How do NFL games in London affect fantasy football scoring? With the Atlanta Falcons hosting the New York Jets at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Jacksonville Jaguars playing the the Miami Dolphins later on, this is the question is being asked ad nauseam on talk radio and across fantasy forums.
Instead of speaking broadly about travel schedules, new stadiums and time zone changes, let’s apply data analysis to determine how exactly London games should impact our sit/start decisions.
Bonus: There is a 10-question quiz at the end of this article. Don’t be a silly nanny and challenge yourself on the topic of the NFL in London.
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Do London Games affect fantasy football scoring?
The purpose of this research is to answer the question: Should the fact that a game is being played London affect our fantasy football sit/start decisions, and if so to what degree?
The best way to answer this question is to look at every skill position player that has played in London and compare their London performance against their ‘expected’ performances from that same season.
In short, are fantasy average scores up or down in London games? Our numbers show London games seem to provide a small boost in fantasy performance, especially for running backs.
Let’s go deeper.
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The Methodology
The NFL has played 28 games in London. If we take the five most rostered fantasy players from each team since 2012, that gives us 230 data points which is quite robust.
From there, we take each player’s average fantasy score for the same season (ignoring DNPs) and then compare their London performance against that number. This gives us a good idea of how UK games impact fantasy production.
Admittedly, this isn’t a 100 percent perfect method, but it is accurate enough to intelligently inform sit/start decisions for London based NFL games.
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Positional Breakdowns
Quarterbacks:
Since 2012, there have been 46 rosterable quarterbacks that have started a game in London. On average, QBs score nearly a half fantasy point higher (0.496 fantasy points) in London.
Running backs:
Since 2012, there have been 46 rosterable running backs that have started a game in London. On average, this groups scores more than a full point higher (1.32 fantasy points) per game in London. Running backs receive the biggest boost of all skill position players.
Wide Receivers:
Since 2012, there have been 91 rosterable wide receivers that have started a game in London. On average, this group scores almost a half fantasy point higher (0.475 fantasy points) during London games.
Tights Ends:
Since 2012, there have been 47 rosterable tight ends that have started a game in London. On average, these players score only slightly higher (0.17 fantasy points) in London.
Take our Quiz!
Click here to see how much you know London fantasy football! You will learn about the best fantasy games ever played in London and find out who is the biggest fantasy star on the River Thames.
