Fantasy football has enjoyed increasing popularity among NFL fans in Germany in recent years. While inexperienced greenhorns wonder how they can enjoy playing in a league, there is a growing offer for longer players too. So that no one loses track here, this Beginner’s Guide is now published weekly sport.de.
The first important question can be answered directly. Basically, fantasy football is free. All apps and tools presented here are also free. The fun is clearly in the foreground.
fantasy football
Fantasy football is all about fielding a team each week that you believe will have the most points by the end of the day. After the draft a season ago, each team has a player pool that fantasy football hearts can draw from. All undrafted players are also in an open market and can be signed just before the respective weekend so that they can play for you.
On each matchday there is a direct duel within your league. Points are calculated from yards and touchdowns. In the end, victory is determined from this and whoever achieves the most successes and finishes among the best reaches the playoffs and can perhaps win the title.
Fantasy Football Apps
Fantasy Football can also be played simply in the browser. In the meantime, however, most have switched to smartphones and the associated apps. There are different providers of fantasy football apps. To get you started, however, I would like to present the best known and most practical. There is the app NFL Fantasy from the NFL itself and Sleeper from the operator Blitz Studios Inc.
NFL Fantasy
As with any app, you need an account. In the NFL Fantasy App, you initially have the option to participate in mock drafts after launch. Here you meet other users and can familiarize yourself with the app and with different draft scenarios. From the afternoon on there is always enough going on here to simply “mock” through a few laps with like-minded people.
As soon as you feel safe, you can start. Either you create your own league with friends or join a league. On the league exchange there is always a place in what is admittedly a very international league.
Of course, fantasy football lives from the discussions and possible trades among each other. The better you know your fellow players, the greater the gaming experience. But it works and that’s something we especially recommend for beginners, even in a league with a lot of foreign players. In the early years, I always joined a fantasy league we didn’t know with my brother, and it was really fun.
sleeper
Sleeper has established itself among fantasy football fans in recent years. The app is less error-prone and offers more options in playing different league forms. In addition, the chat function is clearer. Many fantasy footballers are therefore switching to the Sleeper app with their leagues, and even rookies can get started directly with Sleeper.
In principle, mock drafts can also be completed here before a season, your own leagues can be set up or you can join a foreign league. Maybe you just try out which app suits you better.
Snake and Auction Draft
Finally, let’s talk about important terms in fantasy football. Because at the beginning of a season, the foundation stone is laid for the draft. While a roster can be adjusted during the season via trades and the waiver wire, which will be discussed in the coming weeks, the draft is essential to a successful season.
Therefore, make sure that you find the necessary time and peace at the agreed time of your draft and find out about the exact type. There’s a world of difference between Snake and Auction Drafts.
The Snake Draft is structured much like the official NFL draft. Each team is assigned a placement and then selected in turn. Whoever was allowed to “pick” first in round one is the last one in round two. This continues until you reach the last draft pick.
In the Auction Draft, you place bids for players. There is an equal budget for each team and you spend that on your pros. Here, however, beginners find it very difficult to adequately evaluate players. Either you start a completely new league in the Auction Draft with other newcomers or you start with the Snake Draft.
A start has been made
It doesn’t matter which app you play Fantasy Football with, whether it’s with friends or with strangers and with what type of draft. The step there is worthwhile. I’ve been playing in a wide variety of leagues for 14 years now and the joy of playing in my first self-founded re-draft league with standard scoring is just as great as in a dynasty league with IDP and half-PPR scoring.
And what all this means again, you will find out in the next few weeks. Likewise, there will be important rankings of the individual positions by August at the latest, so that you can make a cheat sheet before the draft.
About the author: Philipp Forstner alias “Draft Nerd” is commentator assistant at RTL and moderates the conference of the German Football League. As a podcaster for “Footballquark” and an author, his expertise on the NFL and college football is in demand. Philipp will be reporting on fantasy football every Thursday for the next few weeks.