Assignment 5-1: Written Weekly Analysis V

This week’s posting is going to be a follow –up from week two where I discussed that horrible thing called “Fantasy Football.” I said I was going to explain how exactly fantasy football works and here it is. Before I get started though I’ll give you a little update on how my season is going thus far and it is not very promising. In all of my three leagues I have a combined record of 2-4 and that is pitiful. If I don’t turn it around this week I might as well just start looking forward to next year. It has been a season full of bad luck just one misfortune after another. I have been praying to the “Fantasy Gods” so hopefully my prayers will get answered.
It is really hard to explain how fantasy football works because there are so many parts to it. I will do my best and hope that I don’t leave you totally confused. Fantasy football is usually played through yahoo.com, and the most popular espn.com. There are many others but these are the two that have the best setup to play with. A fantasy league is created by any person wishing to startup a league and this person is usually called the commissioner. The commissioner invites normally eleven other friends or coworkers that will become owners of a fantasy team. Many times there is an entry fee that the owners will have to pay in order to be in the league. This fee ranges in price depending on the league and the champion at the end will receive the “kitty.” However, in many leagues the champion does not receive the entire kitty; instead the runner-up will receive a portion, as well. The owners have the ability to name their team and create a team logo. After this done the league will have a “fantasy draft”, which is the foundation of fantasy football. A lot of time and effort goes into preparing for this draft and a lot of strategy is involved.
The “Fantasy Draft” is very much like any other sports related draft where the owners select the players they wish to be on their team. Each round the owners will select one player and the draft usually consists of sixteen rounds. After the draft is complete the owners now have their team and they are able to do whatever the desire with it. They can drop players, add players, trade players, and bench players. Each week teams go head to head and the team with the most “fantasy” points Tuesday morning wins the matchup. The “Fantasy” season including the playoffs typically lasts as long as the NFL regular season does. The playoffs are much like any other sports related playoffs where the teams with the best records make it to the playoffs and the team left standing is the champion.
Now, the way points are awarded can be quite confusing so I will try my best to make it simple. “Fantasy” points are directly related to how each player performs in “real life” that particular week. Points are awarded for touchdowns, amount of yards received and gained, and so on. Points are deducted for fumbles, interceptions, and so on. The amount of points actually awarded for each category is determined by the commissioner, so each league will vary. A “fantasy” roster is very much like any football team’s roster. It normally consists of a quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, a tight end, a defense, and a kicker. The team will have a bench and the number of players on the bench will vary by league.
Well, that is basically it in a nutshell. There are other aspects of the game but you have to be a little more familiar with the sport to totally understand their meanings. I hope I have not left you totally confused. Have a good rest of the week.

References:
Fantasy Football Draft Board. Available http://www.casinosnob.com/pictures/fantasyFootball.jpg, Sept. 17, 2008.