Fantasy football is like poker; some people think it’s a game of skill, while others think it’s a game of luck.  Each week you hunker down and go through all your matchups and try and set the perfect lineup to achieve the maximum points.  It’s never that easy though.  Following the projected stats on your fantasy site is as credible as listening to your local meteorologist; going by straight matchups never seems to work out like you thought it would; and playing the guys who are having a hot streak while sitting on your bench usually ends up in becoming the week that they finally fizzle.  Doesn’t it just seem like every week you are going all-in with pocket aces and end up catching a bad beat?  So if fantasy football is poker then the fantasy season is a poker tournament.  The key to winning either is to know how to keep stacking your chips so when you finally get to the final table, you’ll be the one with the advantage.

The fantasy football season is a long road; you’ll have some speed bumps, some wide-open road, and hopefully a time or two when you should’ve got a speeding ticket, but didn’t.  The key to the season is learning how to keep improving your team all season.  Just like in poker tournaments, you can’t expect to go all-in with the first hand, win, and sit back and get to the final table.  If you want to make the playoffs and you want to succeed in the playoffs then you need to keep stacking your chips or adding little parts to your team to continually make it better.  There are some keys to doing this.  Of course there are the obvious ones that everyone should follow.  Watch the waiver wire, pay attention to injuries, and make trades that will make you better.  The key to winning a league is using strategies that others don’t use.  One big decision everyone needs to make is if and when to try and make a trade.  Most people make trades when they need a position; you should make trades when you can maximize a player’s value.  Know what players of yours have started off hot and are going to drop off, then trade them immediately for some great value.  Understand what guys have started off slow, target them, and grab them in a trade where you can maximize the value.

Know when to use your waiver, especially if you’re in a league that sends you to last waiver order after you use it.  Hold on to that waiver as long as possible and use it to grab a player after a major injury happens.  Every year there’s at least one major injury; there will be one this year, so holdout and wait for that player to fall into your hands.  The last strategy is to prepare yourself for the playoffs a couple weeks before the playoffs begin.  If you have done the moves above, have a team that is destined for the playoffs, then you should grab a defense and a kicker who have the best playoff matchups.  You can afford to lose a couple points in the final couple regular season games if it will help you in the playoffs.  Remember, every point counts, especially in the playoffs.

These strategies will help you succeed all year while preparing you for the playoffs.  You don’t want to get to the final table with the smallest chip stack and you don’t want to get into the playoffs with the weakest squad either.  Chip away, stack your team throughout the season, and by the time you are heads-up in the championship game, you will be prepared to go all-in with the best hand.