It is that time of the week for those fantasy football junkies. Time to put the deciding factors in your starting lineup and to put all your money on the thriving  rookies.

Fantasy football has been routinely getting exorbitantly bigger over the years.

New draft sites like DraftKings and Fanduel have been considered more money reward draft sites which has risen the number of players because they give them a greater insentive to join and win.

But if you are not as interested in the money and high competition, there is always the option of playing against your friends  and family on NFL Fantasy Football or the more widely known ESPN Fantasy Football.

“My league is less competitive than most leagues because it is just a random picking league with complete strangers. I could be playing with people from the other side of the world or someone that lives as close as my neighbor,” junior Elvin Martinez said.

With all of the superstars locked in for the week, some key injuries may have a setback in a point advantage and may cause owners to start the bench warmer quarterback that they  never thought they would have to.

The injuries of key players like Cam Newton, quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, and Julius Thomas, Tight End for the Jacksonville Jaguars have really messed with owners’ line ups.

“It was a big loss to my lineup when I found out that Trevor Siemian [Quarterback for the Denver Broncos], hurt his shoulder. This made a lot of changes to my lineup and I had to make a decision because my other quarterback, Carson Palmer, is questionable for week six and now I have to decide how to play it out, junior Nash Alexander said.”

Along with surprise injuries, a lot of other surprises have hit fantasy football this year .

Although many rookies do not get a lot  of credit, many have been excelling the predicted amount of points per game.

After seeing their success, Fantasy football gurus have now tried to pick up the best rookies that are not yet picked up by other owners of the team.

Sleeper pick Ezekiel Elliott, running back for the Dallas Cowboys, has been blowing up the stats and points for the last five weeks. Because Elliot has no injuries and has not been listed as questionable, he should be your next trade or player

to pick up.

The regulars that play fantasy football every year know that picking up the most common player is not always the right move.

More dedicated participants like junior Mckenzie Yi, make draft lineups before their real one and  try to find sleeper picks and see if their picks were the right one to take.

But Fantasy Football is always unpredictable. You never know exactly how your picks will perform, no matter how experienced you are in   the virtual game.

“I picked up DeAndre Hopkins for my first pick in the first round, he has been a consistent wide receiver for points but has been declining over the last two weeks only getting five points against the New England Patriots, and zero points against the Tennessee Titans,”  Yi said.

For Fantasy newcomers, know that you are not alone. An exorbitant amount of newcomers have signed up this year and the game has been getting more and more popular.

They are now getting used to adding, dropping, getting sleeper picks, and top rated players before the other owners of their team do.

It may be hard to understand and fully excel at the game at first, but there are always mock trials and other ways newcomers can learn and practice.

Even if you are a newcomer, it does not mean you do not know anything about football or can’t succeed, but it leaves you at somewhat of a disadvantage to those who have been playing longer than you.

People who actually play football, or who are somehow involved in the sport, get used to the competitiveness and learn how to make their line up the most superior out of the league.

They tend to follow the sport and see which teams are most successfull. They understand the rules and are familiar with players and their strengths.

Although experienced participants tend to perform better, it does not mean that it’s impossible for newcomers to succeed or have fun.

“My first year of fantasy football has been really fun! I would recommend this to some people, because it is easy to set up,” junior Joseph McCoy said.

Fantasy Football is a game for everyone. It is a great way to have friendly competition with friends and family. Do not be afraid to join, it is not just for competitive football players, it is open to everyone.