Understanding The In's and Out's of Your Fantasy League

In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by BetMGM:

It’s official. This week, I opened my phone to see the only six words a grown man wants to see this time of year: “The commissioner has reactivated your league.”

Actual shivers went from my head all the way down to my littlest piggy. Because up to this point in the offseason, fantasy football has existed as a largely hypothetical thing. Something that won’t be real until the coals from the summer barbecues and logs from the late-night bonfires have gone cold. But now? With my home league draft just around the corner? The embers are turning to ashes, friends.

A little about my home league, since I know you were dying to ask:

It’s in its 17th year (though I’ve only been in it for nine).
This is the first year we’re not drafting over Labor Day weekend so as to avoid as many preseason injuries as possible.
Our commissioner believes three things: 1) The draft is the most important part of the fantasy season, 2) Elite quarterbacks are worth their weight in gold, and 3) If you don’t like his rules, shut up or volunteer to be the commissioner yourself.

Which, honestly … fair. I don’t want that job, which is why I continue to put up with some of the goofiest league settings I’ve ever encountered. Here’s a taste:

Each interception your QB throws is worth -5 points, and each sack your QB takes knocks you down -3 points.
If your player fumbles, that’s -2 points. And if the opposing team recovers the fumble, that’s an additional -3 points.
Oh, and remember what I said about the draft being the most important thing? That was no joke. We only get 12 waiver pickups throughout the entire season. (It used to be 10, but I scratched and clawed my way an extra two, which I cherish like my own children.)
And we’re only allowed one single trade per season.

What can you learn from my bizarre home league?

My main point in all this: It’s incredibly important to KNOW YOUR LEAGUE SETTINGS, inside and out. We’re very proud of our Fantasy Life rankings, but if you’re looking at our PPR ranks while drafting in your non-PPR league, you’ll be steering your boat with a pool floatie. (It might work, but like … damn, get yourself an oar already.)

Take Alvin Kamara, for example. We have him as the consensus RB18 in Standard formats, but he gets bumped up to RB13 in Full PPR. (Which is still a little low for my taste, but I’m working on that.) And if your league uses a TE Premium to boost tight end scoring, suddenly both Brock Bowers and Trey McBride become Top 10 overall picks, whereas they both fall outside the Top 15 in garden variety Half PPR. Heck, Malik Nabers jumps all over the 1st round depending on the format.

It’s one of the reasons I was so geeked when we came out with the Draft Champion tool. It lets you sync your league settings and then customizes the rankings/projections to make sure you don’t whiff on a pick and get made fun of by all your closest friends/enemies.

Because home leagues are for making fun of your leaguemates, not the other way around.

GIVE DRAFT CHAMPION A TRY

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Editors’ Picks

Lionel Richie sang about “easy like a Sunday morning.” Maybe he was talking about curling up with a certain newsletter over some coffee. Here are some articles you may have missed that deserve a look. While you’re at it, check out our tools: Rankings get updated regularly. The ADP tool helps you learn where players are getting drafted. Our projections offer a look ahead. And you can sync your leagues very quickly. Enjoy these Sunday reads.

No Riding Pine

After filling out the starting roster in a draft, it’s easy to let down. Matthew Freedman emphasizes the importance of locking in on bench picks that may pop later.

Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

With so much information flowing, Sam Wallace cuts through the noise to decipher the most actionable information for fantasy football managers. Yes, even INJURIES!

Easy Cuts

Who’s your easy cut? That player 200+ picks who’s the first player cut for a waiver wire add. But could he pop? John Laghezza surveys the Fantasy Life crew for their favorite late-round player to select to cut.

Drafting From The 1.08: All About Choices

While sitting at the 1.08 may seem like the decision is made for you, your turn comes up. Amon-Ra St. Brown? Nico Collins? Malik Nabers? Even Puka Nacua could fall to that pick. Does that look like an oversized deli menu of options? Don’t forget to order fries.

Chris Allen continues his draft-position series at the 1.08, and the plethora of possibilities when it comes to draft strategies from that position. There may not be the sexy picks like at the front, but you should come away with a pair of solid picks before the questions start to rise up later in the second round. ⤵️

ALMOST FORGOT BTJ AS AN OPTION EARLY

Buy Into A Rookie RB And Buck Up On This Offense? Yup

That’s right, cooterdoodle has brought back Buy, Sell, Hold. First off, you’re welcome. It’s also a signal that the NFL season is close. There’s an offense that cooterdoodle can’t get enough of, though it’s not the Saints, so the Rashid Shaheed jerseys will have to stay on hangers. She’s also in lock step with our fearless leader on one call ahead of the season.

What is she selling? There’s a player who can’t outrun his mouth. And holding? Let’s just say that all rookies are not created equal. Enjoy the return of this popular article series. ⤵️

CAN A ROOKIE MAKE YOU SICK?

Two-QB Leagues Are Not A Passing Fancy

First off, this is not a superflex article. Y’all have had your moment in the sun. This is for 2-QB leaguers, and rule No. 1 of 2-QB leagues is don’t wait on QB. You HAVE to start two every week. The first round is like a fever dream for single-QB players.

Coach Gene Clemons has great advice for people playing in 2-QB leagues for the first time, especially on how to handle the first round. And how many to draft by a certain part of the early draft. It’s a fun format, and it treats the QB position with the respect given in the real NFL. ⤵️

LEARN FROM GENE’S LESSON ABOUT GETTING CUTE & WAITING ON QB

Around the Watercooler

Let’s get to work, people! It’s draft season!!

👀 Is Jordan Mason the next Jamaal Williams? Thor expects a TD-palooza for the Vikings RB.

📰 Our Preseason Week 1 Utilization Takeaways are getting updated daily.

💪 These two QBs could win your league.

🤔 Regular ADP vs Guillotine Leagues^TM ADP. You mean there’s a difference?

😊 That’s What Shaheed Said and other team names to give you some ideas.

🦵🏽 That knee looks plenty healthy now.

😅 I’m not alone on Tahj Brooks Island! Thank you for the sleeper support, Dwain.

📝 Is your league drafting early? Make sure you bookmark our Draft Kit!

🎯 Jaxson Dart says there’s no light too bright for him to play in. See ya at AT&T Stadium, kid.

😂 Marshawn Lynch should teach a self-defense class for NFL refs.