahead of pass-catching backs like Alvin Kamara. The following table shows the fantasy points each position would have scored in 2018 under Half-PPR rules.

As you can see, in Half-PPR scoring, quarterbacks score the most points of any position, followed by running backs, wide receivers, and then tight ends. This is because quarterbacks tend to rack up a lot of passing yards and touchdowns, while also adding some rushing yards (and occasionally touchdowns) on top. Running backs get a decent amount of points from rushing yards and touchdowns, with some catching bonus thrown in as well. Wide receivers earn the majority of their points from catches and receiving yards, with some touchdown bonus on top. Tight ends lag behind the other positions in terms of point production because they don’t rack up as many catches or receiving yards as wide receivers do, and they don’t score as many rushing/receiving touchdowns as running backs do.

Know the roster requirements

In order to have a successful NFL fantasy league, you need to know the roster requirements. Each NFL team has a different roster, so you need to make sure you know who to start. For example, the New England Patriots have a different roster than the Seattle Seahawks. You need to make sure you know who to start in your NFL fantasy league.

QB

Every NFL team is required to have a quarterback on their roster, and most teams carry two or three. In order to be eligible to play in a game, a quarterback must be on the team’s active roster (46 players) or inactive list (seven players who can be declared inactive for that week’s game).

A quarterback is eligible to play in a game if he is on the team’s active roster or inactive list for that week. If a quarterback is on the team’s practice squad (10 players who can practice but not play in games), he is not eligible to play.

RB

The running back (RB) position in fantasy football is usually the most top-heavy with talent. Most of the time, you’ll want to start only one RB in your lineup, making it one of the more difficult positions to fill. The main things you’ll want to consider when picking your RB1 (and occasionally RB2) are recent workload, upcoming matchup, and red zone usage.

Recent Workload
This one is pretty self explanatory – you’ll want to start the back who’s getting the most touches. In today’s NFL, that’s usually around 20 carries per game. There are a few exceptions to this rule – mostly involving pass-catching backs in PPR (points per reception) leagues – but for the most part, you’ll want to give the lion’s share of your carries to your RB1.

Upcoming Matchup
You’ll also want to take into account the matchup your running back has for that particular week. If he’s going up against a stingy defense that doesn’t allow many running plays or if he’s nursing an injury, you might want to consider another option. On the other hand, if he has a particularly favorable matchup – like a bad run defense or good weather conditions – he could be in for a big game and should beStart him with confidence.

Red Zone Usage
This is especially important for touchdown-heavy leagues, but even in standard scoring leagues, you’ll want to pay attention to how often your running backs are getting touches inside the 20-yard line. The more red zone looks he’s getting, the more likely he is to find his way into the end zone and rack up some points for your team.

WR

In a standard fantasy football league, you will have one starting quarterback (QB), two starting running backs (RB), two wide receivers (WR), one tight end (TE), one kicker (K) and one defense/special teams (D/ST) unit. Most leagues also require that you have a certain number of bench players, which can range from six to 10 depending on the league size and settings.

At the WR position, you will want to start your two best players each week. The order in which you start them is up to you, but it make sense to put your number one WR in the WR1 slot and your number two WR in the WR2 slot. You can choose to start three WRs if you have a player that you feel is a must start and another that is a solid starter, but this is not generally recommended unless you are in a very large league.

If you only have two WRs that you feel good about starting, then you may want to consider starting one WR and either a RB or TE in the flex spot. The flex spot is generally reserved for the RB or WR position, but in some leagues it can be used for any non-QB offensive position. This gives you some flexibility in terms of who you start each week.

Remember, the key at the WR position is to start your best players each week and hope that they have big games. There is no need to get too cute with your lineup unless you are really desperate for a win.

TE

Each NFL team can have up to 53 players on its roster at any given time. However, only 46 of these players are eligible to suit up and play on game day. So, who are the other seven players?

The answer is threefold. First, there are the three players who make up the team’s practice squad. Practice squad players do not suit up for games, but they practice with the team and provide depth in case of injuries. Second, there is the team’s kicking specialist, typically its placekicker and/or punter. These players are not considered part of the 46-man active roster, but they are usually included on game day. Finally, there is what’s known as an “injured reserve” list for players who are injured and cannot play for an extended period of time (usually at least eight weeks). These players do not count towards the 53-man roster limit, but they also cannot suit up for games.

