NFL moves Thursday Kickoff game to Wednesday due to President Obama's DNC Speech?

What next?  The NFL announced yesterday that the 2012 Kickoff game normally scheduled for the Thursday before the starting Sunday is moved to Wednesday September 5th. The reason.... to avoid conflict with President Barack Obama's Democratic National Convention speech. 


The Super Bowl XLVI-champion New York Giants will host the regular-season opener at MetLife Stadium. NBC will televise the game at 8:30 p.m. ET. 


If I may venture a guess at the opponent it will probably be against Green Bay. Of course, division rivals Eagles or Cowboys could also provide a great matchup. 




Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

Fantasy Baseball draft kits available now from draft kits.com

Spring Training is rapidly approaching.  As you are getting your Fantasy Baseball leagues together, please remember that draftkits.com  offers Draft Kits for Fantasy Baseball , along with a full line of fantasy baseball trophies. I recommend them in Fantasy Baseball for Beginners as well as Fantasy Football Guidebook. This year by  request, they have added over 75 players to their combined AL + NL player lists to include not just the players who qualify under the 20 game rule, but also top prospects and obvious position changes.

More information is at www.draftkit.com

Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

Fantasy Football Players Championship announce Rio Las Vegas to host 2012 FFPC

The Fantasy Football Players Championship (which I have played in since their inaugural season in 2008) announced recently that the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, the home to the World Series of Poker, the world-famous VooDoo Lounge, the Carnival Buffet and Penn & Teller, will be the 2012 FFPC Main Event and Ancillary Leagues site. 




Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

Lenny Pappano joins Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC)

Lenny Pappano, co founder of the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF), joins the FFPC after leaving retirement from FF  high stakes league (HSL) business.  Lenny established the award-winning fantasy football content site, DraftSharks.com, in 1999. His duties will include the day-to-day operations, marketing and strategy for the FFPC. Lenny was kind enough allow me to interview him for Fantasy Football Guidebook. In the interview he talks of his experience in starting the WCOFF in 2002. 


Pappano started WCOFF with Emil Kadlec who also recently left his HSL retirement  behind to start the Fantasy Football World Championship (FFWC). Both men co-founded the entire high stakes fantasy football industry in 2002 and then built up the World Championship of Fantasy Football into the biggest contest on the planet before retiring in 2007.


It is with great pleasure that I welcome both men back into the FF high stake league competition. 


Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

Fantasy Football World Championships-New High Stakes Fantasy Football League Debuts

You knew it was coming. I just did not know how long it would take before someone tried a  replacement for the now defunct World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF). Lo and behold I received an email detailing a new high stakes league called the Fantasy Football World Championships. All of the other big money leagues use acronyms  (FFPC, NFFC and the deceased WCOFF) so let me be the first to crown this new venture the FFWC. 


The Fantasy Football World Championships come from some well known names in FF, Emil Kadlec (who was kind enough to write the forward for my book Fantasy Football Basics) and Ian Ritchie who I have played in several "Expert" drafts over the years. I met Emil while playing in the WCOFF back in 2007.
{Emil was a co-founder of WCOFF back in 2002 and then sold it in 2007} I like both Ian and Emil. I wish them both luck with the FFWC. Heck I might even play this year if I can make it out to Vegas for 2012. 


Here are the details of the new Fantasy Football World Championships (FFWC)
First it has nothing to do with the WCOFF (which defaulted on paying their winners last year and collapsed this year) 


Details: 
In Las Vegas Sep 6-9, 2012
Cost $1740 for live managers; $1575 for online managers ($100 off each if enter before May 1)
12 Teams per league
4 Teams make playoffs
Total Points in Wk 14-16 determine Overall winners


Prizes: 

• FFWC Champion $200,000
• Prizes for 2nd overall through 25th place
• League 1st place $4,000
• League 2nd place $2,000
• League 3rd place $500
• League 4th place $200
• Best regular season record $1,000
• Most total points regular season $1,000

Events: 

• Thursday Night Game Viewing Party-free with main event entry includes co-manager and food during draft
• Main Event Drafts
• Ancillary Higher Stakes Drafts
• Ancillary Lower Stakes Drafts
• Sunday Game Viewing Party-I assume this is free with main event entry
• Entertainment All Weekend

MISC

Waiver wire on Wed and Friday every week

Passing:
Yards passing divided by 20 (e.g. 301 passing yards = 15.05 fantasy points).
4 points for every passing TD.
Minus one point (-1) for every interception thrown.
2 points for every 2-point conversion.

Rushing:
Yards rushing divided by 10 (e.g. 116 rushing yards = 11.6 fantasy points).
6 points for every rushing TD.
2 points for every 2-point conversion.

