Fantasy University: Course 101 — What is fantasy football and how do you play?
So, you did it — you enrolled in Fantasy University for the 2024 football season. It’s time to learn everything and anything about fantasy football to make you a winning, successful player — with a ton of fun to be had along the way.
But first things first, let's start with the basics. You've probably heard people talking about fantasy football at one point or another, but if you’re in this class, that means you’re probably wondering … what the heck is this game about anyway?
What is Fantasy Football?
To put it most plainly, fantasy football is a game ABOUT a game, with fake teams made up of real-life NFL players. It is a game that enhances and builds upon the fun of weekly NFL action, and it’s even a way to engage with people and make lifelong friendships — whether close to home or across the country.
The game itself is represented by the accumulation of points for REAL-LIFE players on a given fantasy team based on the actual statistics those players obtain on the NFL field. If you’re able to score more fantasy points than your opponent, then you win that particular week’s matchup. Win enough weekly matchups throughout the season and you’ll secure a spot in the fantasy playoffs. Keep advancing and win your fantasy championship game to collect the laurels after that!
Not too different from the real-life NFL, right?
That said, there is a lot that goes into fantasy football. But don’t worry — Fantasy University has you covered with all of the ins and outs of the game in later courses, but let’s start with the fundamentals.
How do I get/create a fantasy football team?
On Yahoo, you can join a league or create one yourself. These leagues are either public or private. Anyone can join a public league, while private leagues are limited to folks who receive an invitation from the person who created the league (AKA, the league’s commissioner) or someone else already in the league. Private leagues are perfect for friends, family and/or coworkers, but you can also join a free unfilled public league with friends — this is a new feature on Yahoo.
Public Free Leagues are a great low-stakes way to try playing fantasy football for the first time. Want to have something more than pride on the line and aren't focussed on playing with friends and family? Yahoo offers Public Prize leagues with an entry fee, starting as low as $5. Managers are randomly placed in these leagues since you can't play with friends or family with a monetary award at stake.
If you do want to play against people you know for a prize, Private leagues are a great fit. Usually, this is done using a payout structure; league members pay a fee, and the fees are tabulated at the end of the season and paid out to the league’s winner(s). It’s up to the discretion of the commissioner and the league members to decide whether the league is a winner-take-all league, or if the top three players get paid or … you get the point! The world is your oyster in a private prize league!
Leagues range from anywhere between four players to 20-plus — it all just depends on what kind of league you want to be in. This is another difference between public leagues, which have 10 teams for football — no more, no less.
I’ve joined a league — now what?
This is where things get fun. Now that you’re in a fantasy football league, it’s time to draft a team. Yes, just like the real-life NFL, your eventual team is selected via a draft (with some caveats, of course — more on drafts in the next course!).
But while you wait for your draft date to come, why not start customizing your team? You can name it (or, wait until you draft and name it something creative, like something involving your star player’s name!), give your team a profile avatar and more. If you’re in a private league, you can discuss the ultimate prize further — as well as a hilarious punishment for the eventual last-place finisher!
The important thing is you’ve joined or created a league and you’re ready to start drafting — and take it from us: drafting is one of the most impactful and entertaining aspects of fantasy football.
Let’s get to it.
Next course ⏩️ 102: How to draft
