If you’re not familiar with the concept of fantasy football before, you’re missing out on being part of quite a craze. Fantasy football providers give you the opportunity to draft and manage your own football team, which can consist of players from various teams in the NFL, for a day or more. Your team will then accumulate points based on the performance of the true-life players in the NFL as the league progresses.

When you play fantasy football, you have the chance to win some money from your participation. Below is a look at the growth and popularity of fantasy football, plus some tips on how to successfully draft and manage your team.

Growth of fantasy football

Research by the Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association (FSGA) in 2019 found that 78% of fantasy sports participants play fantasy football. Baseball was the next most popular fantasy sport, but even that was a long way behind at just 39% of the participants.

Fantasy football is part of a market that has exploded in the last decade. Around 40 million alone take part in fantasy football, according to CNN in which the channel quotes on its website research from the website Sports Management Hub. According to the FSGA research, fantasy sports had around 500,000 players in the US and Canada in 1998, and the numbers have swollen up to the millions since then, reaching 59.3 million in 2017. In 2019, the US alone had 45.9 million players who were over the age of 18.

Research by the consumer and market data company reports that the fantasy sports market was worth around $7.2 billion in 2019. This is a big, big market, and is likely to have grown further since then.

Why do people play fantasy football?

People have all sorts of motivations for taking part in fantasy football:

  • Playing is empowering: Fantasy football places you in control. No one can tell you what to do, which might not be the case in other areas of your life, and there’s no bigger rush than drafting your own team and leading it to victory in the league.
  • It’s a chance to win some money or, at the very least, some bragging rights: A lot of players love the competitive nature of fantasy football. If you play the game well enough, you can make a decent amount of money from it as well as the bragging rights.
  • Fantasy football offers a pleasant distraction: Playing fantasy football occupies more time than you think as you follow the games, check your calendar, review your team’s progress, organize all your picks and cuts, and more. The sport provides a welcome escape from everyday life.
  • The fantasy element adds even more to the sport: NFL has many fans, but fantasy football has enhanced the experience even further. Every game will have an impact on your team somehow, which will draw you into the game you love even more.

Tips for succeeding at fantasy football

The variety that abounds in fantasy football means there are lots of different tactics you can implement in your quest to win the league. Here are a few tips to help you prosper:

Don’t follow your allegiance to your team

You may be a fan of the Seahawks, Packers, or another team till you die, but don’t form your team with largely players from your favorite team. There’s no harm in drafting one or two players, but loading up on loads of players all from the same team is risky.

Beware of aging running backs

Players become great. They grow bigger, stronger, and faster, but their careers shorten. This is especially the case for running backs, and when they hit 30, they tend to go into a decline. Don’t go by a running back’s past greatness. Although some backs specialize at the goal and maintain value, you shouldn’t pass on a multipurpose back for one.

Learn about rookies, but don’t load up your team too heavily with them

Every season, there will be rookies who explode onto the scene, and you should be aware of the ones who are playing well so you can draft some fresh, outstanding talent. But note that the grind of the long NFL season can take its toll on these less experience players mentally and physically, generating a sudden slump in performance. Keep the percentage of rookies on your team to around 10%.

Be aware of bye weeks and playoff weeks (but don’t become obsessed with them)

Check your league’s schedule for bye weeks and playoff weeks. The NFL has added another week to the schedule, and some teams have their bye week in Week 14, which would normally be the start of the playoffs. Some fantasy leagues will start their postseason in Week 15, so make sure you know your league’s schedule.

When selecting players, you have to consider bye weeks, but don’t let them consume your choices. If two players happen to have the same bye week and one is clearly better than a running back or wide receiver, it makes sense to pick them. You can accommodate for their bye weeks later.

Millions of people play fantasy football. The sport, and fantasy sports in general, has really taken off, giving fans the chance to test their knowledge of the game, enjoy a distraction from everyday life, engage in friendly and healthy competition, and even win some money. Now the question is, do you fancy playing it?