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Good morning! You’re my sleeper pick this year.

No Dumb Questions: Fantasy football basics, decoded

Last week, a friend texted me asking for help. He had joined a fantasy football league with his co-workers and, as an extremely casual sports fan, wanted help on how to play. He was excited to participate, but unsure about, well, everything involved. 

I think a lot of people are at this point with fantasy football in 2025. The obsession hobby can be traced all the way back to the 1960s, but didn’t become mainstream until the 1990s and early 2000s. Millions have played fantasy football for decades at this point, but I’d bet millions more have not played because the second they look at the interface, it feels like a foreign language. 

We’d like to help translate it for you today. We’ve all been in your spot. 

So here’s a primer on the simplest fantasy questions you’re scared to ask, with help from some of The Athletic’s foremost experts: 

What’s a snake draft? Or an auction league?
These are the two most popular draft formats for fantasy football. In a 12-player snake draft, the first round will go chronologically for pick Nos. 1-12, but in the second round, that order flips to Nos. 12-1. It’s a fairness safeguard. In auction leagues, you enter the draft with a set amount of money and bid on the players you want to draft, assessing them by dollar value, not draft slot, necessarily.

What does “ADP” mean?
ADP stands for Average Draft Position, or where a certain player is drafted, on average, in leagues throughout whatever platform your league has chosen. It’s not a straight ranking or even a prediction about who will score the most points; it’s more an indicator of value and strategy. 

Why does that matter?
Jacob Robinson, Scoop City author: ADP tells you what the market thinks of each player, and where your leaguemates are likely to draft them. Football Guys’ Adam Harstad has explained why taking ADP fallers (that is, players in your draft who are available below their average draft position) is almost always the best draft strategy. I tend to agree.

Why don’t you take a QB in Round 1?
Jake Ciely, senior fantasy writer: It’s one starting spot versus two to three for running backs and three to four for wide receivers, depending on your league (your Flex can be RB or WR, and some leagues start three WRs instead of just two). So, it would be the same if you only started one wide receiver — they are severely devalued because almost all teams will have similar production. While quarterbacks score the most, there are only a few who have a significant gap over the others. The top-notch RBs and WRs are more important than the top quarterbacks, who you can consider in Rounds 3-4 but shouldn’t take earlier than that.

Quick news break. The guide continues in a couple of scrolls.

News to Know

MLB, ESPN agree to massive deal
Remember when MLB and ESPN broke up earlier this year? It was short-lived, as the network and league agreed to a unique framework that would give ESPN exclusive rights to sell all out-of-network games digitally and in-market games for five teams over the next three years, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reports. Translation: Fans will probably need ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service. Read why here.

More news

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is still talking about the Micah Parsons contract situation. It’s not going well.
New York police arrested a man who allegedly threw a sex toy at a WNBA game earlier this month.
The SEC — finally! — adopted a nine-game conference football schedule. I’m just glad we’ll never talk about it again. See the impact.
Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer thinks former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh should face NFL discipline for his role in the Wolverines’ sign-stealing scandal. Hm.
Texans safety Jimmie Ward is accused of a drug-fueled domestic assault. Details here.
Legendary NASCAR figure Humpy Wheeler died Wednesday at 86. His impact is seen everywhere today.
The Yankees are giving away “Hamilton”-themed hats next week. See the look here.
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman threatened to fine the Kansas City Current over a heat delay during a marquee matchup. Drama.

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No Dumb Questions, Cont.: One section away from mastery

We’re back with more fantasy intel: 

What in the world is a “handcuff” pick? Can you give an example?
Jess Bryant, senior fantasy editor: A handcuff is a backup to a starter on the same roster — most often applied to RBs (drafting Cardinals RB Trey Benson to protect the investment in James Conner).

What about a sleeper?
Sleeper picks are players unknown or undervalued in your opinion, or who you think will have a breakout season. It’s very fun to try and predict these things. You’re going to be wrong often, but that’s what makes the research around this stuff so entertaining. (Here’s a list of sleeper picks from our crew.)

What’s the waiver wire? Do I really need to check it every week?
Mike Hume, senior managing editor, fantasy: These are the players you can add to your team in place of a player on your roster. Monitor waivers closely for breakout performers or players earning a starting role. (And read Jake’s Tuesday waivers column like it’s the gospel.)

What if I let the computer draft for me?
Not the worst idea to start, actually, although it takes some fun out of the entire experience. Every league will have this option so you can always take it for a spin as a learning exercise. I’ve won leagues I autodrafted in before. 

Lastly: What’s up with all the funny team names?
You have to remember this is a fun exercise, no matter how much angst some people feel over it. Let your creativity fly. 

We have a full guide here for you. Happy drafting, everyone.

What to Watch

📺 Women’s Rugby World Cup: USA vs. England
2:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports/Paramount+
We wrote about Ilona Maher’s involvement yesterday, and she gets to debut today. This is the first match of the entire tournament. Should be a nice change of pace. 

đź“ş LLWS: Home Run Derby
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
We’re getting both baseball and softball kiddos here, and finalists advanced through a prior HR Derby bracket, which sounds like the most fun version of Little League possible. This will probably be cool. 

đź“ş NFL: Vikings at Titans
8 p.m. ET on CBS
Cam Ward is getting his first reps at home, and Tennessee plans to play its starters for a while. We haven’t talked about the No. 1 pick enough. 

Get tickets to games like these here.

Pulse Picks

If you read anything today from the newsletter, make it Henry Bushnell’s in-depth report on USMNT star Christian Pulisic, who unintentionally became the center of virulent controversy this summer. This is the definitive story of the saga. 

One to bookmark: Dane Brugler’s initial 2026 NFL Draft prospect rankings. No. 1 is a Clemson player. LSU plays Clemson in Week 1. Hold me. 

Austin Mock is back with NFC projected win totals. The math loves San Francisco. 

Our soccer crew has a debut edition of the Premier League panic rankings. Good time to be a Brighton fan. 

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on Alexander Karmanov, the biggest hockey player on the planet. 

Most-read on the website yesterday: Our lead news story from above about MLB’s deal with ESPN.

(Top photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)