Fantasy football, the absolute basics

The setup

You and 9-11 friends form a league. Before the NFL season starts (late August / early September), you all gather (or hop on Zoom) for a draft. You take turns picking real NFL players. The draft is the actual best part of the year.

Each week, you pick which of your players will start. Their real-life stats earn you points. You're matched up against one league-mate per week. Whoever scores more points wins that week. The standings update.

After 14-15 weeks, the top 4 or 6 teams make the playoffs. The winner of the league championship gets bragging rights and (in most leagues) a small cash pot.

The roster (most leagues use this format)

• 1 QB (quarterback)
• 2 RB (running backs)
• 2 WR (wide receivers)
• 1 TE (tight end)
• 1 FLEX (one extra RB, WR, or TE)
• 1 K (kicker)
• 1 DST (a team's entire defense + special teams as one unit)
• 6-7 BENCH spots (extra players you can swap in week-to-week)

How players score points (a typical scoring system)

• Passing TD = 4 points. Passing yards = 1 point per 25 yards.
• Rushing/Receiving TD = 6 points. Rushing/Receiving yards = 1 point per 10 yards.
• Reception (PPR leagues) = 1 point per catch. (PPR = Point Per Reception. The most common scoring style now.)
• Interceptions / fumbles lost = -2 points (for QBs and RBs).
• Field goals = 3-5 points each, depending on distance.

The draft (the most important day of your fantasy life)

Each manager gets a slot in the draft order (random or chosen). Drafting goes 'snake' — round 1 goes 1 to 12, round 2 goes 12 back to 1, round 3 goes 1 to 12 again, and so on. This means whoever drafts last in round 1 gets to draft FIRST in round 2.

You'll spend about 90 seconds per pick. The draft has 15-16 rounds. Have notes ready — a list of your top 100 players printed out, or a draft kit from any fantasy site.

What to do during the season

• Set your lineup before kickoff every Thursday/Sunday. Forget once and you'll lose by default.
• Watch the waiver wire. Every Tuesday, undrafted players become available. The smart manager picks up emerging stars before others do.
• Trade with caution. Every league has That Guy who tries to fleece newbies. Run any trade by someone you trust.
• Don't cry over injuries. Star players get hurt. It's part of the game. Have a backup plan from week one.

"Fantasy is the easiest way to fall in love with football, because suddenly you care about a guy on the Jaguars you'd never heard of."