A quick start guide for fantasy sports game newbies – tools, resources, platforms to help you

The fantasy sports gaming industry is currently thriving with around a fifth of all US adults now participating in fantasy sports. While football remains the most popular sport overall, there are also a growing number of participants in fantasy games for baseball (MLB), basketball (NBA), hockey (NHL) and soccer, with both the MLS and Premier League attracting players from far and wide.

The thrill of owning and managing a team, socializing with other fans and attempting to win games for a variety of cash rewards draws millions of people to fantasy sports leagues every year. However, for newcomers without any experience in online sports games, the whole process can appear overwhelming. Fear not though, with just a few tools and resources, and the right selection of sports games, you can jump on board and experience the excitement of these games for yourself.

A quick start guide for fantasy sports game newbies – tools, resources, platforms to help you

How to get started

Many players choose to compete against people they know, with friendly rivalries with friends, family and coworkers adding an extra level of interest to games during a league season. While this can make it easier, it is not a prerequisite as online platforms now allow players around the country to compete against each other. Even if you don’t have a circle of fantasy sports friends, you can still enjoy all of the games available today.

To begin, you should first take a look at the points system and rules for the game as these differ depending on the sport and league. While the algorithms behind these systems are complex, the task of selecting players is relatively straightforward. When playing a fantasy football game, you select your players, plan drafts and buy, sell and trade as you see fit as the league progresses.

A great tool for the NFL is the Fantasy Football Calculator, which allows you to complete mock drafts and analyze data and stats to help you make better decisions when you start playing in the fantasy league. If you need assistance with selecting a good line up, you can also use “lineup optimizers” such as Draft Dashboard. These optimizers use stats and projections to come up with a roster that is perfectly suited to your NFL team.

For those playing soccer fantasy games, tracking the prices of players each week is important too as you will be able to make several transfers to improve your team for the next round of matches. FPL Statistics is one of the best for analyzing price movements, and it provides a wealth of other useful information too.

Other resources you can review include sports news sites and blogs. Many will have sections specifically for fantasy sports with guidance about which players are in form and forecasts for the upcoming matches for the week. These sites may also have additional tools like trade finders and league analyzers to help you pick your team.

Outside of traditional websites, you should also try and follow fantasy sports-based social media accounts and “influencers” who provide insights and up-to-date information about the leagues. There are also tutorials and how-to videos on YouTube that can guide newcomers on fantasy leagues. Taking a look at what people are saying on Reddit and other forums can give you inspiration too.

Where to play

Fantasy sports players have a number of platforms to choose from including one of the largest operating today in terms of registered users and depositing players, Monkey Knife Fight. The company was founded by Bill Asher, who currently serves as CEO and has been instrumental in its rise as the “fastest-growing” site for fantasy sports in North America.

Monkey Knife Fight currently offers a range of daily fantasy sports (DFS) games with a “unique easy-to-play” format to assist new players, who can pick favorite players from favorite teams and compete in a user-friendly environment. Asher expects the recent acquisition to help the platform “grow and develop” even more in the coming years.

Daily fantasy sports (DFS) are slightly different from fantasy sports as they are essentially a fast-tracked or accelerated version that take place over shorter time periods. Instead of competing during a whole season, DFS games can be completed in just a week or a single day of a particular event. This makes them a great entry point for beginners who may not want to commit to a game in the long term.

DFS has become more mainstream in recent years, attracting new fans and increasing engagement with sports as they can be enjoyed alongside TV broadcasts during big games. Platforms like Monkey Knife Fight offer enticing prizes too with paid competitions running regularly for fans across different leagues.

With so many fantasy sports league sites to get started on and a wide range of tools to help you select players and make traders, it has never been easier to enjoy these games. They run year-round too, so you will always be able to dive into fantasy sports to test your managerial skills and compete against players worldwide.

Josh Linus
Josh Linus
Josh can talk films for hours on end, discussing the really good cinema, the really bad, and anything in between. He enjoys everything - from epic fantasies to horror, from rom-coms to crime and action thrillers, from sci-fi to musical dramas.
RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular