Fantasy football is a great way to add engagement to the NFL season. I mean, when else does the Jacksonville vs. Oakland game really matter?
But, if you feel like your fantasy football league is in a bit of a rut, it’s time to make some changes to liven things up. Here, then, are 5 strategies to add some fun to your fantasy football league.
5 Ways to Add Fun to Your Fantasy Football League
1.) Draft NFL coaches to teams — Here’s one way it can work. If your drafted coach’s team wins the weekly game, your fantasy football team gets 4 points. If he loses, you subtract 4 points from your team total. And here’s a variation: if your coach’s team wins by more than 21 points, you get an additional 3 points (if he loses by 21 points, take off an additional 3 points). So, at most, a coach’s role can only account for + or – 7 points. It won’t make or break most game outcomes, but it adds another layer.
2.) Incorporate weekly payouts — From your FFL dues, incorporate payouts for the highest scoring team each week. It keeps non-playoff teams interested each week and makes for a more interesting league. You might also consider payouts for the owner who has the highest scoring player or the owner whose team has the highest overall point total – including bench scoring.
3.) Exchange awards and smack talk certificates throughout the season — Everyone knows that half the fun of fantasy football is the communication that takes place between owners. It’s not just the pre-game taunts, but it’s also the trash talk after games and through the play-offs. The Cranky Commissioner™ has made the easier with a line of smack-talking, fantasy football certificates covering everything from “Fantasy Football Champion” to “Worst Team Name.” They’ve recently added 5 more certificates to the mix – “You Crushed It,” “Toilet Bowl Champion,” “Pay Up,” “Homer,” and “Dead Fish – Uncommitted Owner Award” – bringing the total to 35 awards. All for $20 or $5 per individual certificate.
4.) Scheduling 3 double-header weeks — If your fantasy league got off to a late start, or just to add more fun, try scheduling 2 games per team 3 weeks during the season. Each team can submit different line-ups for each respective game. By adding 3 more games, the better teams should prevail and it will make the regular season game count more like the NFL. If a typical fantasy football league has 13 regular season games and 3 playoff weeks, you can up the regular season to 16 games while maintaining the 3 playoff weeks.
5.) Create a Facebook page for your fantasy football league — Create a Facebook league page that is closed to members only that provides a forum for standings, stats and smack talk. It’s a fun and easy way to keep owners involved throughout the season.
The commissioner of your league sets the tone for the entire season. Make sure you pick a commish who had a good understanding of fun! Have a great fantasy football season.
