There's a first time for everyone playing fantasy football. If this is yours, welcome! You're going to love it, and more importantly, you're going to love football even more. Fantasy football can seem overwhelming for beginners, but we can make it simple for you. Just follow these steps and we'll have you playing fantasy football in no time.
How to play fantasy football
Fantasy football isn't very complicated. You select your own team of players, setting a lineup every week. Then, you watch as they run, pass, catch and score touchdowns, all of which are worth fantasy points. Every week, you are matched up with someone else in your league, and whoever has the most fantasy points that week, wins! Then, the following week, we do it all over again. The final few weeks of the NFL regular season are the fantasy playoffs, which work just like in the big leagues: Make the playoffs, then win to advance, or lose and your season is over. It's that simple.
Want to learn more? Field Yates wrote a beginner's guide to fantasy football specifically with new players in mind.
Fantasy football drafting for beginners
You've probably heard plenty about fantasy football drafts, and how fun they are. Yes, simply put, draft day is one of the best days of the year, and some fantasy football fans prepare for it for months, while others cram like it is the SATs. But you don't have to. The truth is, most of the work is already done for you. We rank all the players you need to fill out your team, in the order we'd take them in, and we also project hundreds of players so you can see how many fantasy points to expect. You can even set your team to "Autodraft" if you are drafting online, and we'll pick you a competitive team you can feel good about.
Now, if you do decide to draft yourself -- which is half the fun of being in a fantasy league in the first place -- that's not to say there isn't nuance in drafting. If the top player available is a quarterback, and you already have one, that might not be the best pick. But don't worry, you don't need to dive into your first draft unprepared. We've made it easy for you to practice with our mock draft lobby where you can try your hand as many times as you'd like before the real thing. Daniel Dopp even wrote up a guide on how to get the most out of your mock drafts.
Want to learn more? Once you've mastered the basics of drafting, dig into Mike Clay's Playbook for a master class on how he expertly approaches his draft.
Fantasy football beginner's cheat sheet
While drafting online puts our rankings and projections right at hand, you might have the need for that quintessential fantasy football tool: the cheat sheet. For the first-time drafter, we recommend the Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet for Beginners. It's the same information you'll find in our deeper cheat sheet but organized round by round and with a simple set of instructions from our fantasy rankings and projections guru, Mike Clay.
Want more cheat sheets? Check out Cheat Sheet Central for a variety of cheat sheets covering different types of leagues.
Fantasy football preseason research
If you have time before your draft, you might decide to do some deeper research. There is a lot of fantasy football information out there, but if you're a football fan, you already have a pretty good idea of who is a good player and who is not. The key to fantasy football research is to figure out what has changed since last season. So where do you start? Field Yates' Field Pass to the 2023 season (E+) covers the top storylines, rookies and sleepers you'll want to know to help you make smart picks.
Ready for more? You can dive into all of our content, including rankings, projections, sleepers, busts, mock drafts, strategy and opinion from our award-winning staff of fantasy football analysts in our 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide.
What to name your fantasy football team?
You're almost ready to go, but don't forget one of the most fun aspects of fantasy football: naming your team. Some people like to make it sound like a sports franchise from their hometown. Others are in leagues with a theme that calls for every team to be named after a superhero, or a Renaissance artist, or a cereal brand. Another popular and fun way to go is to make a pun based on the name of one of your favorite players, especially if he is on your squad. Give it some thought -- or none at all -- but just remember that people's first impressions of your team will be what you name it.
Want help with your team name? Take our simple quiz to find out what kind of football fan you are, and our Fantasy Football Name Generator will reveal a football-themed team name for you!
Ready, Set, Draft!
That's it! You're ready to go! Welcome to the fun and excitement of fantasy football. We're glad to have you and we'll be here all season to help you manage your roster all the way to a championship. All you have to do now is sign up for free to start a league with friends, family and coworkers, or join a public league to play against other fantasy football fans.
FAQs
You select your own team of players, setting a lineup every week. Then, you watch as they run, pass, catch and score touchdowns, all of which are worth fantasy points. Every week, you are matched up against someone else in your league, and whoever has the most fantasy points that week, wins!
Who should I draft first in fantasy football 2023? ›
Round 1 (Pick 1 overall): Christian McCaffrey is the consensus No. 1 pick. He led all of fantasy in points per game last season, scoring 100.8 more total points (and 3.2 points per game more) than any other running back did.
