{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"categoryState":{"relatedCategories":{"headers":{"timestamp":"2023-01-24T12:01:09+00:00"},"categoryId":34014,"data":{"title":"Fantasy Football","slug":"fantasy-football","image":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Fantasy Sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"},"slug":"fantasy-sports","categoryId":34011},{"name":"Fantasy Football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"},"slug":"fantasy-football","categoryId":34014}],"parentCategory":{"categoryId":34011,"title":"Fantasy Sports","slug":"fantasy-sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"}},"childCategories":[],"description":"Draft 'em. Trade 'em. Win or lose, you'll have a ton of fun playing fantasy football.","relatedArticles":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles?category=34014&offset=0&size=5"},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":true,"articleCount":123,"bookCount":1},"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"}},"relatedCategoriesLoadedStatus":"success"},"listState":{"list":{"count":10,"total":123,"items":[{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:47:54+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-06-30T17:50:29+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:45+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Fantasy Sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"},"slug":"fantasy-sports","categoryId":34011},{"name":"Fantasy Football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"},"slug":"fantasy-football","categoryId":34014}],"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"fantasy football for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn how to jump into the fantasy football world with this handy guide, including how to draft players and keep your team going.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Fantasy football is a fun, competitive, and addictive hobby. Get your fantasy season started by drafting players to build a solid team and using coaching tips to keep your team going strong. If you need to improve on a position, try some strategies for trading players and acquiring free agents. Keep a guide handy of important league dates so you don’t miss anything exciting or an opportunity to improve your fantasy football team.","description":"Fantasy football is a fun, competitive, and addictive hobby. Get your fantasy season started by drafting players to build a solid team and using coaching tips to keep your team going strong. If you need to improve on a position, try some strategies for trading players and acquiring free agents. Keep a guide handy of important league dates so you don’t miss anything exciting or an opportunity to improve your fantasy football team.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9400,"name":"Martin Signore","slug":"martin-signore","description":" <p><b>Martin Signore</b> is a screenwriter and interactive gamewriter&#47;designer. While working in Los Angeles, Martin founded the Hollywood Football League with his friends and co&#45;workers. Many years, trophies, and leagues later he admits to being a fantasy expert and addict. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9400"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34014,"title":"Fantasy Football","slug":"fantasy-football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":204310,"title":"Fantasy Football Mistakes to Avoid","slug":"fantasy-football-mistakes-to-avoid","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204310"}},{"articleId":204309,"title":"Fantasy Football Research Basics","slug":"fantasy-football-research-basics","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204309"}},{"articleId":203565,"title":"6 Sites for Taking Part in a Fantasy Football Mock Draft","slug":"6-sites-for-taking-part-in-a-fantasy-football-mock-draft","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/203565"}},{"articleId":196369,"title":"Fitting Football Equipment on a Child for Safe Play","slug":"fitting-football-equipment-on-a-child-for-safe-play","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196369"}},{"articleId":196367,"title":"How Fantasy Football Game Play Is Scored","slug":"how-fantasy-football-game-play-is-scored","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196367"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":263347,"title":"Fun Football Slang: Get a Handle on the Terminology/Terms","slug":"fun-football-slang-get-a-handle-on-the-terminologyterms","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263347"}},{"articleId":263342,"title":"Football Trivia: Answers to Questions You May Be Too Afraid to Ask","slug":"football-trivia-answers-to-questions-you-may-be-too-afraid-to-ask","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263342"}},{"articleId":263355,"title":"New Offensive Plays for Football: Fly Sweep, Run-Pass Option, and Bubble Screen","slug":"new-offensive-plays-for-football-fly-sweep-run-pass-option-and-bubble-screen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263355"}},{"articleId":263351,"title":"Rules for Football Helmets and Face Masks","slug":"rules-for-football-helmets-and-face-masks","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263351"}},{"articleId":205794,"title":"How an Offense Can Beat a Defense in American Football","slug":"how-an-offense-can-beat-a-defense-in-american-football","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/205794"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282189,"slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119883326","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119883326-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies, 2nd Edition","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"","authors":[{"authorId":35163,"name":"Martin A. Schulman","slug":"martin-a-schulman","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/35163"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119883326&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b4106832\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119883326&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b41072ba\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":149667,"title":"Important Fantasy Football Draft Reminders","slug":"important-fantasy-football-draft-reminders","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/149667"}},{"articleId":149664,"title":"Fantasy Football Tips for Beginners","slug":"fantasy-football-tips-for-beginners","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/149664"}},{"articleId":149665,"title":"7 Tips for Fantasy Football Trading","slug":"7-tips-for-fantasy-football-trading","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/149665"}},{"articleId":149661,"title":"Acquiring Free Agents in Fantasy Football","slug":"acquiring-free-agents-in-fantasy-football","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/149661"}},{"articleId":149666,"title":"Your Fantasy Football League Calendar","slug":"your-fantasy-football-league-calendar","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/149666"}}],"content":[{"title":"Weekly coaching tips","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p><strong>Don’t panic.</strong> The fantasy season is long; think before you trade your stars or dump your sleeper picks.</p>\n<p><strong>Check your players’ bye weeks.</strong> You don’t want to get stuck with multiple stars out of action at the same time.</p>\n<p><strong>Replace injured players.</strong> Check all available player updates to make sure your starting lineup is active.</p>\n<p><strong>Assess your team’s strengths and weaknesses.</strong> Be aware of your team’s needs when acquiring players and considering trade offers. What positions are solid, and what positions do you need to improve?</p>\n<p><strong>Check the free agent pool and waiver wire often.</strong> You never know when an owner will drop a player who can help your squad.</p>\n<p><strong>Look to exploit favorable matchups and avoid bad ones</strong>. Every week your players’ performances will be affected by the quality of their opposition, especially at the TE, K, and DEF positions.</p>\n"},{"title":"Important draft reminders","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<ul>\n<li class=\"first-para\"><strong>Skill + Opportunity = Success</strong>. Always remember this fantasy formula when drafting players.</li>\n</ul>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Draft RBs early and often</strong>. Your exact strategy will vary based on your draft position, but taking two RBs in the first three rounds is the best approach.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Look to acquire an elite WR in the first three rounds</strong>. Depending on your league, you should be able to grab a reliable top-five WR to anchor your receiving core for the entire season.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Don’t take a kicker or defense too early</strong>. You can find plenty of depth at these positions at the end of the draft.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Take quarterbacks in the middle rounds</strong>. Good, productive quarterbacks aren’t hard to find in the middle rounds. The top-ten QBs will be drafted before the tenth round, though.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Don’t draft stars with the same NFL bye week</strong>. Most fantasy teams can’t avoid having some players on the same bye week, but having your best players on the same bye can cost you a win.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Stick to your draft plan</strong>. Trust your cheat sheets (player rankings). You worked hard to prepare them, and you don’t want to let the other coaches sway you into making a mistake.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Grab potential breakouts and sleepers late</strong>. You can pick up an average injury replacement during the season. In the later rounds, drafting players who may become stars could win you the league.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Acquiring free agents","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Check player updates during the NFL games</strong>. The early bird gets the breakout player, so to speak, so watch for emerging players on Sundays and be ready to go online and make your move.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Beware of one-week wonders</strong>. Each week, many lesser-known players have big games, but you must decide the odds of those performances happening again. Check online for information on each player before signing him, and decide for yourself.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Monitor intriguing players</strong>. Before each NFL game, review the free agent pool and choose a few players who you think could start to break out. If the players step up and you liked them already, look to add them to your roster. Many league providers have a “player watch” tool for this purpose.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Analyze recent trends and stats</strong>. During the season, sort the most-recent player stats from the last month or last week. In November, you need hot players, not guys who had big games in September and have since gone cold.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"What to remember when making trades","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<ul>\n<li><strong>Buy low, sell high (and vice versa).</strong> Trading is all about making your team better without making it worse (in other words, improving one area without hurting another). In order to do this, look to trade for struggling stars who you think will rebound. Trade away your average players who have great stats so far due to soft schedules or injuries.</li>\n<li><strong>Trade from strength.</strong> If you have solid depth at a certain position, you can trade your depth to improve a weaker position on your team. Having a strong bench is a nice luxury, but only your starting lineup can win you games.</li>\n<li><strong>Make two-for-one offers.</strong> Look to upgrade a position by trading two decent players for one true star. If you can identify a trading partner who has depth issues or a losing record, you can make the deal work.</li>\n<li><strong>Know the NFL schedule. </strong>Most fantasy coaches are so focused on the next game that they don’t plan ahead to avoid bye-week conflicts and poor matchups. By knowing the schedule and the upcoming matchups, you can make trades to avoid problems that could harm your team’s chances, and you can pinpoint teams that are headed for trouble (prime trading candidates if you remind them about their situations).</li>\n<li><strong>Be proactive, open-minded, and diplomatic.</strong> A big key to successful trading is your attitude. The other owners don’t want to be shown up or make trades with a jerk. Look to make offers that help both teams, and consider all offers you receive, no matter how wacky they may sound!</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Strategies to remember for daily success","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p><strong>Know the rules. </strong>This one seems obvious, but each contest or tournament will have slightly different rules and point systems. In order to successfully draft a lineup that can win you prize money, being familiar with the specific structure of the contest is imperative. Some key elements to be aware of are how the prize payout is distributed, whether the game is guaranteed to run even without filling up, and any specific drafting requirements that are unique to the contest.</p>\n<p><strong>Play it safe in cash games. </strong>In Head to Head (H2H) play and 50/50s, you don’t need to get first place to win money. You only need to beat 50 percent of your competitors. That’s why playing conservatively and drafting sure things is a better bet than taking big risks. No need to shoot for the moon when earning even 0.1 more points than your opponent can be enough.</p>\n<p><strong>Multiple-entries up your odds in tournament play.</strong> To increase your odds at winning GPP tournaments, where you are in competition with thousands of other players for a shared prize pool, a key strategy is to enter the same contest with multiple lineups, up to the maximum allowed. Just like winning the lottery, the more tickets you buy, the more likely one will hit.</p>\n<p><strong>Draft for one game only. </strong>In standard fantasy football, you draft for how a player will play over the course of the season. In Daily Fantasy, the only thing that matters is what a player will do in their next game. Don’t draft stars with lingering injuries, and don’t draft players who were great early in the season but have cooled off. You want to go for the players most likely to deliver this week, and this week only.</p>\n<p><strong>Projected points/salary cap cost=value.</strong> Value is the number one factor for successful Daily Fantasy drafts. Because every contestant has the same salary cap max, you have to draft players who will earn you the most points, while keeping costs down to stay under the cap. A successful coach will pick the best value players, who have the most projected points, for the lowest cost.</p>\n<p><strong>Play the long game. </strong>Daily Fantasy is gambling, and like playing in the casino, you aren’t going to win every hand you play. Sometimes you might lose every contest you enter for the week or longer. That’s why the results of any single contest or tournament shouldn’t matter. You are playing the odds that you can win more contests over the course of the season than you lose.</p>\n<p><strong>Go against the grain. </strong>There are certain sure-bet players that every contestant will want on their team, so if you draft them for your lineup, you’ll be doing nothing to make your lineup stand above the crowd. It can be more valuable to play a bit contrarian and seek out unconventional sleeper picks to fill out your roster. That way, if one or two of them hit, you’ll set yourself up to leapfrog the competition.</p>\n<p><strong>Play within your means.</strong> Playing Daily Fantasy requires gambling with your own money. If you lose, you’re out the cost of your entry fee with nothing to show for it. That’s why managing your bankroll is imperative to not getting yourself in a financial hole. Smart players don’t gamble more than 10 to 20 percent of their total bankroll in any single week, so if they fail terribly, they don’t drastically drain their funds and have enough to try to make it back the next week.</p>\n"},{"title":"Your league calendar","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Keep track of the important dates in your league.</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>League Name:</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Draft Day:</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Draft Time:</strong></li>\n<li><strong>League Provider:</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Weekly Waiver Deadline:</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Trade Deadline:</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Regular Season Ends:</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Playoff Weeks:</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Playoff Slots:</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Fantasy Championship:</strong></li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"My league scoring system","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>When evaluating talent, selecting your draft picks, or making any kind of player move, you have to remember the scoring categories of your league. Here are the major ones to remember:</p>\n<h3>Offensive scoring</h3>\n<p><strong>Passing yards: ______ </strong>yards per point</p>\n<p><strong>Passing touchdowns:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Interceptions thrown:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Sacks taken:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Rushing yards:</strong> <strong>______ </strong>yards per point</p>\n<p><strong>Rushing touchdowns:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Receiving yards:</strong> <strong>______ </strong> yards per point</p>\n<p><strong>Receiving touchdowns:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Receptions:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Fumbles lost:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Field goals of less than 40 yards:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Field goals of [email protected]@nd49 yards:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Field goals of 50+ yards:</strong></p>\n<h3>Defensive scoring</h3>\n<p><strong>Sack:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Interception:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Fumble recovery:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Forced fumble:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Safety:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>Return touchdowns:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>0 points allowed:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>1-6 points allowed:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>7-13 points allowed:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>14-20 points allowed:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>21-27 points allowed:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>28-34 points allowed:</strong></p>\n<p><strong>35+ points allowed:</strong></p>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-01-25T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":207652},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T11:00:29+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-01-25T19:09:11+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Fantasy Sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"},"slug":"fantasy-sports","categoryId":34011},{"name":"Fantasy Football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"},"slug":"fantasy-football","categoryId":34014}],"title":"Fantasy Football Keeper Leagues","strippedTitle":"fantasy football keeper leagues","slug":"fantasy-football-keeper-leagues","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn how fantasy football keeper leagues work, the basic rules, and some tips and strategies to help you build a winning team.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"So you want to join a keeper league but you are not quite sure about how it works, the keeper league rules, or if it's for you. If this sounds about right, keep reading. Keeper leagues offer fantasy football owners the opportunity to keep a certain amount of players from year to year.\r\n\r\nRetaining players helps maintain continuity with each team and offers a new interesting dynamic for <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/sports-recreation/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet-207652\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fantasy football</a>. Keeper leagues bring new and exciting gameplay and lets owners \"build\" a team over the course of many seasons. If you play your cards right, you can create a winning tradition and become a dynasty in your league for years to come.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Sometimes the season may not go as you planned, and keeper leagues open up a new dimension to strategy that traditional leagues simply do not offer. If it becomes clear that your team is not going to be competing for trophies, the best you could do in a traditional league is be a good sport and try to play the spoiler role, or win your consolation playoffs.</p>\r\nIn keeper leagues, you could instead focus on how to make your team better for future seasons. You could trade off one of your older, more productive veterans to teams competing for the playoffs, for one of their younger rising stars. There are many different ways to approach and be successful in a keeper league; keeping both the present and future in mind is always important.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >How keeper leagues work</h2>\r\nKeeper leagues work virtually the same as a normal fantasy league, except that each team gets to keep a certain number of players from year to year. Each fantasy owner will get to select which players they get to keep, and teams will keep the same number of players in most cases.\r\n\r\nIn the first season, the draft is performed as any other <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/sports-recreation/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/important-fantasy-football-draft-reminders-149667\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fantasy draft</a> would be. Depending on the league rules, typically five to ten players are kept from each team, and all other available players, plus any rookies, will be available for the next available draft. In the extreme, dynasty leagues offer a chance for fantasy owners to keep all of the players from last season, and only rookies are drafted.\r\n\r\nThere are many different ways to implement keeper leagues — and no single correct way. Discuss the idea with your fellow league members, and decide what works best for you.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Common keeper league rules</h2>\r\nIn addition to keeping players from year to year, fantasy football keeper leagues can offer a wide array of other options and rules. Stipulations on keeping a player are commonly based on his tenure, total team tenure, draft position, or player salary, among other criteria in certain leagues.\r\n\r\nPlayer tenure is a concept that means a player can only be kept for a fixed number of seasons before he has to be released back into the free agent pool to be redrafted. For example, a league might have rules that simply state \"All teams can keep up to five players, but no player can be kept for more than four seasons in a row.\"\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Team tenure is a concept that increases cost the longer a certain player is on the team. Instead of being allowed a fixed number of players, a team is allowed a fixed number of seasons during which they could keep any combination of players. For example, if the fixed number was ten seasons, you could keep one player ten years in a row, or ten players for one year, or any combination in between.</p>\r\nDraft position is a way of associating cost with the player whom is being kept. Generally, if you keep a player who was drafted in the first round of last season, you will have to give up your first-round pick of this seasons draft.\r\n\r\nSome leagues even stipulate that certain top-tier rounds cannot be kept, or have a high cost associated with them in auction leagues, particularly for keeping a highly drafted player year after year.\r\n\r\nPlayer salary, for these purposes, has to do with a player's auction value, not his actual personal salary. The cost may continue to rise for every season an individual player is kept without being released back into free agency. If a player is purchased for $5, that cost might double every season he is kept, making it impractical to keep players for several years.\r\n\r\nIn addition to these concepts, leagues may want to implement certain guidelines and rules for trading players. At times, teams may have wildly different goals, some trying to win now, some trying to build for the future, and this all must be kept in mind when regulating trades.