by Matthew Knuth

Created on: October 14, 2009

In fantasy football one thing is for certain. Everybody you talk to is an expert! Just ask them and they will tell you. Various web sites and sports columns promise sleepers, busts, and sure things. The true question is just what makes one an expert at fantasy football? Where do these projections come from?

The sad truth is that most expert advice in fantasy comes from people who simply play it a lot. Tenure does build experience but not necessarily knowledge. I have been in my profession for 5 years. It doesn't translate into me being the best at what I do. If you dig hard enough through both the web and the multitude of fantasy guides out there you can find some real help. My favorite type of fantasy guide is one that offers multiple cheat sheets. This will cover all types of scoring as well as getting different opinions on who is the best. So many guides offered today will be filled with player profiles and one cheat sheet. Nobody wants to put the fate of their team into one person's opinion do we?

You really must know your source. Just because someone is known for writing doesn't mean they offer the best advice. I personally would rather get an opinion from somebody that has won several league championships than someone that talks about super models and is known more for their writing style. I have come across articles in which someone has given advice on who to pick and called Brian Westbrook "Michael Westbrook." Which in itself was hysterical to read. Michael Westbrook is a scoring machine? Somebody should have told him that when he played. I personally can say that over the past five years I have won multiple championships and been in the championship game in 6 out of 8 leagues I competed in. I consider myself helpful, but not necessarily an expert.

Do you know who your league projected to win this week? Who actually comes up with the projections in your weekly match-ups? Most sites offer you a preview as to who will win. But who really selects them? It's a complete mystery to me. A lot of owners will make the mistake of using these projections as gospel for fielding a lineup. The only reliable way to fill a lineup is to actually watch your players play and learn their teams tendencies. A match-up against Detroit is great. But does it really matter if you have a quarterback playing against them? Not if they are content just running the ball. Know your talent and know your opponent. Those are the best things you can do to win.

There is certainly no shortage of advice in fantasy football. Consuming all of these opinions is like reading cliff notes. Nothing can replace the actual experience. So go out there and think for yourself! Research and do it wisely! Or else you may end up knowing more about a super model than actually winning your league championship.

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