So, what’s the first thing you need to know to having a winning season in fantasy football?  Knowing what fantasy football is would probably be the choice.  Fantasy football is a game, largely played on the internet where people create “fantasy” (that is, fake) teams out of various players from numerous teams.  Each week, fantasy teams are matched up against each other, and compete for the most “fantasy” (that is, really fake) points. 

So how do you get points?  Well, that depends on the scoring setup, but almost every league scores skill players (that is, quarterback, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends) based on the number of passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards, and touchdowns the individual players get in that week’s real-life game.  That’s the most important thing to remember, which can be difficult to grasp for some.  Fantasy sports are entirely dictated by the real-life player’s performance in real-life games.  Fantasy teams typically have, in addition to the skill players, a full defensive unit (though there are some “Individual Defensive Player” leagues, which let you draft single defensive players) and a kicker.  Defenses usually gain points by accumulating sacks, getting safeties, turnovers, bringing turnovers in for touchdowns, and, most importantly, by not letting their real-life opponent score too many points*.  Kickers typically get points for making field goals and not screwing up the PATs (but they are scored in the same way any other player is if they fake the field goal).  At the end of the day, the game combines the points from all your players and the guy with the higher score wins. 

That’s the basic gist of fantasy football but, obviously, there’s a lot more to it. 

*There’s some important info about defensive scoring setups in the Alternative Scoring section.  To be honest, the scoring section is probably the most important in this guide.