by: God (as told to his humble servant John Holler)
Editor's Note: Below you will find THREE of the TEN Fantasy Demandments for 2025 (they change every year). If you'd like to read all ten, please click HERE to order our 2025 Pre-Season Draft Guide.
"In the beginning, He that is God created fantasy football. He looked and said it was good." Genesis 17:52
For the past 25 years, He has chosen few among us that he sees as the proper vessel to convey His message. A couple thousand years ago in a land far, far away, Moses came down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments - a guide of principles that most, but not all, still live by. For reasons I have yet to fully understand, He has selected me to provide his fantasy football Ten Demandments - the same guiding principles imparted to Moses, except for the kingdom of fantasy football.
If you follow these guidelines, He will be pleased because He sends these Demandments to you because He wants to give you the best opportunity to discover the milk and honey of the Promised Land at the end of the season.
The First Demandment
Thou Shalt Show Respect to Disrespected Tribes-The running back position may have hit its all-time low a year ago when stars like Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Joe Mixon and Aaron Jones were all allowed to leave their career franchises to find new pastures. All five of them topped 1,000 rushing yards, but it spoke to the willingness of franchises to rip off the Band Aid. Teams are willing to move on to the new flavor quickly and make a solid investment in them. Running backs are 4-to-7-year employees with a franchise and teams want to see what they have immediately. Don't be shy about moving a little earlier than the conventional wisdom on guys like Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson and R.J. Harvey a little higher than they are ranked. They're going to get a chance to be the main man in the run game right out of the gate as franchises start the process of burning them out.
The Fourth Demandment
Thou Shalt Look to the Skies for Guidance -Every season, weather has a significant impact on late-season games. Rain, snow and wind all play a factor in un-leveling the fantasy playing field at the worst possible time. Several NFL cities have addressed the potential for weather extremes by building domed stadiums. More have not. If you're planning on making major investments in players, knowing which teams have potentially brutal closing schedules. A game where your quarterback can throw a pass more than 10 yards due to whipping cross winds and blowing snow can destroy a championship roster.
The Ninth Demandment
Thou Shalt Be True to Thineself -Whether it is Mike's rankings that you put your faith in on draft night or the combination of multiple rankings, never lose sight of the fact that you are the one who will be playing the assembled roster you end up with. Why not draft players you want - rankings be damned. Too often, that's why fantasy owners end up with players on their rosters that they almost immediately regret. Go with your gut and players YOU want on your roster. That is why I have ended up with Mike Evans are bargain prices each of the last three years in multiple leagues. The "smart money" says Evans is going to "hit the wall." Last time He checked, it hasn't happened yet.
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