Ten Tips for Fantasy Football Players

Everyone is looking for some tips to having an effective fantasy football season. Whether you are new to fantasy football or not, here are ten tips to keep in mind.

1. REMEMBER THE IMPACT OF BYE WEEKS.
Bye weeks can affect your point accumulation. Where possible, draft backups that do not have the same bye week to avoid a gap. Of course, if it means drafting a stronger overall player, it may be advantageous to have two position players with the same bye week if it means more points the rest of the season, even if they have a week off.

2. ROLE CHANGES FOR THE NEW SEASON
Don't rely on last year's stats alone - find out what moves a player's team made in the off season. Before you grab receiver X, make sure the team didn't sign a free agent receiver or draft a big rookie that could take away from the number of passes he sees.

3. WATCH THE OFFENSIVE SCHEMES
Teams sometimes change the look of their offense. Don't draft a running back early if his team has switched to a two-back system. A single back offensive scheme means more touches, and more yards.

4. BEWARE THE ROOKIE
It is rare for rookie quarterbacks or wide receivers to make an immediate impact in their first season, so it makes them bigger risks. However, rookie running backs, if they are named the starter, tend to have more of an impact their first season. Adrian Peterson anyone?

5. WAIT FOR A QB
It isn't always the best move to take a quarterback with an early pick. Running backs and wide receivers tend to have a bigger point impact than QBs, so pick those studs early, and wait to get your QB later.

6. DRAFT KICKERS AND DEFENSIVE PLAYERS LAST
Even the best kicker makes little point difference over an average or even poor one, so wait until the very end to take your kicker. The rule also applies to defensive picks. Unless your league's scoring system provides a noticeable advantage, you can wait on that as well.

7. STREAKS AND INJURIES
Unless you have a really good fantasy expert you are getting tips from, it is hard to know a player's history. Some players play well early in the season, and cool off late. Others need a few weeks to warm up. Try reading local papers for a particular player or listen to sports talk radio online to get a local perspective, and sometimes get news of an injury before it goes national. Injuries can seriously affect performance. Check a player's local paper for an injury report in case they twist an ankle during the week at practice.

8. STUDY MOCK DRAFTS
Many places issue mock drafts, which feature the popular concensus for when some players will go. Some players will use these verbatim, so study them and look for ways to counter it, including looking for players ranked low on the list that some may overlook that you can take.

9. WATCH FOR "RUNS"
Sometimes, team owners react to what others are doing instead of sticking to a plan. If you see several teams in a row taking quarterbacks or tight ends, you might have to take a particular player if you think he won't stay on the board long. Remember though, "runs" often mean other position players are overlooked for a round or two, allowing you to get a steal later.

10. ROSTER CHANGES DURING THE SEASON
If a player goes cold and may lose their starting role, you'll get clues on Tuesday or Wednesday. Once the team takes the field, if there is a change at QB, they need to get their snaps, so watch the news on those days if there is a switch. If so, make a roster change.

With a little common sense, and a lot of research, you can have a successful fantasy season.