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Some leagues may have some form of a salary cap, preventing teams from having too many protected, high-value players simultaneously. However, auction leagues might simply rise the cost associated with these players.</p>\r\nOther leagues might discourage giving up on the current season by having a draft lottery, making it not guaranteed you will get a high pick next season if your team performed badly in the previous season. Some leagues may be more forgiving and offer the lowest ranked competitors the highest draft picks the following season.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Tips/strategy for managing a keeper team</h2>\r\nLeague rules can be among the most important factors in deciding strategy for your fantasy football keeper league. How many players start at each position, scoring modifications, and rules for keeping players are some of the more important factors in managing your keeper league season after season.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">You should get to know your leagues rules and any scoring modifications, so you can make wise choices on which players to pick up and which to drop for the long haul of a keeper league.</p>\r\nYou'll also want to keep players from year to year based on their past performances and projected performances for future seasons. A young star running back could be the mainstay of your team for several years, but if you see production or opportunity drop, along with rising age, the value for keeping that particular player may not be there after many years.\r\n\r\nYou will have to weigh your options among your returning players and decide which ones are most important to you.\r\n\r\nTo help strengthen your team, you could always try initiating trades with other members in your league. There are many situations where a trade can help both teams in keeper leagues. One side might benefit in the current season, while the other may be in better shape for the future.\r\n\r\nSome fantasy owners might even intentionally pick up mostly younger players in the hopes that they culminate into a squad of fantasy superstars one day. Others may value experience and opportunity more, and attempt to be competitive every year. The choice is yours.","description":"So you want to join a keeper league but you are not quite sure about how it works, the keeper league rules, or if it's for you. If this sounds about right, keep reading. Keeper leagues offer fantasy football owners the opportunity to keep a certain amount of players from year to year.\r\n\r\nRetaining players helps maintain continuity with each team and offers a new interesting dynamic for <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/sports-recreation/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet-207652\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fantasy football</a>. Keeper leagues bring new and exciting gameplay and lets owners \"build\" a team over the course of many seasons. If you play your cards right, you can create a winning tradition and become a dynasty in your league for years to come.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Sometimes the season may not go as you planned, and keeper leagues open up a new dimension to strategy that traditional leagues simply do not offer. If it becomes clear that your team is not going to be competing for trophies, the best you could do in a traditional league is be a good sport and try to play the spoiler role, or win your consolation playoffs.</p>\r\nIn keeper leagues, you could instead focus on how to make your team better for future seasons. You could trade off one of your older, more productive veterans to teams competing for the playoffs, for one of their younger rising stars. There are many different ways to approach and be successful in a keeper league; keeping both the present and future in mind is always important.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >How keeper leagues work</h2>\r\nKeeper leagues work virtually the same as a normal fantasy league, except that each team gets to keep a certain number of players from year to year. Each fantasy owner will get to select which players they get to keep, and teams will keep the same number of players in most cases.\r\n\r\nIn the first season, the draft is performed as any other <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/sports-recreation/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/important-fantasy-football-draft-reminders-149667\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fantasy draft</a> would be. Depending on the league rules, typically five to ten players are kept from each team, and all other available players, plus any rookies, will be available for the next available draft. In the extreme, dynasty leagues offer a chance for fantasy owners to keep all of the players from last season, and only rookies are drafted.\r\n\r\nThere are many different ways to implement keeper leagues — and no single correct way. Discuss the idea with your fellow league members, and decide what works best for you.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Common keeper league rules</h2>\r\nIn addition to keeping players from year to year, fantasy football keeper leagues can offer a wide array of other options and rules. Stipulations on keeping a player are commonly based on his tenure, total team tenure, draft position, or player salary, among other criteria in certain leagues.\r\n\r\nPlayer tenure is a concept that means a player can only be kept for a fixed number of seasons before he has to be released back into the free agent pool to be redrafted. For example, a league might have rules that simply state \"All teams can keep up to five players, but no player can be kept for more than four seasons in a row.\"\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Team tenure is a concept that increases cost the longer a certain player is on the team. Instead of being allowed a fixed number of players, a team is allowed a fixed number of seasons during which they could keep any combination of players. For example, if the fixed number was ten seasons, you could keep one player ten years in a row, or ten players for one year, or any combination in between.</p>\r\nDraft position is a way of associating cost with the player whom is being kept. Generally, if you keep a player who was drafted in the first round of last season, you will have to give up your first-round pick of this seasons draft.\r\n\r\nSome leagues even stipulate that certain top-tier rounds cannot be kept, or have a high cost associated with them in auction leagues, particularly for keeping a highly drafted player year after year.\r\n\r\nPlayer salary, for these purposes, has to do with a player's auction value, not his actual personal salary. The cost may continue to rise for every season an individual player is kept without being released back into free agency. If a player is purchased for $5, that cost might double every season he is kept, making it impractical to keep players for several years.\r\n\r\nIn addition to these concepts, leagues may want to implement certain guidelines and rules for trading players. At times, teams may have wildly different goals, some trying to win now, some trying to build for the future, and this all must be kept in mind when regulating trades.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Some leagues may have some form of a salary cap, preventing teams from having too many protected, high-value players simultaneously. However, auction leagues might simply rise the cost associated with these players.</p>\r\nOther leagues might discourage giving up on the current season by having a draft lottery, making it not guaranteed you will get a high pick next season if your team performed badly in the previous season. Some leagues may be more forgiving and offer the lowest ranked competitors the highest draft picks the following season.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Tips/strategy for managing a keeper team</h2>\r\nLeague rules can be among the most important factors in deciding strategy for your fantasy football keeper league. How many players start at each position, scoring modifications, and rules for keeping players are some of the more important factors in managing your keeper league season after season.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">You should get to know your leagues rules and any scoring modifications, so you can make wise choices on which players to pick up and which to drop for the long haul of a keeper league.</p>\r\nYou'll also want to keep players from year to year based on their past performances and projected performances for future seasons. A young star running back could be the mainstay of your team for several years, but if you see production or opportunity drop, along with rising age, the value for keeping that particular player may not be there after many years.\r\n\r\nYou will have to weigh your options among your returning players and decide which ones are most important to you.\r\n\r\nTo help strengthen your team, you could always try initiating trades with other members in your league. There are many situations where a trade can help both teams in keeper leagues. One side might benefit in the current season, while the other may be in better shape for the future.\r\n\r\nSome fantasy owners might even intentionally pick up mostly younger players in the hopes that they culminate into a squad of fantasy superstars one day. Others may value experience and opportunity more, and attempt to be competitive every year. The choice is yours.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9401,"name":"Adam Abshier","slug":"adam-abshier","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9401"}},{"authorId":8942,"name":"Abshier House","slug":"abshier-house","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8942"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34014,"title":"Fantasy Football","slug":"fantasy-football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"How keeper leagues work","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Common keeper league rules","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Tips/strategy for managing a keeper team","target":"#tab3"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}},{"articleId":204310,"title":"Fantasy Football Mistakes to Avoid","slug":"fantasy-football-mistakes-to-avoid","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204310"}},{"articleId":204309,"title":"Fantasy Football Research Basics","slug":"fantasy-football-research-basics","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204309"}},{"articleId":203565,"title":"6 Sites for Taking Part in a Fantasy Football Mock Draft","slug":"6-sites-for-taking-part-in-a-fantasy-football-mock-draft","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/203565"}},{"articleId":196369,"title":"Fitting Football Equipment on a Child for Safe Play","slug":"fitting-football-equipment-on-a-child-for-safe-play","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196369"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":263347,"title":"Fun Football Slang: Get a Handle on the Terminology/Terms","slug":"fun-football-slang-get-a-handle-on-the-terminologyterms","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263347"}},{"articleId":263342,"title":"Football Trivia: Answers to Questions You May Be Too Afraid to Ask","slug":"football-trivia-answers-to-questions-you-may-be-too-afraid-to-ask","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263342"}},{"articleId":263355,"title":"New Offensive Plays for Football: Fly Sweep, Run-Pass Option, and Bubble Screen","slug":"new-offensive-plays-for-football-fly-sweep-run-pass-option-and-bubble-screen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263355"}},{"articleId":263351,"title":"Rules for Football Helmets and Face Masks","slug":"rules-for-football-helmets-and-face-masks","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263351"}},{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282189,"slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119883326","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119883326-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies, 2nd Edition","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"","authors":[{"authorId":35163,"name":"Martin A. Schulman","slug":"martin-a-schulman","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/35163"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119883326&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b1781ea3\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119883326&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b17828da\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-01-25T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":149779},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T15:56:36+00:00","modifiedTime":"2021-08-25T20:53:00+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:18:32+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Fantasy Sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"},"slug":"fantasy-sports","categoryId":34011},{"name":"Fantasy Football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"},"slug":"fantasy-football","categoryId":34014}],"title":"Fantasy Football Team Management","strippedTitle":"fantasy football team management","slug":"fantasy-football-team-management","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Fantasy football may be a fun hobby, but that doesn't mean critical thinking and planning ahead aren't involved. Learn how to play to win.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"After you draft your <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fantasy football</a> roster, you have to be proactive and manage your team each week. Learning how to manage your fantasy football team is critical if you want to win your league.\r\n\r\nThe most important responsibility a fantasy coach has is to field the best possible team every week. The easiest way to stay in the game and in the championship picture is to make sure you have a complete and competitive lineup before the NFL games begin each week.\r\nHere are some common reasons why you need to change your starting lineup each week to stay competitive:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Injuries: </b>Injuries happen in the NFL often; they're part of what makes fantasy football challenging. If your best player gets knocked out for the season, you'll be hard pressed to find a worthy replacement. However, with a little research and by counting on your draft depth, you can insert capable players into your lineup each week.</p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 400px;\">\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/350476.image0.jpg\" alt=\"[Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/majorosl 2008]\" width=\"400\" height=\"262\" />\r\n<div class=\"imageCredit\">Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/majorosl 2008</div>\r\n</div>\r\nFollow the injury report. The NFL teams designate injured players with a P (probably) or greater than 75 percent chance of playing, Q (questionable) or 50 percent chance of playing or D (doubtful or less than 25 percent.)\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Typically, a player designated “P” is started without worry and a player with a “D” designation will probably not play or see much action if played so they should be avoided. The “Q” players are the worrisome ones because they can go either way.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Watch for injury reports and pay special attention to pregame news so you don’t get stuck with a player who is listed as inactive at the last minute. If you have a player labeled “Q,” and he is playing in the late games or night games, you should be very careful.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Most of the time you won’t know if that player is going to play until after the early games have started so a lot of your bench may already be locked. In that case, look to play one of your bench players instead to avoid taking a zero.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para Warning\">Some leagues put all players on automatic waivers come the start of games on Sunday (and any players who may have played in the Thursday night game on that day). Make sure you make any add/drops prior to that happening. Other than the Thursday players, a good rule of thumb is to have your lineup pretty well set on Saturday and leave Sunday for the last second injury substitutions.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Matchups:</b> Each fantasy team has a core of stud players that must start every week when healthy. But when making choices at your other lineup positions, you need to consider each NFL game and which of those matchups are more likely to give your fantasy players the best chance to produce.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para Tip\">When setting your weekly lineup, there is one rule that should govern all: PLAY YOUR STUDS! Often times fantasy owners will out-think themselves by trying to play the matchup or avoid a player competing in a bad weather situation. You drafted a player with a high draft pick . . . play him that way.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">A team is not always filled with stud players. In that case, matchup, weather, and injury factors will need to be taken into consideration when choosing among some players. Do your research before the game and be aware that many things can change hours even minutes before a game can start.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Bye weeks:</b> During the season, each NFL team has a bye week, during which you need to bench the team's players. If you prepare for your draft correctly, these open dates won't come as a surprise, and your bench players will be ready to contribute.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Performance: </b>Athletes tend to play in streaks, either hot or cold. When making the tougher lineup decisions, you can check the stats for the last few games and see who's playing well and who needs to take a seat on your bench.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Be patient with your stud players. Every player will have a bad week or two. Try not to make any rash moves with your core group of players.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para Remember\">Every league provider has different rules governing player movement. Always know your league rules and settings before you draft your team and play the game.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Know when your lineup locks. Many leagues lock the individual players once their games start. Some leagues lock the entire lineup on the start time of the first game. And in some instances that can be Thursday evening. Make sure your line up is set when it has to be.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDuring the season, you can add or drop players to replace injured players or to upgrade at positions of need in one of three ways:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>The free agency pool: </b>In Yahoo! default leagues, all undrafted fantasy players begin the season as free agents, which means they're available to be added to your roster at any time. Many free agent pickups will surprise you and become staples in your lineup.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>The waiver wire: </b>If another team drops a player, the player goes on waivers for a limited time before becoming a free agent. All coaches then have a set amount of time (usually two days) to decide whether to add him to their teams. This allows for fair acquisition players that are dropped based on the waiver priority system and not just who can get to the computer fastest.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">To add a player on waivers, you must drop a player from your roster. If you have the highest waiver priority — set in reverse order of your draft at the start of the season — you're awarded that player.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">After a claim is awarded, your waiver priority drops to the lowest number. If no owner puts a claim in for a player that is on waivers, and the waiver period has ended, that player will become a free agent, and any team can pick that player up at any time.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Trading with other owners: </b>If free agency doesn't help, it may be time to make a trade offer. Of course, making a good trade is easier said than done because you have to give up someone good in order to get someone good.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Trading is often difficult for novices as many will want to acquire a stud player but be very hesitant to give one of his or her core players. If you are determined to make a trade, you should strive for equity in your early negotiations. Identify where you are either lacking or have depth and try to utilize that to your advantage.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">For example, you have three quality starting RBs (running backs) but only one quality WR (wide receiver.) You could try to find a team in the opposite situation and trade a RB for a WR; both teams win. A more advanced scenario might be that you have three quality RBs and very little bench depth, and you have many players going on a bye soon.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">You can take that one quality RB and trade him for two or three lesser quality players to give you some help during the bye weeks. Of course, if you acquire three players for one, you would need to drop some players to meet the roster requirements.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nA good fantasy owner is making moves often. Maybe not every week, and maybe the starting lineup doesn’t change much, but active owners are always looking for better bench players, speculative pickups that could reap future rewards, or potential trades that could better position themselves for playoff push.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Remember: this is YOUR team, you make the calls. You can get advice from every expert or check every ranking, but make your own call. If your gut is telling you to play someone, then do it.</p>","description":"After you draft your <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fantasy football</a> roster, you have to be proactive and manage your team each week. Learning how to manage your fantasy football team is critical if you want to win your league.\r\n\r\nThe most important responsibility a fantasy coach has is to field the best possible team every week. The easiest way to stay in the game and in the championship picture is to make sure you have a complete and competitive lineup before the NFL games begin each week.\r\nHere are some common reasons why you need to change your starting lineup each week to stay competitive:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Injuries: </b>Injuries happen in the NFL often; they're part of what makes fantasy football challenging. If your best player gets knocked out for the season, you'll be hard pressed to find a worthy replacement. However, with a little research and by counting on your draft depth, you can insert capable players into your lineup each week.</p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 400px;\">\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/350476.image0.jpg\" alt=\"[Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/majorosl 2008]\" width=\"400\" height=\"262\" />\r\n<div class=\"imageCredit\">Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/majorosl 2008</div>\r\n</div>\r\nFollow the injury report. The NFL teams designate injured players with a P (probably) or greater than 75 percent chance of playing, Q (questionable) or 50 percent chance of playing or D (doubtful or less than 25 percent.)\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Typically, a player designated “P” is started without worry and a player with a “D” designation will probably not play or see much action if played so they should be avoided. The “Q” players are the worrisome ones because they can go either way.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Watch for injury reports and pay special attention to pregame news so you don’t get stuck with a player who is listed as inactive at the last minute. If you have a player labeled “Q,” and he is playing in the late games or night games, you should be very careful.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Most of the time you won’t know if that player is going to play until after the early games have started so a lot of your bench may already be locked. In that case, look to play one of your bench players instead to avoid taking a zero.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para Warning\">Some leagues put all players on automatic waivers come the start of games on Sunday (and any players who may have played in the Thursday night game on that day). Make sure you make any add/drops prior to that happening. Other than the Thursday players, a good rule of thumb is to have your lineup pretty well set on Saturday and leave Sunday for the last second injury substitutions.