How to Draft your Own Fantasy Football Team

By: Joseph Kenny


If you have been considering starting your own fantasy football there are several aspects of which you should be aware. Fantasy football has significantly grown in popularity in the last few years and there are now a number of different ways you can get involved with fantasy football. If you're interested in winning some of the larger prizes that are up for grabs, you will need to consider joining one of the fantasy football teams offered by several web sites as well as quite a few football magazines. Most people; however, opt instead to join a small informal league simply for the fun of the game. This type of league can be organized with just about anyone. Such leagues are frequently organized with relatives, co-workers or friends. If you are drafting your first league it is important to remember there is really no wrong or right way to do it because the most important thing is to have fun.

First, there will need to be teams involved in order to draft a league. Generally, a league can have anywhere from eight up to sixteen teams. The number of teams you have in your league will be up to you and what is available in your locality; however, be sure to give some strong thought to the number of teams in your league because it can be extremely important. Too few teams in your league will reduce the level of competition while too many teams will make it difficult for each owner to find enough good players. Try to keep the number of your teams equal; however, for the sake of your schedule.

Regardless of the number of teams you decide upon, those teams will need to be divided into divisions. The number of divisions may depend on the number of teams in your league. Many people; however, find that 3 divisions work fine.

You will also need to decide upon a commissioner. A lot of thought should be put into the selection of your commissioner as well, as this role is critical to the success of your league. This should be someone all of the other owners trust implicitly. He, or she, will be in charge of such things as the draft, scoring the games, setting up the league, etc. This can be a very demanding job with a lot of responsibilities. It may prove prudent to set up a co-commissioner position as well.

When setting up your regular season, try to plan for around thirteen or so games. Remember, this is excluding your playoffs, which will typically last another three weeks or so. The general rule of thumb is for your season to not last longer than a regular NFL season.

Your drafts may depend on the type of league you set up. Some leagues only hold an initial draft when first setting up the league and then for rookies after that. Regardless, when first setting up your league you will need to have a draft to select players. For this a draft order will be selected, typically before the draft itself is held. If you opt for an auction format instead, remember that each owner must be given a salary cap. Of course, this can be any amount you decide upon. The main key is that each team must have their roster filled out; generally with about 15 players per team. From this the teams will need to select their starting players, usually around 7 each. A starting lineup will usually include one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one place kicker and one defense.

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Information about the Author:

Joe Kenny writes for the UK soccer forum site, FootballTalk.org. Join the football forum for free today and have your say!
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