Fantasy Football Beginner's Guide To Drafting A Championship-Caliber Team

Michael Fabiano | Jul 30, 2025

Saints RB Alvin Kamara has long been a fantasy football superstar in PPR (Points Per Reception) scoring systems. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

I've been in the fantasy sports business for 25 years, giving advice to the masses for fantasy baseball, basketball and of course, football. But since I've moved to football on a full-time basis (way back in 2006), I have to admit that I'm far less of an "expert" in some of the other major fantasy sports. After all, my focus is on the NFL world and fantasy football.

Sure, I can tell you the entire New York Yankees roster from top to bottom (yes, I'm a die-hard fan of the Bronx Bombers), and I know the value of the big-name players across the league. However, I couldn't tell you who is part of the Arizona Diamondbacks rotation, who plays center field for the Cincinnati Reds or who’s the starting catcher for the Kansas City Royals.

So, when I participate in fantasy baseball drafts, I sometimes struggle to figure out who to pick in the middle-to-late rounds. That’s because I'm not up on all the sleepers, players to avoid, potential breakouts, etc. without getting help from good buddy Tristan H. Cockcroft (ESPN baseball expert). Since I’m no longer an expert in this sport, I’m a lot like people who are just starting to play fantasy football … looking for help and advice on how to win.

As a result, I’m going to go through everything you, the fantasy football beginner, needs to know to prepare for your draft and pick a team that can win a championship. After all, I just went through it myself in my baseball league a few months ago (and I’m in second place)!

Beginners Guide to Fantasy Football

Know Your League’s Rules And Scoring System

These days, there are no shortage of different league types. I’m going to assume for this exercise that you’re playing in a seasonal (redraft) league and not a keeper, dynasty or best-ball league. A seasonal draft is exactly what it sounds like … you draft a team for one year.

You also need to know what your roster and lineup requirements are before your draft. How many running backs or wide receivers do you start? Does the league have flex spots, which allow you to start a running back, wide receiver or tight end? Is there a super flex spot that allows you to start one of those three positions or a quarterback? Has your commissioner eliminated the kicker or defensive positions, or are those required? How big is the bench?

These are all questions you need to have answered before the draft. You’ll also need to know the scoring system, which is extremely important to drafting a successful team.

The more popular scoring systems are standard, PPR (Point Per Perception) and Half PPR (Half Point Per Reception). In a standard league, you usually get four points for passing touchdowns, six points for all other touchdowns, one point for every 25 passing yards and one point for every 10 rushing or receiving yards. You don’t get any points for receptions, though, and that’s made the standard format a bit less popular in recent seasons.

In PPR and Half PPR leagues, you either get a full point for a reception or half a point for a reception. That makes a huge difference, as players who catch a lot of passes will have far more value than in a standard league. For example, Giants wideout Wan’Dale Robinson had just 699 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season. Those aren’t great totals. However, his impressive 93 receptions made him an asset in PPR/Half PPR leagues.

Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase will be the top overall pick in many 2025 fantasy football drafts. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Know your fantasy football draft spot

Although there are some that have fewer or more teams, typical fantasy leagues have 10 or 12 teams. I’ll assume a 12-team league for this exercise, so you’ll have a draft pick between No. 1 and No. 12.

If this is a snake draft, which is the usual format, the draft will “snake” each round. So, if you have the first pick in Round 1, you’ll have the last pick in Round 2 and the first pick in Round 3, and so on and so forth. Once you have your spot determined, it’s a good idea to look at mock drafts to see how teams were built from that particular spot.

I have also covered how to draft from all 12 positions and what to expect in terms of players who could be available and the positions you should target. While the draft strategy won’t change much in the middle to late rounds based on draft spot, how you start the build will.

Print out rankings for all positions

Once you know your league's rules and scoring system, you should find a list of appropriate player rankings to use during the draft. That will help you in terms of player values and also keeps you updated on players who have been picked.

I have rankings for many different types of leagues, including PPR, Super Flex, Dynasty Startups and Rookie-Only fantasy drafts. These rankings are updated daily (as needed), so you will always have the most updated list!

In addition, you should look at average draft position (ADP) data. That will tell you, on average, where a player or players are being picked in similar drafts. Most fantasy football sites have this data, and it can be useful for those who aren’t necessarily in the know who want to avoid making a pick that might be far too soon or miss out on a player too late.  

Compile a list of potential sleepers

In my fantasy baseball leagues, I needed help in determining sleepers or breakout players I should target in drafts. If I did that, I might have known to take a chance on players like Cal Raleigh (who I drafted despite never hearing of him before!) or Pete Crow-Armstrong.  

In terms of fantasy football, anyone who was smart enough to draft Bo Nix, Chase Brown or Brian Thomas Jr. last season know how these players became the difference between a good, competitive team and one that contends for a fantasy league championship.

On Sports Illustrated, I have compiled a list of my five favorite breakout and sleeper players at the four major positions … quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end. You can use these as a guide to picking players who could be values in the mid-to-late rounds.

Breakout QBs; Breakout RBs; Breakout WRs; Breakout TEs

Sleeper QBs; Sleeper RBs; Sleeper WRs; Sleeper TEs

Don’t draft with only your heart

I get it. You're an Atlanta Falcons fan and you want Michael Penix Jr. on your fantasy team. Drafting players from your favorite team makes the whole experience fun, after all. However, you don’t want to reach for a player just because he’s on your team.

Based on the ADP data at FantasyPros, Penix Jr. isn’t coming off the board until around the 140th pick (Round 12). So, if you rush to pick him say in Round 8, then you’re missing out on getting more valuable players. I can see targeting Penix Jr. a round earlier than ADP, but don’t go too nuts!

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley was one of the elite players in fantasy football leagues last season. Can he do it again? / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Don’t draft last year’s best team

I have to credit my dear friend Bob Harris from FootballGuys for this piece of advice. You have to remember that the NFL is often times unpredictable, so drafting the same players who were great last season doesn’t guarantee a repeat performance. This is more for the players who came out of nowhere the previous season, as most of the elite players like Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson or Bijan Robinson are likely to remain great regardless.

Still, you should know why there is cause for concern when it comes to Saquon Barkley’s value in 2025. You should be aware of players coming off what I call “magical seasons” who will have a tough time repeating those performances. This also leads into the notion that you can’t always just “draft a name.” Big names don’t always equate to big fantasy totals.

How did that work out for you last year with Patrick Mahomes?

While the past obviously matters in terms of statistical success and player values, you should be looking ahead at what a player could become rather than what they were. That’s how you find breakout players and sleepers while also avoiding potential fantasy busts.

Finally ... have fun!

I'm as competitive as the next guy or gal, but fantasy football isn't just about winning ... it's about having fun! The draft experience is fun, winning is fun, making trades is fun! And unless you play in a million leagues likes me, you probably won't have to spend all day setting lineups, making add/drops, etc. ... you'll have plenty of time for friends, family and most importantly, your significant other!