Flex (RB/WR/TE)

In most leagues, you’ll have the opportunity to designate a player as your “flex” – meaning that you can start him at either running back (RB), wide receiver (WR), or tight end (TE). This gives you some strategic flexibility each week, as you can start the RB or WR who you think will have the better matchup.

There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your flex:
-First, remember that the flex is meant to be a “flexible” position, so don’t get too caught up in trying to find a player who will give you 20+ points each week. Just look for someone who you think will score consistently and give you a little extra point boost over your usual starter.
-Second, pay attention to bye weeks! If one of your top RBs or WRs has a bye week coming up, make sure to choose a flex player who does not have a bye in that same week. Otherwise, you’ll be forced to start someone at less than full strength.
-Finally, keep an eye on the waiver wire! If there’s a hot player who’s been putting up good numbers recently, he could be worth picking up and starting in your flex spot. Just make sure to monitor his performance so that you can drop him if he starts to cool off.

K

In order to have a legal lineup each week, you must have the following:
-1 Quarterback
-2 Running Backs
-3 Wide Receivers
-1 Tight End
-1 Kicker
-1 Team Defense/Special Teams
You may also have 1 Flex Player in your lineup. A Flex Player can be either a RB, WR, or TE.

D/ST

D/ST stands for defense/special teams, and refers to the team defense used in fantasy football. In standard fantasy football leagues, you draft or auction a D/ST as one unit, and that unit earns points for your fantasy team based on the real-life performance of the NFL team’s defense and special teams units.

So, if you want to maximize your fantasy scoring potential with your D/ST, you need to understand the requirements for each position, as well as the scoring system used by your league.

For example, most standard fantasy football leagues require that you start a minimum of one defensive lineman (DL), two linebackers (LBs), and two defensive backs (DBs) in order to field a legal D/ST lineup. Some leagues also require a flex spot for another DL or LB. In most IDP (individual defensive player) leagues, you’ll have to start a certain number of each position: DL, LB, DB, and sometimes even small forward (SF).

The scoring system used by your league will also impact how you value each position. In some leagues, DL and LB score the same amount of points for tackles made, while in others LB score more points per tackle than DL. In most leagues DB score more points per tackle than either DL or LB.
In general, the higher the point value assigned to tackles made by a particular position, the more important that position is in terms of fantasy value.

Know the waiver wire rules

If you’re playing in an NFL fantasy league, then you’ll want to know the waiver wire rules. This will help you make the best decision on who to start in your league. The waiver wire is the process of adding players to your team who are not currently on any team in the league.

FAAB

In most fantasy football leagues, the waiver wire is how you acquire players who are not currently on your team. Each week, you can put in a claim for any player who is not on a fantasy team in your league. If you have the highest waiver priority, you will get that player. If multiple teams put in a claim for the same player, the team with the lowest waiver priority will get the player.

You can also acquire players through waivers by bidding on them using “free agent auction budget” (FAAB). Each team is given a set amount of money to use for the season, and they can bid on any available player. The team with the highest bid will get that player.

Waiver priority

Waiver priority is a system used to determine who gets to claim a player off waivers. In short, the waiver priority order is the reverse order of the standings. So, if you’re in first place and you make a claim for a player, you’ll get that player unless someone behind you in the standings makes a claim for him as well, in which case they would get him.

If more than one team has made a claim for a player (i.e., they’re all tied for that player), then the team with the higher waiver priority will get him. The way to move up in waiver priority is by making Waiver Wire claims. You can also increase your waiver priority by dropping players who are no longer on your roster.

Do your research

Before you decide on your NFL fantasy team, it is important that you do your research. You need to know who the best players are and which ones will likely have the best season. You also need to know which players are in the most favorable situations. For example, a player who is on a good team and has a good quarterback throwing to him is more likely to have a good season than a player who is on a bad team or does not have a good quarterback throwing to him.

Mock drafts

One way to prepare for your draft is to do mock drafts. A mock draft is where you go through the motions of a real draft, but without any real stakes. This can be a great way to get a feel for how the draft will play out and what players will be available when it’s your turn to pick. You can do mock drafts by yourself or with friends, and there are even online mock drafts you can join.

