Fantasy Football Mistakes To Avoid
Fantasy Football is a fun and addictive game. There are tons of guides to help you learn how to play and what you should do to win. But what are the most common mistakes players make?
The things below are stuff you shouldn’t do when playing fantasy football. Consider them a list of fantasy football don’ts…what not to do if you want to win.
These mistakes will either screw up your chances of winning or annoy your league so much that you won’t be invited back next year.
Don’t be the fantasy coach who…
1. Pays the League Entry Fee Late (or not at all)
You knew there was an entry fee when you joined the league, don’t make excuses and turn into a deadbeat. That’s one of the best ways to never get invited into a fantasy league again. You also risk your friendships with the commish and other coaches in the league.
If they’re smart, your league commissioner will set a payment deadline before the season starts and boot you out of the league for not paying.
2. Comes to the Draft Unprepared
Getting that deer in the headlights look when it’s your turn to pick isn’t good. Your team will probably have big holes and using your full time every round to make a pick will drag the draft out for everyone.
Invest some time into preparing your cheat sheet before the draft. Then remember to bring it with you.
Plan your draft strategy ahead of time and be prepared to adjust it during the draft if needed.
Another good way to prepare is to do a mock draft. Most fantasy sites offer this and it will help you practice your draft strategy. This is a must if it’s your first time doing an online draft or your league is switching draft formats.
3. Drafts a Kicker Early
Anything before the last two rounds of the draft is too early. Yes, some kickers are better than others, but none are worth wasting a good pick on.
If your league does an auction draft, don’t pay more than $1 for a kicker.
4. Bombards the League with Lame Trade Offers
There’s nothing wrong with making a low offer and trying to get the better end of a fantasy trade deal. But no one will take you seriously if all you do is send out low ball offers and make ridiculous counter offers.
5. Forgets to Cover Their Bye Week Players
Every NFL team’s schedule includes a bye week. Every fantasy football roster shows when a player is on bye. Most fantasy sites allow you to set your roster for future weeks.
There’s no excuse for starting a bye week player and guaranteeing yourself zero points for that position.
6. Doesn’t Respond to Trade Offers
Another good way to annoy the other coaches in your league is to totally ignore their trade offers. You don’t have to make a decision immediately, but at least acknowledge that you saw it and give the guy an idea when you’ll respond.
If you plan to be on vacation or offline for a few days, post a notice on the league message board. That way other teams won’t curse you while waiting for a response.
7. Ignores What’s Happening in the NFL
Injuries, lineup changes, arrests and changes in performance can happen quickly in the NFL. You need to know what’s going on in the real game to effectively manage your fantasy football team.
8. Doesn’t Think Long Term
It’s easy to only focus on winning this week’s game. Especially if you’re trying to salvage a losing record. Remember to spend some time planning for the rest of the season.
How will I cover next week’s byes? What will my match-ups be in the playoffs? Those are the types of questions to ask yourself each week. These are also good questions when evaluating trade offers.
9. Quits Managing Their Team
You’re 2-10 with 2 weeks left in the season. Clearly not making playoffs so why bother setting your roster each week?
- Pride
- The integrity of the league. You could play spoiler or otherwise affect the playoff seeding so do everything you can to win your last games.
- If you give up near the end of the season, it’s doubtful you’ll be invited back again.
Bad seasons happen. I’ve been there. The best way to handle it is to play hard through the last game.
10. Complains About Everything
The draft date, the scoring rules, your draft position, someone called you a bad name, your player got a boo-boo, your fantasy team sucks, your favorite NFL team sucks…the message board is full of your whining.
If you’ve got a legitimate beef, then air it. Otherwise shut up and play.
Recap
Now you know 10 of the biggest fantasy football mistakes and how to avoid them. What is the dumbest mistake you’ve made (or seen someone else make) playing Fantasy Football? Please leave a comment below…