| Most people who've played fantasy football are | | | | down in the win department to catch a wild card |
| familiar with the idea of a head-to-head league: | | | | slot. However, in a Rotisserie league, this simply |
| your team of players goes head-to-head against | | | | isn't a problem: you're playing for Rotisserie in |
| another league team that week; your squad gets | | | | various categories throughout the year, not |
| a win, loss, or a tie, and then you move on to the | | | | head-to-head victories and there are no Divisions. |
| next week. The best record at the end of the | | | | 4. Late-season flukes are less of a problem. If |
| regular season in each division makes playoffs, | | | | you know Peyton Manning is only going to play 2 |
| and so on. But you may not be aware that | | | | quarters in the season finale because the Colts |
| there's another interesting option out there: | | | | have their playoff spot locked up, you might have |
| Rotisserie leagues. | | | | to worry in your head-to-head playoff game. This |
| Here's how Rotisserie leagues work. Each week | | | | is not quite as much a problem in Rotisserie |
| your players accumulate stats in a variety of | | | | leagues, where again you're looking for Rotisserie |
| different statistical categories, and those stats are | | | | from your categories. You might have most of |
| added to your category totals moving forward | | | | Peyton's categories already locked up yourself by |
| throughout the year. Highest scorer in a 12-team | | | | the time the season finale rolls around. |
| league at the end of the year in each category, | | | | 5. Everyone plays the whole year. Instead of |
| such as Rushing Yards, gets 12 points and the | | | | head-to-head leagues where the post-season |
| second-highest scorer gets 11 points, and so on. | | | | starts in week 15 or week 16, most Rotisserie |
| Then, in Receiving Yards, the highest scorer gets | | | | leagues give all owners the opportunity to play all |
| 12 points, just like with Rushing Yards. The | | | | of the weeks of the season, and it can get tense |
| categories (Rushing Yards, Receiving Yards, | | | | trying to build up those final points categories in |
| Passing Touchdowns, and many more) are | | | | the late weeks. |
| determined by the League Commissioner at the | | | | Strategy Rotisserie leagues are very different on |
| beginning of the year, and the winner of the | | | | a week-to-week basis than traditional |
| league is the team owner who's accumulated the | | | | Head-to-Head fantasy football. You're not playing |
| most final category points at the end of the year. | | | | against a certain opponent, and you're not going |
| Rotisserie Leagues vs. Head-to-Head Leagues | | | | to have as much reason for trash-talking. But that |
| Does this scoring system seem odd? Rotisserie | | | | doesn't mean there isn't quite a bit of strategy to |
| leagues are definitely a different way of thinking | | | | observe. Here are some key strategy points. |
| about fantasy football, but some analysis of the | | | | - Get used to trading players more often. You'll |
| differences may give you a real interest in this | | | | find yourself down in certain categories and up in |
| alternative. There are several points worth | | | | others, and you'll need to play out these |
| considering. | | | | imbalances throughout the season by trading for |
| 1. Basement owners still have a chance to win. In | | | | the categories in which you're weak. |
| a head-to-head league, if you've ever been the | | | | - Balance, grasshopper. Instead of grabbing |
| team whose team loses its first 3 or 4 games of | | | | several stud running backs and hoping the rest of |
| the season, you know it can be tough to stay | | | | your head-to-head team can manage, you'll need |
| motivated throughout the year. This situation is | | | | more balance in a Rotisserie league. It may not be |
| much less of a problem in a Rotisserie league. | | | | as important to grab the second uber-back in an |
| 2. Players get traded more often. In a | | | | early draft round when you can balance your |
| head-to-head league, certain players WILL NOT | | | | team out with a top-tier TE or WR. Team balance |
| GET TRADED throughout the year. The owner | | | | is critical in Rotisserie leagues. |
| simply counts on that player too much for points, | | | | - Overloading and unloading. Just as we get done |
| and wants to ride that player the whole year. | | | | talking about balance, if you drafted to dominate |
| Good luck trying to get Tom Brady, Adrian | | | | a category, and now you're dominant in that |
| Peterson, Randy Moss, or Jason Witten away | | | | category by week 4, you'll get the chance to sell |
| from their respective owners in a head-to-head | | | | high and unload those studs and rebalance your |
| league. However, in a Rotisserie league, owners | | | | squad. |
| will sometimes be ahead enough in one category | | | | These are just a few tips, but many more |
| (say Rushing Yards), but down enough in another | | | | strategies and tips exist for Rotisserie league |
| (say Catches) to want to trade their best players | | | | owners. If your league agrees to head down the |
| for good players in other categories. | | | | Rotisserie path, spend some serious time getting |
| 3. Tough divisions don't kill average teams. If | | | | to know the categories and researching which |
| you're the average team in a head-to-head league | | | | players are going to dominate in each. And then |
| division with 2 stud squads, you're not likely to | | | | take advantage of the owners who haven't |
| make the playoffs. You have to play the stud | | | | picked up on the variety of strategies available in |
| squads twice, and you're likely going to be too far | | | | Rotisserie leagues. |