As a Fantasy Football Expert and Multiple Fantasy Football League Champion, and as a Service to you, I have written "Fantasy Football How to Play and Win, the Complete Guide." I will be sharing some of the Knowledge, Experience and Wisdom that I have accumulated over the past fifteen years, I have been Playing and Writing about Fantasy Football. Information gathered from all the Fantasy Football Leagues I have ever participated in during that time and every thing I have ever read from Experts and learned. These Tips should be Helpful in saving you Time Researching by providing links to sites, finding Fantasy Football Web Sites to play on by providing links, The use of Fantasy Football Web Sites, your Pre-Draft Strategy by providing several Stategies, Ranking the NFL Players for the Draft information and Formulas, Drafting Strategies by providing several with explanations, usage of the Waiver Wire by telling where they are and how to use and Waiver Wire Strategies, Trading Strategies by giving several Strategies, Developing your Cheat Sheets by providing Examples of mine, and Managing of your Fantasy Football team during the Fantasy Football Season. Hopefully, leading you to the League Play-Offs and the Championship of your Fantasy Football League.
Fantasy Football, How to Play and win
The Complete GuideBy Ted-Zee-ManAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2010 Ted-Zee-Man
All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4490-8898-9Contents
Dedication.....................................................................viiAcknowledgements...............................................................ixFantasy Football Glossary......................................................xiChapter 1. Introduction by the Author..........................................1Chapter 2. How to Loose at Fantasy Football....................................7Chapter 3. What is Fantasy Football?...........................................15Chapter 4. The Various Scoring Systems.........................................17Chapter 5. Decide what kind of League to play in...............................23Chapter 6. Web Sites with Fantasy Football Leagues.............................27Chapter 7. Fantasy Football Web Sites and Experts..............................29Chapter 8. Find the Rules for Fantasy Football Leagues.........................37Chapter 9. How to rank the Players.............................................39Chapter 10. Determine the number of Players to Rank............................45Chapter 11. Develop a Drafting Strategy........................................47Chapter 12. Drafting...........................................................51Chapter 13. Immediately after the Draft is complete............................55Chapter 14. Auction Draft......................................................57Chapter 15. Waiver Wire........................................................65Chapter 16. Evaluate all of the other Teams in your League.....................69Chapter 17. Making a Trade Offer...............................................71Chapter 18. How to find Player Projections.....................................75Chapter 19. Determining your Starting Line-up..................................77Chapter 20. Recognizing Cheaters in your League................................81Chapter 21. Where to find Injury Reports.......................................83Chapter 22. Preparing for the Play-offs........................................85Chapter 23. Conclusion.........................................................87Chapter 24. Exhibits of Cheat Sheets...........................................91
Chapter One
Introduction by the Author.
I am Theodore Ziolkowski (please call me, Ted-Zee-Man) and I was Born on August 2, 1941 in Traverse City, Michigan. I worked 35 Years for some of the largest Aero-Space (Rockwell, Boeing, Lockheed) and Computer Companies (Xerox, IBM, DataPointe) in the United States of America as an Operations Manager. I have a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a Minor in Mathematics. (Only took me 30 years to get it. LOL)
During my Career I have lived all over the United States. During that time, I have been involved in Coaching Baseball in "Pony Leagues" and "Babe Ruth Leagues, and Football in "Pop Warner Leagues." I truly enjoyed Coaching and developing the Skills and Sportsmanship of the young men who played these sports. I was lucky enough to have Managed a young man that went on to Play Professional Baseball in the Major leagues. His name is Danny Trammel and he played for the Detroit Tigers. I Retired in 1994 and I needed an outlet for the Love of Sports I have and my Competitive Nature. I decided to try Fantasy Football and Fantasy Baseball Leagues. I have played in them for over Fifteen years. Starting as a Rank Amateur and becoming a Multiple Fantasy Football and Baseball League Champion. I have given up playing Fantasy Baseball because of the length of the season. Now I concentrate only on Fantasy Football.
