27 Fantasy Football Dos and Don’ts for One-Week Tournaments on DraftKings

It may take some getting acclimated to playing in weekly competitions if you’re used to playing fantasy football all season long.

First of all, your pay is limited. Since you must choose how to effectively allocate your funds, it will have an impact on the draft choices you make. Will you have enough money, for instance, if you spend a lot to sign a star tight end, to add a top-tier quarterback and receiver?

Second, player pairings are given more importance. In a weekly competition, one poor matchup can derail your lineup and eliminate your chances of winning. In a league that lasts the entire season, you are less concerned about how well your favorite running back or receiver matches up against the defense of the opposition. You’re in it for the long term, so one game won’t wreck you, after all.

Therefore, there is a lot about one-week fantasy football to get acclimated to. The following advice will help you get started in the correct direction if you’re just now making the switch from participating in season-long leagues. Continue reading for 27 dos and don’ts that will shorten your learning curve and help you get started right away.

We’re going to get through them quickly, so hold on tight!

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Weekly Dos and Don’ts for Fantasy Football

Enter low-stakes fantasy football competitions to begin with.

Seasonal fantasy may be your forte. However, you’ll undoubtedly make mistakes in weekly competitions, at least at first. (It occurs to nearly everyone.)

Enter a few low-stakes tournaments first before rushing into those that have high buy-in requirements. Use them to orient yourself. Without putting a sizable portion of your capital at risk, learn the ropes.

Don’t begin in head-to-head combat

Face-offs are alluring. You are vying for the pot against another team owner.

But many newcomers are unaware that head-to-head matches are shark-infested waters. Many highly skilled DFS players establish H2Hs and wait for seals (i.e., beginners) to join them.

Before engaging in head-to-head competition, have some experience in 50/50s and double ups.

Create a bankroll management strategy.

In weekly fantasy, sound money management is essential. You can amass a strong winning streak while yet losing your cash. You need to develop a sound plan if you want to protect and grow your money. Most essential, you need to follow through with it.

Depending on their objectives, level of expertise, and level of risk tolerance, each person uses a distinct bankroll management strategy. I suggest the following if you’re just starting started:

• Keep your weekly spending to 15% of your available funds.

• Limit the amount of money you spend each week on contests to no more than 10%.

2. Don’t try to cut your losses.

Most of the competitions you enter you’ll lose. Don’t let that get you down. The majority of players, including those who play professionally, can attest to this.

When you lose, note it down; we’ll discuss tracking your outcomes shortly; then go on. Avoid pursuing the loss. Most likely, you’ll wind up losing even more cash.

Any poker player will mention pursuing losses. They’ll advise you against doing it.

Do spend the most of your time playing cash games.

Of course, this is a personal choice for you based on your goals for fantasy, but if you want to increase your bankroll, cash games should probably make up the majority of your play. Fantasy competitions can be divided into two main groups: cash games and tournaments. 50/50s, double-ups, and head-to-heads are examples of cash games. The field sizes are typically quite tiny. In comparison, tournaments are major competitions that draw thousands of participants. Many of them have a reward pool that is guaranteed (GPP).

While you are still learning the ropes, stick to cash games. Stick to 50/50s and double-ups, specifically (remember, H2Hs are filled with sharks). Since a larger portion of the field receives a prize, they are simpler to win.

Do not anticipate winning GPPs

It’s difficult to win GPPs. Additionally, the large prize pools (like $1,000,000) make them very alluring. Only the best 10% to 20% of the field receive compensation, which is a drawback. Additionally, the top 10 finishers receive a portion of the prize money.

If you’re going to participate in a GPP, go into it with the appropriate mindset.

Always review the NFL injury report

Obviously, you don’t want to have a player on your roster that is injured. Even if he plays, his injuries will probably limit how well he performs.

The good news is that identifying those who have been hurt is simple. Just look through the NFL injury report before assembling your team. Then, just before kickoff, go over it once again. If any of the players in your starting lineup are mentioned in the report, adjust your lineup as necessary.

Don’t apply the same strategy to GPPs and cash games.

Cash games pay out more of the field than GPP events do, as I noted before. That justifies employing several draft techniques.

In a cash game, keep an eye out for players that consistently provide fantasy points from week to week. The upside and low field-ownership percentages are more crucial in a tournament. Keep an eye out for athletes who could have breakout outings.

Do consider wide receiver matchups.

The point production of wide receivers is greatly influenced by matchups. A gifted receiver may underperform if the CB of the opposite team locks him down.

Find out who is supposed to cover the receiver before you add him to your lineup. Then, determine whether the matchup is advantageous or unfavorable using your preferred sources of fantasy football data.

Don’t worry about drafting defense too much

Of course, in professional football, defense is crucial. But compared to other positions, it doesn’t have a high priority when it comes to weekly fantasy football competition. Don’t blow all your money on defense.

First of all, defensive play might be difficult to predict from game to game. Undoubtedly, groups like the Jets, Seahawks, and Patriots frequently have successful seasons. However, there is still a lot of variation from week to week even with THEIR defensive lines.

Second, you must put money aside so that you can roster stars at other positions.

Always check the game projections at Vegas odds

Look for games with high forecasted over/unders. The point totals in those games are anticipated to be high for one or both teams by oddsmakers. Then, when searching for advantageous matchups, bear that information in mind.

Finding offensive players who are likely to be productive using that method is beneficial.

Don’t abandon a sound strategy because of a few setbacks.

