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A Newbies Guide to Zealots Field It's tough being the new guy. Whether you're the new kid in school, arriving for the first day on your new job, or standing at the stadium trough for the first time; being the new guy can be challenging. Although not as intimidating as the "trough", joining a Zealot Field for the first time can be scary.
Most folks who join Zealot Field Leagues are experienced fantasy football players looking for a new challenge. They're certainly going to find it as a Zealots Field owner. Whether you are joining an existing league or a new league, the challenges are great. I should know: It's my first year in a Zealots Field and I'm having a hard time staying at .500. To help you newbies out there get your bearings, here are some tips to help you succeed in a Zealot Field league: 1. Know the Scoring System and Lineup Requirements It may seem obvious, but many new owners fail to properly understand the scoring system when joining a new league. In a Zealots Field league, you start many offensive and defensive players and you need to understand how each of these players earns points. You also must understand what lineup combinations are valid and draft accordingly. Even though it is a dynasty league, make projections for the upcoming year and use the Zealots Field scoring system to determine the value of each player and each position. Try to get a good mix of established veterans and up-and-coming youngsters at each position and definitely get some solid depth. Read and re-read the Zealots Field Rules to familiarize yourself with your new league. 2. Interact with the Other Owners (Without Being a Richard) Zealots Field offers a number of ways to contact owners. Do it! Offer other owners trades by e-mail, add them to your IM and chat with them if they are online, post on your league message board, do what it takes to get to know each owner. Ask their opinion on players. Ask for help if you don't know the rules. Get to know their favorite teams. Learn who they are high on and who they dislike. Not only is it fun to interact with other fantasy football fanatics, but you can glean information that may help you down the road in a trade or in the rookie draft. Most of the reason Zealots Field leagues are so enjoyable is because you get to meet new people who share your love of fantasy football. And then proving you belong by kicking their team's <expletive deleted>. 3. Scouting is Important
Pay attention to where the rookies end up. Talent is only half of the picture - opportunity is as important. Don't forget to look at the Average Draft Position for other Zealot Field Leagues so you know where the players you covet will fall. Generally a Google search of Zealot ADP will get you what you need. 4. Be an Active Trader It's a dynasty league. You're really only going to add talent through the rookie draft (see rule number 3) and through trades. So why not throw some trades out there? If you're in your first year and don't think you'll make the playoffs, trade some veterans to playoff-bound teams for draft picks. If you have a shot, trade some picks for veterans. Identify your strengths and weaknesses, target players you want and offer your strengths to improve your weaknesses. myfantasyleague.com has a trading block utility - use it. Read what other owners have available and try to work out a reasonable trade. If you don't like what's available at your draft position, try to trade down for picks and players. If a player you covet starts dropping, trade up to get him. Be active trading and you can really reshape your team. Most owners are willing to trade as long as they feel it's a fair offer. When you propose a trade, be a crafty salesman. Show the other owner how the offer will benefit their team. Don't get mad if they turn you down. Always keep trade talks amicable. If you are trading draft picks, familiarize yourself with their worth. Check previous draft results to see what was taken and when. That will help you determine what your picks are worth. Analyze other trades in other Zealots Field leagues to see what people are trading. 5. Be Wary of Most Trades Proposed to You in Your First Year It's sad, but true. Experienced owners will try to take advantage of you. They'll offer you trades where they are the clear winner. And, since you've joined a new league with new lineup requirements and scoring rules, you're at a disadvantage. These sharks smell chum and will try to get your draft picks or young players for old, washed up "name" players. But follow rule 2 when rejecting these trades: State a strong rationale and never, ever, ever, insult the owner. Politely say thanks, but no thanks. Or make a strong counter-offer. 6. Always be on the Lookout for Talent and Opportunity You've got a big roster, use the end of the bench for talented head cases who slipped in the draft or workaholic undrafted free agents that coaches just can't cut. Scour fantasy football message boards for dynasty information, watch the preseason games to see if any of the third-stringers stand out. Identify injury risks or underperforming players and, if you feel their backups are talented, go after them and stash them on your bench. Try to find some high reward players on the cheap. 7. Don't Forget About Defense If you haven't played in an IDP league before, get to know the value of your defensive players. In the NFL, defense wins championships. Although that isn't going to happen in Zealot Field leagues, if you've got one of the top scoring defenses in your league, odds are you're going to be a playoff contender. Every Zealot knows offense, but defense can be where you can distance yourself from others. Take "box score" players: players who have a lot of tackles, assists, sacks and force turnovers. Although often these are the "name" players, you can get great value by picking up lesser-known guys on bad teams who fill the box score week in and week out. It's also important to draft the high scoring positions: Generally, you're going to want defensive ends in your starting lineup over defensive tackles. Weak-side linebackers and middle linebackers generally score more than strong-side linebackers. Safeties will generally score more than corners, but don't be afraid to pick up corners from Tampa 2 schemes - they generally make more tackles than other non-Tampa 2 corners and get their fair share of interceptions. 8. There is No Off Season To succeed in a Zealot League you need to be prepared to make it a year-round endeavor. The free agency period occurs just after the season ends, and it's important you take part. Even if you don't identify players you want, bid. Bid up players other folks obviously want. Your goal should be to make others spend $1,000 for every player they want. If you end up with some players you don't want, no big deal. Try to trade them to guys who were interested. Or stash them at the end of the bench. If you've got money, throw your weight around. If you don't, put a lot of players up for bid who are in the news and sit back and watch the bidding war begin. Then, hopefully, you can get the players you want later in the free agency period when other owners' pockets have been lightened. 9. Have Fun Hey, it's just a game. Have fun, talk a little (clean) smack. Tell some jokes. Watch some football. Don't obsess about your team. Don't take it out on the dog when you lose. Get to know some fantasy football fans. Remember, it's just a hobby. If you have any comments or questions, please contact the Zealots Field Press writing staff at writingstaff@zealotsfield.commm. |
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©2010 Zealots Field. All Rights Reserved. Zealots Field is not associated in anyway, affiliated with, endorsed, or licensed by the National Football League, any NFL team, or the NFLPA.
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It's a dynasty league and if you are a new
owner in an existing league you are probably taking over a bad team
or in an expansion draft with very little quality. Even if you are
joining a new Zealot Field league, you're going to build a dynasty through
the rookie draft. Get to know players. Pay attention to the combine,
read every draft story you can, watch what I like to call the Meat
Market Bowls (Senior Bowl, East-West, etc.). Go to your 7th grader's
football practice and see if any of the DBs can backpedal without
falling over. OK, so that might be overkill. But it's important that
you gather as much information as you can on every player. Just
imagine how fun it will be to gloat after selecting a talent like
Marques Colston in the 6th round.