There’s fantasy football, and then there’s daily fantasy football where you get to draft a roster on a week-to-week basis and enter it into contests where you can win a boatload of money. I’m not just talking about a couple hundred bucks either, I’m talking millions!
Anyone reading this article right now is likely well versed on how to go about playing fantasy football, or just looking for some pointers for the upcoming DFS season in the National Football League.
If you qualify under either parameter, sit back, poor yourself a stiffy, and take in the daily fantasy football strategies I’m about to drop upon you. If you follow them, you’ll have a much more enjoyable time competing with millions of other people with the hope of getting in the green on a weekly basis.
Everything about fantasy revolves around scoring points. Players that do so in real-time equate directly to solid fantasy point tallies for their supporters. That in and of itself is exactly what you’re hoping rostered players do for you in daily fantasy football.
PINPOINT DISADVANTAGES IN THE MATCHUPS
Those with handicapping backgrounds already have a leg up since you can apply the same fundamental and technical approaches you use to handicap football games be it collegiate or professional.
It’s all about the matchups, but most importantly, it’s about pinpointing advantages certain teams and players have over the opposition at those respective positions. When capping a game and you come across a team getting points that has an above average defense with a ground game able to succeed in moving the chains against all calibers of opposition, you’re taking the points.
USE YOUR HANDICAPPING BACKGROUND
From a DFS standpoint, you’re looking to draft that team’s particular running back to your team; hopefully at a discounted price. If you expect the game to remain at the very least within the pointspread, there’s a greater likelihood that the team getting the points won’t abandon the ground attack in hopes of catching up on the scoreboard.
That’s where the value lies when playing daily fantasy football. The dogged team’s running back won’t be as expensive to roster as say a first place or Top 10 ranked team with one of the best in the business toting the rock out of their backfield. If you can get 3-5 times the value of that player’s salary, you’ve put yourself in a position for success so long as the top tiered players also drafted come through.
The same exact mind frame should be utilized when looking to assemble your WR corps as well as your defense which also counts as your special teams unit.
KNOW YOUR X’S AND O’S
Target WRs on teams that run a pass heavy offense and just so happens to be going up against a porous secondary. Make it a point to know the pointspreads of the games for all the players on your roster. Don’t make the mistake of loading up on Green Bay wide receivers just because they’re facing one of the worst pass defenses in the league.
Aaron Rodgers and company are likely big favorites in that one, and will no doubt salt the game away on the ground in the second half costing you valuable fantasy points in the process.
I personally would never spend top dollar to roster a defense, so try to fit them in last. Again, look at the matchups. Defensive points are close to impossible to predict and very much so replaceable on a week to week basis. Target bad offenses and blindly back whomever they’re running up against.
BE WELL AWARE OF SCORING SYSTEMS
Before jumping into DFS waters, take a moment to inspect and figure out what site’s makeup makes the most sense for you. Some sites reward rushing touchdowns more than passing touchdowns. Others are vice versa. Some give more points for rushing yards than receiving yards, while others give bonus points for huge games like 300 passing or 200 rushing yards, while others don’t.
In other words, make sure you’re putting together a roster that allows for your squad to get max output per that site’s point scoring system. If you don’t, you have zero shot of making any kind of money at this.
USE POINTSPREADS AND TOTALS AS A GUIDE
Another aspect of sports handicapping that correlates directly with daily fantasy is point totals. Games with high point totals figure to be high scoring. Games with low point totals do not. Let the linemakers be your friend. Seek out games with totals in the high 40s and low 50s for your offensive players.
It’s exactly the opposite when it comes to defense. Look for games with posted ‘totals’ in the 30s and pray to the fantasy gods – sacrifices are welcome - for a snoozer.
BE ON INJURY RED ALERT
Injuries also play a key role in daily fantasy sports. Especially in football! Low cost backups could become MVPs of the week if a No. 1 starter succumbs to injury. A perfect example of this occurred last season in Week 2 when Jamaal Charles went down with an ankle injury early on against the Broncos.
Knile Davis took over and ran for 79 yards and 2 TDs. Charles was listed as questionable the following week at Miami, but didn’t end up going. Davis took the opportunity and ran with it in racking up a career-high 132 yards and a touchdown to lead the Chiefs to their first win of the season.
His salary was only a fraction of Charles’, and astute DFS players reaped the rewards en route to a number of 50/50 and GPP cashes.
STACK
My last nugget to offer in this piece is a term called “stacking” which is a strategy many successful DFS players utilize. This entails pairing up players from the same team - QB/RB/WR - when the matchup calls for it.
A perfect example of when to stack would be when two high scoring teams are playing in a controlled environment with the linemakers setting a high ‘total’.
When all the key ingredients of stockpiling major fantasy points exist, you have to be aware and you must pounce on it! If you don’t, others will and you’ll be forced to do nothing but sit and watch as their teams leapfrog you in the overall standings.
So there you have it, some pointers on how to fully enjoy the upcoming DFS pigskin season.
To sum it up, know the matchups, carry your handicapping knowledge over into the fantasy arena, be well aware of injuries, check the pointspreads and totals, and stack the heck out of powerful offenses when the situation calls for it.
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