According to the most recent research from the Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association, fantasy sports are rock ‘n’ roll, as they say. The average age of players is around 37.7, and 81% of players are male, the other 19% being female of course. Football was the most popular fantasy sport, followed by baseball.
The reasons people play are many. Some enjoy the competition (fantasy sports leagues are highly competitive). Some play because they think they could do better than the managers on the TV. Others are in it for the thrill of the victory, and others just find it amazing fun. Whatever the reason may be, fantasy sports are highly entertaining.
Fancy your hand at creating and managing a fantasy team? Not played before? Here’s how to play some of the US’s favorite fantasy sports.
The NFL is exciting enough, but when you participate in NFL fantasy football, the entertainment multiplies infinity-fold!
Once you’ve drafted your team of 15 players, you’re good to go. Each week, you’ll “start” your players at the beginning of the week, who will earn points based on their real-life performance. The points of all the players in your starting line-up constitute your weekly score. If they score more fantasy points than your opponents’ teams, you win that week!
Week 2 is crucial in the fantasy season. It’s when you can “claim” players who aren’t on a roster in your fantasy league, and you can make a claim for a free agent. If you have the highest priority, or if no one else claims the player, you can add them to your roster.
Be aware every team has a “bye week” in their season, in which they play no games. It’s important to check your players’ bye weeks. You should have enough depth in your team or be able to find a replacement on the waiver wire.
It’s possible to add players to your roster after drafts, but only by trading with other players in the league. Deals don’t have to be one-for-one, and most leagues will set trade deadlines to prevent collusion between players. Although there’s no science to trading, it’s best to inform yourself as much as possible about the players.
The most straightforward and common form of fantasy baseball is rotisserie. This may sound like a European food seller, but it’s a system in which players score points in different categories. The person whose players score the highest cumulative total by the end of the season wins.
The totals categories are as follows:
Team batting average (total hits divided by total at-bats)
Team earned run average (total number of earned runs multiplied by 9 and divided by total innings)
Home runs
Runs scored
Saves
Stolen bases
Strikeouts
Team WHIPs (total walks allowed by pitcher divided by total innings)
Wins
Some leagues may narrow the categories down if the league is complex. Note some leagues score weekly instead of running a cumulative end-of-season score schedule. This is good news because it gives you more chances of winning.
Fantasy basketball is much like any other fantasy sport: form a team that then earns points based on the real-life performances of the players. You must understand how to score your players, which makes it important to know the league format, player allowance, and points system.
League formats consists of categories such as blocks, assists, steals, and turnovers. If your player scores in these categories, the stat is then compared to their stat from the previous game or to their average and determined positive or negative. Positive earns points. Negative, the opposite.
The standard format for this scoring system is 15 players per team, but some leagues keep things nice and simple by making it 12. In the standard format, you must follow your players in every category they can score points for in the league. In the 12-per-team format, you must check the rules to confirm whether only one player is scored in each category.
There are two main types of scoring system: win/loss and points system. In the former, you score players with a win or a loss in each category. Then, straightforwardly, you just add up the wins and losses for the season and compare them with the other players in your league.
How does a player get a win? Easy. Just compare their stats for the day to the stats for their previous game or their average. If it’s higher, it’s a win.
The points scoring system is just as clear-cut. Each player gets a score in the applicable categories, and some categories will be worth more than others. You add up your points at the end of the season. The person who has the most points wins.
You should always contact the person in charge of your league to ensure you know the format for the league and also, to make sure you’re scoring your players correctly, the rules for scoring. This is crucial so that you make the right decisions.
Fantasy sports are immensely entertaining and test your own knowledge of the game. If you’d rather a play a different fantasy sport but aren’t sure which, you can count on fantasy hockey or fantasy soccer to offer you just as much excitement.
***In cooperation with our partner***
More by Guest Author:
Tags: Betting, Fantasy baseball, Fantasy basketball, Fantasy football, Fantasy sports, Gambling, Sports