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Matchups:</b> Each fantasy team has a core of stud players that must start every week when healthy. But when making choices at your other lineup positions, you need to consider each NFL game and which of those matchups are more likely to give your fantasy players the best chance to produce.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para Tip\">When setting your weekly lineup, there is one rule that should govern all: PLAY YOUR STUDS! Often times fantasy owners will out-think themselves by trying to play the matchup or avoid a player competing in a bad weather situation. You drafted a player with a high draft pick . . . play him that way.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">A team is not always filled with stud players. In that case, matchup, weather, and injury factors will need to be taken into consideration when choosing among some players. Do your research before the game and be aware that many things can change hours even minutes before a game can start.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Bye weeks:</b> During the season, each NFL team has a bye week, during which you need to bench the team's players. If you prepare for your draft correctly, these open dates won't come as a surprise, and your bench players will be ready to contribute.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Performance: </b>Athletes tend to play in streaks, either hot or cold. When making the tougher lineup decisions, you can check the stats for the last few games and see who's playing well and who needs to take a seat on your bench.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Be patient with your stud players. Every player will have a bad week or two. Try not to make any rash moves with your core group of players.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para Remember\">Every league provider has different rules governing player movement. Always know your league rules and settings before you draft your team and play the game.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Know when your lineup locks. Many leagues lock the individual players once their games start. Some leagues lock the entire lineup on the start time of the first game. And in some instances that can be Thursday evening. Make sure your line up is set when it has to be.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDuring the season, you can add or drop players to replace injured players or to upgrade at positions of need in one of three ways:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>The free agency pool: </b>In Yahoo! default leagues, all undrafted fantasy players begin the season as free agents, which means they're available to be added to your roster at any time. Many free agent pickups will surprise you and become staples in your lineup.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>The waiver wire: </b>If another team drops a player, the player goes on waivers for a limited time before becoming a free agent. All coaches then have a set amount of time (usually two days) to decide whether to add him to their teams. This allows for fair acquisition players that are dropped based on the waiver priority system and not just who can get to the computer fastest.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">To add a player on waivers, you must drop a player from your roster. If you have the highest waiver priority — set in reverse order of your draft at the start of the season — you're awarded that player.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">After a claim is awarded, your waiver priority drops to the lowest number. If no owner puts a claim in for a player that is on waivers, and the waiver period has ended, that player will become a free agent, and any team can pick that player up at any time.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Trading with other owners: </b>If free agency doesn't help, it may be time to make a trade offer. Of course, making a good trade is easier said than done because you have to give up someone good in order to get someone good.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Trading is often difficult for novices as many will want to acquire a stud player but be very hesitant to give one of his or her core players. If you are determined to make a trade, you should strive for equity in your early negotiations. Identify where you are either lacking or have depth and try to utilize that to your advantage.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">For example, you have three quality starting RBs (running backs) but only one quality WR (wide receiver.) You could try to find a team in the opposite situation and trade a RB for a WR; both teams win. A more advanced scenario might be that you have three quality RBs and very little bench depth, and you have many players going on a bye soon.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">You can take that one quality RB and trade him for two or three lesser quality players to give you some help during the bye weeks. Of course, if you acquire three players for one, you would need to drop some players to meet the roster requirements.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nA good fantasy owner is making moves often. Maybe not every week, and maybe the starting lineup doesn’t change much, but active owners are always looking for better bench players, speculative pickups that could reap future rewards, or potential trades that could better position themselves for playoff push.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Remember: this is YOUR team, you make the calls. You can get advice from every expert or check every ranking, but make your own call. If your gut is telling you to play someone, then do it.</p>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9400,"name":"Martin Signore","slug":"martin-signore","description":" <p><b>Martin Signore</b> is a screenwriter and interactive gamewriter&#47;designer. While working in Los Angeles, Martin founded the Hollywood Football League with his friends and co&#45;workers. Many years, trophies, and leagues later he admits to being a fantasy expert and addict. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9400"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34014,"title":"Fantasy Football","slug":"fantasy-football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}},{"articleId":204310,"title":"Fantasy Football Mistakes to Avoid","slug":"fantasy-football-mistakes-to-avoid","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204310"}},{"articleId":204309,"title":"Fantasy Football Research Basics","slug":"fantasy-football-research-basics","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204309"}},{"articleId":203565,"title":"6 Sites for Taking Part in a Fantasy Football Mock Draft","slug":"6-sites-for-taking-part-in-a-fantasy-football-mock-draft","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/203565"}},{"articleId":196369,"title":"Fitting Football Equipment on a Child for Safe Play","slug":"fitting-football-equipment-on-a-child-for-safe-play","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196369"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":263347,"title":"Fun Football Slang: Get a Handle on the Terminology/Terms","slug":"fun-football-slang-get-a-handle-on-the-terminologyterms","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263347"}},{"articleId":263342,"title":"Football Trivia: Answers to Questions You May Be Too Afraid to Ask","slug":"football-trivia-answers-to-questions-you-may-be-too-afraid-to-ask","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263342"}},{"articleId":263355,"title":"New Offensive Plays for Football: Fly Sweep, Run-Pass Option, and Bubble Screen","slug":"new-offensive-plays-for-football-fly-sweep-run-pass-option-and-bubble-screen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263355"}},{"articleId":263351,"title":"Rules for Football Helmets and Face Masks","slug":"rules-for-football-helmets-and-face-masks","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263351"}},{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282189,"slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119883326","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119883326-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies, 2nd Edition","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"","authors":[{"authorId":35163,"name":"Martin A. Schulman","slug":"martin-a-schulman","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/35163"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119883326&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221af8841ef\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119883326&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221af884c39\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2021-08-12T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":171446},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T20:17:13+00:00","modifiedTime":"2019-11-15T18:38:47+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:17:23+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Fantasy Sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"},"slug":"fantasy-sports","categoryId":34011},{"name":"Fantasy Football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"},"slug":"fantasy-football","categoryId":34014}],"title":"Running Plays in Football","strippedTitle":"running plays in football","slug":"running-plays-in-football","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Football offenses, whether in high school, college, or professional games, uses a certain set of running plays. Here are some basic running plays used in all of","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Football offenses, whether in high school, college, or professional games, uses a certain set of running plays. Here are some basic running plays used in<a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/football/football-for-dummies-usa-edition-cheat-sheet\"> all of football</a>:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Blast or dive: </b>The simplest of carries. Usually led by a blocking fullback, the running back takes a quick handoff from the quarterback and hits a hole between an offensive guard and a tackle. The offense calls this run when it needs a yard or two for a first down. The runner lowers his head and hopes to move the pile before the middle linebacker tackles him.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Counter: </b>An intentional misdirection run on the part of the offense. The quarterback fakes a lateral toss to one back who’s heading right, running parallel to the line of scrimmage. The quarterback then turns and hands off to the remaining runner in the backfield, generally a fullback, who runs toward the middle of the line, hoping to find an opening between either guard and the center.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Draw: </b>A disguised run, which means it initially looks like a pass play. The offensive linemen draw back like they’re going to pass-protect for the quarterback (QB). The quarterback then drops back and, instead of setting up to pass, he turns and hands the ball to the runner.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283523.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"522\" height=\"400\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para Remember\">The goal of every draw play is to get the defensive linemen charging at the quarterback, only to be pushed aside by the offensive linemen at the last second. To fool the defense with this run, a team must have an above-average passing game.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Off-tackle: </b>A strong-side run, meaning the halfback (HB) heads toward the end of the line where the tight end, the extra blocker, lines up. The runner wants to take advantage of the hole supplied by the tackle, tight end, and his running mate, the fullback (FB). He can take the ball either around the tight end, as shown in the following figure, or outside the tackle. He hopes that the fullback will block the outside linebacker.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283524.image1.jpg\" alt=\"image1.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"323\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Pitch: </b>The quarterback (QB) takes the snap and fakes a handoff to the first back (HB), who’s heading directly toward the line of scrimmage; he then tosses (or pitches) the ball laterally to the other runner (FB), who has begun to move to the outside. The runner can either take the pitch outside or cut back toward the inside. Pitch plays can be designed to go in either direction.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283525.image2.jpg\" alt=\"image2.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"352\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Reverse: </b>The halfback (HB) receives the handoff from the quarterback (QB) and then runs laterally behind the line of scrimmage. (The play can be designed for the back to run in either direction.) The ball carrier meets up with a wide receiver (WR) or flanker running toward him and then hands the ball to that receiver or flanker.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283526.image3.jpg\" alt=\"image3.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"306\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para Tip\">The offensive line blocks as if the ball were intended for the halfback so that the defensive players follow him. After the receiver is in motion and has the ball, he runs in the opposite direction, or against the flow of his own blockers.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Slant:</b> This run is exactly like it sounds. Instead of running straight toward the line of scrimmage, the runner (HB) slants his angle outside after he receives the ball. A slant is used to take advantage of defenses that overpursue, allowing offensive linemen to be more effective by pushing the defenders to one side.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283527.image4.jpg\" alt=\"image4.jpg\" width=\"417\" height=\"400\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Sweep: </b>Begins with two or more offensive linemen (which in this figure are labeled as LG and RG) leaving their stances and running toward the outside of the line of scrimmage. The ball carrier (HB) takes a handoff from the quarterback (QB) and runs parallel to the line of scrimmage, waiting for his blockers to lead the way around the end. The run is designed to attack the defensive end, outside linebacker, and cornerback on a specific side.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283528.image5.jpg\" alt=\"image5.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"245\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Trap: </b>Teams don’t use this run very often because it requires quick and agile offensive linemen, and most teams use big blockers these days. On the trap, a guard (LG in the following figure) vacates his normal area, allowing the defensive player to cross the line of scrimmage and have a clear lane into the backfield. The guard from the opposite side then moves across the line and blocks the defender. This action by the guard is called <i>pulling,</i> hence the term <i>pulling guard. </i>The trap play has to be well-timed, and after the ball carrier receives the ball, he must quickly dart through the hole behind the trap block.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283529.image6.jpg\" alt=\"image6.jpg\" width=\"426\" height=\"400\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Veer: </b>A quick-hitting run in which the ball can be handed to either running back, whose routes are determined by the slant or charge of the defensive linemen. The term <i>veer</i> comes from the back veering away from the defense. The quarterback (QB) hands off to the halfback (HB), who veers to the right behind his blockers.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283530.image7.jpg\" alt=\"image7.jpg\" width=\"461\" height=\"400\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para Tip\">College teams run this play more often than pro teams do because it generally requires a quarterback who’s quick-footed and an excellent ball-handler — in other words, a quarterback who can run if he has to.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","description":"Football offenses, whether in high school, college, or professional games, uses a certain set of running plays. Here are some basic running plays used in<a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/football/football-for-dummies-usa-edition-cheat-sheet\"> all of football</a>:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Blast or dive: </b>The simplest of carries. Usually led by a blocking fullback, the running back takes a quick handoff from the quarterback and hits a hole between an offensive guard and a tackle. The offense calls this run when it needs a yard or two for a first down. The runner lowers his head and hopes to move the pile before the middle linebacker tackles him.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Counter: </b>An intentional misdirection run on the part of the offense. The quarterback fakes a lateral toss to one back who’s heading right, running parallel to the line of scrimmage. The quarterback then turns and hands off to the remaining runner in the backfield, generally a fullback, who runs toward the middle of the line, hoping to find an opening between either guard and the center.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Draw: </b>A disguised run, which means it initially looks like a pass play. The offensive linemen draw back like they’re going to pass-protect for the quarterback (QB). The quarterback then drops back and, instead of setting up to pass, he turns and hands the ball to the runner.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283523.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"522\" height=\"400\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para Remember\">The goal of every draw play is to get the defensive linemen charging at the quarterback, only to be pushed aside by the offensive linemen at the last second. To fool the defense with this run, a team must have an above-average passing game.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Off-tackle: </b>A strong-side run, meaning the halfback (HB) heads toward the end of the line where the tight end, the extra blocker, lines up. The runner wants to take advantage of the hole supplied by the tackle, tight end, and his running mate, the fullback (FB). He can take the ball either around the tight end, as shown in the following figure, or outside the tackle. He hopes that the fullback will block the outside linebacker.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283524.image1.jpg\" alt=\"image1.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"323\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Pitch: </b>The quarterback (QB) takes the snap and fakes a handoff to the first back (HB), who’s heading directly toward the line of scrimmage; he then tosses (or pitches) the ball laterally to the other runner (FB), who has begun to move to the outside. The runner can either take the pitch outside or cut back toward the inside. Pitch plays can be designed to go in either direction.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283525.image2.jpg\" alt=\"image2.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"352\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Reverse: </b>The halfback (HB) receives the handoff from the quarterback (QB) and then runs laterally behind the line of scrimmage. (The play can be designed for the back to run in either direction.) The ball carrier meets up with a wide receiver (WR) or flanker running toward him and then hands the ball to that receiver or flanker.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283526.image3.jpg\" alt=\"image3.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"306\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para Tip\">The offensive line blocks as if the ball were intended for the halfback so that the defensive players follow him. After the receiver is in motion and has the ball, he runs in the opposite direction, or against the flow of his own blockers.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Slant:</b> This run is exactly like it sounds. Instead of running straight toward the line of scrimmage, the runner (HB) slants his angle outside after he receives the ball. A slant is used to take advantage of defenses that overpursue, allowing offensive linemen to be more effective by pushing the defenders to one side.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283527.image4.jpg\" alt=\"image4.jpg\" width=\"417\" height=\"400\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Sweep: </b>Begins with two or more offensive linemen (which in this figure are labeled as LG and RG) leaving their stances and running toward the outside of the line of scrimmage. The ball carrier (HB) takes a handoff from the quarterback (QB) and runs parallel to the line of scrimmage, waiting for his blockers to lead the way around the end. The run is designed to attack the defensive end, outside linebacker, and cornerback on a specific side.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283528.image5.jpg\" alt=\"image5.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"245\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Trap: </b>Teams don’t use this run very often because it requires quick and agile offensive linemen, and most teams use big blockers these days. On the trap, a guard (LG in the following figure) vacates his normal area, allowing the defensive player to cross the line of scrimmage and have a clear lane into the backfield. The guard from the opposite side then moves across the line and blocks the defender. This action by the guard is called <i>pulling,</i> hence the term <i>pulling guard. </i>The trap play has to be well-timed, and after the ball carrier receives the ball, he must quickly dart through the hole behind the trap block.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283529.image6.jpg\" alt=\"image6.jpg\" width=\"426\" height=\"400\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Veer: </b>A quick-hitting run in which the ball can be handed to either running back, whose routes are determined by the slant or charge of the defensive linemen. The term <i>veer</i> comes from the back veering away from the defense. The quarterback (QB) hands off to the halfback (HB), who veers to the right behind his blockers.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/283530.image7.jpg\" alt=\"image7.jpg\" width=\"461\" height=\"400\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para Tip\">College teams run this play more often than pro teams do because it generally requires a quarterback who’s quick-footed and an excellent ball-handler — in other words, a quarterback who can run if he has to.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34014,"title":"Fantasy Football","slug":"fantasy-football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":263347,"title":"Fun Football Slang: Get a Handle on the Terminology/Terms","slug":"fun-football-slang-get-a-handle-on-the-terminologyterms","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263347"}},{"articleId":263342,"title":"Football Trivia: Answers to Questions You May Be Too Afraid to Ask","slug":"football-trivia-answers-to-questions-you-may-be-too-afraid-to-ask","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263342"}},{"articleId":263355,"title":"New Offensive Plays for Football: Fly Sweep, Run-Pass Option, and Bubble Screen","slug":"new-offensive-plays-for-football-fly-sweep-run-pass-option-and-bubble-screen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263355"}},{"articleId":263351,"title":"Rules for Football Helmets and Face Masks","slug":"rules-for-football-helmets-and-face-masks","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263351"}},{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221ab3c54c6\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221ab3c5d3c\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":null,"lifeExpectancySetFrom":null,"dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":186811},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T14:30:58+00:00","modifiedTime":"2019-11-15T18:34:08+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:17:23+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Fantasy Sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"},"slug":"fantasy-sports","categoryId":34011},{"name":"Fantasy Football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"},"slug":"fantasy-football","categoryId":34014}],"title":"Football Players' Roles in Team Offense and Defense","strippedTitle":"football players' roles in team offense and defense","slug":"football-players-roles-in-team-offense-and-defense","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Whether on an offensive or defensive line, each player in a football lineup has a specific job to do. Each player/position has a specific role to play. The offe","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Whether on an offensive or defensive line, each player in a <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/football/football-for-dummies-usa-edition-cheat-sheet/\">football</a> lineup has a specific job to do. Each player/position has a specific role to play. The offensive positions are shown in the lower half of the following figure, and the defensive positions are shown in the upper half. The offense and defense face each other across the line of scrimmage.