Receiving:
Yards receiving divided by 10 (e.g. 73 receiving yards = 7.3 fantasy points)
6 points for every receiving TD.
1 point for every reception.
2 points for every 2-point conversion.

Starting lineups will consist of:
1 QB
2 RB
3 WR
1 TE
1 Flex player (a RB or WR, or TE)
1 PK
1 Team Defense/Special team

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thoughts...
Competition is good. Although I love the FFPC and NFFC. A third different HSL format is welcome competition. And if I know Emil and Ian the FFWC will be some competition.

Interested to see how the 13 Game regular season happens with 12 teams. I suspect some sort of "All play" format in weeks 12 and 13, but as I  mention in Fantasy Football Guidebook I think this way of doing things is a bit flawed since the "dead" teams do not really play hard at the end of the season. AP tends to be the best playing those who have given up so the standings do not change that much. We shall see...


Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

What is the best waiver wire process for adding free agents now that Thursday games occur every week in 2012?

So how will your league change its waiver wire system in 2012 with the addition of a Thursday night game every week (weeks 1-15 in 2012).


OPTIONS
1) Keep WW on Friday but do one Thanksgiving week exception and on that week do just a Wed WW process since there are 3 games that day.

Advantages: Less work than 2 WW processes

Disadvantages: No way to fix a problem that occurs with a Thursday player if you have no backup on your team. For example, you are only carrying one kicker who plays the sunday before and is hurt, now  he is playing on Thurs and is out for the game due to a illness in the family or a injury in Wed. practice or last Sundays game. You lose any chance of correcting this. Solution-carry 2 kickers if you want to avoid this risk. My philosophy is to run with 1 kicker (to free up room for another sleeper) and take my chances.  

2) Keep WW on just Friday night and just say to heck with the Thursday night game implications but go to a WED waiver wire for Thanksgiving day games since there are 3 games that Thursday and continue to use WED from that week on.


Advantages: Less work than 2 WW processes
Disadvantages: Same as above but odds increase of a problem on Thanksgiving. Maybe add a backup for that week only at positions you need to start.

3) Keep WW on Friday for every week
Advantages
Disadvantages: No provision for Turkey Day. In week 12, during FF playoffs or next to last regular season game penalize teams with no way to add before 3 games. (Terrible option IMO)




4) Expand and add a Wed night WW process too? So two add/drops, one on Wed and then another after the Thursday game every week? 


a) If so are the Thursday players allowed to be dropped and replaced before the Sunday games or are they locked out? I would hope Thurs players are locked out after the WED WW, if not then Fridays WW will be a new WW instead of a contingency since NEW players are added for Friday (from WED FA)
b) Are just Thursdays players allowed to be added on this Wed waiver wire process? (This is a great option but game operators will complain that it is too hard to program in their computer systems because you have 2 different teams to exclude each week.) Another problem is if your kicker for Thursday does get hurt on Sunday or in the 3 days before Wed WW your only option is his backup on Thursday or the other Thurs kicker. So perhaps two full WW processes is the best option.


Advantages: Eliminates the disadvantage of losing a player before Thursday without any chance of replacing him. And gives you the option of waiting to hear more news a about injured players before dropping them. 
Disadvantages: More work with 2 waiver wire processes per league. Good players should look at both WW actions as chances to get ahead. 




5) Move the Friday night waiver process to Wednesday night. (Worst Option IMO)

Advantages: Eliminates the disadvantage of losing a player before Thursday without any chance of replacing him. 

Disadvantages: Creates an even bigger opportunity at losing a player before the Sunday or Monday games. Often key injury news is not releases until Friday.

6) Why do an added waiver on WED when you have just as good a  chance of something bad happening on Thursday before the game (after the waiver wire). How about a waiver wire just before the Thursday game?


And why is the WW process on Friday now? Why not Saturday so everyone can digest the injury news before deciding on what to do? Is it so people have the weekend free? 
And what about West Coast players? Often the deadline is 7 or 8 PM EST. That is when many on the WC are at work. How about 9 PM EST or 10 PM so everyone can work this issue after their 9-5 job and not at it.


Other options? 


I think many FF players favor adding a Wed WW option but just for adding Thursday players. Players dropped for this WW should not be available for pickup until after the Sunday/monday games. My vote would be two waivers-one on Thursday at 7 PM EST and then again on Saturday at Noon EST. Or if you must do a WED WW then make it 10 PM EST. Players are against the Thurs or Sat days as WW since it leaves less time for owners to set lineups and make WDIS decisions. 


And I agree with many who commented or emailed earlier this week. Injury reports on Thurs and Fri tend to influence your Start decisions more than the add/drop decisions. 


