In order to dominate in your fantasy league, you must first understand the elements it consists of. As simple as this may sound, many fantasy participants do not. Every fantasy league is unique and there is no universal strategic system that will win all the time. Essentially, each fantasy league is like an individual puzzle. In order to be successful as a fantasy owner, you are responsible to put the pieces together better than your competitors can. What are the pieces? Glad you asked!

• Scoring System: First and foremost, a fantasy owner must understand how the league is scored. You have to understand how many players are necessary to fulfill a starting lineup and how points are earned. There are variety of scoring systems used in fantasy football today and your strategy should adjust accordingly. For example, some leagues are weighted heavily on touchdowns while others are weighted heavily on yards. This has the potential to make a huge difference if you compare Randy Moss (1493 yards, 23 TDs) and Reggie Wayne (1510 yards, 10 TDs) in 2007. In the league weighted heavily on touchdowns, Moss would blow all the other receivers away and may be drafted a full round earlier. In a league weighted heavily on yards, however, Moss and Wayne would be considered much closer in value. Also be sure that you realize  if the scoring system is skewed toward a specific position. If yards for all players were worth the same points, for instance, the value of quarterbacks would be huge and they would be drafted earlier on.

• NFL Players: The bottom line is that the players you draft in the beginning will largely determine where you finish at the end. Therefore, there is no substitute for detailed research. Relying on last year’s statistics simply won’t cut it. Star performers get older, players get traded, rookies quickly emerge as impact players. In order to be successful, you need to know what players will be studs this year. Look at the depth charts to see who has earned the #1 spot for 2008. Is there a primary running back or is time is being split? Who is the go-to wide receiver?  Keep analyzing prospects up until draft day. How did the rookies and second year players look in camp and preseason games? Be sure not to forget about those who are returning from injuries last year as well.

• Unique League Rules: Although most leagues are similar, few are identical. One common difference today is what happens once this fantasy year is over. Dynasty leagues and keeper leagues have grown in popularity and participating in such a league requires a fresh mindset. In dynasty leagues, players remain on the same roster from year to year unless they are traded or released. Only rookies are drafted after the inaugural year. Keeper leagues allow fantasy owners to retain only a certain amount of players for the following year. Because you are allowed to keep certain players from one year to the next, it is obvious that younger players and future prospects become more valuable. Unique characteristics such as these illustrate why it is important to analyze what makes your league different.

• Fantasy Owners: Understanding who you are competing against in your fantasy league is very important. Whether you are in a fantasy league with your best buddies or randoms on the internet, get to know all the details you can about them. For instance, some fantasy owners are bias toward a specific strategy and will always draft a certain position first such as running backs. Say such a fantasy owner had the last pick in round #1 and the first pick in round #2. You can bet he will select at least one running back and, knowing this, you may choose to draft a running back before him in round #1 and a player from another position in round #2. Many fantasy owners also hold a soft spot in their heart for certain teams or players. Often if there are two similar players left to be drafted, it is likely that the owner will choose to draft that player. It is important to understand these bias throughout the season as well, as you may be able to get the best of a trade by swapping one of his favorite players. Always be aware of your surrounding fantasy owners and remember that any extra information you can pick up at any time could come in handy.

It is important to notice the order of the puzzle pieces. You must first understand the scoring system in your league before you know what players to select. It is important to keep in mind the unique rules that pertain to your league to increase your chances for success in the current year and those to follow. Last, analyzing your competitors will give you the ability to act on opportunities others may miss.

Although some pieces may have a more dramatic impact relative to your league, each one can provide a key advantage. It is how you fit the pieces together that is most important. There are some fantasy owners that consistently rise to the top of contention year after year. These are the fantasy owners who best understand their league. Study these opponents, learn from them, then beat them!

2. Preparation Is The Best Policy

As in all walks of life, you want to be prepared as possible. And let’s face it, fantasy football is way more important than your job or college test so prioritize time to study the NFL. If you are cramming research at the last minute and the other fantasy owners have been doing their homework for the past several weeks, you are beginning with a disadvantage right away. Whatever situation you are in, we offer a few ideas to ensure that you are ready to go come draft day.

• Place a sports website as your homepage: Simple enough. We suggest sportsfantasyguide.com, or ESPN of course.

• Watch a minimum of 30 minutes of ESPN a day: Make time for the special reports and do not forget to read the bottom line.

Year after year, fantasy owners have difficulty avoiding certain draft day mistakes. Unfortunately,it is these early lapses that cost them down the line. In this section, we outline a few of the most common drafting mishaps. Whether you are a rookie or a veteran fantasy participant, these reminders could prove useful.

• Bye weeks: Your first priority is to get the best player available. In the later rounds, however, you may have several options to choose from. Look at your roster and try to choose a player without the same buy week as a player from the same position.

• Bad seat: Especially if it is a live draft, get to the location early. You want a seat where you can easily view the board to see what players are taken and check them off accordingly. Also, do not get stuck next to the guy who is going to be looking at all your secret notes.