There’s a ridiculous amount of positions in this sport. More than can even be on the field at a time. Luckily, the defense is just one pick in the draft because those positions would actually be terrifying to have to remember. Your Fantasy Football offense will be your true focus.
While there are 11 offensive players on the field at a given time, please note there are not 11 total positions to learn. Feeling relieved? I bet you are! The key positions you’ll need to know for Fantasy Football are outlined below.
Fantasy Football Offense as told by Sex and the City
Imagine the offense as your girls from Sex and the City. They all play a slightly different role in the grander picture, and are all important in their own ways.
Running Backs
When drafting, you’re going to want to draft a solid running back (the Carrie) the first round. Running backs see a lot of smaller, steadier clumps of points and are your work horses in most games. Your RB is going to earn you points based on how far they run the ball [because they do more shit], which is a pretty common play, thus meaning, a steadier stream of points for you.
The Quarterback
Quarterbacks are also key because they will be the ones calling the plays (is he running or throwing the ball?) and will get you points based on how far they are throwing/running the ball. Wide receivers and tight ends (the Charlotte’s) are there to catch the ball whether they need to go long or hang low, either way, they’re ready to catch what you’re throwing, even if they’re not the most active players on the field. Based on surveying friends who actually know what they’re talking about/have done this before, there is always a large pool of wide receivers available to draft, so don’t worry about grabbing one right away. Picking a wide receiver in the first 3 rounds is like dibs’ing Miranda when picking your group’s Sex in the City characters.
An exception to drafting an RB first is if you have your eye on a highly ranked quarterback (the Samantha). Quarterbacks typically see similar points each game unless they’re mega stars (2021 examples include Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, etc.). Another example of when you may draft a QB sooner is if your league is a two-quarterback league (not super common, but they exist and I’m in one). When your roster calls for more than one QB to play at a time they’ll be drafted twice as fast and good ones will fly off the board.
Wide Receivers
You may have guessed it, wide receivers are the Charlottes. They’re full of energy and tend to make BIG plays. You typically don’t hear from them consistently play after play, but when you do, it can be a good time. The points come less frequently, but in larger quantities, opposite of running backs. Wide receivers are the ones running down field and make those huge catches your bro is jumping up celebrating.
They’re very important, but they don’t tend to fly off the board until round three or four. So, do your research and be sure to draft ones who see decent action (lots of targets aka the QB is aiming the ball for them) with reputable catching stats.
Note: Tight ends are another WR adjacent position. They’re incredibly similar, so much so I don’t feel they merit their own section. The largest difference to note, however, is that these bros typically see less action than WRs (except for high profile TEs like Rob Gronkowski or George Kittle circa 2021). They’re usually larger and can double as a blocker if needed in plays. You only draft one per league, typically, and you can easily wait until round six or seven to start thinking about them.
The Center and Offensive Linemen
Let’s talk about the center and the offensive linemen, aka the Mirandas.
Yes, they’re there, but they don’t do anything note-worthy in the world of Fantasy Football (sorry to the Miranda stans). They’re important because they keep the other team’s defense from your RBs and QBs (the Carrie’s and Samantha’s) but they won’t be earning you any points for anything individually.
So, honestly don’t bother learning any names unless you have a special interest, but it’s good to know which teams have good offensive lines so you know which QBs and RBs have better support (aka more point earning potential). If for some reason you think your league works differently, ask your commissioner or read about team composition in your Fantasy Football league’s constitution.
Summary: Fantasy Football Offense To Know
- Quarterback (QB): who the ball is given to when they yell ‘hike’, he decides which player gets it next
- Running Back (RB): is usually ‘handed’ the ball by the QB versus being thrown
- Wide Receiver (WR): is the one catching those huge passes down the field
- Tight End (TE): catches huge passes, but is usually hanging near the sidelines, also doubles as a blocker where needed
- Kickers/Punters: the only ones using their feet to kick the ball… “football” amiright?
The Kicker makes field goals (big yellow posts). The punter is simply kicking the ball as far down field as possible when needed. You’ll only draft a kicker and honestly, there’s no strategy here. Just pick one that’s a starter and you’ll see a couple of points from them each game, on average.
Fantasy Football Offense is easily the most involved subsection of the game. There are lots of positions but you pick up on them faster than you’d think.
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