What does all of this mean to me as a Book Author, and to you as the Reader? It means that when I conceived the idea for my Book, I was thinking, First, about how my Knowledge and Information could help other people. Secondly, the possible money, I might, make from the Sales of my Book. Money will always take a Back Seat to the people I can help. (I have set up a Fund providing that 10% of the proceeds from the sale of my Book will go to Various Religious Charities.) It means that I am writing my Book with careful thought about what my audience Needs or Wants from me. I am not going to be like all those other Authors out there, who don't care. I am going to be someone who does care and I will prove it. (That is why I include my E-Mail address in this book.) I am going to stand behind what I put into the Marketplace and truly help people as much as I can. I am going to be genuine - "the real deal."
In the end, it all comes down to being true to myself. I care about Sports and Fantasy Football very deeply, I care so deeply about it, that sometimes it keeps me awake at night.
Sometimes it consumes my every thought. Sometimes it causes me to search out information about it, spend money on subscriptions because of it, or otherwise consumes much of my spare time. It explains why I go into so much Depth with this book, and why this Book is so long. There is no doubt that Sports and Fantasy Football are my passion, and it's what I am writing about.
From the moment I conceived the idea to write a Book on Fantasy Football, and put that first word of my manuscript into my Word Processor, I knew I had taken my Destiny into my hands. I was writing something that was totally mine. I was taking control of my Life and Future and shaping it the way I want it to be. I am creating something durable that will last, something that will help me live the life of my dreams. It is something that will be a Monument dedicated to me and in existence long after my Death for people to remember me by. The majority of the information that I provide should never become obsolete. The only thing that should change is the names of the players not the concepts.
It took me three years to become Competitive and to Win a Fantasy Football League Championship. It is not an easy thing to do on your own by trial and error. (This is what I want to eliminate for you.) When you start as I did it is very easy to become Frustrated and want to just give up. After losing, and not getting any Encouragement or Help from your fellow Fantasy Football Team Owners. (To all of you Present and Future Fantasy Football Team Owners, I suggest that if you want your Fantasy Football Leagues to grow and improve, that you attempt to help New Fantasy Football Players to the game of Fantasy Football.) If nothing else, tell them about my Book and where they can Purchase it.
Each and every Fantasy Football Season is a learning experience, no matter how long you've been playing Fantasy Football. I look forward to the next Fantasy Football Season with the idea that I will be learning something new from my experiences, and that I will be the Champion in every Fantasy Football League I play in. To the New or Experienced Fantasy Football Team Owner, I hope you will approach Fantasy Football in the same way. Always remember That winning is the ultimate goal but to loose is not a disgrace. It is the friendships, comradreship and competition that the game is all about.
Sadly, History repeats itself, when we don't learn from our mistakes. Or as the Old saying goes, "Only a Fool keeps doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different outcome."
"Analyze until Paralyzed." One mistake that is often made and Overlooked is the mistake of Procrastination. If you need to make a decision, think it through, and do your Research. But, when there is nothing more to contemplate, don't wait. Make the decision; go with your Gut feelings. You'll find you have less stress when you are able to make decisions, in a timely manner. (This does not mean that you will not make any mistakes, it just means you lower the Stress Levels.) Big Deal, if you make a mistake, ask yourself this simple question, will you Die or suffer Physical Pain?
Change the things that didn't work for you last year, or cut them out completely. Keep the things that did work, and ask yourself how you can make them work even better. By looking at the Past, it helps to guide your Future. Once you have an idea of what did and didn't work this past year, you will be able to sit down and create an Action Plan for the next year. This is something you should write down rather than relying on your Memory. No plan should ever be so rigid that you can't deviate from it, if you need to, modify it.
Every year in Fantasy Football gets tougher, and each year is Different. Even if you are in the same Fantasy Football League with the same Fantasy Football Team Owners. As more and more people Play Fantasy Football every year, there is more and more information available to Fantasy Football Team Owners. Wining your Fantasy Football League's Championship becomes a tougher Task. So, as a Service to you, I am going to share some of the Knowledge, Experience and Wisdom I have accumulated, over the past Fifteen years. I have kept this information in notes, Action Plans and stored deep in my Sub-Conscious Mind from all of the leagues I have ever participated in during that time.
