The third year in the NFL is often a breakout season for wide receivers, so About Football has put together this list of receivers who are entering year three, along with some comments on their fantasy football potential. Some of these guys are already established contributors, but a sleeper or two might be found among the rest.

Included are all receivers entering their third year, listed in the order they were selected on draft day. Read more...

Third-Year Wide Receiver Upside List originally appeared on About.com Football on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 03:52:55.

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With the NFL preseason winding down, some of you beginners might be wishing you had a better understanding of how this seemingly confusing game works. To a beginner, the game of football can seem very complicated, but it's really very simple once you learn the basics. That's why we've put together this three-step course designed to arm you with all the knowledge you need to enjoy this year's action.

In three easy-to-follow lessons, you'll learn all the basics, from the object of the game and the various ways to score, to the layout of the football field and the components of the team itself. We've also created a glossary that defines hundreds of football terms you can bookmark for quick reference when needed.

Beginners, It's Not Too Late to Learn originally appeared on About.com Football on Monday, August 30th, 2010 at 00:44:36.

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Part of the fun of owning a fantasy football team is getting to come up with a clever name for said team. Myself, I've been going by the name "Can of WhoopAss" for several years now in honor of my all-time favorite wrassler, Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Misses, who's relatively new to fantasy football, goes by the highly-appropriate moniker of "Yo Momma".

For those of you who are fantasy football veterans, I'm sure you're aware of the plethora of incredibly creative team names that are affixed to teams throughout the thousands and thousands of fantasy leagues. So we're asking for your help in assembling a list of some of the more clever, witty, humorous, and perhaps obnoxious nicknames ever assigned to a fantasy team.

We'll start the list off with a few of our favorites, and you can leave your contributions in the comments section below.

No Punt Intended

Orton's Neckbeards

Favre's Flip Flops

Urine Trouble

Rings Around Uranus

Victorious Secret

The Cereal Killers

(Editor's Note: I've assembled a list of submitted team names that I feel are the top 10 funniest fantasy football team names based on my own warped sense of humor.)

Funny Fantasy Football Team Names originally appeared on About.com Football on Saturday, August 28th, 2010 at 02:31:36.

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With the growth of the internet has come an explosion of interest in fantasy football, along with a plethora of information designed to aid everyone from the beginner to the most shrewd and experienced fantasy football owners.

For the beginner, just figuring out which type of league to join can be as confusing as figuring a quarterback's passer rating without a calculator, so About Football has put together an explanation of some of the more popular types of fantasy football leagues. Read more...

Which Type of Fantasy League Should You Join? originally appeared on About.com Football on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 05:23:52.

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As fantasy footballers, we're constantly looking for even the slightest of edges over our opponent. Finding players on the rise, of course, is one of the ways to gain an advantage. And one way to find those up-and-coming players is to look for the previous season's hot finishers.

So, with that in mind, we've compiled a list of the last year's top 10 hot finishers based on the final quarter of the season.

So check it out!

Fantasy Football's Top 10 Hot Finishers originally appeared on About.com Football on Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 at 12:15:23.

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When it comes to formulating your fantasy draft strategy, it's simple to load up on running backs early in your league's draft. But understanding when it's time to go a different direction is key. When do you jump on that top tight end? Should you take a quarterback in round two, three, or four? When's the best time to look at wide receiver?

That's where peer values (also known as tiers) come in.

What are peer values?

Simple. It's a player's value as it relates to other players. So what does that mean? Take a deeper look and Learn to Dominate Your Draft With Peer Values.

Dominate Your Fantasy Draft With Peer Values originally appeared on About.com Football on Friday, August 20th, 2010 at 07:41:08.

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For those of you still preparing for the fantasy football season -- which is pretty much most of us -- About Football's collection of cheat sheets have been updated:

• Top 200 Players Overall
• Quarterbacks
• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers
• Tight Ends
• Kickers
• Defensive Units

Also, be sure to check out About Football's sleepers, busts, super sleepers, and more. Or join in the latest fantasy football discussions with some diehard fantasy football players.

Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets Updated originally appeared on About.com Football on Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 00:02:18.

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Injuries are a big part of the game of football. Rarely does a team escape a contest completely unscathed. And generally the dings, bruises, and sprains associated with the game are the result of the viciousness of the sport.

Sometimes, however, a player gets hurt through some freak action. Sometimes because of his own carelessness or stupidity, which, of course makes it all that much more interesting. Thus we felt compelled to compile this list of the most unusual football injuries the NFL has seen. Read more...

Top 5 Unusual Football Injuries originally appeared on About.com Football on Sunday, August 15th, 2010 at 02:03:19.

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Football officials... they're the men on the field we all love to hate and complain about. But without these keepers of the rules, a football game could not progress with any sort of structure or sanity.

Officials play a very important role in the game, from keeping things moving along to making sure the athletes don't unnecessarily hurt each other. Officials are responsible for monitoring the game clock and play clock, enforcing the rules of play, and recording all rule infractions.

You often hear them referred to by the general term of referee, but there is actually only one referee on the field during a game. Each official (usually seven in college and NFL games) has his own title and assigned responsibilities. Read more...

And if you've ever wondered what it takes to become an NFL official, we have all the details.

Photo: Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images

Officials, Referees, and Umpires... What's the Difference? originally appeared on About.com Football on Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 02:40:36.

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Teams are always looking for a way to get an edge, and one way they do that is by knowing the formations and tendencies of their opponent. By recognizing those formations during a game, a defense can predict what plays will be run with some degree of success and adjust accordingly.

Finding the run and pass strength is the first step in deciphering a play, according to Jobe Lewis, who explains how that is done. He also outlines the difference between the strong side and weak side, and tells you how to recognize them. Read more...

Reading Offensive Formations originally appeared on About.com Football on Tuesday, August 10th, 2010 at 03:14:24.

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