The Fantasy League Guru Do you agree
with the Guru’s advice, or do you think he’s all hat and no brains.
Send your comments to sports@media.ucla.edu.
Another summer of fun is setting over the horizon. With this
dusk comes a new dawn, and the new dawn brings something so sacred
even God marvels at it. No, I am not talking about the artist
formerly known as Prince choosing his new moniker, or about my
annual shower. I am talking about fantasy football. For those of
you that are new to the fantasy football fold, it works just like
fantasy baseball. You pick players in a draft, and those players
earn points based on their performance. The one difference is that
football has a lot of injuries plus bye-weeks, thus your team will
change every Sunday. The Fantasy Guru is here to help guide you
through the jungle of Web sites that want your business and all
their various nuances. The Guru will provide you with the answers
to some of life’s most pressing questions, such as: where are the
best places to play fantasy football? And, for you beginners out
there, how does fantasy football work? Read on for the Guru’s first
installment of Fantasy Football Guide 2001. The quality of the
sites are rated on a scale of one to five Guru hats.
SPORTSLINE (http://www.sportsline.com): (4/5
fantasy hats) Sportsline uses live or automated drafts, depending
on your ability and/or willingness to choose your own team. Twelve
teams per league are divided up into three divisions. At the draft,
you pick two quarterbacks, three running backs, three wide
receivers, two tight ends, two kickers and two defensive teams.
Each week, you have to start one QB, two RBs and WRs, one TE, one K
and one D. Players earn points in nine offensive categories and
seven defensive categories. Remember, you don’t pick individual
defensive players, but rather overall defensive units. Therefore,
you probably want to use your No. 1 pick on a defensive unit such
as Baltimore or Tennessee. Starting Week 15, the division winners
and one wild card team will be in the playoffs. The two winners
will then square off in Week 16 to determine a league champion.
There are plenty of public leagues for Fantasy Fans to join, so
don’t be intimidated. Free and pay leagues are available, with
prizes being awarded in the pay leagues.
SANDBOX (www.sandbox.com): (5/5 fantasy hats)
Sandbox also uses both live and automated drafts with eight to 14
teams per league. Each team will go head-to-head with every other
team at least once, and whichever team earns the most points that
particular week gets a win. There are 11 players on each team,
including a QB, RB, WR, TE, and K. The other six positions must
consist of three flexible offensive players (RB/WR/TE) and three
defensive players (defensive lineman/linebacker/defensive back).
Players earn points in 19 different categories, encompassing
offense, defense and special teams. There are lots of leagues for
everyone to join, or you can set up a private league. Participation
is free and prizes are awarded at the end of the season. The grand
Sandbox prize this year is a night alone with me! I’ll let you wear
my chapeau if you’re nice. Well, maybe not. But it should be.
SPORTS SWIRVE (www.sports.swirve.com): (3/5
fantasy hats) This is fantasy football with a salary cap. You start
with a cap of $5,000,000, and that goes up by $5,000 every day of
the season. There are only offensive categories. You need to sign
two QBs, four RBs, four WRs, two TEs and two other offensive
players of your choice. You can sign players to day-to-day,
short-term, or long-term contracts. The benefit to short-term
contracts is roster flexibility, but long-term contracts give you
salary cap flexibility. The budget really makes you think and
evaluate every player. There are eight different categories to earn
points in. This is truly a unique way to play fantasy football, but
it is very complicated until you get the hang of it. I recommend
this for the adventurous spirits and Biz-Econ students.
MSNBC (www.msnbc.com) (1 fantasy hat) This Web
site operates with a more straightforward salary cap and, unlike
Swirve, you get to pick a defense. Each owner will pick two QBs,
three RBs, four WRs, two Ks, and a D. The scoring system is
complicated, with eight offensive categories, five defensive
categories and two kicking categories. There are also eight "bonus"
categories to earn points in that are confusing, with yardage a
major factor in everything. It costs anywhere from $30 to $50 to
join, and frankly isn’t worth the money. Join a free league and
invest the money in fantasy publications. This Web site gives out
cash prizes, but it is almost impossible to earn any of them
(unless, of course, you touch my hat). … To keep track of all the
happenings with different NFL players during the season, your Guru
has picked out his favorite sites that you must check daily to stay
on top of everything: ROTOWORLD (www.rotoworld.com): Great for
checking on all of the latest injuries in the league, and there
will be a myriad of them throughout the season. This site is also
helpful if you are investigating lesser-known players that are hard
to find in popular publications. YAHOO (www.yahoo.com): The granddaddy of all
Web sites for checking out stats. For all of you stat buffs, Yahoo
has got it all. When you check out this site, you’ll want to yell
"Yahoo!" FANBALL (www.fanball.com): For in-depth player
features and profiles, this site reigns supreme. If you have the
time, like I do, check out this site and read every detail about
all of the players in the NFL. FFLPROS (www.fflpros.com: When you can’t get in
contact with the Guru for advice, turn to this Web site helpful
tips regarding how to play. It also has player rankings to help you
on draft day.
Following your Fantasy League Guru’s sage advice regarding Web
sites will help you excel beyond your fantasy potential. And
excelling beyond your potential is important, because fantasy
football isn’t just a game. It’s life.