These tips should be helpful in your Pre-Draft Strategy, Waiver Wire Usage and Managing your Fantasy Football Team. Hopefully, leading you to a Championship in your Fantasy Football League much sooner.
What I want to do, is provide you with some knowledge that will save you time in becoming Competitive. Thereby, allowing you to enjoy and have Fun at Fantasy Football quicker. Hopefully, I will provide you with the Knowledge and Shortcuts to save your time searching for information and help. In the event that you ever have a question about this Book or about the Fantasy Football League you decide to Play in. Please feel free to E-Mail it to me at tziolkowski@triad.rr.com I will do my best to answer. I use the nickname "Ted-Zee-Man" in every League I play in. Say Hi, if you ever see me.
I played in 8 leagues in 2009 and Qualified for the Play-Offs in 6 of them. In the 6 Play-Off's I was in, I made it into 3 of the Championship Rounds. I did win one Championship for the 2009 Fantasy Football Season. Not my best year and by far and not my worse year. Too many of my Starting Players had bad days Statistically during the Play-Offs. Even though I was favored to win every Final Play-Off Game. However, due to careful planning, I did not have one player who did not play the entire game. I start each year with the goal of wining the Championship in every Fantasy Foorball League I play in. I could improve the chances of meeting my goal if I reduced the number of leagues I play in, but, it is not within my nature to have an easy goal.
Just a small bit of Trivial information for you, there are between 27 to 30 Million Fantasy Football Players in the World today and it is expected to grow by 10 to 15% annually for the next 10 years. The average Fantasy Football Player spends $154 per year on Subscriptions, Memorabilia and other information. That is a 4 Billion Dollar Industry Annually. That is why you see the tremendous growth in the Internet Sites for Fantasy Football and why they are free.
Chapter Two
How to Loose at Fantasy Football.
1. (I have, with permission, Modified an Article by Killer B from FFToolbox.com http://www.fftoolbox.com/index.cfm to provide some of the Information in this book.)
2. Drink a lot of Alcohol at and during your Fantasy Football League's Draft. To some drinking Beer (or some other Type of Alcohol) is an absolute Ritual, on Draft Day. If you really want to Draft a Bad Fantasy Football Team, I suggest showing up at the Fantasy Football League's Draft meeting several hours early with a cooler full of Beer in tow or a Fifth of "Wild Turkey." (My preference.) There are a Couple of days in the Year out of the 365 that should be considered to be Very Special days, (Birthdays, Holidays, Anniversaries.) One of them is the day of the Fantasy Football Draft. By saying Very Special, that means good old Beer drinking to a few of the Fantasy Football Team Owners. My best Advice, is to skip the drinking this year because you will need your complete Wits the entire Draft, or you will be the guy that is still trying to draft National Football League Players in the later Rounds that were long gone many Rounds ago. For some it is permissible to have one or two drinks. But, you don't want to have Blurred Vision or impaired thinking, in the First Eight Rounds of the Draft. Put down that Beer Mug in exchange for a Cheat Sheet. If you want to disguise the fact that you are not drinking, have a glass of Ginger Ale on the Rocks. (Looks like you are drinking a Mixed Drink.)
3. Don't be prepared. If you are drunk, and Draft a Bad Team you at least have a poor Excuse. But, if you just draft a Bad Team because you were not Prepared, then you will have no excuse. I know that for most Fantasy Football Players, that Fantasy Football is a Hobby. So, you only have a limited amount of time available in a day that you can dedicate to Research and Draft Preparation. Use your time wisely. Use the Fantasy Football Web Sites that provide the Information you are seeking, the quickest and in a Format that you especially like. The only edge you can gain in Fantasy Football, is through Knowledge.