\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/387185.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"221\" />\r\n\r\nThe line of scrimmage is simply the spot on the field from which the football is hiked.\r\n<p class=\"TechnicalStuff\">The figure shows the 4-3 defense (a four down linemen and three linebacker scheme) lined up against a strong-side-right offense. These lineups are common <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/football/the-national-football-league-conferences/\">in the NFL</a>, as well as at other levels of football.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Football offensive positions</h2>\r\nThe offense's primary job, as a team, is to move the ball down the field and score — either by touchdown or kicking a field goal. There are other ways to score as well, but those are primarily left to special teams. Within the offense, the functions are divided among these key positions:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>QB = quarterback:</b> The leader of the team. He calls the plays in the huddle, yells the signals at the line of scrimmage, and then receives the ball from the center. Then he hands off the ball to a running back, throws it to a receiver, or runs with it.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>C = center:</b> The player who snaps the ball to the quarterback. He handles the ball on every play.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>RB = running back:</b> A player who runs with the football. Running backs also are referred to as tailbacks, halfbacks, and wingbacks.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>FB = fullback:</b> A player who’s responsible for blocking for the running back and also for pass-blocking to protect the quarterback. Fullbacks, who are generally bigger than running backs, are short-yardage runners.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>WR = wide receiver:</b> A player who uses his speed and quickness to elude defenders and catch the football. Teams use as many as two to four wide receivers on every play.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>TE = tight end:</b> A player who serves as a receiver and also as a blocker. This player lines up beside the offensive tackle to the right or the left of the quarterback.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>LG and RG = left guard and right guard:</b> The inner two members of the offensive line, whose jobs are to block for and protect the quarterback and ball carriers.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>LT and RT = left tackle and right tackle:</b> The outer two members of the offensive line.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Football defensive positions</h2>\r\nThe defense's primary job, as a team, is to keep the offense from scoring — by tackling members of the offense, intercepting the ball, and generally preventing the offense from moving the ball close enough to their goal to create a scoring opportunity. Within the defense, the functions are divided among these key positions:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>DT = defensive tackle:</b> The inner two members of the defensive line, whose jobs are to maintain their positions in order to stop a running play or to run through a gap in the offensive line to pressure the quarterback or disrupt the backfield formation.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>DE = defensive end:</b> The outer two members of the defensive line. Generally, their jobs are to overcome offensive blocking and to meet in the backfield, where they combine to tackle the quarterback or ball carrier. On running plays to the outside, they’re responsible for forcing the ball carrier either out of bounds or toward (into) the pursuit of their defensive teammates.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>LB = linebacker:</b> The players who line up behind the defensive linemen and generally are regarded as the team’s best tacklers. Depending on the formation, most teams employ either three or four linebackers on every play. Linebackers often have the dual role of defending the run and the pass.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>S = safety:</b> The players who line up the deepest in the secondary — the last line of defense. There are free safeties and strong safeties, and they must defend the deep pass and also the run.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>CB = cornerback:</b> The players who line up on the wide parts of the field, generally opposite the offensive receivers.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","description":"Whether on an offensive or defensive line, each player in a <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/football/football-for-dummies-usa-edition-cheat-sheet/\">football</a> lineup has a specific job to do. Each player/position has a specific role to play. The offensive positions are shown in the lower half of the following figure, and the defensive positions are shown in the upper half. The offense and defense face each other across the line of scrimmage.\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/387185.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"221\" />\r\n\r\nThe line of scrimmage is simply the spot on the field from which the football is hiked.\r\n<p class=\"TechnicalStuff\">The figure shows the 4-3 defense (a four down linemen and three linebacker scheme) lined up against a strong-side-right offense. These lineups are common <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/football/the-national-football-league-conferences/\">in the NFL</a>, as well as at other levels of football.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Football offensive positions</h2>\r\nThe offense's primary job, as a team, is to move the ball down the field and score — either by touchdown or kicking a field goal. There are other ways to score as well, but those are primarily left to special teams. Within the offense, the functions are divided among these key positions:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>QB = quarterback:</b> The leader of the team. He calls the plays in the huddle, yells the signals at the line of scrimmage, and then receives the ball from the center. Then he hands off the ball to a running back, throws it to a receiver, or runs with it.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>C = center:</b> The player who snaps the ball to the quarterback. He handles the ball on every play.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>RB = running back:</b> A player who runs with the football. Running backs also are referred to as tailbacks, halfbacks, and wingbacks.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>FB = fullback:</b> A player who’s responsible for blocking for the running back and also for pass-blocking to protect the quarterback. Fullbacks, who are generally bigger than running backs, are short-yardage runners.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>WR = wide receiver:</b> A player who uses his speed and quickness to elude defenders and catch the football. Teams use as many as two to four wide receivers on every play.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>TE = tight end:</b> A player who serves as a receiver and also as a blocker. This player lines up beside the offensive tackle to the right or the left of the quarterback.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>LG and RG = left guard and right guard:</b> The inner two members of the offensive line, whose jobs are to block for and protect the quarterback and ball carriers.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>LT and RT = left tackle and right tackle:</b> The outer two members of the offensive line.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Football defensive positions</h2>\r\nThe defense's primary job, as a team, is to keep the offense from scoring — by tackling members of the offense, intercepting the ball, and generally preventing the offense from moving the ball close enough to their goal to create a scoring opportunity. Within the defense, the functions are divided among these key positions:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>DT = defensive tackle:</b> The inner two members of the defensive line, whose jobs are to maintain their positions in order to stop a running play or to run through a gap in the offensive line to pressure the quarterback or disrupt the backfield formation.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>DE = defensive end:</b> The outer two members of the defensive line. Generally, their jobs are to overcome offensive blocking and to meet in the backfield, where they combine to tackle the quarterback or ball carrier. On running plays to the outside, they’re responsible for forcing the ball carrier either out of bounds or toward (into) the pursuit of their defensive teammates.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>LB = linebacker:</b> The players who line up behind the defensive linemen and generally are regarded as the team’s best tacklers. Depending on the formation, most teams employ either three or four linebackers on every play. Linebackers often have the dual role of defending the run and the pass.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>S = safety:</b> The players who line up the deepest in the secondary — the last line of defense. There are free safeties and strong safeties, and they must defend the deep pass and also the run.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>CB = cornerback:</b> The players who line up on the wide parts of the field, generally opposite the offensive receivers.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34014,"title":"Fantasy Football","slug":"fantasy-football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Football offensive positions","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Football defensive positions","target":"#tab2"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":263347,"title":"Fun Football Slang: Get a Handle on the Terminology/Terms","slug":"fun-football-slang-get-a-handle-on-the-terminologyterms","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263347"}},{"articleId":263342,"title":"Football Trivia: Answers to Questions You May Be Too Afraid to Ask","slug":"football-trivia-answers-to-questions-you-may-be-too-afraid-to-ask","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263342"}},{"articleId":263355,"title":"New Offensive Plays for Football: Fly Sweep, Run-Pass Option, and Bubble Screen","slug":"new-offensive-plays-for-football-fly-sweep-run-pass-option-and-bubble-screen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263355"}},{"articleId":263351,"title":"Rules for Football Helmets and Face Masks","slug":"rules-for-football-helmets-and-face-masks","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263351"}},{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221ab3be83a\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221ab3bf0aa\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":null,"lifeExpectancySetFrom":null,"dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":163374},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T20:17:31+00:00","modifiedTime":"2019-11-15T18:28:48+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:17:23+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Fantasy Sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"},"slug":"fantasy-sports","categoryId":34011},{"name":"Fantasy Football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"},"slug":"fantasy-football","categoryId":34014}],"title":"How Quarterbacks Call Plays and Audibilize during Football Games","strippedTitle":"how quarterbacks call plays and audibilize during football games","slug":"how-quarterbacks-call-plays-and-audibilize-during-football-games","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"In American football, the quarterback relays to his teammates in the huddle what play the coach has called. The football play is a mental blueprint or diagram f","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"In American football, the quarterback relays to his teammates in the huddle what play the coach has called.<a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/football/football-for-dummies-usa-edition-cheat-sheet\"> The football play</a> is a mental blueprint or diagram for every player on the field. Quarterbacks are also allowed to <i>audibilize, </i>or change the play at the line of scrimmage. A changed play is called an <i>audible. </i>Quarterbacks usually audibilize when they discover that the defense has guessed correctly and is properly aligned to stop the play.\r\n\r\nEverything the quarterback says in the huddle refers specifically to the assignments of his receivers, running backs, offensive linemen, and center. For example, the quarterback may say “686 Pump F-Stop on two.” Here’s how that breaks down:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>686: </b>The first three numbers are the passing routes that the receivers — known as X, Y, and Z — should take. Every team numbers its pass routes and patterns, giving receivers an immediate signal of what routes to run. On this play, the X receiver runs a 6 route, the Y receiver an 8 route, and the Z receiver another 6 route.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>F-Stop: </b>Refers to the fullback’s pass route.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Two: </b>Refers to the count on which the quarterback wants the ball snapped to him. In other words, the center will snap the ball on the second sound.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nMost teams snap the ball on the first, second, or third count unless they’re purposely attempting to draw the opposition offside by using an extra-long count. For example, if the quarterback has been asking for the ball on the count of two throughout the game, he may ask for the ball on the count of three, hoping that someone on the defense will move prematurely.\r\n\r\nAfter the quarterback reaches the line of scrimmage and puts his hands under the center, he says “Set” (at which point the linemen drop into their stances) and then something like “Green 80, Green 80, Hut-Hut.” The center snaps the ball on the second “Hut.”\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">“Green 80” means absolutely nothing in this case. However, sometimes the quarterback’s remarks at the line of scrimmage prior to the snap count inform his offensive teammates of how the play will be changed. The offensive linemen also know that the play is a pass because of the numbering system mentioned at the beginning of the called play.</p>\r\nTeams give their plays all sorts of odd monikers, such as Quick Ace, Scat, Zoom, and Buzz. These names refer to specific actions within the play; they’re meant for the ears of the running backs and receivers. Each name (and every team has its own terms) means something, depending on the play that’s called.\r\n\r\nA quarterback may also use an offensive strategy known as <i>check with me,</i> in which he instructs his teammates to listen carefully at the line of scrimmage because he may call another play, or his call at the line of scrimmage will be the play. To help his teammates easily understand, the play may simply change colors — from Green to Red, for example.","description":"In American football, the quarterback relays to his teammates in the huddle what play the coach has called.<a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/football/football-for-dummies-usa-edition-cheat-sheet\"> The football play</a> is a mental blueprint or diagram for every player on the field. Quarterbacks are also allowed to <i>audibilize, </i>or change the play at the line of scrimmage. A changed play is called an <i>audible. </i>Quarterbacks usually audibilize when they discover that the defense has guessed correctly and is properly aligned to stop the play.\r\n\r\nEverything the quarterback says in the huddle refers specifically to the assignments of his receivers, running backs, offensive linemen, and center. For example, the quarterback may say “686 Pump F-Stop on two.” Here’s how that breaks down:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>686: </b>The first three numbers are the passing routes that the receivers — known as X, Y, and Z — should take. Every team numbers its pass routes and patterns, giving receivers an immediate signal of what routes to run. On this play, the X receiver runs a 6 route, the Y receiver an 8 route, and the Z receiver another 6 route.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>F-Stop: </b>Refers to the fullback’s pass route.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Two: </b>Refers to the count on which the quarterback wants the ball snapped to him. In other words, the center will snap the ball on the second sound.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nMost teams snap the ball on the first, second, or third count unless they’re purposely attempting to draw the opposition offside by using an extra-long count. For example, if the quarterback has been asking for the ball on the count of two throughout the game, he may ask for the ball on the count of three, hoping that someone on the defense will move prematurely.\r\n\r\nAfter the quarterback reaches the line of scrimmage and puts his hands under the center, he says “Set” (at which point the linemen drop into their stances) and then something like “Green 80, Green 80, Hut-Hut.” The center snaps the ball on the second “Hut.”\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">“Green 80” means absolutely nothing in this case. However, sometimes the quarterback’s remarks at the line of scrimmage prior to the snap count inform his offensive teammates of how the play will be changed. The offensive linemen also know that the play is a pass because of the numbering system mentioned at the beginning of the called play.</p>\r\nTeams give their plays all sorts of odd monikers, such as Quick Ace, Scat, Zoom, and Buzz. These names refer to specific actions within the play; they’re meant for the ears of the running backs and receivers. Each name (and every team has its own terms) means something, depending on the play that’s called.\r\n\r\nA quarterback may also use an offensive strategy known as <i>check with me,</i> in which he instructs his teammates to listen carefully at the line of scrimmage because he may call another play, or his call at the line of scrimmage will be the play. To help his teammates easily understand, the play may simply change colors — from Green to Red, for example.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34014,"title":"Fantasy Football","slug":"fantasy-football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":263347,"title":"Fun Football Slang: Get a Handle on the Terminology/Terms","slug":"fun-football-slang-get-a-handle-on-the-terminologyterms","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263347"}},{"articleId":263342,"title":"Football Trivia: Answers to Questions You May Be Too Afraid to Ask","slug":"football-trivia-answers-to-questions-you-may-be-too-afraid-to-ask","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263342"}},{"articleId":263355,"title":"New Offensive Plays for Football: Fly Sweep, Run-Pass Option, and Bubble Screen","slug":"new-offensive-plays-for-football-fly-sweep-run-pass-option-and-bubble-screen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263355"}},{"articleId":263351,"title":"Rules for Football Helmets and Face Masks","slug":"rules-for-football-helmets-and-face-masks","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263351"}},{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221ab3b7e63\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" 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Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Fantasy Sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"},"slug":"fantasy-sports","categoryId":34011},{"name":"Fantasy Football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"},"slug":"fantasy-football","categoryId":34014}],"title":"American Football Terms and Definitions","strippedTitle":"american football terms and definitions","slug":"american-football-terms-and-definitions","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"To understand and enjoy American football, get familiar with key terms and what they mean. Until you grasp basic football lingo, listening to announcers call an","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"To understand and enjoy American football, get familiar with key terms and what they mean. Until you grasp basic football lingo, listening to announcers call an <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/football/the-national-football-league-conferences\">NFL football game</a> can be like listening to monkey gibberish. The following list fills you in on the basic American football terms you need to know:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Backfield:</b> The group of offensive players — the running backs and quarterback — who line up behind the line of scrimmage.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Down:</b> A period of action that starts when the ball is put into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead (meaning the play is completed). The offense gets four downs to advance the ball 10 yards. If it fails to do so, it must surrender the ball to the opponent, usually by punting on the fourth down.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Drive:</b> The series of plays when the offense has the football, until it punts or scores and the other team gets possession of the ball.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>End zone:</b> A 10-yard-long area at each end of the field. You score a touchdown when you enter the end zone in control of the football. If you're tackled in your own end zone while in possession of the football, the other team gets a safety.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Extra point:</b> A kick, worth one point, that's typically attempted after every touchdown (it's also known as the <i>point after touchdown,</i> or PAT). The ball is placed on either the 2-yard line (in the NFL) or the 3-yard line (in college and high school) and is generally kicked from inside the 10-yard line after being snapped to the holder. It must sail between the uprights and above the crossbar of the goalpost to be considered good.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Fair catch:</b> When the player returning a punt waves his extended arm from side to side over his head. After signaling for a fair catch, a player can't run with the ball, and those attempting to tackle him can't touch him.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Field goal:</b> A kick, worth three points, that can be attempted from anywhere on the field but is usually attempted within 40 yards of the goalpost. Like an extra point, a kick must sail above the crossbar and between the uprights of the goalpost to be ruled good.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Fumble:</b> The act of losing possession of the ball while running with it or being tackled. Members of the offense and defense can recover a fumble. If the defense recovers the fumble, the fumble is called a turnover.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Handoff:</b> The act of giving the ball to another player. Handoffs usually occur between the quarterback and a running back.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Hash marks:</b> The lines on the center of the field that signify 1 yard on the field. Before every play, the ball is spotted between the hash marks or on the hash marks, depending on where the ball carrier was tackled on the preceding play.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Huddle:</b> When the 11 players on the field come together to discuss strategy between plays. On offense, the quarterback relays the plays in the huddle.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Incompletion:</b> A forward pass that falls to the ground because no receiver could catch it, or a pass that a receiver dropped or caught out of bounds.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Interception:</b> A pass that's caught by a defensive player, ending the offense's possession of the ball.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Kickoff: </b>A free kick (meaning the receiving team can't make an attempt to block it) that puts the ball into play. A kickoff is used at the start of the first and third quarters and after every touchdown and successful field goal.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Line of scrimmage:</b> An imaginary line that extends from where the football is placed at the end of a play to both sides of the field. Neither the offense nor the defense can cross the line until the football is put in play again.