What position to pick first in fantasy football? ›
Some fantasy leaguers try to form a pre-draft plan of how to construct their roster by position. For example, they might intend to start with a running back in the first round, then a wide receiver in the second, another wide receiver in the third, and a second running back in the fourth.
How to pick your starting lineup in fantasy football? ›
Head to your team page, take a look at the injury designations and projected point totals, and select the players you want in your lineup for the week.
Is it hard to learn fantasy football? ›
That's it! As you can see, the basics of fantasy football are quite simple. Set your lineup every week, manage the waiver wire, keep an eye on bye weeks, make a few trades (if you want), and you're good to go. The last and most important part about playing fantasy football is to remember to have fun.
How to pick up players in fantasy football? ›
Add a Player on the ESPN Fantasy App
- Go under the "Players" tab.
- You can then search for a specific player or search by position from the drop down. ...
- On the player card, click the green "Add" button (You will most likely have to drop one of your players to open up a roster spot)
If you're looking to target a WR or TE in Rounds 2/3 ... Approach for the later rounds: Start drafting RBs. Consider RBs Joe Mixon, Kenneth Walker, Josh Jacobs viable options in Rounds 4 and 5. Consider RBs James Conner, D'Andre Swift, Najee Harris and Raheem Mostert as options in Rounds 6-7.
What round to draft a QB fantasy? ›
In fantasy football, it is best to wait until the 3rd or 4th round to draft your quarterback. This might seem odd considering how important a quarterback is to a football team but players like wide receivers and running backs are more valuable because they can score more points each week.
Should I pick a quarterback first in fantasy football? ›
I recommend dedicating (at least) one of your first four picks to either a QB or TE. Consider Travis Kelce, Sam LaPorta, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes or Jalen Hurts in the third round, or Lamar Jackson, Trey McBride, Mark Andrews or Dalton Kincaid in the fourth. ... stuff your bench with league-winning upside.
Is it better to pick first or last in fantasy football? ›
Lots of value to be had: Late first-round picks can be an ideal opportunity to grab a young, high-potential wide receiver entering their peak. Target quarterback and tight end in the fourth and fifth rounds: After starting the team with a solid foundation, it's good to end with a top-six quarterback and tight end.
Drafting kickers and defenses in the middle rounds is justifiably frowned upon in fantasy circles, but there are reasons to avoid waiting until the final two rounds to make these selections.
How do you prioritize fantasy football? ›
In formats like these, avoiding taking your QB and TE both in Rounds 4 to 6 is essential because it can put you really behind at RB or WR. You can also consider stressing the limits on your Hero RB builds by almost always focusing on "C" or "E" strategies, which prioritize two WRs in the middle rounds.
What should your fantasy lineup look like? ›
A fantasy football team consists of one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one flex, one kicker, and a team defense/special teams.
How to decide who to play in fantasy football? ›
6 fantasy football player selection tips
- Check a player's ADP. ...
- Don't draft trade bait. ...
- Don't scoff at injuries and off-the-field issues. ...
- Save the foot for last. ...
- Think: bad teams = bad player. ...
- In PPR leagues, draft players who get a high number of targets.
Each week, fantasy owners can decide to move players in and out of their starting lineups until those players are locked. That usually happens when those players' games start, though some league rules may lock starting lineups starting with the first game of the week.
What are the rules for fantasy football? ›
Let's begin with the basics
- 1 point for every 25 passing yards.
- 4 points for every passing TD.
- 1 point for every 10 rushing yards.
- 6 points for every rushing TD.
- 1 point for every 10 receiving yards.
- 6 points for every receiving TD.
- 1 point for every catch.
- 2 points for a 2-point conversion.
If you're new to fantasy football, then the most important thing you can do is make sure you know and understand your league's specific rules and settings. Understanding exactly how your players score points and your league's position requirements will direct how you should value each player and position.
Does fantasy football cost money? ›
Play Fantasy Football for Free - ESPN. You're the league manager here. Set up a private league to play with your family and friends! Join an ESPN+ Fantasy League to play with the best of the best!
How many players should start in fantasy football? ›
You are allowed up to 16 players on your fantasy team. The combination of players is usually nine starters and seven players on the bench. Point totals are accumulated by players who are starting.
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