Friday, December 2, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
General Rules of Thumb 1-3
Often times when people ask me questions about their fantasy football teams, there are a few basic rules they need to know. As a result I think it will be prudent to cover these rules up front. Here are the first few that I find essential.
1. Know the situation
If you are playing against a team that you're fairly confident you can beat, there is no need to play a whole bunch of high risk/reward players. If you have a hunch that Lance Moore will outscore Larry Fitzgerald, for instance, ignore your hunch if you think you can win by playing it safe.
On the other hand, of course, is when you need a gamble. If you know for a fact that your team does not stack up with your opponent and you won't stand a chance, consider taking a risk with a few players that could be feast or famine. If you have no shot of winning by playing consistently average players, mix it up a little and take some shots.
2. Don't abuse the veto
Being bitter is not enough of a reason to veto a trade as long as it's fair. Often times people will trade based on need, and if somebody in your league is trading a solid player for one that doesn't seem as great, look at each team's need. Often times you will see what both owners were thinking when you look carefully at both team's lineups. If you see one team that is unloading, however, feel free to use the veto. Sometimes you'll see a scenario where somebody who has no shot at the playoffs will trade away all of their best players to their friend in hopes that they can win. Situations like that are just as dirty as vetoing a trade just because you're jealous.
3. Free Agent Budgets
If you're in a league with free agent budgets, don't get too caught up in preseason rankings. I can't tell you how many times I've seen somebody blow half of their budget on players before the games even start because some analyst believes they'll have a good season. In almost all of these cases the player doesn't pan out as hoped (there is a reason they weren't drafted), and the owner is left with half of their original budget to fill needs when injuries arise.
This advice works for early in the season as well. Looking back on this season, for instance, a guy in one of my leagues spent half of his total budget on Denarius Moore after week 2, only to be disappointed for a few weeks before eventually dropping him.
1. Know the situation
If you are playing against a team that you're fairly confident you can beat, there is no need to play a whole bunch of high risk/reward players. If you have a hunch that Lance Moore will outscore Larry Fitzgerald, for instance, ignore your hunch if you think you can win by playing it safe.
On the other hand, of course, is when you need a gamble. If you know for a fact that your team does not stack up with your opponent and you won't stand a chance, consider taking a risk with a few players that could be feast or famine. If you have no shot of winning by playing consistently average players, mix it up a little and take some shots.
2. Don't abuse the veto
Being bitter is not enough of a reason to veto a trade as long as it's fair. Often times people will trade based on need, and if somebody in your league is trading a solid player for one that doesn't seem as great, look at each team's need. Often times you will see what both owners were thinking when you look carefully at both team's lineups. If you see one team that is unloading, however, feel free to use the veto. Sometimes you'll see a scenario where somebody who has no shot at the playoffs will trade away all of their best players to their friend in hopes that they can win. Situations like that are just as dirty as vetoing a trade just because you're jealous.
3. Free Agent Budgets
If you're in a league with free agent budgets, don't get too caught up in preseason rankings. I can't tell you how many times I've seen somebody blow half of their budget on players before the games even start because some analyst believes they'll have a good season. In almost all of these cases the player doesn't pan out as hoped (there is a reason they weren't drafted), and the owner is left with half of their original budget to fill needs when injuries arise.
This advice works for early in the season as well. Looking back on this season, for instance, a guy in one of my leagues spent half of his total budget on Denarius Moore after week 2, only to be disappointed for a few weeks before eventually dropping him.
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