Fantasy football is just as important as the regular football season to some fans. Before the season starts leagues start to pop-up and everyone gets ready to be a coach of their own team. Everyone should play fantasy football at some point in their life, but the fact is that winning a fantasy football league is harder than it appears.

In the history of my fantasy football career, which just entered its seventh season, I have seen all there is to see in the world of trading, adding, smack talk, dropping and the crucial decisions behind who to play and who to sit.

Each season I play two leagues, which usually takes more time to control than I would like, but who needs to study? Being a manager of a fantasy football is enjoyable, but it can be profitable as well if you play smart. Each league is just as competitive as the next, but how do you play to win? I’ll tell you.

The first rule of fantasy football is not paying attention to which team your players match up against when deciding who to start, because it makes no difference, unless it is your defense. For example, take Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals, he will face one of the best defenses in the league in week one, the Baltimore Ravens, but that does not mean he will be dominated by them, the Bengals may lose the game but Palmer will still put up great numbers.

Unless you have Tom Brady or Peyton Manning do not, I repeat, do not sit Palmer. Great players rarely have poor days against great defenses. For example LaDainian Tomlinson would still have a great game even if he played against the number one run defense of the Minnesota Vikings, the odds are in the players’ favor.

The second rule of fantasy football is to check your team numerous times a week. Now this may seem as a given to all the guys out there who check there teams a number of times a day, but that is good, being up to date gives you the best chance at playing the best players and avoid playing injured players. Make sure you know if your players are injured and what chance they have at starting.

The third rule is the trickiest to perfect, who to drop off your roster after the season has started and who to add. The first part is fairly simple, you want to pick either injured players or players who have shown that they will never get the ball. But then there are always players who start out slow and end up amazing so be careful and do your research.

If you’re looking to pick up a player, first check to see if you have an extra kicker, tight end or defense that has already had a bye week gone by. If not then choose a player who is either having an off year so far or who has a dominant player at the same position such as Deuce McAllister who has to split time with Reggie Bush.

As far as picking up a player, do not necessarily pick the highest ranked player available at the position you are looking for, you want to pick a player who will have a great rest of the season. Look at the players who have shown that they can produce numbers that will give you the best chance to win.

Sleepers are the greatest players to pick up after the season has started. Look for second string wide outs that are getting more catches per game than the number one, or running backs that haven’t broke out the big game but get 28-plus carries a game.

Winning your fantasy football league is a tough task, but stick with it and you’ll do fine.

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