No matter what fantasy sport games you play, these tips will help you elevate your game to the next level. These tips are fundamental, but they are guaranteed to increase your odds.
Tip #1 – Understand the Scoring Settings: Know your leagues scoring settings like the back of your own hand. How can you play the game if you don’t know how to take advantage of it? Even if you only play in standard leagues, read the scoring settings every year before you draft and think about the likelihood that x player will score x points. If you are new to fantasy, you should start by playing standard leagues only. Complex scoring setting leagues are best for advanced fantasy managers as they know how to take advantage and find value.
Tip #2 – Find Your Sources and Experts and Stick With Them: It takes years of searching to find experts who actually know what they are talking about. Most of them use statistics to figure out optimal lineups and strategies. Experts that derive their conclusions off of other experts and not through match ups or statistics are not experts.
Tip #3 – Stream Low Variance and Low Ceiling Positions: In fantasy football (where I have most of my experience in), it took me years to figure out streaming defenses are the way to go. It can be optimal to mix it up and stream your kicker or even tight end. What these positions have in common is that their success in based on match ups more often than other positions. Kicker scoring is based on a few certain things (which will be covered in a post coming soon!). There is a reason why these positions are not priorities in the draft. Don’t reach in the draft, find value or take a shot on a sleeper.
Tip #4 – Draft for Upside, Attack the Waiver Wire: Fantasy managers cannot lose their leagues at the draft, but they can win them. Finding diamonds in the rough, taking high upside players, and having an advantage in terms of information (example, James Conner 2018) will give you a big jumpstart. The waiver wire is where you will be able to find streamers, handcuff your stars, and take a lottery ticket or two. Don’t be afraid to attack the waiver wire, it’s one of the most important parts of fantasy (especially in less active leagues). Don’t give up on your studs too quickly and drop them either.
Tip #5 – Use Math to Your Advantage: My best advice here is to read a previously blog article of mine (“Math Concepts for Fantasy Sports”). Many experts are starting to use more math in their analysis. Find these experts and use their projections (if they’re accurate).
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-Cody, Founder of Sports Confidant
Sports Confidant Blog: Analytics and Fantasy Sports 