Sports Fanatic l September 09, 2010 l Football season is upon us, and for many that means betting on games and scores. With the right expertise you stand a small chance of winning, but your odds diminish as you leave the fate of your hard-earned money to players who fail to show up for the game. This is why fantasy sports are a great alternative.
Rookies
Fantasy leagues are your best chance at testing your abilities as a pro team’s general manager. You draft some of your favorite players based on expectations and hope they deliver. You can trade, manage salary caps, waive, drop, and do just about anything a typical sports manager would do only virtually, attempting to rack up the most points based on player stats.
It’s a great way to prove you truly know the game and can compete with your boys (or girls) in the process. And no matter your flavor of professional sport, from football to hockey, there’s a league out there for you.
Free Agents
Try your luck with one of these fantasy leagues for free at CBS Sports, ESPN, and Yahoo Sports.
While most leagues cover the essential stats and rankings, some encourage premium accounts with more in-depth statistics, kits, and chances to win money. While this sounds great, your chances of winning are as tiny as Maurice Jones-Drew, so I’d stick to the free stuff and enjoy the satisfaction of defeating everyone without defeating your budget.
Score
While we all enjoy watching sports, playing the game can be just as thrilling. You’ll feel you’ve truly scored as your team’s players’ stats increase with every hit, yard, and point. And with all the money you’re saving playing fantasy sports instead of gambling or buying the next Madden game, you might just be able to afford a ticket to see some of your fantasy players in action!
Starting Lineup
If you’re looking to start your own league you’ll want to:
- Decide whether it’s open to everyone or by invite only and to how many people
- Set the draft, trade, drop/waive, and free agency rules
- Determine the scoring criteria: This is based on stats and depends entirely on the sport
- Track the draft
Stick to your goals, have some fun, and your chances of having a great sports season could be as big as Zdeno Chara.