Read, Read, Read. Get the latest possible information, and the Internet is your best Source and friend. Today is an information age. So, if you do not know the latest National Football League Player news, expect to Draft a Poor to Bad Fantasy Football Team. We all buy a subscription to a few Sport and Fantasy Football Magazines every year. But, there is always that one Fantasy Football Team Owner, who shows up with a Magazine in Hand, that he has just bought at the Local Mom and Pop's Convince Store, on the way to the Fantasy Football Draft. He uses the Cheat Sheet printed back in May. (I must admit I did this in my first year of playing Fantasy Football.) Fantasy Football Magazines do have some information in them that is a very Useful Tool when you are preparing to Rank National Football League Players. However, they were written several months ago. Therefore, the information in them is old news. I suggest you start to, or continue Reading FFToolbox.com http://www. fftoolbox.com/index.cfm on a Regular basis, along with NFL.com, CBS.com and ESPN.com, Yahoo.com Fantasy Football Sites, plus the Newspapers. Visit the Individual National Football League Team Web Sites for the latest News.
4. Based on Sports and Fantasy Football Magazines I have read so Far in 2009, and during the Fantasy Football Mock drafts I have done in preparation for the 2009 Fantasy Football Season. Fantasy Football Owners will be pursing Running Backs with Urgency on Draft Day. Running Back by Committee is one of the Biggest reasons. Several of the National Football League's Premier Passers are falling to the late Second, Third and even Fourth Round of Fantasy Football League Drafts. I got Matt Schaub in the Fifth Round, in one of my Fantasy Football Leagues, in 2009.
5. Draft a Quarterback in the First Round. If you plan on drafting a Quarterback with your first round pick, please invite me to Play in your Fantasy Football League. Why the sudden dislike for the Quarterback position? More than anything, it can be attributed to the Fantasy Football Owner's passion for Running Backs. (More correctly to the lack of Depth at the Running Back Position.) In a recent FFToolbox.com Writers Mock Draft, 9 out of the First 10 picks were Running Backs and 14 out of the First 15 picks were Running Backs. With such an emphasis on The Running Backs, Quarterbacks have taken a Back Seat. In fact, more Fantasy Football Team Owners now even favor Wide Receivers over Quarterbacks. Maybe, Rightly so. (I Disagree.) The difference between the top National Football League Quarterback and the 10th Ranked Quarterback is not all that great a difference. In 2009 it was 93 Points for the difference between #1 and #5 Quarterback. That is 5.8 Points a game. The difference was 174 Points between #1 and #10 that is 10.9 Points a game. Just so you know 2009 was an abnormal year, normally there is not that much difference between the 1st and 10th place Quarterback. (The numbers I am using here are Projections for the Total Stats for 2009 as of December 23, 2009.) (Also make a note of the Difference in Value between Quarterbacks, Running Backs and Wide Receivers in my Player Ranking Cheat Sheets.) Whatever the Reason, don't fight this trend. If you blow a First-Round pick on a Quarterback, you'll find yourself thin at the Running Back and the Wide Receiver Positions. Which, are clearly harder to fill with Quality Starting National Football League Players than a Quarterback.
6. Underestimate the Importance of the Late Round Drafting. After their Starting Line-ups are filled, many Fantasy Football Owners tend to Relax, Loose focus, or stop paying close attention. They forget to record Draft selections. They increase their Beer consumption (or spill Beer all over their Magazine and Cheat Sheets.) More often than not, they spend the rest of the Fantasy Football Season in Mediocrity. Make Every Draft Pick count. Drafting late-Round Gems, Sleepers, and Quality Backups could make the difference to your Fantasy Football Team making your Fantasy Football League's Play-Offs, Winning a Fantasy Football Championship or just being another "Loser."
7. There is a good chance your Stud Running Back gets Injured, or maybe your Top Wide Receiver loses his Starting Quarterback, thus leaving him no one to throw him the Football, and having Quality fill-ins on Bye Weeks, is an Absolute necessity. More often than not, your Fantasy Football Teams success depends as much on the last few Round selections, as it does the first couple of Rounds. Make every Draft Pick count this year. It is my experience over Fifteen Years that you will need the Best available National Football League Players as Starters and the Best available National Football League Players on your Fantasy Football Team's Bench to Dominate a Fantasy Football League. To accomplish this task you must be a Waiver Wire Hawk.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Fantasy Football, How to Play and winby Ted-Zee-Man Copyright © 2010 by Ted-Zee-Man . Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
