How to Use Data to Guide Your Fantasy Football Draft

Sports fans can figure out their fantasy formula for league success by using data to gain an edge.

If you’re a fan of fantasy football, you probably have a wealth of team history in your head. However, there’s something better than memory that can help you to strategize your draft picks.

By using software to track game stats, you can find the hidden player value that often goes overlooked. You can turn data into winning statistics by collecting and analyzing freely available information from sources such as Yahoo! Sports.

The Right Tools for the Job

You’ll want to keep information organized in data tracking software like Excel. You can quickly learn how to use Excel for data analysis by taking a convenient online Udemy class.

Excel is a vital tool for collecting and organizing data. The program comes with built-in formulas and pivot tables, allowing you to manipulate large amounts of information quickly.

If the program doesn’t come with your computer, you can subscribe to it a for a nominal monthly fee. It’s one of the most powerful spreadsheets available for working with large amounts of information.

While you’re at it, you can also brush up on advanced sports betting concepts. On the Udemy platform, you can learn the basics of sports betting. Whether you’re into March Madness or the pigskin, the site offers a course that will help you learn the ins and outs of betting on your favorite sport.

If you’re a beginner, you can easily find an entry-level Udemy sports betting course to get you started. You can also learn more about advanced sports betting, such as how to make future bets, hedge, parlay and cover point spreads.

Settling in for the Long Haul

Using Excel, you can make a personalized fantasy football cheat sheet. Many people use magazines and websites to browse historical data and choose their picks. They’ll spend hours poring over information, and then try to make an educated guess about the value of players.

Rather than reviewing more information than you could ever possibly remember and then trying to make a really good guess you can use Excel to organize historical data and develop a more effective analysis. When the draft season starts, you’ll feel more confident about your picks because you knew exactly why you made those decisions.

By learning how to create your own cheat sheet, you can head into this season with an advantage every year. You can easily update your cheat sheet with projected player stats, average draft position, bye week information, player age and other relevant information.

In a short time, you’ll develop a logical system to analyze each player and draft. Using Excel, you’ll have a familiar point of reference with all the information that you need in one place.

Taking It up a Notch: Data Science and Fantasy Football

In sports, as is in life, competitive individuals always look for ways to outdo one another. Some individuals with a way with numbers use their professional skills to gain an edge in sports betting.

Fantasy football is a big deal among some data scientists. If anyone can use historical football data to make good picks, a data scientist can do it.

For example, a data scientist might collect information from Fantasydata or DraftKings to evaluate using a predictive analytics tool such as DataRobot. Using the DataRobot platform, sports betting researchers can build predictive models to gain a better understanding of the relationship of historical statistics to fantasy points.

After entering information into DataRobot, data scientists can use the platform to evaluate information in hundreds of ways. For instance, the platform enables users to evaluate statistical means, maximums, medians, minimums and standard deviations. With these evaluations, users can leverage historical details to more accurately predict how players will perform in the future.

Keeping Things in Perspective

No matter how much data you analyze, sports betting is a risk. It’s important to realize that the activity is for fun not a guaranteed source of income.

Gambling addiction can lead to severe problems. Studies show that 90% of gambling addicts use cash advances to bet, resulting in dire financial consequences. In the most extreme cases, gambling can lead to financial ruin, poor health, divorce and even suicide.

The National Council on Problem Gaming estimates that more than 2 million American adults fit the criteria for pathological gambling. Gambling addicts may suffer from symptoms such as a never-ending urge to bet increasingly large amounts of money as well as feelings of anxiety when they’re not betting.

Gambling addiction can affect anyone. There’s no gender, ethnic or financial group that’s more or less likely to succumb to gambling addiction. Resultantly, everyone who gambles faces an increased risk of becoming addicted to betting.

In recent history, one generation after the next becomes more acclimated to video gaming. As the world becomes more digitally connected, online gambling isn’t much of a leap. Ultimately, the only difference between gambling and gaming is that gamers play for points and gamblers play for money.

Good Luck out There!

There are many things to consider when setting up a system to analyze fantasy football statistics. It will take you time to figure out how to use historical data to choose a winning lineup with confidence. Eventually, you’ll get a handle on your system and acquire the ability to react to changes quickly.

Once you do, however, you’ll be glad you did. By using technology to help you analyze historical data, you’ll gain a considerable edge over your competitors. Fantasy sports is fun but winning is even better!

It’s important not to rely solely on numbers. Remember to pay attention to sports analysts and commentators for updates about teams and players. It will really burn to learn your analysis is off because one or more of your players were injured and you weren’t paying attention. Alternatively, you could drop a top pick over a minor injury because you didn’t have enough information.

Not everyone is a data scientist. However, nearly anyone can learn how to work with Excel. By using software to evaluate historical data, you’ll gain fascinating insights about your favorite sport and have more fun in the process.