by Tony Samboras
There is very little difference between playing fantasy football for cold hard cash and wagering on NFL games. Participants are constantly on the troll for the best sports betting system and best betting strategies, looking for that key advantage. One of the key differences is fantasy sports participants take it down to the player’s level.
Getting It Wrong
When wagering on sports, you have one shot to be right. You get it wrong and you lose immediately. This is even true when you place a futures wager on winning the Super Bowl or on the number of wins a team will have in a season. When participating in fantasy football leagues, you are afforded opportunities to make adjustments as the season progresses. These adjustments are made through trade or through the use of the waiver wire. The reality is most people can derive very little benefit from a trade since most trades will trend towards being balanced. With the waiver wire, you can make strategic decisions that can literally turn your season around. That makes the waiver wire your best friend.
Understanding Your League’s Waiver Rules
Claiming players from waivers is not always as easy a picking up one player and releasing another. Each league has a set protocol on how waivers will be treated. In some leagues, it might be first-come-first-serve while in others a priority system is in place to dictate who gets who and when. There might even be a bidding system for the acquisition of players on waivers. As a manager, it is very important for you to understand your league’s rules in order to maximize your ability to use the waiver wire effectively.
When to Seek Refuge From Waivers
Obviously, injured players need to be replaced. That much is clear. It’s when managers need to start looking at player performance that mistakes get made. As a manager, you don’t have the luxury of holding onto players who aren’t producing. You have to be willing to face the facts (stats) and make decisions accordingly. A slumping player is a slumping player whether he was an All-Pro last year or a bench warmer. How many times have you seen a starting quarterback go down and the team’s wide receivers take a big hit to their stats? When it becomes evident a player’s level of contribution will not serve your needs, it’s time to admit the mistake and start looking for players who are available and have been making the kinds of contributions that will bolster your team.
What to Look for From the Waiver Wire
As a good manager, you eyes should be pinned to the waiver list. Of course, everyone is looking for the players who have a breakout week, but caution is warranted. One game does not make a streak. Even if a player does breakout, your priority number or bidding power might put you behind several other managers who are seeing the same thing. The way you get an advantage is by looking for players who are trending upwards. Perhaps they started the season on the bench. An injury or two gets them playing time and they start getting involved in the offense. Bam! That’s the guy you want. You might be one injury away from having a top 10 performer at a given position. It’s far better to carry a couple of these types of players than to carry starters who statistically rank towards the bottom of their position.
By applying the concepts behind using the best sports betting system or some of the best betting strategies, you can learn to become a better fantasy sports manager. The key to success is learning to see what other don’t see and using that to your advantage. Remember this; More than a few leagues have been won because of waiver wire acquisitions.