I know there are a lot of people on this site that play Fantasy Sports. I also know there is a Fantasy Football League with some writers that I wasn't invited to join. But I know there are a lot of you who don't know anything about fantasy sports and how it works (and why we are so obsessed with it).
I've seen some people on here that don't understand the game of American Football. With that, I'll refer you to @pete's article here. He does a great job breaking down the fundamentals so anyone can learn the gist of the game.
As for Fantasy Football, it's also fairly easy to understand.
The virtual game you play is determined on how the real life players do in their games. Say Alvin Kamara does really well, then you get a lot of points. Say he does really bad, you get very little points.
As with most sports, the person with the most points after all the games are finished wins.
So let's break it down even farther.
A fantasy lineup usually consists of 1 QB, 2 running backs, 2 wide receivers, 1 tight end, 1 flex (RB, WR, or TE), 1 kicker, and 1 defense/special team.
Depending on which website you use, these leagues are free to join and play. Sites such as Draft Kings and Fan Duel are pay to play and you can earn money in the process if you do well. And that's a big if.
So, scoring.
Most leagues use whats called points per reception, or PPR. This means that for every catch, the player earns 1 fantasy point.
Other ways players earn points is by gaining yards. Typically, 1 yard equals 0.1 points. So a 12 yard rush would be worth 1.2 points.
Pretty easy right?
Now, a touchdown is worth 6 points in a real game. Lucky for you it's also worth 6 points in fantasy.
For example, Julio Jones catches a touchdown pass that was for 30 yards. He gets 1 point for the catch, 3 points for the yards, and 6 points for the touchdown. So in one play, Julio earned you 10 fantasy points. Super simple.
The passing stats are the trickier ones, but still simple.
For a quarterback, a passing touchdown is worth 4 points and for every 25 yards you get 1 point.
Say Nick Foles has a passing touchdown that went for 25 yards. He would get 4 points for the TD and 1 point for the yards, equaling 5 points on 1 play.
Pop Quiz time!
Drew Brees throws for 439 yards and 3 touchdowns James Conner rushes for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns Mike Evans catches 7 passes for 147 yards and 1 touchdown
How many fantasy points were earned?
Brees earned 17.5 points for yards and 12 for the TDs = 29.5 points Conner earned 13.5 points for yards and 12 points for the TDs = 25.5 points Evans earned 7 points for catches, 14.7 points for yards, and 6 points for the TD = 27.7 points
Total points would be 82.7 points.
That may seem like a lot, but remember that's not a complete lineup.
Kicker's points are earned by making field goals and extra points.
An extra point is worth 1 point, and a field goal's points are determined by the yards kicked. For example, a 34 yard field goal is worth 3 points.
Defense is determined by how many points they give up and if they get any turnovers.
If the offense scores 0 points, the defense earns 10 points. As the offense scores more, the defense earns less points.
A fumble recovery and interception are worth 2 points each, and a defensive touchdown is different depending on the site you're using (ESPN is 3 points, Yahoo is 6 points).
That is the simple, down and dirty explanation for how the scoring works in Fantasy Football.
Oh, why we're addicted to it. That's right. Because it's fun! That's why.
Imagine playing against a friend of yours and beating them. The bragging rights. The embarrassment. All fun and games.
One of my leagues has a real life trophy if you win it all. I have yet to win it in my 7 years playing.
Other leagues are buy in and you get a percentage of the pot if you win or place 2nd or 3rd.
Mainly it's just fun. You draft the players and you keep them for the whole season. Unless you want to drop them and get someone else.
I've been playing Fantasy Football for the past 10 years. Sometimes I love it, other times I don't. But the main reason I like it is because you learn about players on teams you don't normally watch. Take Kenny Golladay on the Detroit Lions. I have no reason to watch the Lions play, but I know about Gollday because he had a big game on Monday night (in a loss, @mikey).
All in all, Fantasy Football is fun and entertaining. If you like football, I'd encourage you to play. If you don't know football, it's a great way to start learning the game.
If you want to see a more complete scoring breakdown, head to ESPN or Yahoo and see how they do it. Of course there are plenty of other sites, but those are just two examples.
Thank you for reading!
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