Guide to Beating your Friends in Fantasy Football

For all of you rookie and amateur fantasy football players out there, this is your guide to beating your maybe a little more experienced friends. We all know that is the most important thing!

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Step 1: Do a Little Research

Understand that there are obvious players people in any league are going to pick. Draft choices like Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning are going to be blatant. There are also several running backs and wide receivers that people across every league will take very high in the draft. The key to not only beating your friends, but making them question why they even play fantasy football is to be one step ahead of them at all times. This method involves taking some risks, but that just makes the victory all the more tasty. When looking at who to draft for your team, do not look at the number one choices. Example: take Tony Romo or Drew Brees instead of Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning. The obvious exception to this rule is if you’re lucky enough be picking first, second, or third in the first round of your draft in which case you should absolutely choose a number one running back. My name is Andrew, but I am definitely not lucky enough to get into the top three picks. (Andrew Luck..football puns).

Step 2: Trash Talk

This kind of trash talking involves more than just telling your friends that they have no idea what they are doing and you are going to destroy them this year. Add a little strategy to your fantasy trash talking. Give a little extra hype to a player that is not going to perform this year. Example: “I heard that the Patriots are going to run the ball more because Tom Brady is going to be suspended. Also, since LeGarrette Blount is only going to be suspended one game, he is a crucial pick up.” Then pretend to really want that draft pick and maybe you can convince one of your more gullible friends to waste a pick leaving another player open for you.

Step 3: Surprise your Friends

After talking smack and eating all the chips and salsa on the table, it is time to begin the draft. If you’re in the middle of the draft, like most people will be, the critical decision is upon you to take your first risky move. Choose one of these players if they have not been chosen yet; Andrew Luck, LeSean McCoy, Odell Beckham Jr., or Rob Gronkowski. Every one of these players has high potential to have an exceptional performance every week, and will most likely not be picked very high in the draft.

Step 4: Trust the Picks

When the draft moves into the later stages, it is important to consider who is left to be picked up and what positions you need to fill. Always keep in mind that your starting players have a bye week and you will need to have at least one substitute on your bench for each position. The fantasy program you are using will most likely number each pick based on how well the player is projected to do during the season. It is not crazy to consider picking the next person on that list. The professionals have ranked these players and know what they are talking about. Look at your team, see what position you need, and pick the next highest ranked player that is available. If you want to take it a little farther, look at the players stats for the previous year and double check their injury status.

Step 5: Keep up with your Team

Try not to forget about your team throughout the season. I understand that as the season progresses and maybe you lose a couple of games, you might feel that it is not worth it anymore. But do not give up. It only takes one game to change the outcome of your season. Just remember how sweet the feeling of beating your friends that take it seriously will feel.

This has been your guide to beating your over-confident friends in fantasy football. Good luck to everyone (except my friends)!

Next: The Fantasy CPR 12 Team Mock Draft: Where A Lot Of These Tips Were Used!

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