How to Start Playing Fantasy Football 101
Let’s be honest: it’d be a shock if you haven’t heard of fantasy football. It’s ubiquitous — the NFL even promotes fantasy football on its official website. However, not everyone understands the concept of fantasy football, what fantasy football is, or how to start playing fantasy football. You might be one of those people.
If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably overheard a coworker, a friend, or a family member talking about fantasy football. They talk about the action in their fantasy football leagues — the trades, the rivalries, the camaraderie. Maybe they’ve discussed a party they’re having to host their fantasy football draft. Maybe you’ve been invited to a fantasy football league in the past, but were intimidated by picking up a new hobby and need help getting started playing fantasy football.
And you’re tired of being left on the sidelines. You want to know not just what fantasy football is, but how to play it — and how to win at it… even if you’ve never seen a snap of NFL football (seriously).
Hopefully, this Fantasy Football 101 Beginner’s Guide will get you on your way to talking trash in the office.
What is Fantasy Football?
There are multiple ways to play fantasy football — including daily fantasy football and dynasty fantasy football — but for this article, we will focus on what is overwhelmingly the most popular version of fantasy football, and likely the version your friends and coworkers have discussed — season-long (or redraft) fantasy football. When “fantasy football” is mentioned without a qualifier, this is almost certainly what your friends are talking about.
In fantasy football, you become a “fantasy football manager” or “owner.” As a manager, you create a fantasy team by drafting real NFL players, and your team scores points based on those players’ actual performances in the NFL games. So your “fake” (fantasy) football team accumulates a score based on the “real” NFL games — that’s why you’ve seen your friends yelling at a game that their favorite NFL team isn’t even playing in. Your friends likely have players on their fantasy football teams in the game they’re watching — or they’re going against someone on their opponent’s team.
That brings us to the competition part of fantasy football. In most fantasy leagues, your team goes up against another manager’s team. Every week, your team’s point total — scored by the real NFL players in that week’s games — faces off against your opponent’s total. Like in most competitions, if your team scores more points, your team wins that week.
In fantasy football, you act as an NFL general manager and head coach combined: you select players, you set lineups, and you make roster moves in hopes of outscoring your opponents and eventually winning a championship. Move over, Bill Belichick.
How Does Fantasy Football Work?
At the start of the season, fantasy leagues hold a fantasy football draft in which participants take turns choosing NFL players for their rosters. In most fantasy football leagues, each NFL player can be drafted only once. So, if you draft Patrick Mahomes, your opponents cannot draft him.
The draft is perhaps the most exciting part of fantasy football. At a scheduled time (typically in late August or early September, shortly before the NFL season begins), teams take turns selecting players until all rosters are filled. If it’s a live draft, you and the other managers will pick players in real-time (usually with a time limit for each pick). Make sure to show up at the draft time, or the system might auto-pick for you. If you can’t attend, you can often pre-rank players or use the platform’s default rankings for an auto-draft. Many fantasy football leagues draft in-person at a party (with a good old-fashioned whiteboard and stickers).
During the draft, it’s wise to have a cheat sheet or ranking list of players handy, so you know who the top options are. Most of the managers in your league will have access to a set of fantasy football rankings, projections, and strategies developed by fantasy football experts — that’s where a Fantasy Points subscription comes in!
There are multiple ways to draft, but your first fantasy football league will likely use a snake-draft format. That means the manager who picks first in the first round picks last in the next round, and vice versa. This is done to create balanced teams.
Once teams are drafted, the season begins when the real NFL season starts. You are tasked each week with starting a lineup of players, typically consisting of a quarterback, running backs, wide receivers, and a tight end. Some leagues also use kickers and a team defense.
How to Score in Fantasy Football
Your players earn fantasy points for their stats – e.g. yards gained, touchdowns scored, field goals made, etc. The exact scoring system can vary by league, but in a standard setup a rushing or receiving touchdown might be 6 points, a passing touchdown 4 points, and so on.
Some leagues use PPR (Point Per Reception) scoring, which means every catch a player makes is worth 1 extra point. This is the most popular scoring system.
There are also variations like half-PPR, which gives 0.5 points per catch, and standard non-PPR, in which receptions don’t add points. Each week, you compete against another manager’s team. Whichever team accumulates more points that week gets a win (and the other gets a loss). Once the games begin, just sit back and follow the scores. Your platform will update your fantasy point totals in real time.
