The basic questions that are supposed to be the ingredients of good journalism -who, what, when, where, why and how -- are also considered useful for any circumstance where you need to gather facts in an organized fashion. For example, a circumstance where there might be a trophy involved, or some money, or critical bragging rights over your obnoxious buddies.
In other words, those questions are a great way to begin your fantasy football season.
The answers don't suggest who to draft, or what position deserves your focus in the early rounds. Instead, they provide the framework for how you're going to play this year. Think of them as the critical questions before you start preparing for your draft or auction. Because while you might think the answers are easy, you might find them more challenging upon closer inspection.
Who? Who are you playing with this year? Now is a good time to go over your league's ownership. Who tends to disappear after draft day? Who is an active, alert owner regardless of their record? Who might bail on the league the day before the draft? Who might be a good replacement in case of emergency?
Nothing can derail your fun more than playing in a dysfunctional league. If there are ownership issues, address them now. If you know of someone who might make a good addition to the league, keep their name handy in case you need a replacement. Any question marks in this area need to be addressed well before draft day.
What? What format are you going to use? If you don't already use decimal scoring, fix it now. If you don't have playoff tie-breakers, figure them out now. If you'd like to add a flex position, or fix some issue from last season, or add some other new wrinkle, you still have time to run it by the league. But there's virtually no chance it will happen on draft day. Fantasy football has almost endless variations. Figure out exactly what version you'll be playing.
When? When is draft day? Is it when almost everyone can choose their players in real time? If there's any chance it can be scheduled when people can see each other face-to-face, make that happen. if that's not feasible, at least let owners have a chance to interact online. Some leagues make it an elaborate tradition that's as memorable as the season itself. For others it's the only time everyone gets together in one place. Double check to make sure the day and time you've selected is really the best one for everyone.
Where? Where is your league going to be located this season? Most leagues simply use whatever service they used last year: ESPN, Yahoo, NFL.com, MFL, etc. Even if parts of those services bother them year after year, they stick with them. They simply don't bother to really explore all the options.
Why should leagues do it that way? Each service has its strengths and weaknesses. Take a little time to choose where your league will be based, and you might improve the experience for the commissioner and your fellow owners.
Why? This might be the most important (and the most revealing) of all the questions. Why are you playing in this league, anyway? Is it people you used to work with, or used to be friends with, who you never see anymore? Do you find the format frustrating, the owners apathetic, the camaraderie nonexistent? Maybe you don't really have a good reason to be there anymore, and it's time to move on. If you do that now, you'll improve your overall fantasy experience (by playing in leagues you actually like) and you'll give them enough time to replace you.
Another aspect of "why" is why are you playing at all? Is it money? A trophy? Bragging rights? Simply the accomplishment of winning? What drives your enjoyment of fantasy football? There's no wrong answer, but there are wrong leagues based on your answer.
If you're looking to make more money, maybe it's time to look into a higher-stakes format or start playing a daily fantasy game. If it's just for fun, maybe it's time to play for less money, and find a league that's more casual. If it's for a trophy or bragging rights, maybe you can start a new league with good friends, and create some new traditions. But you can't do any of that (except daily games) a month from now. Think about it today.
How? How do you play the game? Are you a casual player, sneaking in a little time to catch up when you can during the week? Or does it take over your waking hours, dominating your thoughts until January? Or is it somewhere in the middle?
More importantly, do you like how you play? If you want to be a little more involved this year, take some time to figure out how you'll fit into your busy schedule. If you want to scale it back a bit, think about leaving some leagues or making a conscious effort to fill your time with other things during the season. Whatever plan makes you happier and enhances your experience, plan for it now.
There will be plenty of time to ask questions about contracts, ACLs, suspensions and depth chart positions. But asking these questions can make the game better, and answering them will make the season more enjoyable.
What other questions do you need to answer before the season starts? What changes are you making this year to your league or the way you play? Share your thoughts below.