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A Beginners Guide to Learning the Basics About the Free Agent Pool

Just like the actual game, playing fantasy football requires strategy, starting with your star picks. Long before the regular season of the NFL starts, you and other team owners-to-be, will be choosing your players to form a team. This is done by drafting, where you and other owners will undergo an orderly selection of your players. Once that's done, there will be players left who remain undrafted. These automatically join the free agent pool, which can be a valuable source of players for your team. If you've never played fantasy football before, here's how you should use the free agent pool.

What is the free agent pool?

The free agent pool is composed of players who still don't have owners. At the beginning of the selection process, these are composed mainly of players who weren't selected. Later on, they will be joined by players who are cut or traded by their owners.

Players who are free agents are just that; free. This means that they don't belong to any roster (at least not for the moment) and any owner or team can pick them up. As free agents, these players may later replace your players if you believe a free agent will give you better results during the season.

You will also pick from this free agent pool if your drafted players don't perform satisfactorily or if they have been sidelined due to an injury or even a suspension. Any player you drop or release automatically becomes a free agent and joins the pool, where he may be claimed by another owner.

Can you just pick from the free agent pool at any time?

Even though it's called 'fantasy football', it is also governed by pre-determined rules. For example, you cannot pick a player from the free agent pool without dropping one of your drafted players. If you're picking two free agents, drop two of your current players.

Picking from the free agent pool

Fantasy football mimics real football and how players do will impact how your dream team will perform. In real football, certain changes can affect your team, such as injuries, replacements, poor performances, trades and the like. Some can also surprise you, which makes it important that you keep your eye open for any appearances in this pool. During a season, you will find that you will have to drop players and add some from the free agent pool to improve your team.

There are certain rules you'll have to follow when using the free agent pool, such as first come, first served, bidding and worst to first. These rules govern the selection of free agents. Teams can bid on an available player and whoever has the highest bid wins. Using worst to first, the team who has the worst record or points just prior to the selection will get first dibs on any player in the free agent pool.

Is there any other way to pick another player?

If you can't find the perfect player to complete your roster from the free agent pool, you can trade players with other owners. This is usually very easy to do, although it will also depend on your pre-agreed rules or restrictions regarding trading. As long as you make your pick or trade about two-thirds through the football season, you shouldn't have any problems.