The 2017 NFL season is only a few weeks away, which means fantasy football leagues are getting started all over the country.
For those unfamiliar with fantasy football, it usually involves a group of people coming together to draft real life football players to a team of their own. Teams will play each other every week of the NFL season and based on real life performance by their players, it will determine who has the most points to win the matchup. Winning and losing matchups determine where you are in the league standings, and just like in real sports, the top teams will end up making the playoffs.
There are more rules and instructions for players to learn, but this article should give you enough to go out and start a team. Most sport websites such as ESPN and Yahoo Sports offer free leagues to join. Usually people draft teams starting in early August and up until the start of the NFL season, which this year is September 7th. There’s no harm in trying, it’s a fun new activity, and it gives you a new way to look at football.
Once the you decide to join a league, there is going to be a huge list of players to choose from on draft day. Every quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, and kicker in the NFL can be picked as long as they haven’t already been chosen by the other people in the league. There are no duplicates of players, so the most popular players tend to go early, such as Tom Brady. Since there are so many players to choose from, here is a list of some top picks that can lead owners to a championship.
Aaron Rodgers, QB Green Bay Packers:
There is a lot of debate about who is the best quarterback in the NFL, and while the consensus agrees that Tom Brady is number one, that does not necessarily reflect in fantasy football. Rodgers is the most elite quarterback when it comes to drafting a fantasy football team, he should be the top quarterback for most people. Rodgers is still young when compared to Brady which should help him stay healthy and use his running skills to get more fantasy points. He led the league with 40 passing touchdowns last year and has over 30 in three straight seasons. The star quarterback should come out on top as the highest scoring player in fantasy football this season.
Le’veon Bell, RB Pittsburgh Steelers:
Regarded by some as the best running back in the NFL, Bell is a monster on the field and can easily finish the season as the best running back in fantasy football. With Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback having slowed down in recent years, Bell has become the center of the offense and he will be given every opportunity to show what he can do with the ball in his hands. Expect Bell to score double digit touchdowns and easily reach 1,500 total yards.
Antonio Brown, WR Pittsburgh Steelers:
A second Steeler is on this list, it may seem too good to be true but this offense is more than capable of having the best running back and best wide receiver in football. Brown is the most reliable wide receiver in fantasy football with four straight seasons of over 1,200 receiving yards and three straight years of double digit touchdowns. Any team that leaves the draft with Brown as their best player will be a threat to win the whole season.
Kareem Hunt, RB Kansas City Chiefs:
Not a household name for many people, Hunt will now be the starting running back for Kansas City this season. Spencer Ware, the original starter, is likely out for the entire 2017 season, leaving Hunt to get the majority of the carries for the run heavy Chiefs. The rookie has been impressive in the preseason and should have no problem being productive this season. Hunt is a solid pick in the third or fourth round of the draft and can give your team some great depth.
Doug Baldwin, WR Seattle Seahawks:
Baldwin has quietly been one the of the best wide receivers in the NFL over the past two seasons. He is coming off of back to back 1,000 yards seasons and has 21 touchdowns in his last 32 games. You’ll probably be able to get Baldwin at the beginning of the third round and he should provide plenty of value at that price. Expect the veteran wide receiver to be top-5 at the position by the end of the season.
Once you draft your team, and hopefully have one of the player listed above, all you have to do is wait for the season to start and watch your players get you lots of points. People involved in leagues with friends or coworkers can really start to take it seriously with elaborate draft parties and big prizes for the winner of the season. It is definitely worth trying for anyone who likes football and wants a new, fun way to get involved in the sport.