Teams are typically ranked by their win-loss records, and top teams advance to the fantasy playoffs near the end of the NFL regular season.
How to Manage a Team in Fantasy Football
Before the NFL games start each week, you’ll need to choose your starting lineup from your roster. Typically, any players not in your starting lineup are “on the bench” and won’t score points for you that week. Setting your lineup involves deciding which players at each position give you the best chance to win. You’ll usually start your top performers (your stars), but you also have to consider matchups – what defense is your star player playing against? For instance, if your second-string receiver has a favorable matchup against a weak defense, you might start him over another receiver facing a top-ranked defense.
Beyond starting your best lineup every week, you’ll also manage your roster throughout the season. If one of your players gets hurt or isn’t performing well, you can bench them or drop and replace them with a free agent from the “waiver wire” (the pool of available players not on any team).
You can also propose trades with other managers to swap players and improve your squad. For example, if you have extra running backs but need a better quarterback, you might trade with a team with the opposite surplus.
When managing your roster, consider injuries and bye weeks (when certain NFL teams don’t play). If your star player will be on bye next week, plan ahead and pick up a replacement. The key is to adjust your team actively: successful managers stay up-to-date on player news (injuries, suspensions, depth chart changes) and make moves accordingly. Most platforms allow you to set your lineup days in advance and tweak it up until each player’s game time.
The strategic juggling of drafting, weekly lineup decisions, and in-season moves is what makes fantasy football engaging.
Why Fantasy Football Is Popular
Fantasy football is a hobby and passion shared by tens of millions of NFL fans. You can be a casual fantasy football player who participates in only one league, or a truly hardcore fantasy football player who plays in dozens of leagues and multiple different formats.
Fantasy football fundamentally changes how you engage with the NFL as a fan. Instead of just rooting for real teams (which you can still do in addition to fantasy football), you’re now invested in individual players across the league. The thrill of predicting which players will do well and seeing your predictions pay off is a big draw.
There’s a social aspect, too – most leagues are among friends, family, or coworkers, so you get to enjoy friendly competition (and plenty of bragging rights if your team wins). Simply put, fantasy football combines the love of sports with the fun of managing your own team.
Oh, and while you can play fantasy football for just bragging rights (and maybe you want to start by doing this), most fantasy football leagues have a small fee to enter… and the winner gets a nice payday at the end of the season!
TL;DR? It’s a ton of fun.
What is a Fantasy Football League?
A league is a group of people who play fantasy football together. Many beginners join a public league (open to anyone on the platform) or a private league with people they know. Leagues can vary in size (commonly 8-12 teams) and have their own settings.
Chances are, if you’re a new fantasy football player, you’ve been invited to an existing league or to a new fantasy football league that is run by an experienced fantasy player (the “Commissioner”). But if you’ve decided to start a new fantasy football league for a group of like-minded beginners, there are multiple places you can play.
Whether you join or create a league (and become a fantasy football “Commissioner”), note the league’s rules — for example, how many players you start each week, the scoring settings, and the league schedule (regular season and playoffs). If you’re creating a league, the platform will guide you through setting rules (you can usually stick with the default settings when starting out).
When Does Fantasy Football Start?
Fantasy football typically starts with a draft shortly before the NFL season begins. Fantasy football league competitions start when real NFL games start, and end by the time the NFL regular season ends in January.
Where to Play Fantasy Football
Here are some of the best fantasy football websites where you can start playing in a few clicks of a button. Most fantasy football providers have a mobile app for accessing your league management tools on the go.
ESPN Fantasy Football: One of the most popular and widely-used platforms. It’s free, and known for a clean, easy-to-use interface that makes managing your lineup simple. ESPN provides loads of player news, projections, and analysis from its team of experts. It even has an IBM Watson tool to help suggest lineup moves for newcomers. The platform is very accessible for beginners and has a large user base, so it’s easy to find public leagues or start one with friends. ESPN gives out fun weekly recaps/report cards for your team’s performance
Yahoo Fantasy Sports: Yahoo’s fantasy platform has been around for a long time and is also extremely popular. It’s very beginner-friendly, with an interface that’s easy to navigate and lots of information readily available. Yahoo offers a ton of customization for leagues (scoring settings, roster positions, etc.) and even has other game modes like survival pools and pick’em if you want to try something besides managing a full roster. They provide player rankings, analyst insights, and even both free and paid league options for different levels of competition. Many find Yahoo’s app to have a gentle learning curve, making it a solid choice for new fantasy managers.