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Offensive line:</b> The human wall of five men who block for and protect the quarterback and ball carriers. Every line has a center (who snaps the ball), two guards, and two tackles.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Punt:</b> A kick made when a player drops the ball and kicks it while it falls toward his foot. A punt is usually made on a fourth down when the offense must surrender possession of the ball to the defense because it couldn't advance 10 yards.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Red zone:</b> The unofficial area from the 20-yard line to the opponent's goal line. Holding an opponent to a field goal in this area is considered a moral victory for the defense.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Return: </b>The act of receiving a kick or punt and running toward the opponent's goal line with the intent of scoring or gaining significant yardage.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Rushing:</b> To advance the ball by running, not passing. A running back is sometimes called a <i>rusher.</i></p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Sack:</b> When a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of yardage.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Safety:</b> A score, worth two points, that the defense earns by tackling an offensive player in possession of the ball in his own end zone.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Secondary:</b> The four defensive players who defend against the pass and line up behind the linebackers and wide on the corners of the field opposite the receivers.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Snap:</b> The action in which the ball is <i>hiked</i> (tossed between the legs) by the center to the quarterback, to the holder on a kick attempt, or to the punter. When the snap occurs, the ball is officially in play and action begins.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Special teams:</b> The 22 players who are on the field during kicks and punts. These units have special players who return punts and kicks, as well as players who are experts at covering kicks and punts.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Touchdown:</b> A score, worth six points, that occurs when a player in possession of the ball crosses the plane of the opponent's goal line, when a player catches the ball while in the opponent's end zone, or when a defensive player recovers a loose ball in the opponent's end zone.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","description":"To understand and enjoy American football, get familiar with key terms and what they mean. Until you grasp basic football lingo, listening to announcers call an <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/football/the-national-football-league-conferences\">NFL football game</a> can be like listening to monkey gibberish. The following list fills you in on the basic American football terms you need to know:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Backfield:</b> The group of offensive players — the running backs and quarterback — who line up behind the line of scrimmage.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Down:</b> A period of action that starts when the ball is put into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead (meaning the play is completed). The offense gets four downs to advance the ball 10 yards. If it fails to do so, it must surrender the ball to the opponent, usually by punting on the fourth down.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Drive:</b> The series of plays when the offense has the football, until it punts or scores and the other team gets possession of the ball.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>End zone:</b> A 10-yard-long area at each end of the field. You score a touchdown when you enter the end zone in control of the football. If you're tackled in your own end zone while in possession of the football, the other team gets a safety.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Extra point:</b> A kick, worth one point, that's typically attempted after every touchdown (it's also known as the <i>point after touchdown,</i> or PAT). The ball is placed on either the 2-yard line (in the NFL) or the 3-yard line (in college and high school) and is generally kicked from inside the 10-yard line after being snapped to the holder. It must sail between the uprights and above the crossbar of the goalpost to be considered good.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Fair catch:</b> When the player returning a punt waves his extended arm from side to side over his head. After signaling for a fair catch, a player can't run with the ball, and those attempting to tackle him can't touch him.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Field goal:</b> A kick, worth three points, that can be attempted from anywhere on the field but is usually attempted within 40 yards of the goalpost. Like an extra point, a kick must sail above the crossbar and between the uprights of the goalpost to be ruled good.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Fumble:</b> The act of losing possession of the ball while running with it or being tackled. Members of the offense and defense can recover a fumble. If the defense recovers the fumble, the fumble is called a turnover.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Handoff:</b> The act of giving the ball to another player. Handoffs usually occur between the quarterback and a running back.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Hash marks:</b> The lines on the center of the field that signify 1 yard on the field. Before every play, the ball is spotted between the hash marks or on the hash marks, depending on where the ball carrier was tackled on the preceding play.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Huddle:</b> When the 11 players on the field come together to discuss strategy between plays. On offense, the quarterback relays the plays in the huddle.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Incompletion:</b> A forward pass that falls to the ground because no receiver could catch it, or a pass that a receiver dropped or caught out of bounds.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Interception:</b> A pass that's caught by a defensive player, ending the offense's possession of the ball.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Kickoff: </b>A free kick (meaning the receiving team can't make an attempt to block it) that puts the ball into play. A kickoff is used at the start of the first and third quarters and after every touchdown and successful field goal.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Line of scrimmage:</b> An imaginary line that extends from where the football is placed at the end of a play to both sides of the field. Neither the offense nor the defense can cross the line until the football is put in play again.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Offensive line:</b> The human wall of five men who block for and protect the quarterback and ball carriers. Every line has a center (who snaps the ball), two guards, and two tackles.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Punt:</b> A kick made when a player drops the ball and kicks it while it falls toward his foot. A punt is usually made on a fourth down when the offense must surrender possession of the ball to the defense because it couldn't advance 10 yards.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Red zone:</b> The unofficial area from the 20-yard line to the opponent's goal line. Holding an opponent to a field goal in this area is considered a moral victory for the defense.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Return: </b>The act of receiving a kick or punt and running toward the opponent's goal line with the intent of scoring or gaining significant yardage.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Rushing:</b> To advance the ball by running, not passing. A running back is sometimes called a <i>rusher.</i></p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Sack:</b> When a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of yardage.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Safety:</b> A score, worth two points, that the defense earns by tackling an offensive player in possession of the ball in his own end zone.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Secondary:</b> The four defensive players who defend against the pass and line up behind the linebackers and wide on the corners of the field opposite the receivers.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Snap:</b> The action in which the ball is <i>hiked</i> (tossed between the legs) by the center to the quarterback, to the holder on a kick attempt, or to the punter. When the snap occurs, the ball is officially in play and action begins.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Special teams:</b> The 22 players who are on the field during kicks and punts. These units have special players who return punts and kicks, as well as players who are experts at covering kicks and punts.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Touchdown:</b> A score, worth six points, that occurs when a player in possession of the ball crosses the plane of the opponent's goal line, when a player catches the ball while in the opponent's end zone, or when a defensive player recovers a loose ball in the opponent's end zone.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9119,"name":"Howie Long","slug":"howie-long","description":" <p><b>Howie Long</b> is a former Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders defensive end with eight Pro Bowl appearances, a Super Bowl victory, and a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is a commentator on <i>FOX NFL Sunday.</i> <b>John Czarnecki</b> has reported on the NFL since 1979 and consulted for <i>FOX NFL Sunday</i> since it began in 1994. He has received four Sports Emmys. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9119"}},{"authorId":9120,"name":"John Czarnecki","slug":"john-czarnecki","description":" <p><b>Howie Long</b> is a former Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders defensive end with eight Pro Bowl appearances, a Super Bowl victory, and a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is a commentator on <i>FOX NFL Sunday.</i> <b>John Czarnecki</b> has reported on the NFL since 1979 and consulted for <i>FOX NFL Sunday</i> since it began in 1994. He has received four Sports Emmys. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9120"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34014,"title":"Fantasy Football","slug":"fantasy-football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":263347,"title":"Fun Football Slang: Get a Handle on the Terminology/Terms","slug":"fun-football-slang-get-a-handle-on-the-terminologyterms","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263347"}},{"articleId":263342,"title":"Football Trivia: Answers to Questions You May Be Too Afraid to Ask","slug":"football-trivia-answers-to-questions-you-may-be-too-afraid-to-ask","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263342"}},{"articleId":263355,"title":"New Offensive Plays for Football: Fly Sweep, Run-Pass Option, and Bubble Screen","slug":"new-offensive-plays-for-football-fly-sweep-run-pass-option-and-bubble-screen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263355"}},{"articleId":263351,"title":"Rules for Football Helmets and Face Masks","slug":"rules-for-football-helmets-and-face-masks","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263351"}},{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221ab3b0ca9\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221ab3b168e\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":null,"lifeExpectancySetFrom":null,"dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":187969},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T10:59:15+00:00","modifiedTime":"2019-10-29T17:42:44+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:17:22+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Fantasy Sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"},"slug":"fantasy-sports","categoryId":34011},{"name":"Fantasy Football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"},"slug":"fantasy-football","categoryId":34014}],"title":"Fantasy Football Auction Leagues and Rules","strippedTitle":"fantasy football auction leagues and rules","slug":"fantasy-football-auction-leagues-and-rules","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"If you are looking to up your fantasy game, auction draft leagues are a great place to start. Auction leagues offer a unique challenge in fantasy football, wher","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"If you are looking to up your fantasy game,<a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/understanding-fantasy-football-snake-and-auction-drafts/\"> auction draft</a> leagues are a great place to start. Auction leagues offer a unique challenge in fantasy football, where players are nominated and bid on, as opposed to standard leagues where teams take turns drafting players. It will certainly spice up your draft and create a new and interesting strategy throughout the fantasy season.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Auction league definition — how it works</h2>\r\nAuction leagues work virtually the same as standard leagues except for the way in which players are drafted. Instead of each team taking its turn to draft a player, each team will take turns nominating a player to be bid on.\r\n\r\nIn standard auction leagues teams will have a fixed draft budget, starting at 200 points. In many cases these points are assigned a monetary value, and the draft is essentially conducted like a real auction.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">After a player has been nominated to be drafted, teams can begin to place bids on the player. The team with the highest bid will win the player, and the amount bid will be deducted from that team's budget. This will continue on until every team has a full roster of players.</p>\r\nGenerally each team is restricted to a maximum bid for an individual player. The maximum bid is determined by taking each team's remaining budget and subtracting the number of empty slots available on each roster.\r\n\r\nIn other words, if you have 15 roster spots and 200 draft points available and you bid 41 points on Adrian Peterson in the first round and win the bid, you will have 14 roster spots and 159 available points, making your next maximum bid 145.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Common auction league rules</h2>\r\nAuction leagues come in a wide variety of rules and regulations. Standard leagues will generally have a 200 point budget for the draft and a 100 point budget for picking up free agents. When these points are gone, no more transactions can be made, so bid with caution.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">For simplicity sake, some leagues will revert to a non-auction league format after the draft has concluded, where the salary cap and player values no longer apply.</p>\r\nOther leagues may take it one step further, however, and have a total salary cap for the entire season. In this format the points used for the draft and for free agent acquisition are the same. This can create some wildly varying strategies as some teams will use their entire budget in the draft, and others will save some budget to make room for free agents on the rise throughout the season.\r\n\r\nAuction leagues are commonly combined with <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/fantasy-football-keeper-leagues.html\">keeper leagues</a> as well. Generally teams will have a separate budget for keeper players only. Common options also include having fixed increase of cost for each year a player is kept.\r\n\r\nFor example, a league may stipulate that for every year a player is kept his cost will increase 5 points. So for example, if you got a player for 12 points and wanted to keep him, the following year he would cost you 17, and if you kept him again the season after that his point value would be 22, and so on.\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/438757.fantasy-football-keeper-league-costs.gif\" alt=\"Fantasy Football Keeper League Costs\" />\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Another option, which isn't as popular, is holding teams accountable for dropping players. In this format if you drop a player you will lose his (fantasy) salary off of your remaining salary cap. In other words, if you draft a player for 10 points and then drop him, you will lose those 10 points off of your total salary cap for the remainder of the season.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Strategy for managing an auction league team</h2>\r\nManaging an auction league team will be largely the same as any other fantasy team after the draft. The key points are to be well prepared before the draft so you have a good gauge on player values, and to maintain flexibility in your roster, whether it be through solid backup players, or from having available free agent points to pick up any available players on the rise.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Because of the limitations on how many transactions you might be able to make, teams will generally take a more cautious approach trading and picking up free agents in auction leagues. In standard leagues it is common for teams to make free agent waiver pickups week by week, picking up a player or defense with a good matchup.</p>\r\nThat strategy is much more expensive in this format and could result in a team not being able to make critical changes late in the year if a problem arises within their roster.\r\n\r\nFree agent waiver pickups are handled in a completely different way than in standard leagues as well. Instead of there being a waiver priority (based on team rankings in reverse order), all teams have an equal chance at getting any available free agents.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">It simply comes down to whom has the highest bid, so again, having a good knowledge of player value can be paramount to your success.</p>","description":"If you are looking to up your fantasy game,<a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/understanding-fantasy-football-snake-and-auction-drafts/\"> auction draft</a> leagues are a great place to start. Auction leagues offer a unique challenge in fantasy football, where players are nominated and bid on, as opposed to standard leagues where teams take turns drafting players. It will certainly spice up your draft and create a new and interesting strategy throughout the fantasy season.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Auction league definition — how it works</h2>\r\nAuction leagues work virtually the same as standard leagues except for the way in which players are drafted. Instead of each team taking its turn to draft a player, each team will take turns nominating a player to be bid on.\r\n\r\nIn standard auction leagues teams will have a fixed draft budget, starting at 200 points. In many cases these points are assigned a monetary value, and the draft is essentially conducted like a real auction.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">After a player has been nominated to be drafted, teams can begin to place bids on the player. The team with the highest bid will win the player, and the amount bid will be deducted from that team's budget. This will continue on until every team has a full roster of players.</p>\r\nGenerally each team is restricted to a maximum bid for an individual player. The maximum bid is determined by taking each team's remaining budget and subtracting the number of empty slots available on each roster.\r\n\r\nIn other words, if you have 15 roster spots and 200 draft points available and you bid 41 points on Adrian Peterson in the first round and win the bid, you will have 14 roster spots and 159 available points, making your next maximum bid 145.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Common auction league rules</h2>\r\nAuction leagues come in a wide variety of rules and regulations. Standard leagues will generally have a 200 point budget for the draft and a 100 point budget for picking up free agents. When these points are gone, no more transactions can be made, so bid with caution.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">For simplicity sake, some leagues will revert to a non-auction league format after the draft has concluded, where the salary cap and player values no longer apply.</p>\r\nOther leagues may take it one step further, however, and have a total salary cap for the entire season. In this format the points used for the draft and for free agent acquisition are the same. This can create some wildly varying strategies as some teams will use their entire budget in the draft, and others will save some budget to make room for free agents on the rise throughout the season.\r\n\r\nAuction leagues are commonly combined with <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/fantasy-football-keeper-leagues.html\">keeper leagues</a> as well. Generally teams will have a separate budget for keeper players only. Common options also include having fixed increase of cost for each year a player is kept.\r\n\r\nFor example, a league may stipulate that for every year a player is kept his cost will increase 5 points. So for example, if you got a player for 12 points and wanted to keep him, the following year he would cost you 17, and if you kept him again the season after that his point value would be 22, and so on.\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/438757.fantasy-football-keeper-league-costs.gif\" alt=\"Fantasy Football Keeper League Costs\" />\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Another option, which isn't as popular, is holding teams accountable for dropping players. In this format if you drop a player you will lose his (fantasy) salary off of your remaining salary cap. In other words, if you draft a player for 10 points and then drop him, you will lose those 10 points off of your total salary cap for the remainder of the season.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Strategy for managing an auction league team</h2>\r\nManaging an auction league team will be largely the same as any other fantasy team after the draft. The key points are to be well prepared before the draft so you have a good gauge on player values, and to maintain flexibility in your roster, whether it be through solid backup players, or from having available free agent points to pick up any available players on the rise.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Because of the limitations on how many transactions you might be able to make, teams will generally take a more cautious approach trading and picking up free agents in auction leagues. In standard leagues it is common for teams to make free agent waiver pickups week by week, picking up a player or defense with a good matchup.</p>\r\nThat strategy is much more expensive in this format and could result in a team not being able to make critical changes late in the year if a problem arises within their roster.\r\n\r\nFree agent waiver pickups are handled in a completely different way than in standard leagues as well. Instead of there being a waiver priority (based on team rankings in reverse order), all teams have an equal chance at getting any available free agents.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">It simply comes down to whom has the highest bid, so again, having a good knowledge of player value can be paramount to your success.