Fantasy Football Public League

What is a Public League in Fantasy Football?

A public league in fantasy is a league that can be joined by any member of the general public. Public leagues can be free or for money. To join a “money league,” players pay an entry fee to the league provider (Yahoo, ESPN, NFL.com) and players that place high at the season’s end receive a payout.

Contrary to private leagues, public leagues are not limited to a predetermined group of people and do not require a password to enter. Public leagues can be a great way to connect with other fantasy football fans, as team managers generally do not know one another when they initially join the league.

Public League Settings

Public league settings are generally consistent across the board, with the host site using standard rules and scoring. The use of traditional regulations and scoring systems are designed to make the league feel open to fantasy football players of all different skill sets.

Characteristics of Public Leagues

Since public leagues are open to any member of the general public, they tend to have a mixture of both experienced and inexperienced fantasy football managers. In some cases, this can lead to lopsided leagues, in which the experienced players constantly finish at the top of the standings and less experienced players find themselves out of the playoffs. To avoid this disparity, it is recommended that beginner’s join free leagues which are generally played just for fun, while big-time fantasy players join for-money leagues where managers have a stronger grasp on draft strategies and in-season transactions.

FAQ

What is a private fantasy football league?

A private league in fantasy football is a league where players need to be invited to participate. Thus, private leagues are not able to be joined by just anybody. Private leagues are typically used by a group of players that know each other and want to limit who can join the league. Private leagues can be paid or free.

What is a public fantasy football league?

In fantasy football, a public league is a category of league which can be joined by any member of the general public. Many fantasy football leagues are formed at workplaces or within the bounds of friend groups, but public leagues are a chance to compete between anyone else in the word who has access to the platform that the league uses.

Do public fantasy football leagues have prize money?

Yes, most public leagues in fantasy football are played for prize money. In such leagues, each team owner will pay a buy-in, also known as an entrance fee, and that money will be pooled together. Depending on the league, that pooled money is divided between the top owners, minus a certain amount for administrators of the website that run the league.