Another way to prepare is to research which players are the best at their position and rank them accordingly. This list can be your cheat sheet come draft day. Make sure to update it as players get injured or have a breakout season, as this can change things completely. You don’t want to be stuck with a player who isn’t performing well or is injured and may miss significant time.

Some other things to consider when doing your research are a player’s past performance, their team’s offensive scheme, whether they are in a contract year (players tend to have career-best seasons when they are trying to land a big contract), and their home/away splits (some players perform better at home than on the road).

By doing your research and being prepared, you will increase your chances of putting together a winning team that will make you look like a fantasy football expert!

Player rankings

Before you can draft your team, you need to do your research. Players’ rankings will fluctuate throughout the season, so it’s important to stay up-to-date. You can find player rankings on many websites, but make sure to look at a variety of sources to get a well-rounded idea of where each player falls.

You should also be familiar with your league’s scoring system. Each league is different, so knowing how your league scores will help you draft a more successful team. For example, if your league heavily weights touchdown receptions, you’ll want to drafting players who catch a lot of touchdowns.

Once you have an understanding of the scoring system and have looked at player rankings, you can start to draft your team.

Sleeper picks

Do your research before making your picks for your NFL Fantasy League team. Know who the sleeper picks are so you can make the best choices for your team. A sleeper pick is defined as a player who is not widely known or respected, but who has the potential to perform well. Here are some sleeper picks for the 2020 season:

QB- Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears
RB- Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills
WR- Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys
TE- Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers

Have a strategy

The first step to winning your NFL fantasy league is to have a strategy. You need to know who the best players are and how they will fit into your team. You also need to know when to draft them. This article will give you some tips on how to create a winning strategy for your NFL fantasy league.

Target players with high upside

Assuming you’re in a standard 12-team fantasy football league, you’ll want to target players with high upside in the early rounds of your draft. This means players that have the potential to score a lot of points, regardless of whether they are consistent from week to week.

In the first round, you should look for running backs and wide receivers that are the foundation of their team’s offense. These are players that will get a lot of touches (carries for RBs, targets for WRs) and have a good chance to score touchdowns. Some examples of these types of players include Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham Jr., and Julio Jones.

In the second and third rounds, you can start to focus on players with more specific roles on their team. For example, a player like A.J. Green may not see as many targets as Antonio Brown, but he is still one of the best receivers in the league and has a higher chance of scoring a touchdown when he does get the ball. Other examples of players with high upside include Devonta Freeman, DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, and Jordan Howard.

Players with high upside are not always the most consistent performers from week to week, but they have the potential to put up big numbers when they are at their best. By targeting these types of players early in your draft, you give yourself a better chance to win your league.

Avoid players with high risk

In any fantasy football draft, there are going to be players with high risk. These are the players that may have a great upside, but also come with a lot of question marks. For example, a player that is coming off of an injury or a player that is changing teams are two examples of high risk players.

You also want to avoid players that are in a situation where their role on the team is unclear. For example, if a player is fighting for the starting job or if they are in a timeshare at their position, they come with more risk than a player that has a clear role on their team.

It’s important to have a strategy when it comes to drafting high risk players. You don’t want to draft too many of them because it will increase the chance that your team will underperform. At the same time, you don’t want to completelyavoid them because they can be difference makers on your team.

A good rule of thumb is to draft one high risk player for every three low risk players. By following this strategy, you’ll minimize the chance that your team will be hurt by taking too many risks while still giving yourself a chance to draft a difference maker.

Don’t get too cute

The key to success in fantasy football is having a winning strategy. But there’s one traps many fantasy owners fall into that can ruin their season: getting too cute.

Many owners think they need to outsmart their opponents by making unique picks that no one else has thought of. They’ll take a chance on a sleeper they read about online or take a flier on a player with upside who’s been injured in the past.

While there’s nothing wrong with taking a chance on a sleeper or an injured player, you shouldn’t do it at the expense of your overall strategy. If you’re reaching for players who are way outside your draft range, you’re more likely to end up with a team full of busts than a team full of diamonds in the rough.

It’s important to have a plan going into your draft and to stick to it. If you know you want to take a running back in the first round, don’t get talked into taking a wide receiver just because someone else is reaching for him. It’s better to stick to your guns and get the player you wanted in the first place than it is to reach for someone else and end up with someone you didn’t want at all.