A Beginner’s Guide to Dominating the 2015 Fantasy Football Season

By Ryan, October 1, 2015

By Anthony Pugliese, Staff Writer//

‘Tis the season to get your notebooks out, trash talk your friends, and finish up your mock drafts. The season is finally here–that’s right, Fantasy Football. The 2015 NFL season can be separated from any year before it because of this season’s rookies and sophomores. The league has been taken over by the young dogs. But the question is, which young players can be trusted for your fantasy team? Starting with the freshman, for the first few weeks I would stay away from Jamies Winston or Marcus Mariota or really any freshman quarterback. Quarterbacks are not typically a desired fantasy position so a freshman QB will definitely not be the answer to your fantasy draft problems. My rookie impact picks of 2015 are Ameer Abdullah and/or Todd Gurley. As for my sophomore picks, I will go against the sophomore slump talks and choose Odell Beckham Jr.; he is one of the most exciting players to watch and will be Eli Manning’s go-to guy. Double covered or not, OBJ will make it happen. Other respectable choices will be Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Brandin Cooks of the New Orleans Saints.
One of the most entertaining parts of fantasy football is drafting your team, but without these three tips, you may spoil your whole season.
Tip number one – Avoid drafting before preseason. Drafting prior to preseason can hurt your opportunity for a championship. A wise example is Kelvin Benjamin. Benjamin recently tore his ACL during preseason and, along with it, he has torn the hearts of many fantasy owners who were depending on him. This could have been avoided if they waited to draft until the conclusion of preseason.
Tip number two – Know your quarterbacks and tight ends. There are only two QBs and two TEs in the league that should be drafted within the first four rounds. Andrew Luck and Aaron Rodgers are the only two game changing fantasy QBs you should take early on. If you miss an opportunity on Luck or Rodgers, then wait untill the later rounds for a Romo, Russell, or Ryan. These men all post similar satisfying fantasy points. As for tight ends the answer is clear – Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham. These two electrifying players are almost guaranteed to post a great amount of points as a tight end. But if not Gronk or Graham, be patient because no other tight ends will have that much of a fantasy influence.
Tip number three – Trust your first-round pick. Your first round pick is similar to your child. You love them and you smile when they make you proud. You cringe when they do something wrong, but you can never let them go. Do not let anyone dictate your first round pick; neither the Internet rankings, fan favorites, nor peers’ advice. Instead, go with your gut. For instance, last season the league favorites were Adrian Peterson and LeSean McCoy. These two running backs failed fantasy owners everywhere. Peterson was suspended for the season after week one and LeSean McCoy went through one of the biggest slumps the league has ever seen. Lesson learned: the league’s favorites could turn out to be the league’s enemies. So follow your heart and your league favorite, not the majority’s favorites.
Now that drafting is over, it’s time for the money to be made in season transactions. If anyone wins the league, chances are it is the individual that owns the waiver wire. The key to winning is knowing your team; know where you’re lacking, know what you need to let go of, and know who you need to pick up. Research is key, so embrace your inner Skip Bayless and don’t be afraid to make outlandish decisions because they could pay off. Mid-season sleepers can turn your season around. and it is usually players that you have never expected that change the game. For instance, C.J Anderson became a fantasy sensation late last season, and he led many fantasy owners to a championship. If a player posts an abundant amount of points one week, be optimistic because the player has potential to post the same amount of points again, and maybe he can do it for your squad. Grab him before someone else does.
The last advice for the fantasy football owners of High Point is be sure to do whatever it takes to have Le’Veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers on your squad. Although he is suspended for two games of the season, he is still projected to post better numbers than any running back in the league.
All in all take out your draft textbooks, login into to your fantasy accounts, take notes, offer trades and have fun! Fantasy season is ignited.