A good strategy in fantasy football is to identify the best offensive teams in the league and select skill players from those teams. If I invited you to join a new fantasy league, who would you choose as the best offensive teams in 2014? Denver? New Orleans?
Actually, it's Winnipeg and Montreal.
Oh, didn't I tell you? "The league" is the Canadian Football League, which has already begun playing. The Blue Bombers and Alouettes are averaging the most points at this stage of the season. If you didn't know what I meant, is it my fault for not making it clear or your fault for assuming it was the NFL?
That example might seem far-fetched (but not too much. I used to write for the CFL), but my point applies to your own fantasy fortunes: If you make assumptions about leagues you join, it can make you look very foolish later.
How much do you really know about every league you're in this year? You might agree to join a "decimal-scoring PPR league," and enter the online draft using the information you prepared for your other leagues. But suppose you didn't check the scoring page, and found out it's two points for tight ends, and just a half-point for running backs. Would that change your strategy? Maybe they forgot to mention that they have distance bonuses that overshadow all other scoring. Maybe their flex position includes quarterbacks, or their bench limits how many players at each position you can have. Whose fault is it if you didn't know?
I've been in leagues where people entered the draft thinking that tight end was a mandatory starting position when it wasn't. Others weren't aware (and were upset to find out) that you had to draft backup tight ends, kickers and defenses when you select your team. Whether you like those rules or not, it's your job as an owner to find out all the nuances of a league before you agree to join, and remember them when you choose your players.
Now, you might think it wouldn't happen to you. You always check the scoring system and bench requirements, thank you very much. Fair enough. But suppose it was something less obvious? One year an owner didn't draft a kicker or defense at all. His strategy was to horde extra skill players and release the ones who didn't make the final cuts or lost a competition to start for their team, and then pick up a kicker and defense before week 1.
But here's the problem: The waiver wire didn't start until after week 1. In another league, a fellow owner didn't know that the waiver wire was first come, first serve instead of ordered based on record. It took him a week to figure it out. If you've never played in a league like that, would you think to check?
What's the first tie-breaker for the wild-card spot? Does the league vote on trades? What does it take to get a rule changed? How does the IR spot work? All those questions might not affect you on draft day, but they could affect your team and your enjoyment of the league.
Before you agree to join a league, check the details. If you don't like the fact that eight of the 12 teams make the playoffs, maybe it's not the right league for you. If the draft order is always randomized every year regardless of finish, make sure you're comfortable with that. If rosters lock for the playoffs, you'd better know before you get that far. It's easy to make assumptions based on your previous experience. But there are a lot of leagues and a lot of quirky rules. Now is a good time to make sure you know what they are.
And don't take anyone else's word for it. Verify the information yourself. People make mistakes. The top scoring teams in the CFL right now are Winnipeg and Edmonton. Did I originally say Montreal was in there? Oops, they're actually the worst. Sorry.
Take a few minutes to go over all the nuances of each league you've agreed to join. You might be surprised to find something that affects how you draft. The more information you have, the better off you'll be when the season starts.
Did you find out about any strange rules or scoring for a league after you joined? Share your thoughts below.