</p>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9401,"name":"Adam Abshier","slug":"adam-abshier","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9401"}},{"authorId":8942,"name":"Abshier House","slug":"abshier-house","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8942"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34014,"title":"Fantasy Football","slug":"fantasy-football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Auction league definition — how it works","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Common auction league rules","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Strategy for managing an auction league team","target":"#tab3"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}},{"articleId":204310,"title":"Fantasy Football Mistakes to Avoid","slug":"fantasy-football-mistakes-to-avoid","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204310"}},{"articleId":204309,"title":"Fantasy Football Research Basics","slug":"fantasy-football-research-basics","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204309"}},{"articleId":203565,"title":"6 Sites for Taking Part in a Fantasy Football Mock Draft","slug":"6-sites-for-taking-part-in-a-fantasy-football-mock-draft","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/203565"}},{"articleId":196369,"title":"Fitting Football Equipment on a Child for Safe Play","slug":"fitting-football-equipment-on-a-child-for-safe-play","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196369"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":263347,"title":"Fun Football Slang: Get a Handle on the Terminology/Terms","slug":"fun-football-slang-get-a-handle-on-the-terminologyterms","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263347"}},{"articleId":263342,"title":"Football Trivia: Answers to Questions You May Be Too Afraid to Ask","slug":"football-trivia-answers-to-questions-you-may-be-too-afraid-to-ask","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263342"}},{"articleId":263355,"title":"New Offensive Plays for Football: Fly Sweep, Run-Pass Option, and Bubble Screen","slug":"new-offensive-plays-for-football-fly-sweep-run-pass-option-and-bubble-screen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263355"}},{"articleId":263351,"title":"Rules for Football Helmets and Face Masks","slug":"rules-for-football-helmets-and-face-masks","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263351"}},{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282189,"slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119883326","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119883326-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies, 2nd Edition","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"","authors":[{"authorId":35163,"name":"Martin A. Schulman","slug":"martin-a-schulman","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/35163"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119883326&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221ab2b95e1\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119883326&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221ab2b9e5a\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":null,"lifeExpectancySetFrom":null,"dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":149553},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T15:56:35+00:00","modifiedTime":"2019-10-29T17:41:01+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:17:22+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Fantasy Sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"},"slug":"fantasy-sports","categoryId":34011},{"name":"Fantasy Football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"},"slug":"fantasy-football","categoryId":34014}],"title":"How to Fill Out Your Fantasy Football Roster","strippedTitle":"how to fill out your fantasy football roster","slug":"how-to-fill-out-your-fantasy-football-roster","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"When draft day arrives, all the owners in a fantasy football league gather at a central location or log into the specified web service’s draft utility and meet ","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"When draft day arrives, all the owners in a <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/\">fantasy football league</a> gather at a central location or log into the specified web service’s draft utility and meet virtually. The goal for each owner is to draft a team roster of 15 to 18 players.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">How many players to draft at each position is up to you, but the traditional combination of players to draft: two quarterbacks, four running backs, four wide receivers, two tight ends, two kickers, and two defense/special teams (punt and kickoff return) units.</p>\r\nEach owner selects one player at a time. Generally, the online service randomly chooses the order or, if drafting offline, the commissioner draws numbers out of a hat to determine the draft order. The owners make their picks in order for the first round. Then they reverse this order for the second round, what's called a <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/understanding-fantasy-football-snake-and-auction-d.html\">snake draft.</a>\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 400px;\">\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/350468.image0.jpg\" alt=\"[Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/spxChrome 2009]\" width=\"400\" height=\"265\" />\r\n<div class=\"imageCredit\">Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/spxChrome 2009</div>\r\n</div>\r\nFor example, in an eight-person league, Owners 1 through 8 make the first eight selections in order, completing the first round. Then as the second round starts Owner 8 gets the ninth pick, Owner 7 gets the tenth pick, and so on down to Owner 1, who makes the sixteenth and seventeenth picks, and so on until all owners fill their rosters.\r\n\r\nBefore the draft, designate two people to record all the player selections. Accurate records can help resolve conflicts that may arise later. Alternatively, your fantasy football rosters can be updated online, in Excel charts, or even on a community draft board. A draft board can help every owner see each person’s team as it's being selected, which is extremely useful for live drafts.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Fantasy football starting lineups</h2>\r\nEach week, you enter a starting lineup made up of the following players: one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one flex position (can be an RB, WR, or TE), one tight end, one kicker, and one defense/special teams (punt and kickoff return) unit.\r\n\r\nYou draft an entire team’s defense and special teams. If your team’s defense or special teams unit scores a touchdown, records a safety, or performs various defensive feats like an interception, a fumble recovery or records a sack you get points.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Fantasy football bench players</h2>\r\nThe remaining players are reserves. These players’ statistics don’t count while the players sit on your bench; instead, reserves serve as backups for your starting lineup. Here’s why reserves are important:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>They replace poor-performing starters: </b>If your quarterback, for example, plays poorly, you can replace him in your starting lineup the following week with your backup quarterback.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>They replace injured starters:</b> If your star running back breaks his leg (gasp!), you simply start your backup running back the following week.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>They replace players on bye weeks:</b> Each NFL team has one bye week. Because of bye weeks, you need to insert backup players for your starters whose teams aren’t playing that week.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">It’s important to choose all your drafts carefully in fantasy football, including your reserves. Although reserve players’ statistics don’t count while the players sit on your reserve squad, they are important because they replace poor-performing starters, they replace injured starters, and they replace players on bye weeks. Maintaining a strong fantasy football team roster filled with potential stars, role players, and backups is critical to performing well throughout the whole season.</p>","description":"When draft day arrives, all the owners in a <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/\">fantasy football league</a> gather at a central location or log into the specified web service’s draft utility and meet virtually. The goal for each owner is to draft a team roster of 15 to 18 players.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">How many players to draft at each position is up to you, but the traditional combination of players to draft: two quarterbacks, four running backs, four wide receivers, two tight ends, two kickers, and two defense/special teams (punt and kickoff return) units.</p>\r\nEach owner selects one player at a time. Generally, the online service randomly chooses the order or, if drafting offline, the commissioner draws numbers out of a hat to determine the draft order. The owners make their picks in order for the first round. Then they reverse this order for the second round, what's called a <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/understanding-fantasy-football-snake-and-auction-d.html\">snake draft.</a>\r\n<div class=\"imageBlock\" style=\"width: 400px;\">\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/350468.image0.jpg\" alt=\"[Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/spxChrome 2009]\" width=\"400\" height=\"265\" />\r\n<div class=\"imageCredit\">Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/spxChrome 2009</div>\r\n</div>\r\nFor example, in an eight-person league, Owners 1 through 8 make the first eight selections in order, completing the first round. Then as the second round starts Owner 8 gets the ninth pick, Owner 7 gets the tenth pick, and so on down to Owner 1, who makes the sixteenth and seventeenth picks, and so on until all owners fill their rosters.\r\n\r\nBefore the draft, designate two people to record all the player selections. Accurate records can help resolve conflicts that may arise later. Alternatively, your fantasy football rosters can be updated online, in Excel charts, or even on a community draft board. A draft board can help every owner see each person’s team as it's being selected, which is extremely useful for live drafts.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Fantasy football starting lineups</h2>\r\nEach week, you enter a starting lineup made up of the following players: one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one flex position (can be an RB, WR, or TE), one tight end, one kicker, and one defense/special teams (punt and kickoff return) unit.\r\n\r\nYou draft an entire team’s defense and special teams. If your team’s defense or special teams unit scores a touchdown, records a safety, or performs various defensive feats like an interception, a fumble recovery or records a sack you get points.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Fantasy football bench players</h2>\r\nThe remaining players are reserves. These players’ statistics don’t count while the players sit on your bench; instead, reserves serve as backups for your starting lineup. Here’s why reserves are important:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>They replace poor-performing starters: </b>If your quarterback, for example, plays poorly, you can replace him in your starting lineup the following week with your backup quarterback.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>They replace injured starters:</b> If your star running back breaks his leg (gasp!), you simply start your backup running back the following week.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>They replace players on bye weeks:</b> Each NFL team has one bye week. Because of bye weeks, you need to insert backup players for your starters whose teams aren’t playing that week.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">It’s important to choose all your drafts carefully in fantasy football, including your reserves. Although reserve players’ statistics don’t count while the players sit on your reserve squad, they are important because they replace poor-performing starters, they replace injured starters, and they replace players on bye weeks. Maintaining a strong fantasy football team roster filled with potential stars, role players, and backups is critical to performing well throughout the whole season.</p>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9400,"name":"Martin Signore","slug":"martin-signore","description":" <p><b>Martin Signore</b> is a screenwriter and interactive gamewriter&#47;designer. While working in Los Angeles, Martin founded the Hollywood Football League with his friends and co&#45;workers. Many years, trophies, and leagues later he admits to being a fantasy expert and addict. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9400"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34014,"title":"Fantasy Football","slug":"fantasy-football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Fantasy football starting lineups","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Fantasy football bench players","target":"#tab2"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}},{"articleId":204310,"title":"Fantasy Football Mistakes to Avoid","slug":"fantasy-football-mistakes-to-avoid","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204310"}},{"articleId":204309,"title":"Fantasy Football Research Basics","slug":"fantasy-football-research-basics","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204309"}},{"articleId":203565,"title":"6 Sites for Taking Part in a Fantasy Football Mock Draft","slug":"6-sites-for-taking-part-in-a-fantasy-football-mock-draft","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/203565"}},{"articleId":196369,"title":"Fitting Football Equipment on a Child for Safe Play","slug":"fitting-football-equipment-on-a-child-for-safe-play","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196369"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":263347,"title":"Fun Football Slang: Get a Handle on the Terminology/Terms","slug":"fun-football-slang-get-a-handle-on-the-terminologyterms","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263347"}},{"articleId":263342,"title":"Football Trivia: Answers to Questions You May Be Too Afraid to Ask","slug":"football-trivia-answers-to-questions-you-may-be-too-afraid-to-ask","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263342"}},{"articleId":263355,"title":"New Offensive Plays for Football: Fly Sweep, Run-Pass Option, and Bubble Screen","slug":"new-offensive-plays-for-football-fly-sweep-run-pass-option-and-bubble-screen","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263355"}},{"articleId":263351,"title":"Rules for Football Helmets and Face Masks","slug":"rules-for-football-helmets-and-face-masks","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263351"}},{"articleId":207652,"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207652"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282189,"slug":"fantasy-football-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119883326","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119883326-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119883326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"title":"Fantasy Football For Dummies, 2nd Edition","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"","authors":[{"authorId":35163,"name":"Martin A. Schulman","slug":"martin-a-schulman","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/35163"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119883326&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221ab2b1845\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;sports-recreation&quot;,&quot;fantasy-sports&quot;,&quot;fantasy-football&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119883326&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221ab2b20ec\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":null,"lifeExpectancySetFrom":null,"dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":171445},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T10:59:01+00:00","modifiedTime":"2019-10-29T17:37:39+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:17:22+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Fantasy Sports","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34011"},"slug":"fantasy-sports","categoryId":34011},{"name":"Fantasy Football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"},"slug":"fantasy-football","categoryId":34014}],"title":"How to Start a Fantasy Football League","strippedTitle":"how to start a fantasy football league","slug":"how-to-start-a-fantasy-football-league","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"If you want to, you can start your own fantasy football league. It only takes a few steps, and you’re ready to begin the season. Here’s how: Recruit enough frie","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"If you want to, you can start your own fantasy football league. It only takes a few steps, and you’re ready to begin the season. Here’s how:\r\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Recruit enough friends, co-workers, or neighbors so that you have eight or ten teams. (Each person fields one team.)</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Definitely keep to an even number of teams. Scheduling is too difficult with an odd number of teams.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Alternatively, you can start a <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/how-to-join-fantasy-football-public-or-private-leagues/\">public league</a> online where random players may elect to join your league.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Name your league and have each owner name his or her team.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Each owner must submit a team name. (Get creative!)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Select a date for your annual player draft.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">This date is when you choose the players for your team, also known as the fantasy football draft. The weekend before the start of the NFL regular season usually works best for hosting your draft.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Agree on an entry fee.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">This dollar amount can be as high or low as you like. Pool the entry fees together to form the “pot,” the cash paid out as prize money to the lucky winners. Not all leagues need an entry fee — you can also play for fun, and for bragging rights!</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Your first order of business after setting up your league is to appoint an almighty commissioner. The commish arbitrates any and all disputes that crop up (and controversy rears its ugly head in most leagues).</p>\r\nOnce a commissioner is in place, draw up a set of written league rules. Feel free to customize the so-called standard rules of fantasy football — the goal is to minimize disputes during the season while still keeping everything fun. Here are some rules that you are able to customize as the league commissioner:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Scoring</b> – Select how much fantasy points a player gets for each action (yard gained, touchdown, reception, etc.)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Playoffs</b> – Determine how many teams make the playoffs and which NFL weeks those games will be played</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Waiver Wire</b> – Outline rules for waiver wire pickups including how many free agents a team can add, the selection order, etc.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Trades</b> – Create a process for allowing/vetoing trades. You may implement a voting policy where other league owners can veto a trade if it is clearly one-sided.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nNext up is deciding how to track and record the statistics for your league. In most leagues, owners receive reports that show the preceding week’s results and summarize season-to-date standings. You can tackle this reporting task in one of two ways:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Use a free <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/top-10-fantasy-football-hosting-sites/\">fantasy football hosting site</a> (recommended).</b> Major players like ESPN, Yahoo!, NFL, and so on now offer fantasy football platforms that will automatically track player and team stats for you. Auto-tracking takes the manual work out of conducting scores for each player and each team every week. These platforms also track performance in real-time, so you can stay updated on your fantasy score by the minute!</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Calculate the stats yourself. </b>This is the good, old-fashioned (and most time-consuming) way to do your league’s stats. All you need to calculate the team’s stats manually are pen and paper, a calculator, and the sports page.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Use a free fantasy football hosting site for your league. Using a service allows you to focus solely on playing the game (the fun stuff) rather than worrying about all the administrative and stat-keeping junk (the boring stuff). It may be a good idea to test between the major hosting sites to see if one platform suits your league better!</p>","description":"If you want to, you can start your own fantasy football league. It only takes a few steps, and you’re ready to begin the season. Here’s how:\r\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Recruit enough friends, co-workers, or neighbors so that you have eight or ten teams. (Each person fields one team.)</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Definitely keep to an even number of teams. Scheduling is too difficult with an odd number of teams.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Alternatively, you can start a <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/how-to-join-fantasy-football-public-or-private-leagues/\">public league</a> online where random players may elect to join your league.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Name your league and have each owner name his or her team.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Each owner must submit a team name. (Get creative!)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Select a date for your annual player draft.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">This date is when you choose the players for your team, also known as the fantasy football draft. The weekend before the start of the NFL regular season usually works best for hosting your draft.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Agree on an entry fee.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">This dollar amount can be as high or low as you like. Pool the entry fees together to form the “pot,” the cash paid out as prize money to the lucky winners. Not all leagues need an entry fee — you can also play for fun, and for bragging rights!</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Your first order of business after setting up your league is to appoint an almighty commissioner. The commish arbitrates any and all disputes that crop up (and controversy rears its ugly head in most leagues).</p>\r\nOnce a commissioner is in place, draw up a set of written league rules. Feel free to customize the so-called standard rules of fantasy football — the goal is to minimize disputes during the season while still keeping everything fun. Here are some rules that you are able to customize as the league commissioner:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Scoring</b> – Select how much fantasy points a player gets for each action (yard gained, touchdown, reception, etc.)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Playoffs</b> – Determine how many teams make the playoffs and which NFL weeks those games will be played</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Waiver Wire</b> – Outline rules for waiver wire pickups including how many free agents a team can add, the selection order, etc.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Trades</b> – Create a process for allowing/vetoing trades. You may implement a voting policy where other league owners can veto a trade if it is clearly one-sided.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nNext up is deciding how to track and record the statistics for your league. In most leagues, owners receive reports that show the preceding week’s results and summarize season-to-date standings. You can tackle this reporting task in one of two ways:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Use a free <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/sports/fantasy-sports/fantasy-football/top-10-fantasy-football-hosting-sites/\">fantasy football hosting site</a> (recommended).</b> Major players like ESPN, Yahoo!, NFL, and so on now offer fantasy football platforms that will automatically track player and team stats for you. Auto-tracking takes the manual work out of conducting scores for each player and each team every week. These platforms also track performance in real-time, so you can stay updated on your fantasy score by the minute!</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Calculate the stats yourself. </b>This is the good, old-fashioned (and most time-consuming) way to do your league’s stats. All you need to calculate the team’s stats manually are pen and paper, a calculator, and the sports page.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Use a free fantasy football hosting site for your league. Using a service allows you to focus solely on playing the game (the fun stuff) rather than worrying about all the administrative and stat-keeping junk (the boring stuff). It may be a good idea to test between the major hosting sites to see if one platform suits your league better!</p>","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34014,"title":"Fantasy Football","slug":"fantasy-football","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34014"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":263347,"title":"Fun Football Slang: Get a Handle on the Terminology/Terms","slug":"fun-football-slang-get-a-handle-on-the-terminologyterms","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","sports-recreation","fantasy-sports","fantasy-football"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/263347"}},{"articleId":263342,"title":"Football Trivia: Answers to Questions You May Be Too Afraid to 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Fantasy Football Articles

