Inside Fantasy Football's first known Sicko League: Daniel Jones should thrive

Most fantasy football leagues focus on the best players in the NFL. In such a league, Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are the players you'd want to take. Said NFL stars are sure to put up the most points week-in and week-out. But this is not that league. No, in the sicko league we focus on the worst of the worst.

Which players will play long enough – and poorly enough – to win in a league predicated on bad football? What makes the sicko league so unique isn't just that it doesn't exist in any other format, but that it rewards player attributes fantasy football managers would typically want to avoid. The scoring system demands interceptions, carries of less than three yards and targets that don't result in a catch. Finding players who will thrive in such a system is no easy task, which is why the waiver wire is all the more important.

Fantasy Football sicko league scoring system, explained

Quarterbacks are encouraged to throw for fewer yards, more incompletions and, if you're lucky, interceptions. The best QBs in the sicko league will start enough games to make a difference, but ultimately be benched late in the season. If you're lucky, your quarterback will thrive on the Daniel Jones scoring line – just bad enough to secure points on a week-to-week basis, but not so horrible that they are benched outright. That, of course, would lead to a waiver wire pickup of Anthony Richardson if you're lucky.

The best possible sicko league quarterback is sacked frequently, holds onto the ball far too long, and rarely finds their best wide receiver.

Running backs face a similar theme. Rushing yards are discouraged, as are touchdowns. Rushing attempts do help the overall scorelines, but only if those attempts go for less than, say, three yards per carry. Again, most running backs won't keep their starting job if they average under three yards per carry, so the best possible outcome is a back who has a starting role, but fails to make much of an impact. In this sense, Tony Pollard or Javonte Williams are ideal picks because they have done just enough to receive consistent carries, but are unlikely to break a long touchdown run. Former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was a top selection in his later years, for example.

As for wide receivers, it's a much tougher assignment. Which wideouts receive the most targets, but have a low YAC? Also, wide receivers who rarely score touchdowns are appreciated in this environment. The sicko league is a safe space for the likes of Diontae Johnson should he make a team, or JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Defensive scoring admittedly took us a few seasons to work out. The best defenses tend to hold teams to fewer points. Thus, we want to reward defense which give up the most points. The same can be said for yards allowed. If a defense gives up over 500 yards, they should be rewarded for doing so. Any defense or special teams that records a 1-point safety essentially wins the game (1,000 points), because how in the world does that even happen?

In this league, kickers and punters are hot commodities. If a kicker misses a short field goal attempt, we appreciate them for trying in the first place. If they miss an extra point, you've struck gold. As for punters, the goal is to reward the best punts possible. Touchbacks are a moot point, but a punt inside the 20-yard line will help your overall scoreline. Punters may not be household names for you, personally, but I am very aware what Panthers punter Sam Martin is doing on a daily basis.

Sicko Fantasy Football League draft: Who were the hot commodities?

For anyone interested in their own sicko league, finding the right players to pick is key. For example, players on the worst teams are typically an easy option. Justin Fields, Cam Ward and Tony Pollard are the top-projected scorers in my league for Week 1, in part because they have tough opponents and they play for the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans. My team features three players on the Titans, three on the Saints, two on the Browns and so forth.

ESPN – which hosted our league without their knowledge – graded most of our drafts poorly. That is a great sign given the scoring system rewards the worst possible teams. You should aim low, and consider which players will start for a considerable period of time while playing poorly. I cannot stress that enough. Here were the first 20 picks of our draft, as an example.

What a Sicko League starting lineup looks like

An ideal sicko league starting lineup follows the same strategy of a normal fantasy football league lineup. You have one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, a flex player, a tight end, a defense, kicker and punter. The goal is to get the most points, rather than the least, which the scoring system might suggest. Contrary to my own belief, the scoring system is set up to reward the worst players and penalize the best. That is the whole point of the league and the draft as a whole.

Here is my team's starting lineup for Week 1. Also, if you're doing this right, you might as well name your team after an NFL sicko legend. In my case, that's Jeff Fisher Dream Team.

Can some of these players perform well in both the sicko and traditional fantasy football leagues? Sure. But if so, you might as well ask the commissioner why that's the case. Again, all of these players were drafted to play poorly. Most play on bad teams, too!

Enjoy your football weekend, and remember: It's never too late to create a sicko league. Let's keep this trend going strong.