We are not too far away from the autumn season. Many people look forward to it. You have September just around the corner, when you can watch pennant race baseball, college football, and the new NFL season as well. Truly, dedicated sports fans consider it a special time.
If you fall into this category, you may also play fantasy football. Maybe you’re trying it for the first time this year, and you know very little about the game and how you play it. Perhaps you’ve played for many years and feel like an expert.
You can play fantasy football by joining a league at your work, at school in your dorm if you go to college, or else you might start up a league with your family members and friends if that sounds fun to you. Fantasy football often makes the NFL season more exciting. You can certainly root for your favorite team, but you can also support individual players you drafted to play for your fantasy squad.
You might also want to pick a fantasy football podcast that appeals to you. You will find many of them at thefantasyfootballers.com, and you’ll have to choose one that you think you’ll enjoy the most. Let’s discuss how you can do that as we break down some fantasy football podcast basics.
Contents
Should You Pay for a Podcast or Listen to a Free One?
Some fantasy football podcasts cost money, but many free ones exist as well. You will need to think about whether you want to pay a nominal fee for one of the ones that charge their listeners or whether you feel okay listening to one of the free options.
Frankly, many people listen to free fantasy football podcasts and like them just fine. You might have to listen to a few ads before the podcast, during it, or after it, but at least you’re getting the content itself for free. Very few people feel dedicated to a particular podcaster or podcast team to the point where they will pay money just to hear them talk every week.
The Podcast’s Length
You can listen to shorter podcasts in the fantasy football advice genre that might last only fifteen or twenty minutes. Most of them last at least half an hour to an hour, though. Some might last even longer than that.
You might like a podcaster or team, but how much time do you have to listen to them? Each person will answer that differently.
Maybe you like listening to a podcast about fantasy football when you’re on the way to work. Say you have a half-hour drive each morning and about the same length every evening.
You might get through an hour-long fantasy football podcast if you listen to the first half in the morning and the second half during the evening commute. Just make sure you don’t let the podcast distract you if you’re weaving through heavy traffic while you listen to it.
You might also take the bus or train to and from work. If so, you might get through an entire one-hour podcast either while you’re getting to work or on the way home. For instance, if you live in New York and take the train to and from your job, you might put in a multiple-hour commute every day. You’ll probably enjoy a longer podcast that can take your mind off the workday and the commute’s tedium.
Other Times to Listen to a Podcast
If you like fantasy football and the tips a podcast gives you, you might find other times to listen to one. For instance, if you work from home, you might listen to the podcast before you start work in the morning or when you take an hour for lunch at midday. You can listen to the podcast on your phone with some earbuds.
You might listen to the podcast while taking care of chores at home. You can listen with your earbuds while you do some gardening. You can pull weeds while listening to what wide receivers to start that weekend.
You can listen to the podcast while walking the dog through the neighborhood or while you do some grocery shopping or other errands. Again, make sure the podcast does not distract you while you drive or when you’re doing something else requiring concentration.
Select a Podcast You Like
You should try to select a fantasy football podcast that features some hosts you like. Maybe you like a single host that sometimes has guests stars on to talk with them. Perhaps they sometimes have sports stars, singers, actors, or other celebrities on there with them.
You might also like a fantasy football podcast with a hosting duo or trio. You may feel like they have a rapport with each other, and you like to listen to the witty banter as they go back and forth.
They might have different opinions about which players to draft in which round or who you should start each week. You may enjoy siding with one or another depending on the individual with whom you agree.
You might want to find a podcast that uses a lot of stats to predict who you should start and sit. You may choose to find one that uses humorous elements like sound effects.
Maybe you want one with podcasters that come from your home town. Some podcasts cover fantasy football in a general sense, but they are also team-centric. You might like to listen to one that has fantasy football tips but also roots for the same NFL team that you support.
Why You Should Avoid Certain Podcasts
You might also find that you want to avoid particular podcasts. You may not like a podcaster’s voice because you find it grating. You might also feel like a podcaster has certain beliefs or stances that make their way into the broadcast, and you don’t want to hear about them.
Some podcasters have shows about fantasy football or sports-related topics, but they’ll allow politics or social commentary to get onto the show. If you don’t agree with them or you don’t want to listen to that kind of thing, you might avoid that show if you find the hosts make a habit of it.
You might find a podcast that belittles particular groups. Whether that’s a fanbase or some other population segment, you may not like it very much. You can easily find another podcast to enjoy if you find one that does that a lot.
Other Reasons to Pick a Podcast
You might also choose a particular fantasy football podcast because the hosts talk about the NFL more generally. They may take plenty of time each week to talk about who you should sit and start, sleeper picks, who you should draft, and so forth, but they might also cover some NFL topics you wouldn’t hear about otherwise.
Many football fans regard the NFL as a soap opera, which is why they like all the TV shows on ESPN and elsewhere. You can always watch Sportscenter and other programs on ESPN, NBC, Fox, and other networks if you want to hear about what’s happening in the NFL. However, maybe you’re very busy, so you don’t get to do that often.
If you can take a little time to listen to your favorite fantasy football podcast, you might regard that as a respite from your workday. You can hear about some fantasy football strategies and tips you might use, but you’ll also learn about what’s happening in the NFL.
You might hear about some top draft prospects and who might end up with which team. Maybe you’ll hear about some running back who’s about to get a suspension because of a drunk driving arrest. Perhaps you’ll hear about a quarterback who’s not likely to start that week because of a relative’s death or because they’re expecting a child with their partner.
Maybe you’ll want a podcast that sticks to fantasy football’s nuts and bolts, but many of those involved in fantasy leagues also like the NFL and want to know about it. You can always pick your favorite podcast for that reason.
It’s Your Decision
Remember that when you start looking around for fantasy football podcasts to enjoy, you don’t have to follow anyone else’s lead. You might try one that a friend or family member suggests, but it’s your time, and you should spend it however you want.
If you try a podcast that doesn’t seem right for you, you should know more content exists now than ever before. That’s true when you’re talking about fantasy football podcasts, but also just about anything else.
You might try a podcast a few times, then give another one a shot. Once you find one you like, enjoy it however and whenever feels best to you. Ideally, you’ll get some entertainment value while picking up a few valuable tips to help your team win.