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How to Play Fantasy Football: A Beginner's Guide to Scoring Big

Sep 19, 2023

So you got asked to join your friend’s league — fantasy football league, that is. Maybe you’re a fair-weather fan at best, casually cheering for the same NFL team your dad religiously watched. Or perhaps you’re a die-hard fan of your college team, but you’ve never dipped your toes into the NFL fantasy football pool before. 

Wondering how to play fantasy football exactly? Our Hibbett | City Gear beginners’ guide will give you a bit of preparation and some basic draft strategies so you look like a pro. Read on to get started! 

Setting Up Your Fantasy Football Team

Setting Up Your Fantasy Football Team

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of actually thinking about your fantasy football draft strategy, selecting your lineup and getting into a league.

What is Fantasy Football?

Think of this “sport” like playing kickball as a kid. Let’s say you’re the team captain, and you get to build your dream team of players. The same applies to fantasy football. As a team owner in your league, you’ll choose your roster of high-performing players to fulfill each playing position.

The Basics

For your own team to score points, you’ll look at your real-life players’ on-field performances each week. And as part of the fantasy football league, you’ll compete against the other teams throughout the season, ending with playoffs and championship games … should you make it that far.

Why Play Fantasy Football?

Fantasy football for beginners and experts alike is a great way to enhance a traditional football season, whether you’re tailgating in person or watching the action from your couch. Joining a fantasy football league allows you to experience healthy competition, social interaction and plenty of comradery — or commiseration, depending on your team’s performance.

Setting Up Your Fantasy Football Team

Setting Up Your Fantasy Football Team

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of actually thinking about your fantasy football draft strategy, selecting your lineup and getting into a league.

Choose the Right League

You may have been asked to join your office league, or perhaps you’re on the hunt for something different. A standard league has about 12 teams, but that can vary depending on the type of league you select. Here’s a breakdown of some of the more popular fantasy football league types specifically for novices:

  • Public leagues: Any free or for-money league open to members of the public. If you’re a fantasy football beginner, you’ll probably want to join a free league with less experienced players to get a sense of how to formulate your strategies.
  • Private leagues: Invite-only leagues that can have various scoring systems. You’ll be asked by the commissioner (i.e., the person in charge) of the league to join.
Within the private or public subsets, you can have the following league types:
  • Redraft leagues: These are the most common, and you’ll choose a fresh team every season.
  • Dynasty leagues: These are established leagues that often keep their rosters mostly the same season after season.
  • Keeper leagues: You’ll keep a few players on your roster season after season, building a more consistent team over time.

Fantasy Football Scoring

Scoring will also vary from league to league. Most fantasy football for beginner leagues, however, employ standard scoring. That means you’ll get: 

  • 1 point for 25 passing yards
  • 1 point per 10 rushing or receiving yards
  • 4 points for a passing touchdown
  • 6 points for a rushing or receiving touchdown 
  • Varying points for field goals (3 for 0 to 39 yards; 4 for 40 to 49; and 5 points for 50-plus yards)
Scoring variations by fantasy football league may include points per reception (PPR), defense points (DST) or bonus points for certain plays. You’ll need to check your league rules to understand the scoring used.

Draft Your Team

Draft Your Team

So, it’s time to formulate your fantasy football draft strategy, and you have no idea where to begin. If you’ve ever watched the FX series “The League,” you know how epic drafting can be. In a standard (or snake) draft, there are multiple rounds in which each team picks players for its rosters. Auction-style drafts can involve bidding on players with money. 


Typically, the league commissioner will have players ranked for each round of drafting, and you’ll just have to pick who to draft from that round. If you’re the last to pick for that particular round, you’ll be at the mercy of whoever’s left on the board. Some league sites even have auto-draft options if you want to just try your luck and see how it all pans out. 


At a minimum, however, your fantasy football draft strategy should involve filling the most critical positions as early as possible — QB, wide receiver and running backs. If you have more time and know-how, however, you may want to take a look at all the current players’ stats, rookie potentials, projections and previous-season busts.


Your Guide to a Winning Season

Whether you’re playing for fun or you’re in it to win it, you’ll have a pretty good idea of how everything works during your first season. A standard roster includes 16 players, but here’s what you need to know about managing your team all season long:

Navigating Playoffs and Championships

The top teams in the league make the playoffs. That number of teams that go to the playoffs will depend on the size of your league. In the first round, the top two teams get a bye. The remaining teams play each other, and the winners advance to the next round. The championship game is held in the final week of the playoffs. The winner of the championship game is the fantasy football champion!
To successfully navigate playoff and championship season, be sure to pay attention to matchups, manage your bench by keeping an eye on the waiver wire, and stick with players who have gotten you into these final rounds.

Get in the Spirit: Must-Have NFL Gear

Now that you have an idea of how to play fantasy football, you need to start dressing the part. Hibbett | City Gear has all the NFL gear you need to enjoy the season to the fullest. Hone your fantasy football draft strategy while wearing a lucky Nike NFL jersey. Meet up to watch this week’s game wearing your star QB’s team hat. Sit in the stands with your roster pulled up on your phone, with a stadium seat to keep you cool under pressure.

Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

The beauty of fantasy football for beginners is you don’t have to run drills, suit up in protective gear or master a long pass. You do, however, have to exercise patience. After all, learning how to manage a fantasy football team effectively takes time. With an eye toward research, a bit of draft strategy and some smart decisions, you can reap the rewards of a victory — and celebrate with your league.

Now that you understand how to play fantasy football, it’s time to set your roster!

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