Fantasy football is set to get into high gear with the 2009 NFL football season drawing closer, and most players have some type of strategy in mind. Some fantasy football players will try to take every quarterback off the board, while others will try to stock up on running backs. The strategy for winning fantasy football is about much more than this, however. If you want to win your fantasy football league this season, then you need to look at the whole picture. Here is how to win your 2009 NFL fantasy football league step by step:

The first step in winning your fantasy football league is to understand how your specific fantasy league works. There are different statistics, formats and ways of competing in fantasy football, and everything you do in building your team is based around the type you have. Some leagues are head to head leagues, and some are statistically based overall. The vast majority of leagues are head to head, so this article is based on that type of league.

Once you have determined the type of league you are in, then you need to draw up a strategy. The best strategy in fantasy football involves knowing how to prepare for your draft. The draft is the key to any successful fantasy campaign, and it is also where the majority of fantasy mistakes are made. Before your draft, comb the wires and check out any injuries that have happened in the off season or during training camp. It does you no good to draft a superstar that will be out of action due to injury, of course, so make sure you know the situation beforehand.

Going into the draft, have a cheat sheet with you. These can be found online and can easily be printed out. This cheat sheet should be a general guide, and should never be ironclad. The most common strategy in fantasy football drafts is to draft according to position. This is where you can really beat the competition. Draft according to who is the best player left on the board for the first six rounds. After that you can start to fill in the roster.

In doing this, you may end up with an overflow of quarterbacks or running backs. This is not a problem as there will be no shortage of owners looking to trade for these positions. This is where you can really beef up your lineup. Use shrewd trades to get top notch talent. Do not jump on the first offer you get. Get a number of offers before pulling the trigger and you might end up with a better bargain.

Once the season begins, you will have a winning squad of fantasy football players. Watch the lineups in your head to head match ups. You want to win each position where possible. This can also help you to choose who to start. If you have the running backs locked up, then you might be able to take more of a risk with your quarterback choice. Look at the overall picture, and not only the last week’s statistics.