Hey there, with the lockout finally lifted and the new league year set to officially begin later today tons of fans are getting back into football. Some of us have been here for quite some time now, but others may just be starting to embrace this sport.

With that said, I would like to introduce our new fans to the world fantasy football.  Maybe you’ve never heard of it before, maybe you’ve heard it mentioned but never got around to trying it, or maybe you have played but never really “got” it. Whatever the case, I want to put something out there to try to explain what fantasy football is. I remember when I first started playing, I was confused because no one bothered to explain anything to me. I ended up picking all my favorite players from Madden and went on to have a terrible season. So don’t be like me, it’s no fun...trust me.

So, what is Fantasy Football?

Fantasy football is a strategy game where owners (you) put together a “Fantasy” team. Have you ever daydreamed about having Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, and Aaron Rodgers on the same team? Fantasy football can make that possible.

I mean, sure, Aaron Rodgers won’t actually be handing the ball off to Frank Gore, but the idea is that each individual player’s performance belongs to you.

How does it work?

Like real football, it all starts with the draft. Just as the NFL Draft is instrumental in putting together a great team, the fantasy draft is the most important event for fantasy owners. This is where you pick your players. The order is randomized and then alternates every round so there is no good or bad spot to be picking in. 

Like this:

1,2,3,4 then 4,3,2,1 then 1,2,3,4

After the draft, you are free to sign free agents (players that went undrafted) and even swing some trades. There are many strategies to this and I’d be glad to explain them in depth in the comments section.

But here’s the most important question: Why play at all?

Well, for one its quite fun to manage an actual “team” and if you like sports then you probably have a competitive nature about you. Don’t you want to point and laugh at a front page writer when you beat them? 

Fantasy football also gives you an opportunity to expand your football horizons. Without fantasy football, I probably wouldn’t even know who Peyton Hillis is or who he plays for. Now I know him as the guy that scored 20 points against me every time I saw him. Fantasy football makes watching non-49er games exciting (or you can gamble...but I’m a family man so I don’t condone that ;)...) and it gives you an excuse not to visit [insert annoying person’s name here] when the 49ers have a BYE week.

So, if you’re interested in trying fantasy football be sure to let Fucillo know when he posts the sign-up thing on the front page again. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask in the comments section. I’ll try to post fantasy related posts throughout the season and will be offering my non-expert advice.