Draft 'em. Trade 'em. Win or lose, you'll have a ton of fun playing fantasy football.

Articles From Fantasy Football

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Fantasy Football Fantasy Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 06-30-2022

Fantasy football is a fun, competitive, and addictive hobby. Get your fantasy season started by drafting players to build a solid team and using coaching tips to keep your team going strong. If you need to improve on a position, try some strategies for trading players and acquiring free agents. Keep a guide handy of important league dates so you don’t miss anything exciting or an opportunity to improve your fantasy football team.

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Fantasy Football Fantasy Football Keeper Leagues

Article / Updated 01-25-2022

So you want to join a keeper league but you are not quite sure about how it works, the keeper league rules, or if it's for you. If this sounds about right, keep reading. Keeper leagues offer fantasy football owners the opportunity to keep a certain amount of players from year to year. Retaining players helps maintain continuity with each team and offers a new interesting dynamic for fantasy football. Keeper leagues bring new and exciting gameplay and lets owners "build" a team over the course of many seasons. If you play your cards right, you can create a winning tradition and become a dynasty in your league for years to come. Sometimes the season may not go as you planned, and keeper leagues open up a new dimension to strategy that traditional leagues simply do not offer. If it becomes clear that your team is not going to be competing for trophies, the best you could do in a traditional league is be a good sport and try to play the spoiler role, or win your consolation playoffs. In keeper leagues, you could instead focus on how to make your team better for future seasons. You could trade off one of your older, more productive veterans to teams competing for the playoffs, for one of their younger rising stars. There are many different ways to approach and be successful in a keeper league; keeping both the present and future in mind is always important. How keeper leagues work Keeper leagues work virtually the same as a normal fantasy league, except that each team gets to keep a certain number of players from year to year. Each fantasy owner will get to select which players they get to keep, and teams will keep the same number of players in most cases. In the first season, the draft is performed as any other fantasy draft would be. Depending on the league rules, typically five to ten players are kept from each team, and all other available players, plus any rookies, will be available for the next available draft. In the extreme, dynasty leagues offer a chance for fantasy owners to keep all of the players from last season, and only rookies are drafted. There are many different ways to implement keeper leagues — and no single correct way. Discuss the idea with your fellow league members, and decide what works best for you. Common keeper league rules In addition to keeping players from year to year, fantasy football keeper leagues can offer a wide array of other options and rules. Stipulations on keeping a player are commonly based on his tenure, total team tenure, draft position, or player salary, among other criteria in certain leagues. Player tenure is a concept that means a player can only be kept for a fixed number of seasons before he has to be released back into the free agent pool to be redrafted. For example, a league might have rules that simply state "All teams can keep up to five players, but no player can be kept for more than four seasons in a row." Team tenure is a concept that increases cost the longer a certain player is on the team. Instead of being allowed a fixed number of players, a team is allowed a fixed number of seasons during which they could keep any combination of players. For example, if the fixed number was ten seasons, you could keep one player ten years in a row, or ten players for one year, or any combination in between. Draft position is a way of associating cost with the player whom is being kept. Generally, if you keep a player who was drafted in the first round of last season, you will have to give up your first-round pick of this seasons draft. Some leagues even stipulate that certain top-tier rounds cannot be kept, or have a high cost associated with them in auction leagues, particularly for keeping a highly drafted player year after year. Player salary, for these purposes, has to do with a player's auction value, not his actual personal salary. The cost may continue to rise for every season an individual player is kept without being released back into free agency. If a player is purchased for $5, that cost might double every season he is kept, making it impractical to keep players for several years. In addition to these concepts, leagues may want to implement certain guidelines and rules for trading players. At times, teams may have wildly different goals, some trying to win now, some trying to build for the future, and this all must be kept in mind when regulating trades. Some leagues may have some form of a salary cap, preventing teams from having too many protected, high-value players simultaneously. However, auction leagues might simply rise the cost associated with these players. Other leagues might discourage giving up on the current season by having a draft lottery, making it not guaranteed you will get a high pick next season if your team performed badly in the previous season. Some leagues may be more forgiving and offer the lowest ranked competitors the highest draft picks the following season. Tips/strategy for managing a keeper team League rules can be among the most important factors in deciding strategy for your fantasy football keeper league. How many players start at each position, scoring modifications, and rules for keeping players are some of the more important factors in managing your keeper league season after season. You should get to know your leagues rules and any scoring modifications, so you can make wise choices on which players to pick up and which to drop for the long haul of a keeper league. You'll also want to keep players from year to year based on their past performances and projected performances for future seasons. A young star running back could be the mainstay of your team for several years, but if you see production or opportunity drop, along with rising age, the value for keeping that particular player may not be there after many years. You will have to weigh your options among your returning players and decide which ones are most important to you. To help strengthen your team, you could always try initiating trades with other members in your league. There are many situations where a trade can help both teams in keeper leagues. One side might benefit in the current season, while the other may be in better shape for the future. Some fantasy owners might even intentionally pick up mostly younger players in the hopes that they culminate into a squad of fantasy superstars one day. Others may value experience and opportunity more, and attempt to be competitive every year. The choice is yours.

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Fantasy Football Fantasy Football Team Management

Article / Updated 08-25-2021

After you draft your fantasy football roster, you have to be proactive and manage your team each week. Learning how to manage your fantasy football team is critical if you want to win your league. The most important responsibility a fantasy coach has is to field the best possible team every week. The easiest way to stay in the game and in the championship picture is to make sure you have a complete and competitive lineup before the NFL games begin each week. Here are some common reasons why you need to change your starting lineup each week to stay competitive: Injuries: Injuries happen in the NFL often; they're part of what makes fantasy football challenging. If your best player gets knocked out for the season, you'll be hard pressed to find a worthy replacement. However, with a little research and by counting on your draft depth, you can insert capable players into your lineup each week. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/majorosl 2008 Follow the injury report. The NFL teams designate injured players with a P (probably) or greater than 75 percent chance of playing, Q (questionable) or 50 percent chance of playing or D (doubtful or less than 25 percent.) Typically, a player designated “P” is started without worry and a player with a “D” designation will probably not play or see much action if played so they should be avoided. The “Q” players are the worrisome ones because they can go either way. Watch for injury reports and pay special attention to pregame news so you don’t get stuck with a player who is listed as inactive at the last minute. If you have a player labeled “Q,” and he is playing in the late games or night games, you should be very careful. Most of the time you won’t know if that player is going to play until after the early games have started so a lot of your bench may already be locked. In that case, look to play one of your bench players instead to avoid taking a zero. Some leagues put all players on automatic waivers come the start of games on Sunday (and any players who may have played in the Thursday night game on that day). Make sure you make any add/drops prior to that happening. Other than the Thursday players, a good rule of thumb is to have your lineup pretty well set on Saturday and leave Sunday for the last second injury substitutions. Matchups: Each fantasy team has a core of stud players that must start every week when healthy. But when making choices at your other lineup positions, you need to consider each NFL game and which of those matchups are more likely to give your fantasy players the best chance to produce. When setting your weekly lineup, there is one rule that should govern all: PLAY YOUR STUDS! Often times fantasy owners will out-think themselves by trying to play the matchup or avoid a player competing in a bad weather situation. You drafted a player with a high draft pick . . . play him that way. A team is not always filled with stud players. In that case, matchup, weather, and injury factors will need to be taken into consideration when choosing among some players. Do your research before the game and be aware that many things can change hours even minutes before a game can start. Bye weeks: During the season, each NFL team has a bye week, during which you need to bench the team's players. If you prepare for your draft correctly, these open dates won't come as a surprise, and your bench players will be ready to contribute. Performance: Athletes tend to play in streaks, either hot or cold. When making the tougher lineup decisions, you can check the stats for the last few games and see who's playing well and who needs to take a seat on your bench. Be patient with your stud players. Every player will have a bad week or two. Try not to make any rash moves with your core group of players. Every league provider has different rules governing player movement. Always know your league rules and settings before you draft your team and play the game. Know when your lineup locks. Many leagues lock the individual players once their games start. Some leagues lock the entire lineup on the start time of the first game. And in some instances that can be Thursday evening. Make sure your line up is set when it has to be. During the season, you can add or drop players to replace injured players or to upgrade at positions of need in one of three ways: The free agency pool: In Yahoo! default leagues, all undrafted fantasy players begin the season as free agents, which means they're available to be added to your roster at any time. Many free agent pickups will surprise you and become staples in your lineup. The waiver wire: If another team drops a player, the player goes on waivers for a limited time before becoming a free agent. All coaches then have a set amount of time (usually two days) to decide whether to add him to their teams. This allows for fair acquisition players that are dropped based on the waiver priority system and not just who can get to the computer fastest. To add a player on waivers, you must drop a player from your roster. If you have the highest waiver priority — set in reverse order of your draft at the start of the season — you're awarded that player. After a claim is awarded, your waiver priority drops to the lowest number. If no owner puts a claim in for a player that is on waivers, and the waiver period has ended, that player will become a free agent, and any team can pick that player up at any time. Trading with other owners: If free agency doesn't help, it may be time to make a trade offer. Of course, making a good trade is easier said than done because you have to give up someone good in order to get someone good. Trading is often difficult for novices as many will want to acquire a stud player but be very hesitant to give one of his or her core players. If you are determined to make a trade, you should strive for equity in your early negotiations. Identify where you are either lacking or have depth and try to utilize that to your advantage. For example, you have three quality starting RBs (running backs) but only one quality WR (wide receiver.) You could try to find a team in the opposite situation and trade a RB for a WR; both teams win. A more advanced scenario might be that you have three quality RBs and very little bench depth, and you have many players going on a bye soon. You can take that one quality RB and trade him for two or three lesser quality players to give you some help during the bye weeks. Of course, if you acquire three players for one, you would need to drop some players to meet the roster requirements. A good fantasy owner is making moves often. Maybe not every week, and maybe the starting lineup doesn’t change much, but active owners are always looking for better bench players, speculative pickups that could reap future rewards, or potential trades that could better position themselves for playoff push. Remember: this is YOUR team, you make the calls. You can get advice from every expert or check every ranking, but make your own call. If your gut is telling you to play someone, then do it.

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Fantasy Football Running Plays in Football

Article / Updated 11-15-2019

Football offenses, whether in high school, college, or professional games, uses a certain set of running plays. Here are some basic running plays used in all of football: Blast or dive: The simplest of carries. Usually led by a blocking fullback, the running back takes a quick handoff from the quarterback and hits a hole between an offensive guard and a tackle. The offense calls this run when it needs a yard or two for a first down. The runner lowers his head and hopes to move the pile before the middle linebacker tackles him. Counter: An intentional misdirection run on the part of the offense. The quarterback fakes a lateral toss to one back who’s heading right, running parallel to the line of scrimmage. The quarterback then turns and hands off to the remaining runner in the backfield, generally a fullback, who runs toward the middle of the line, hoping to find an opening between either guard and the center. Draw: A disguised run, which means it initially looks like a pass play. The offensive linemen draw back like they’re going to pass-protect for the quarterback (QB). The quarterback then drops back and, instead of setting up to pass, he turns and hands the ball to the runner. The goal of every draw play is to get the defensive linemen charging at the quarterback, only to be pushed aside by the offensive linemen at the last second. To fool the defense with this run, a team must have an above-average passing game. Off-tackle: A strong-side run, meaning the halfback (HB) heads toward the end of the line where the tight end, the extra blocker, lines up. The runner wants to take advantage of the hole supplied by the tackle, tight end, and his running mate, the fullback (FB). He can take the ball either around the tight end, as shown in the following figure, or outside the tackle. He hopes that the fullback will block the outside linebacker. Pitch: The quarterback (QB) takes the snap and fakes a handoff to the first back (HB), who’s heading directly toward the line of scrimmage; he then tosses (or pitches) the ball laterally to the other runner (FB), who has begun to move to the outside. The runner can either take the pitch outside or cut back toward the inside. Pitch plays can be designed to go in either direction. Reverse: The halfback (HB) receives the handoff from the quarterback (QB) and then runs laterally behind the line of scrimmage. (The play can be designed for the back to run in either direction.) The ball carrier meets up with a wide receiver (WR) or flanker running toward him and then hands the ball to that receiver or flanker. The offensive line blocks as if the ball were intended for the halfback so that the defensive players follow him. After the receiver is in motion and has the ball, he runs in the opposite direction, or against the flow of his own blockers. Slant: This run is exactly like it sounds. Instead of running straight toward the line of scrimmage, the runner (HB) slants his angle outside after he receives the ball. A slant is used to take advantage of defenses that overpursue, allowing offensive linemen to be more effective by pushing the defenders to one side. Sweep: Begins with two or more offensive linemen (which in this figure are labeled as LG and RG) leaving their stances and running toward the outside of the line of scrimmage. The ball carrier (HB) takes a handoff from the quarterback (QB) and runs parallel to the line of scrimmage, waiting for his blockers to lead the way around the end. The run is designed to attack the defensive end, outside linebacker, and cornerback on a specific side. Trap: Teams don’t use this run very often because it requires quick and agile offensive linemen, and most teams use big blockers these days. On the trap, a guard (LG in the following figure) vacates his normal area, allowing the defensive player to cross the line of scrimmage and have a clear lane into the backfield. The guard from the opposite side then moves across the line and blocks the defender. This action by the guard is called pulling, hence the term pulling guard. The trap play has to be well-timed, and after the ball carrier receives the ball, he must quickly dart through the hole behind the trap block. Veer: A quick-hitting run in which the ball can be handed to either running back, whose routes are determined by the slant or charge of the defensive linemen. The term veer comes from the back veering away from the defense. The quarterback (QB) hands off to the halfback (HB), who veers to the right behind his blockers. College teams run this play more often than pro teams do because it generally requires a quarterback who’s quick-footed and an excellent ball-handler — in other words, a quarterback who can run if he has to.

