Secrets of Winning in Fantasy Football

This one is easy for me to write about because I only need to write about my brother, the Fantasy God. In ESPN Fantasy Football, he has made the championship round more than he hasn't and in those rounds, he has won the championship more times than he has lost it. In our personal league with me, him, two other brothers and friends, a twelve team league, he has won four times in its six seasons. So what exactly makes him so much better than most?

1) He is always prepared for the draft. He does not wait until August and then starts putting his list together and he most certainly never shows up at a draft without a list. In fact, just last night he told me when someone asks him when he begins looking at players, he said his reply is... "When the season ends the year before". While talking to him, I could name off running backs and he would tell me things about them that I would not remember without looking them up. Now I understand that most of us cannot remember everything about players like he does and most don't pay much attention during the off-seasons. My point is simply that, the more prepared you are, the better chance you have.

2) As much as he looks at the top players in the draft, he will be the first to tell you that Championships are won by knowing the lesser players. Knowing which players have the best chances of having breakout years. Which running backs have a better chance of starting due to injury or the guy in front of them being on a short leash. This especially comes in handy if you are in a keeper league. Every season he seems to have players that come out of the woodwork and put up good numbers. These players often are good for trading to improve his weaker positions or for draft picks in the next years draft.

3) Trading. Some how he has this inane ability to get others to trade with him. I have seen him get trades that make my jaw drop and sometimes these lopsided trades are offered to him simply because he worked on trades with the other owners and they would suddenly start thinking they needed his players. Again, I understand that we don't all have his ability. I know I don't. Yet I do know I do a lot of trading and every year I am one of the highest scoring teams.

Whatever you do though, don't go for lopsided deals from the start. This will only serve to turn the owners against you because you will insult their intelligence. Good trades take time and effort. He doesn't only offer trades, he emails the owners and sometimes gets them in the chat rooms to talk trade.

4) Luck! This he has a lot of. This is where he and I are the most different. I cannot tell you how often he takes bench players and because of injury they become a starter and play well. I take promising players behind injury prone players and those players make it through a season healthy. Not only with players but luck can ruin your season in other ways. Last year, my team in our league was the third highest scoring team and did not make the play-offs. The year before my team was the highest scoring team and still did not make the play-offs. Why? Because I often play bad teams when they have their one good week and I have my one bad week. Or I may score really big and my opponent happens to have a huge week and still beats me.

I have won my share of Fantasy Football leagues. Last year I was in only two leagues. I did not make the play-offs in my brothers league and I won a public league in ESPN. I do not win nearly as often as my brother does, but I still win my share. Not because I am lucky either. I am far from lucky. I win because I prepare and I am always looking to trade to improve my team. If I have some good players on my bench, I will often try to offer these in combos for one better player. Quite often there are teams that are loaded in one position but weak in another. Those are the teams you target. It never bothers me to improve another team as long as I make sure to improve my own team. I play in 12 team leagues. I would rather battle it out with two or three other good teams than with all eleven of my opponents.