Sleeper: If your primary way of playing fantasy football is on mobile devices, Sleeper is probably the app for you. Sleeper is a newer platform that has quickly gained popularity, especially among younger and tech-savvy players — the “Zoomers” love it. It started mobile-first and has a very modern, streamlined app. Sleeper is known for its fast notifications (often quicker with injury or touchdown alerts than other apps) and its built-in chat feature, which makes league communication and trash-talk fun and easy. It offers a highly customizable league experience (you can tweak lots of settings) and is completely ad-free. Many people love Sleeper’s interface and social feel – it’s like a blend of fantasy league and group chat. Despite being newer, it’s considered one of the best fantasy apps, with features like instant highlights, comprehensive alerts, and even extra game modes (like prop pick’em contests).
NFL Fantasy: This is the official fantasy football platform of the NFL. The NFL’s own site/app is free and directly integrates with NFL news, highlights, and updates. It offers standard and PPR leagues and allows for public or private leagues. A big plus is the wealth of official NFL information: you get up-to-the-minute player stats, injury reports, and news straight from the NFL.
Other platforms: CBS Sports also offers fantasy football leagues with robust features and expert analysis, though its interface is similar in feel to Yahoo’s, and typically you have to pay to use it. There are also more specialized and harder-to-use platforms, like Fantrax and MyFantasyLeague (often used for custom or dynasty leagues), better suited for more experienced players looking for a deeper experience in leagues with unusual settings.
To start out, the four above (ESPN, Yahoo, Sleeper, NFL) are the go-to options. All of these have free apps you can download, so consider trying a couple out and see which layout you prefer. The good news is they all provide a beginner-friendly experience and plenty of free resources.
Basic Fantasy Football Strategies
Once you know the basics, it’s time to talk strategy. Fantasy football has a bit of luck, but a lot of it comes down to smart decisions. Here are some basic strategies to help you succeed:
Trust the Experts: Most hardcore fantasy football players subscribe to a fantasy football information site to help them do their pre-draft and weekly fantasy football research, including rankings and cheat sheets. At Fantasy Points, we have over 100 combined years giving out fantasy football advice professionally. If you’re more of a listener than a reader, we have tons of fantasy football and NFL podcasts!
Fantasy Football Draft Strategies – Best Player vs. Positional Needs: A common question is whether to draft the “best player available” or to focus on specific positions. The truth is, you should balance both approaches. Early in the draft, grabbing the most talented players on the board often makes sense, so you don’t miss out on game-changers. However, keep positional needs in mind – certain positions (like running back) are usually scarce and highly valuable, so don’t wait too long to fill them. For example, drafting four running backs in a row might leave you weak at receiver or quarterback. Generally, in the first few rounds, scoop up a mix of top running backs and wide receivers (they typically score the most in standard formats). If you snag one at the right time, elite tight ends can give you an edge. Quarterbacks score a lot of points, but many good QBs are usually available in the middle rounds, so don’t feel forced to draft one super early unless the value is too good. Go into your draft with a plan (or “draft strategy”) but be ready to adjust if, say, there’s a surprise run on a position. And always do some pre-draft research – look at player rankings and cheat sheets so you have an idea of who the top players are and sleepers (undervalued players) you might steal in later rounds.
Managing Bye Weeks and Injuries: Depth is the secret weapon of successful fantasy teams. Inevitably, some of your players will have a bye week or get hurt during the season. Plan for this by drafting some reliable bench players who can fill in. And if one of your stars gets injured, don’t panic – check if their handcuff (their real-life backup) is available to pick up, or look for the next man up. Staying on top of NFL injury news (via apps like Sleeper or social media) will allow you to react quickly and grab replacements before others do.
