Fantasy football has exploded in popularity in the UK over the last decade. Creating a league with your family and friends can be a great way to make following the Premier League or other football leagues even more engaging and exciting. Here are some tips to help you create a fun and competitive fantasy football league that everyone will enjoy.
Decide on League Settings
The first step is to decide on the basic league settings and structure – you can use an action planner to record ideas and tasks to complete. Key decisions include:
- League size – Consider how many people you want to invite and how many teams the league should have. 8-12 teams is a good size.
- Scoring system – Will it be standard scoring or will you use a custom scoring system? Make sure everyone agrees.
- Roster positions – How many forwards, midfielders, defenders, goalkeepers, etc. will each team have? Popular formats are 2 forwards, 5 midfielders, 5 defenders, 1 goalkeeper.
- Draft format – Will the draft be live, online, or auto? Live drafts are most fun.
What website or app will you use to manage the league?
Here are some of the most popular and user-friendly platforms for tracking fantasy football league standings and stats:
- ESPN Fantasy Football – ESPN’s platform is free, easy to use, and provides great league management tools. It offers live scoring, news, projections, and more.
- Yahoo Fantasy Football – Similar to ESPN, Yahoo provides free leagues with good customisation options, stat tracking, mobile apps, and integrated news and analysis.
- NFL Fantasy Football – The official NFL fantasy platform has improved in recent years. It’s free and has good integration with NFL.com news and stats.
- CBS Sports Fantasy – CBS offers full featured free leagues with live scoring, projections, player news, and flexible customisation.
- FleaFlicker – FleaFlicker offers a no-frills free option focused on just stats and standings tracking. It has mobile apps and is quick and easy to use.
- Fantrax – Fantrax is the most robust option with deep customisation for scoring, rosters, and league settings along with detailed stats and analytics. It has a premium fee.
- Google Sheets – For a manual, self-managed approach, Google Sheets provides free spreadsheet templates to track standings and stats yourself.
The best options balance ease of use with good customisation features and mobile accessibility. Make sure to consider your league’s needs and technical abilities when choosing a platform. Taking the time to learn the platform’s functionality will ensure a smooth fantasy football season.
Make It Competitive and Fun
Once you’ve settled on the settings, focus on ways to keep everyone engaged and having fun competing:
- Charge an entry fee – £10-20 per team makes people take it more seriously. Award prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
- Host a live draft party – Make the draft a social event with food, drinks, and banter.
- Allow trading – Enable teams to trade players during the season to improve their teams.
- Create rivalries – Play up friendships or family rivalries to increase competition.
- Add side games – Mini contests like most points per week or best lineup can add extra incentives.
Communicate Effectively
Make sure everyone knows where to find rules, standings, rosters, and how to make pickups/trades. Effective communication ensures a smooth season.
- Send a league welcome email before the draft reviewing all rules and settings.
- Use email, text, or WhatsApp for league announcements and reminders.
- Appoint co-commissioners to help address issues and questions.
- Set reminders for important dates like the draft, trade deadlines, and playoffs.
Make Sure Everyone Stays Engaged
A fun league requires active and engaged participation from all teams throughout the season. Some ways to help maintain involvement include:
- Send weekly recaps and highlights to recap the week’s top performers.
- Give the last place team an embarrassing punishment to avoid tanking.
- Set punishments for not setting lineups to avoid abandoned teams.
- Schedule a live watch party for a big matchday with food and drinks.
- Plan an end-of-season trophy presentation party to celebrate the champion.
Adjust as You Go
Don’t be afraid to tweak rules and settings as you go if something isn’t working. The first season of a new league always involves some trial and error. Have a group discussion at midseason and make changes if needed to improve the league for the next season. The goal is to make the league as fun as possible for everyone involved!
Creating a successful fantasy football league takes effort but the enjoyment it adds to following football is well worth it. Use these tips to help set up your league and make it an engaging experience for all your family and friends. The camaraderie and excitement of fantasy football can provide hours of entertainment during the long football season.
