One Woman's Guide to Getting Started

  Posted 8/11 by Deana Labriola, Exclusive to Footballguys.com

A funny thing happened to me yesterday; I heard rumblings at my day job - yes, I do more than play fantasy football - about a fantasy football league that had been around my office for quite some time. Since I'm new to my office, I don't expect that the folks in the office league automatically would think of me as a participant. However, I make my love for the NFL, and the San Diego Chargers in particular, no hidden matter. Walk into my office, and you'll see a few hints of my devotion, including a team picture of the 2006-2007 Chargers team (you know, that 14 and 2 team that was supposed to go the Super Bowl).

Naturally, my love for football (and fantasy football) caused me to approach the commissioner of my office's league for some information. And while he seemed delighted that I played, he also was very surprised. Here I was, a woman, probably just as anxious as him for the beginning of football season, which by extension means another start to the fantasy football season. Of course, as any good commissioner would, he started asking me certain underlying questions to judge my level of play and experience. Without question, I passed, and may have even scared him with my knowledge because I am, in no uncertain terms, a football fanatic. As my husband puts it, be careful what you wish for, because if your wife, girlfriend, or significant other is into fantasy football, you may have a monster on your hands.

However, I don't share in that commissioner's surprise because I've been playing fantasy football with several women for years now. Perhaps that's because the strange breed of females that call themselves fantasy football fanatics tend to find one another, but I'd like to think the real reason is that the sport of fantasy football (or the sport surrounding the sport) is growing in popularity among everyone, women included.

My own fantasy football tale started idly about 6 years ago. My husband (boyfriend at the time) had gotten into fantasy football and I just didn't get it. I suspect this is the way it starts for most women. I wanted to spend time with him, but football got in the way. I liked football and particularly loved watching the pros, but the whole concept of fantasy football was lost on me. What I realized is, I was missing out. Fantasy football has changed the game of football forever. It has found a unique and creative way to get men, and women too, interested in all teams in the National Football League.

While every year produces its share of fluke players or devastating injuries (which can all but destroy your hopes for a fantasy playoff berth), by and large, fantasy football is a numbers game, one in which being armed with information and tackling the draft methodically can make all of the difference. Perhaps it's the competition that appeals to me, or maybe I view it like a chess game, but I take a statistical approach to fantasy football, and I have a few championships under my belt to prove it.

So ladies, first and foremost, don't be intimidated by fantasy football. As a baseline, it is a learned sport that makes you interested in football, which can translate into quality time with your loved one or simply some relaxation time on a Sunday afternoon or Monday evening. Remember, much like anything new, everybody had a first season at fantasy football, and you learn from that first season to make yourself and your future teams better at it.

If you're considering making the leap this year into a league, allow me to suggest the following points as a primer for tackling (pun intended) your first fantasy football season:

1. Get some base football knowledge. If you don't know anything about football, get a primer from your mate, friends or anyone else that's willing to talk shop with you. Especially for your first season, you don't need to know the inner workings of the tackle or guard positions, but you should understand some basics about offense and defense, and certain key positions in each. Most importantly, you should understand the positions for which you will be drafting in your fantasy football league, including a quarterback, running backs, wide receivers, tight end, kicker, and defense. Don't be scared, running backs run the ball, wide receivers catch the ball, and you probably know what the quarterback does.


2. Choose a simple fantasy football league. My advice, start with only one fantasy football league your first year, and don't make it fancy. You can try two or even three leagues the following year, but fantasy football championships weren't built in a year nor should you expect to be a pro at it out of the gate. There is plenty of time to learn about keeper and auction leagues, but for your first year, keep it simple. Pick a free league (most nearly every major sports website has a free fantasy football league - ESPN, CBS, Yahoo) and use the basic scoring format of that league. Most basic leagues will require you to play a quarterback, 2-3 running backs, 2-3 wide receivers, 1 tight end, 1 kicker and a defense. Scoring will be simple, meaning 10 or 20 yards per point; generally basic math that even the worst mathematicians can do in their head. A cardinal rule: if you don't understand the scoring after reading each league's rules, don't sign up for it because it's not the league for you. Most free leagues allow you to play against other novice players and are automatically set up to be simple.


3. Tackle the draft together. On draft day, tackle the draft with your husband, boyfriend, friends or other fantasy football fanatics at your side. I don't have statistics, but I'd bet most fantasy football fans would be happy to spend a few hours helping a novice with the draft.


4. Pay attention on Sundays. Think of Sunday as a time to investigate your team and learn. Maybe you live in Seattle and have no good reason to watch the Bears-Vikings game, but you just might be interested if you have players in that game. Watching those games will help you understand the players and the game of football, which will only make you a better fantasy football player in the future.


5. Ask questions during the season. If you come across other fantasy football players, and you undoubtedly will, ask them about their teams. Everybody has an interesting twist on draft strategies, and anybody into fantasy football loves to talk about it. So ask questions, assess the answers, and use that knowledge to your advantage.

Finally and most importantly, don't take it too seriously the first year. Be engaged in the process, but recognize that the first year is a learning experience. The best and most experienced fantasy football players have bad seasons and change their strategy constantly. You will be no different. The truth of it is, fantasy football is something that has brought my husband and I much closer. It may not have been the reason I got into fantasy football, but having the bond with my husband certainly is my greatest reward, even with bragging rights and a few championships to tout.