Using Waivers and Trades Wisely: The draft is just the beginning. Savvy in-season moves often win championships. Keep a close eye on the waiver wire – each week new players will emerge (a rookie running back getting a starting role, a wide receiver with a sudden hot streak). Be ready to pounce on those free agents. Many leagues process waivers on Tuesday/Wednesday after the week’s games, so put in claims for the best available players. A strong waiver pickup can sometimes outperform even your early draft picks! (At Fantasy Points, we have a weekly in-depth Waiver Wire advice article that updates every Monday.) Also, don’t be afraid to trade. Trading can help both teams swap strengths for weaknesses. Maybe you have an extra good WR and your friend has an extra RB – a trade can make both teams better. When considering trades, always evaluate the value carefully: Will the trade improve my starting lineup? Being active and engaged on the trade market and waiver wire is often what separates the top teams from the pack.
Understanding Matchups and Player Trends: Each week, analyze the matchups your players have. Fantasy football isn’t just “start the same guys every week and forget it.” If your secondary receiver is facing a notoriously weak pass defense, that could be a great opportunity to start him. Conversely, even a star player might have a tough matchup (for example, a running back going against the best run defense in the league) – you’ll likely still start your stars, but temper expectations. Matchup strategy is especially useful for deciding between two middle-tier players. At Fantasy Points, we use our proprietary data and countless hours of weekly research to help you make these decisions.
Common Fantasy Football Mistakes to Avoid
Everyone makes mistakes, especially when they’re new to fantasy football. Here are some common pitfalls in fantasy football and how to avoid them:
Poor Draft Preparation: The fantasy football draft sets the foundation for your season. Going in without any preparation is a mistake that can haunt you for weeks. Don’t go into your draft blind. Some new players might pick names they recognize or their favorite players without regard to rankings or roster construction. This can lead to a weak team. Avoid this by spending a little time pre-draft to learn which players are highly ranked at each position and have a rough plan for how you’ll build your team — that’s what Fantasy Points is for!
Ignoring Player Injuries and Bye Weeks: One of the biggest mistakes is forgetting to check your lineup for byes and injuries. Always double-check before the games start each week that none of your starters are listed as Out or on a bye. If you leave an injured or bye-week player in your starting lineup, you’re basically taking a zero from that spot. Avoid this by following NFL news (most fantasy apps have a news section or alerts for your players, especially Sleeper). It’s also wise to plan ahead for byes – if you see in advance that in Week 7, your top two running backs are on bye, try to pick up an extra RB before that week. Ignoring injury reports and bye weeks can leave you shorthanded. A good habit is to set a reminder to check your lineup a couple of hours before kickoff every Sunday (or Thursday/Monday, when there are games) to make sure all your players are active and playing.
Chasing One Good Game (Overvaluing Recent Performance): Fantasy newcomers often get excited by a player who had a huge game and then make drastic moves like starting them over proven stars or burning a top waiver claim. While you should grab emerging players, be careful not to overvalue a single performance. A common refrain is “don’t chase last week’s points.” In other words, just because a backup wide receiver scored two long TDs in Week 3 doesn’t mean he’ll do that again. Experienced managers look for sustained usage – was that player heavily involved in the offense, or did he just capitalize on a couple of broken plays (we account for this in our projections)? Make roster moves based on a combination of talent and opportunity, not just one box score.
Not Adjusting Lineups Before Games (Set-and-Forget Syndrome): Some beginners draft their team and think the job is done – they forget to actively manage their lineup each week. Fantasy football is a weekly game; failing to adjust your lineup is a critical mistake. Always set your lineup before the week’s first game. This means benching players on bye/injured (as mentioned), but also putting your best matchups in. Also, pay attention to NFL schedule timing – if a player in your flex spot plays on Thursday night, some managers prefer to move that player into a regular position and leave the flex for later games, giving more flexibility as the week unfolds (a small strategic tip). The biggest thing is simply involvement: a forgotten lineup can cost you a win. Most platforms send reminder notifications – don’t ignore them! Make it a routine to check your team on Tuesday (after waivers process), then Friday or Saturday to make lineup decisions, and one last look on Sunday morning. By staying active, you’ll avoid the embarrassment of starting someone who isn’t playing.
How to Win Your Fantasy Football League
Fantasy Points is here to give you everything you need to win your fantasy football championship — even those who have never played fantasy football before.
Fantasy Points’ John Hansen is a Fantasy Sports Writers’ Association Hall of Famer and is widely recognized as an industry pioneer.
Fantasy Points’ Joe Dolan has been recognized as the most accurate fantasy football draft ranker over a multi-year period.
A Fantasy Points subscription will make it feel like you’re cheating at fantasy football … but you’ll just be the best prepared to dominate your league!