There is no draft approach that is impenetrable to chance. Even the finest strategy may still incur losses due to circumstances beyond your control.

Don’t abandon your plan of action after a setback. Consider methods to make it better, but be aware that luck may not always be on your side. Keep using your method of player selection if it’s sound.

Always pair your running back with your quarterback

Consider your quarterback and his preferred running back as a two-man team whose success affects the other. It’s likely that your quarterback’s running back will likewise be effective if your QB is.

To benefit from their combined point output, pair them up.

Avoid Stacking Too Much In Cash Games

Technically, stacking involves pairing a QB and RB. It’s a reliable draft strategy. But if you’re playing in a cash game, consider twice before stacking more than two players from the same team.

Undoubtedly, there are several benefits to stacking. Your quarterback’s receivers and running backs will likely do well if he does, too. That is useful in GPPs, where you must take significant risks in order to win. In contrast, upside is less significant in cash games. Priority is given to consistency.

If your QB takes a beating from the defensive line of the opposition, a big stack might be fatal. You don’t need to take that level of risk in a 50/50 or double.

Use Freerolls to your advantage.

You can play for no cost in Freerolls. There is no more effective approach to learn. Enough said.

Avoid selecting teams or players for both sides of a game.

Do not include players in your lineups who will be playing each other that week. This is illogical and should not be done.

Consider it logically. You select offensive players with the expectation that they will score lots of fantasy points. The defensive lines of the opposing teams will suffer as a result of those points. Why would you draft the latter in light of that?

You would simply be reducing your squad’s overall point total.

Do not let your victories or defeats bother you.

Winning competitions is thrilling, and losing them is frustrating. But avoid getting sucked into either of them. Honor your victories. Try to draw lessons from your failures.

After that, leave both behind and continue on.

Don’t Ignore Football Scoring System Differences

The two industry leaders in weekly fantasy football are FanDuel and DraftKings. Recognize that they employ various scoring methods. The variations in such systems should and could have an impact on your draft approach.

For instance, FanDuel only awards half a point for each reception whereas DraftKings awards one point. This implies that at DraftKings, your pass catchers will be more effective.

Examine the score variations between the two daily fantasy sports sites and consider how you might take advantage of them when roistering players.

Monitor Your Fantasy Football Performance

You’ll be able to tell quite quickly whether or not your draft choices for any given week were wise. The statistics are displayed in real time.

It’s crucial to keep track of each victory and defeat. Take down the date, the buy-in, your team’s lineup, your final score, the result (win or defeat), and other pertinent information.

You can make your draft plan more effective by monitoring and analyzing this kind of data.

Remind Everyone To Check The Weather

How a game is played can be greatly influenced by the weather. Thus, it can have an impact on your fantasy point total.

Consider the situation where your receivers are operating in strong winds. The winds will make their quarterbacks’ passes less accurate, so they won’t be as likely to throw them. The likelihood of their moving the ball on the ground will increase. Can you envision how that would impact the point totals produced by your receivers?

For every game in which you have rostered players, check the weather report for signs of high winds or rain.

Examine key player statistics

Data is everything in fantasy sports. Generally speaking, club owners who investigate players and find out their performance statistics perform better than those who don’t.

What kind of statistics should you seek for in light of this?

Cons a quarterback’s pass attempts and rushing yards when selecting one. Look for finished receptions to identify receivers. The number of touches and carries is crucial for running backs. Don’t forget to assess how well players take advantage of opportunities in the red zone.

Avoid Wasting Time on Pointless Stats

Having saying that, avoid becoming overly engrossed in data. You may easily spend the entire day manipulating numbers and still come away with little.

Pay attention to the numbers that will save you the most time. Discard the remainder.

Stack your quarterback and receiver.

Prior to now, we discussed pairing your running back and quarterback. You can use your quarterback and his preferred receiver in the same way.

As previously, you’re attempting to benefit from their combined point output. You score points on both sides when your quarterback hands the ball along to his receiver and that receiver successfully makes the catch.

In GPPs, don’t go along with the crowd

To win GPPs, as we just mentioned, you need upside. But standing out from the competition is also a requirement for success. That entails adding players whose ownership quotas are low to the roster.

Consider the scenario when Matt Ryan of Atlanta is the favorite. By acting in the same manner as everyone else, you won’t stand out. In light of this, it could be a smart idea to include Arizona’s Carson Palmer or San Diego’s Phillip Rivers on the roster. To put it another way, watch for a quarterback who is being ignored or faded by a significant percentage of the field.

Do Utilize The Late Swap (On DraftKings)

With DraftKings, you can change players once a contest has started, which is not possible with FanDuel. There are just two regulations:

One: The player whose game you’re considering switching OUT hasn’t yet started.

Two: The game of the person you’re considering switching into hasn’t yet begun.

This is a useful feature that may be used to replace injured players as well as make quick roster changes depending on new information.

Do Not Fear Breaking the Law

There are some general guidelines for creating winning lineups if you play weekly fantasy football long enough. Some of them were discussed above.

Rules are made to be disregarded.

I offered to handcuff your quarterback and his preferred receiver as an illustration. A QB/WR handcuff, however, might not be a good idea if poor weather threatens to convert the QB’s passing game into a running one.

For weekly projections, read DailyFantasySports101.com.

Keep an eye on this website for the most recent NFL weekly winners lists. Throughout the current fantasy football season, we post both every week. Whether you’re playing in cash games or GPPs, use our information to put together effective squads that will help you place well enough to earn money!