| Fantasy football has experienced exponential | | | | would be to just pick the favored teams. |
| growth over the past decade. What started as | | | | Unfortunately, this is a widely-used approach |
| fun way for diehard geeks to manage their own | | | | within straight-up Pick 'em Pools, so you'll have to |
| make-believe team has morphed into a way for | | | | mix in a few upsets to differentiate your picks |
| even casual fans to stay engaged throughout the | | | | from other pool members. |
| season. | | | | Point Spread Option |
| It's no secret that Fantasy Football is big business. | | | | In variation "b", choosing the right side becomes |
| All the major networks have implemented tickers | | | | an even greater challenge. Now you're battling |
| with running statistical updates on skill players in an | | | | wits with the oddsmakers. Points are awarded |
| effort to increase viewership, knowing that a | | | | only when you choose the team that covered |
| spectator with vested interests in a specific | | | | the spread. Though it may sound like a |
| player's performance is much more likely to | | | | conservative figure, if you can somehow manage |
| continue watching a lopsided affair than one only | | | | an accuracy rate of 55%, you'll have a very good |
| interested in the final outcome. Meanwhile, purists | | | | chance of winning your pool. |
| of the game are dismayed by the rising craze | | | | With fantasy sites now offering to manage your |
| and suggest that the focus on fantasy sports | | | | pools for free - many may offer alternatives that |
| puts undo emphasis on the individual player and | | | | deviate from the two methods above, including |
| diverts attention away from what is actually the | | | | - Pick X Pools - the same concept discussed here, |
| most important aspect of the battle: the final | | | | but focus on picking your best 5 or 10 games, for |
| score. | | | | example |
| Variety is the Spice of Fantasy Life | | | | - Double plays - where a handful of games are |
| Today, many online fantasy services are | | | | awarded higher values based on your certainty of |
| attempting to appeal to purists and geeks alike by | | | | the outcome |
| offering a variety of options from which to | | | | - Using Totals - these pools add choices for |
| participate. Confidence Pools and Survivor Pools | | | | picking the total points (Under/Over) to the |
| have grown in popularity, but the oldest | | | | choices |
| adaptation of all has begun to experience a recent | | | | - Drop Weeks - this option allows you to drop |
| renaissance. Pick 'em Pools are as straight-forward | | | | your lowest scoring week(s) so your season is |
| as gaming gets, and over the course of the year, | | | | not ruined by a few bad choices made during that |
| represent a true test of the participant's NFL | | | | weekend on campus reliving your college |
| knowledge. | | | | escapades (you will have to face the |
| PICK 'EM VARIATIONS | | | | consequences for certain bad choices as there |
| With a Pick 'Em Pool, the object is simply to | | | | are no real "Get out of jail free" cards) |
| choose which teams you feel will win or cover | | | | Regardless of which configuration you end up in, |
| the point spread. This is done by eithera) choosing | | | | Pick 'em Pools are a great way to create a |
| the outright victorb) choosing the point-spread | | | | captivated interest in every game, week in and |
| winner | | | | week out. So if you're looking for a good |
| Outright Winner Option | | | | complement to traditional Fantasy Football, |
| In variation "a", if you correctly choose the | | | | consider the Pick 'em Pool and make the game's |
| winning team, you are awarded a point. In the | | | | outcome as relevant as your player's |
| end, the individual that accrues the highest number | | | | performance; thereby satisfying the purist, the |
| of correct selections wins. A simple strategy | | | | gambler and the geek that lives in all of us. |