The NFL by far is the most popular league there is when it comes to betting on sports and it is also at the top of the list when it comes playing any number of the Daily Fantasy Leagues that are now available all over the internet.
Daily Fantasy Leagues for each week in the NFL are becoming a very lucrative way to cash-in on the games, but you have to know what you are doing when it comes to selecting your actual team. In an ongoing series covering DFL for the NFL, the following is Part 2 of some insider tips for cashing-in on these one-day contests.
While the basic premise of how a DFL works may be the same from one fantasy league site to the next, each individual DFL’s scoring system is not. You should always make yourself extremely informed into just how each daily league is scored and adjust the way you draft your team accordingly.
One site might award one point for each reception, while another one may lower this to just half a point. This could have a huge impact on your draft as you may want to focus on short yardage possession receivers that rack-up more catches than yards if you are getting a full point for receptions.
Another point difference that can have a big impact is for passing touchdowns. Some sites offer as many as six points, while others may have the point total for a passing touchdown set at four points. This could have a big impact on which direction you go at the quarterback position.
The bottom line is to understand each DFL’s point system and then look for ways to draft a team that gives you the best chance to fully exploit the values.
One of the biggest problem with the popularity of the NFL is that the days leading up to that week’s games are completely saturated with media coverage. Anytime a player or a coach makes a sound bite at practice or in a news conference about that week’s game it suddenly becomes a major story.
Just because the head coach states that he probably will not use his star running back as much as planned does not mean you should shy away from drafting that player for Sunday’s game. Most times statements that come out of any NFL head coach’s mouth are meant to be a smoke screen for their true intentions for an upcoming game. You always have to remember teams are trying to win a game and you are trying to win a DFL.
Along with avoiding smoke screens and other chatter, you also have to develop a reliable means for getting the honest truth when it comes to injuries. This is much easier said than done, since very few teams will let on just how hurt any player is let alone the ones filling the top skill positions.
One of the best places to turn to for accurate injury reports are sports betting sites that publish weekly match up cards. Oddsmakers, handicappers and sports betters in general rely heavily on accurate injury reports in relation to the betting lines set for the games. While you might hear someone on ESPN telling everyone that a team’s quarterback is highly doubtful for Sunday’s game since they have not practiced all week, the truth of the matter may be that he is just being held out to get some extra needed rest.
The flip-side to this is also knowing which players are really out. Often times you can pick-up a backup at a bargain price and if they play in the right offensive system it could pay some huge dividends come that Sunday.