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Fantasy Football Football Players' Roles in Team Offense and Defense

Article / Updated 11-15-2019

Whether on an offensive or defensive line, each player in a football lineup has a specific job to do. Each player/position has a specific role to play. The offensive positions are shown in the lower half of the following figure, and the defensive positions are shown in the upper half. The offense and defense face each other across the line of scrimmage. The line of scrimmage is simply the spot on the field from which the football is hiked. The figure shows the 4-3 defense (a four down linemen and three linebacker scheme) lined up against a strong-side-right offense. These lineups are common in the NFL, as well as at other levels of football. Football offensive positions The offense's primary job, as a team, is to move the ball down the field and score — either by touchdown or kicking a field goal. There are other ways to score as well, but those are primarily left to special teams. Within the offense, the functions are divided among these key positions: QB = quarterback: The leader of the team. He calls the plays in the huddle, yells the signals at the line of scrimmage, and then receives the ball from the center. Then he hands off the ball to a running back, throws it to a receiver, or runs with it. C = center: The player who snaps the ball to the quarterback. He handles the ball on every play. RB = running back: A player who runs with the football. Running backs also are referred to as tailbacks, halfbacks, and wingbacks. FB = fullback: A player who’s responsible for blocking for the running back and also for pass-blocking to protect the quarterback. Fullbacks, who are generally bigger than running backs, are short-yardage runners. WR = wide receiver: A player who uses his speed and quickness to elude defenders and catch the football. Teams use as many as two to four wide receivers on every play. TE = tight end: A player who serves as a receiver and also as a blocker. This player lines up beside the offensive tackle to the right or the left of the quarterback. LG and RG = left guard and right guard: The inner two members of the offensive line, whose jobs are to block for and protect the quarterback and ball carriers. LT and RT = left tackle and right tackle: The outer two members of the offensive line. Football defensive positions The defense's primary job, as a team, is to keep the offense from scoring — by tackling members of the offense, intercepting the ball, and generally preventing the offense from moving the ball close enough to their goal to create a scoring opportunity. Within the defense, the functions are divided among these key positions: DT = defensive tackle: The inner two members of the defensive line, whose jobs are to maintain their positions in order to stop a running play or to run through a gap in the offensive line to pressure the quarterback or disrupt the backfield formation. DE = defensive end: The outer two members of the defensive line. Generally, their jobs are to overcome offensive blocking and to meet in the backfield, where they combine to tackle the quarterback or ball carrier. On running plays to the outside, they’re responsible for forcing the ball carrier either out of bounds or toward (into) the pursuit of their defensive teammates. LB = linebacker: The players who line up behind the defensive linemen and generally are regarded as the team’s best tacklers. Depending on the formation, most teams employ either three or four linebackers on every play. Linebackers often have the dual role of defending the run and the pass. S = safety: The players who line up the deepest in the secondary — the last line of defense. There are free safeties and strong safeties, and they must defend the deep pass and also the run. CB = cornerback: The players who line up on the wide parts of the field, generally opposite the offensive receivers.

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Fantasy Football How Quarterbacks Call Plays and Audibilize during Football Games

Article / Updated 11-15-2019

In American football, the quarterback relays to his teammates in the huddle what play the coach has called. The football play is a mental blueprint or diagram for every player on the field. Quarterbacks are also allowed to audibilize, or change the play at the line of scrimmage. A changed play is called an audible. Quarterbacks usually audibilize when they discover that the defense has guessed correctly and is properly aligned to stop the play. Everything the quarterback says in the huddle refers specifically to the assignments of his receivers, running backs, offensive linemen, and center. For example, the quarterback may say “686 Pump F-Stop on two.” Here’s how that breaks down: 686: The first three numbers are the passing routes that the receivers — known as X, Y, and Z — should take. Every team numbers its pass routes and patterns, giving receivers an immediate signal of what routes to run. On this play, the X receiver runs a 6 route, the Y receiver an 8 route, and the Z receiver another 6 route. F-Stop: Refers to the fullback’s pass route. Two: Refers to the count on which the quarterback wants the ball snapped to him. In other words, the center will snap the ball on the second sound. Most teams snap the ball on the first, second, or third count unless they’re purposely attempting to draw the opposition offside by using an extra-long count. For example, if the quarterback has been asking for the ball on the count of two throughout the game, he may ask for the ball on the count of three, hoping that someone on the defense will move prematurely. After the quarterback reaches the line of scrimmage and puts his hands under the center, he says “Set” (at which point the linemen drop into their stances) and then something like “Green 80, Green 80, Hut-Hut.” The center snaps the ball on the second “Hut.” “Green 80” means absolutely nothing in this case. However, sometimes the quarterback’s remarks at the line of scrimmage prior to the snap count inform his offensive teammates of how the play will be changed. The offensive linemen also know that the play is a pass because of the numbering system mentioned at the beginning of the called play. Teams give their plays all sorts of odd monikers, such as Quick Ace, Scat, Zoom, and Buzz. These names refer to specific actions within the play; they’re meant for the ears of the running backs and receivers. Each name (and every team has its own terms) means something, depending on the play that’s called. A quarterback may also use an offensive strategy known as check with me, in which he instructs his teammates to listen carefully at the line of scrimmage because he may call another play, or his call at the line of scrimmage will be the play. To help his teammates easily understand, the play may simply change colors — from Green to Red, for example.

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Fantasy Football American Football Terms and Definitions

Article / Updated 11-15-2019

To understand and enjoy American football, get familiar with key terms and what they mean. Until you grasp basic football lingo, listening to announcers call an NFL football game can be like listening to monkey gibberish. The following list fills you in on the basic American football terms you need to know: Backfield: The group of offensive players — the running backs and quarterback — who line up behind the line of scrimmage. Down: A period of action that starts when the ball is put into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead (meaning the play is completed). The offense gets four downs to advance the ball 10 yards. If it fails to do so, it must surrender the ball to the opponent, usually by punting on the fourth down. Drive: The series of plays when the offense has the football, until it punts or scores and the other team gets possession of the ball. End zone: A 10-yard-long area at each end of the field. You score a touchdown when you enter the end zone in control of the football. If you're tackled in your own end zone while in possession of the football, the other team gets a safety. Extra point: A kick, worth one point, that's typically attempted after every touchdown (it's also known as the point after touchdown, or PAT). The ball is placed on either the 2-yard line (in the NFL) or the 3-yard line (in college and high school) and is generally kicked from inside the 10-yard line after being snapped to the holder. It must sail between the uprights and above the crossbar of the goalpost to be considered good. Fair catch: When the player returning a punt waves his extended arm from side to side over his head. After signaling for a fair catch, a player can't run with the ball, and those attempting to tackle him can't touch him. Field goal: A kick, worth three points, that can be attempted from anywhere on the field but is usually attempted within 40 yards of the goalpost. Like an extra point, a kick must sail above the crossbar and between the uprights of the goalpost to be ruled good. Fumble: The act of losing possession of the ball while running with it or being tackled. Members of the offense and defense can recover a fumble. If the defense recovers the fumble, the fumble is called a turnover. Handoff: The act of giving the ball to another player. Handoffs usually occur between the quarterback and a running back. Hash marks: The lines on the center of the field that signify 1 yard on the field. Before every play, the ball is spotted between the hash marks or on the hash marks, depending on where the ball carrier was tackled on the preceding play. Huddle: When the 11 players on the field come together to discuss strategy between plays. On offense, the quarterback relays the plays in the huddle. Incompletion: A forward pass that falls to the ground because no receiver could catch it, or a pass that a receiver dropped or caught out of bounds. Interception: A pass that's caught by a defensive player, ending the offense's possession of the ball. Kickoff: A free kick (meaning the receiving team can't make an attempt to block it) that puts the ball into play. A kickoff is used at the start of the first and third quarters and after every touchdown and successful field goal. Line of scrimmage: An imaginary line that extends from where the football is placed at the end of a play to both sides of the field. Neither the offense nor the defense can cross the line until the football is put in play again. Offensive line: The human wall of five men who block for and protect the quarterback and ball carriers. Every line has a center (who snaps the ball), two guards, and two tackles. Punt: A kick made when a player drops the ball and kicks it while it falls toward his foot. A punt is usually made on a fourth down when the offense must surrender possession of the ball to the defense because it couldn't advance 10 yards. Red zone: The unofficial area from the 20-yard line to the opponent's goal line. Holding an opponent to a field goal in this area is considered a moral victory for the defense. Return: The act of receiving a kick or punt and running toward the opponent's goal line with the intent of scoring or gaining significant yardage. Rushing: To advance the ball by running, not passing. A running back is sometimes called a rusher. Sack: When a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of yardage. Safety: A score, worth two points, that the defense earns by tackling an offensive player in possession of the ball in his own end zone. Secondary: The four defensive players who defend against the pass and line up behind the linebackers and wide on the corners of the field opposite the receivers. Snap: The action in which the ball is hiked (tossed between the legs) by the center to the quarterback, to the holder on a kick attempt, or to the punter. When the snap occurs, the ball is officially in play and action begins. Special teams: The 22 players who are on the field during kicks and punts. These units have special players who return punts and kicks, as well as players who are experts at covering kicks and punts. Touchdown: A score, worth six points, that occurs when a player in possession of the ball crosses the plane of the opponent's goal line, when a player catches the ball while in the opponent's end zone, or when a defensive player recovers a loose ball in the opponent's end zone.

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Fantasy Football Fantasy Football Auction Leagues and Rules

Article / Updated 10-29-2019

If you are looking to up your fantasy game, auction draft leagues are a great place to start. Auction leagues offer a unique challenge in fantasy football, where players are nominated and bid on, as opposed to standard leagues where teams take turns drafting players. It will certainly spice up your draft and create a new and interesting strategy throughout the fantasy season. Auction league definition — how it works Auction leagues work virtually the same as standard leagues except for the way in which players are drafted. Instead of each team taking its turn to draft a player, each team will take turns nominating a player to be bid on. In standard auction leagues teams will have a fixed draft budget, starting at 200 points. In many cases these points are assigned a monetary value, and the draft is essentially conducted like a real auction. After a player has been nominated to be drafted, teams can begin to place bids on the player. The team with the highest bid will win the player, and the amount bid will be deducted from that team's budget. This will continue on until every team has a full roster of players. Generally each team is restricted to a maximum bid for an individual player. The maximum bid is determined by taking each team's remaining budget and subtracting the number of empty slots available on each roster. In other words, if you have 15 roster spots and 200 draft points available and you bid 41 points on Adrian Peterson in the first round and win the bid, you will have 14 roster spots and 159 available points, making your next maximum bid 145. Common auction league rules Auction leagues come in a wide variety of rules and regulations. Standard leagues will generally have a 200 point budget for the draft and a 100 point budget for picking up free agents. When these points are gone, no more transactions can be made, so bid with caution. For simplicity sake, some leagues will revert to a non-auction league format after the draft has concluded, where the salary cap and player values no longer apply. Other leagues may take it one step further, however, and have a total salary cap for the entire season. In this format the points used for the draft and for free agent acquisition are the same. This can create some wildly varying strategies as some teams will use their entire budget in the draft, and others will save some budget to make room for free agents on the rise throughout the season. Auction leagues are commonly combined with keeper leagues as well. Generally teams will have a separate budget for keeper players only. Common options also include having fixed increase of cost for each year a player is kept. For example, a league may stipulate that for every year a player is kept his cost will increase 5 points. So for example, if you got a player for 12 points and wanted to keep him, the following year he would cost you 17, and if you kept him again the season after that his point value would be 22, and so on. Another option, which isn't as popular, is holding teams accountable for dropping players. In this format if you drop a player you will lose his (fantasy) salary off of your remaining salary cap. In other words, if you draft a player for 10 points and then drop him, you will lose those 10 points off of your total salary cap for the remainder of the season. Strategy for managing an auction league team Managing an auction league team will be largely the same as any other fantasy team after the draft. The key points are to be well prepared before the draft so you have a good gauge on player values, and to maintain flexibility in your roster, whether it be through solid backup players, or from having available free agent points to pick up any available players on the rise. Because of the limitations on how many transactions you might be able to make, teams will generally take a more cautious approach trading and picking up free agents in auction leagues. In standard leagues it is common for teams to make free agent waiver pickups week by week, picking up a player or defense with a good matchup. That strategy is much more expensive in this format and could result in a team not being able to make critical changes late in the year if a problem arises within their roster. Free agent waiver pickups are handled in a completely different way than in standard leagues as well. Instead of there being a waiver priority (based on team rankings in reverse order), all teams have an equal chance at getting any available free agents. It simply comes down to whom has the highest bid, so again, having a good knowledge of player value can be paramount to your success.

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Fantasy Football How to Fill Out Your Fantasy Football Roster

Article / Updated 10-29-2019

When draft day arrives, all the owners in a fantasy football league gather at a central location or log into the specified web service’s draft utility and meet virtually. The goal for each owner is to draft a team roster of 15 to 18 players. How many players to draft at each position is up to you, but the traditional combination of players to draft: two quarterbacks, four running backs, four wide receivers, two tight ends, two kickers, and two defense/special teams (punt and kickoff return) units. Each owner selects one player at a time. Generally, the online service randomly chooses the order or, if drafting offline, the commissioner draws numbers out of a hat to determine the draft order. The owners make their picks in order for the first round. Then they reverse this order for the second round, what's called a snake draft. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/spxChrome 2009 For example, in an eight-person league, Owners 1 through 8 make the first eight selections in order, completing the first round. Then as the second round starts Owner 8 gets the ninth pick, Owner 7 gets the tenth pick, and so on down to Owner 1, who makes the sixteenth and seventeenth picks, and so on until all owners fill their rosters. Before the draft, designate two people to record all the player selections. Accurate records can help resolve conflicts that may arise later. Alternatively, your fantasy football rosters can be updated online, in Excel charts, or even on a community draft board. A draft board can help every owner see each person’s team as it's being selected, which is extremely useful for live drafts. Fantasy football starting lineups Each week, you enter a starting lineup made up of the following players: one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one flex position (can be an RB, WR, or TE), one tight end, one kicker, and one defense/special teams (punt and kickoff return) unit. You draft an entire team’s defense and special teams. If your team’s defense or special teams unit scores a touchdown, records a safety, or performs various defensive feats like an interception, a fumble recovery or records a sack you get points. Fantasy football bench players The remaining players are reserves. These players’ statistics don’t count while the players sit on your bench; instead, reserves serve as backups for your starting lineup. Here’s why reserves are important: They replace poor-performing starters: If your quarterback, for example, plays poorly, you can replace him in your starting lineup the following week with your backup quarterback. They replace injured starters: If your star running back breaks his leg (gasp!), you simply start your backup running back the following week. They replace players on bye weeks: Each NFL team has one bye week. Because of bye weeks, you need to insert backup players for your starters whose teams aren’t playing that week. It’s important to choose all your drafts carefully in fantasy football, including your reserves. Although reserve players’ statistics don’t count while the players sit on your reserve squad, they are important because they replace poor-performing starters, they replace injured starters, and they replace players on bye weeks. Maintaining a strong fantasy football team roster filled with potential stars, role players, and backups is critical to performing well throughout the whole season.

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Fantasy Football How to Start a Fantasy Football League

Article / Updated 10-29-2019

If you want to, you can start your own fantasy football league. It only takes a few steps, and you’re ready to begin the season. Here’s how: Recruit enough friends, co-workers, or neighbors so that you have eight or ten teams. (Each person fields one team.) Definitely keep to an even number of teams. Scheduling is too difficult with an odd number of teams. Alternatively, you can start a public league online where random players may elect to join your league. Name your league and have each owner name his or her team. Each owner must submit a team name. (Get creative!) Select a date for your annual player draft. This date is when you choose the players for your team, also known as the fantasy football draft. The weekend before the start of the NFL regular season usually works best for hosting your draft. Agree on an entry fee. This dollar amount can be as high or low as you like. Pool the entry fees together to form the “pot,” the cash paid out as prize money to the lucky winners. Not all leagues need an entry fee — you can also play for fun, and for bragging rights! Your first order of business after setting up your league is to appoint an almighty commissioner. The commish arbitrates any and all disputes that crop up (and controversy rears its ugly head in most leagues). Once a commissioner is in place, draw up a set of written league rules. Feel free to customize the so-called standard rules of fantasy football — the goal is to minimize disputes during the season while still keeping everything fun. Here are some rules that you are able to customize as the league commissioner: Scoring – Select how much fantasy points a player gets for each action (yard gained, touchdown, reception, etc.) Playoffs – Determine how many teams make the playoffs and which NFL weeks those games will be played Waiver Wire – Outline rules for waiver wire pickups including how many free agents a team can add, the selection order, etc. Trades – Create a process for allowing/vetoing trades. You may implement a voting policy where other league owners can veto a trade if it is clearly one-sided. Next up is deciding how to track and record the statistics for your league. In most leagues, owners receive reports that show the preceding week’s results and summarize season-to-date standings. You can tackle this reporting task in one of two ways: Use a free fantasy football hosting site (recommended). Major players like ESPN, Yahoo!, NFL, and so on now offer fantasy football platforms that will automatically track player and team stats for you. Auto-tracking takes the manual work out of conducting scores for each player and each team every week. These platforms also track performance in real-time, so you can stay updated on your fantasy score by the minute! Calculate the stats yourself. This is the good, old-fashioned (and most time-consuming) way to do your league’s stats. All you need to calculate the team’s stats manually are pen and paper, a calculator, and the sports page. Use a free fantasy football hosting site for your league. Using a service allows you to focus solely on playing the game (the fun stuff) rather than worrying about all the administrative and stat-keeping junk (the boring stuff). It may be a good idea to test between the major hosting sites to see if one platform suits your league better!

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