Sports Talk

Fantasy football for first-timers: a few things I wish I'd known

The season is close and a few people here mentioned they'd be starting fantasy for the first time, so here's what I learned the hard way in my first year.

Don't spend all your budget on attackers. Cheap defenders from solid teams are worth more points than people expect. Check fixtures for the first five or six weeks, not just week one. And most importantly, don't make transfers after every bad weekend. Points hits add up, and half the time the player you sold scores the next week.

Join a mini-league with friends. Losing to people you know is much more motivating than a global rank.