Keep this is mind too. Wednesday seems to see every player sitting or resting. It tells you nothing. I base my decisions on if they sit Thurs and more importantly if they sit Friday. In general, if they miss Friday I do not plan on them unless they have a history of playing with an injury.


So what do I prefer....
1) Full waivers on Wed/Thurs and Friday/Saturday
2) Thurs limited WW and Full Friday WW
3) Friday only WW
4) Wed only WW (although I think people underestimate the skill involved if this were to be introduced-since not everyone will know all the info there is about players. You will have to use your brain to find and value players before the injuries are all doped out.). I am seriously torn between 3 and 4. I like the skill aspect of a Wed only but there may too much of a complaint when players go out after the wed FAAB.
5) keep it Friday until Thanksgiving then move it to WED.



Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

2011 is behind us, congratulations to SB Champion NY Giants; but how about 2012 and the rookie class?

NFL Draft expectations
1. IND-QB Andrew Luck. Peyton Manning will be 36, have a huge salary due and...is recovering from multiple neck surgeries. Questions none. The Colts will draft Luck and try and move PM if possible.

2. STL ( I expect CLE to trade up to here though, to get...) QB Robert Griffith III

3. MIN-OT Matt Kalil. AP, if he comes back in 2012 (key injury there) will need some OL help

4. CLE (traded to STL and I expect them to trade down again) OT Riley Reiff Everyone loves a good lineman. If STL stays here they could take Trent Richardson as a eventual replacement for Steve Jackson.

5 TB-RB Trent Richardson







Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

Free agency/Waiver Wire implications of Thursday Night games every week now in the NFL?

So how will your league change its waiver wire system in 2012 with the addition of a Thursday night game every week (weeks 1-15 in 2012).

1) Will it stay on Friday night and just say to heck with the Thursday night game implications?

2) Will it expand and add a Wed night WW process too? So two add/drops one on Wed and then another after the Thursday game? If so are the Thursday players allowed to be dropped and replaced before the Sunday games or are they locked out?

3) Is there another waiver wire correction yet to be discovered/discussed?

Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

NFL announces new Fantasy Football $1Million dollar "Perfect Challenge"

Look for a NFL ad during the Super Bowl introducing the ''Perfect Challenge,'' a deceptively simple new fantasy game.

Each week, participants must pick an eight-player lineup out of the entire NFL. If every selection earns the most fantasy points at their position in a given week, the owner wins $1 million. I.e you need to pick 8 winners a little easier than picking the lottery numbers because skill will determine the leaders.

The lineups must feature one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one kicker and one defense/special-teams unit. The game is free. I will be interested in the scoring system. Will it be PPR or yardage or 'big play" or bonus oriented?

For a sense of the difficulty of picking the perfect lineup, consider that last season 16 different kickers earned the most points (including ties) for at least one week under the standard NFL.com scoring system.

Yes, the hugely popular NFL believes it's missing out on potential fans, so it's making a splash with the $1 million prize. An estimated 15 million to 20 million people already play fantasy football, but then again, last year's Super Bowl was watched by 111 million viewers.

Regular fantasy football requires the organization to set up a league at the start of the season and the commitment to attend a draft and update a lineup every week. The Perfect Challenge requires less time and knowledge, and fans can play as many or as few weeks as they'd like.

.

For those avid fans already hooked on fantasy, it's an opportunity to compete for something even if that team they drafted in early September is already eliminated from playoff contention.

''Male, female, younger, older — this appeals across the board,'' said Jeff Berman, the NFL's digital media chief. ''Obviously, having the prize component gives an extra reason.''

The league's hope is that the people who play fantasy for the first time through the Challenge start paying more attention to the sport — maybe they watch the Thursday night game on NFL Network, or buy official merchandise.

''Bringing new players into the fold is good for football overall,'' Berman said.

Organizations can offer $1 million prizes in initiatives like this with the help of the insurance. For the NFL, having to distribute the big payday would carry the kind of buzz the league wants from this program.

''We'd be thrilled for somebody to pick the perfect lineup and win the prize,'' Berman said. ''That would be a terrific outcome.''

Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

FFGuidebook.com (Sam Hendricks) finishes 13th of 25 Experts Overall in the Fantasy Index Magazine Rankings Contest

Fron Fantasy Football Index magazine (www.FantasyIndex.com)


Below is the overall recap of the 2011 Experts Poll. (Using our traditional
scoring format, anyway; we¹re doing more with other scoring systems, but
we¹re setting those aside for now).

Scott Pianowski of Yahoo! Sports was the winner this year. He was
outstanding in quarterbacks (6th), running backs (1st), tight ends (5th) and
kickers (5th). That allowed him to overcome finishing way down at 23rd among
wide receivers.

Pretzel May of FantasyDraftMaster can argue that he holds a portion of the
title. He won using the more balanced scoring systems that give more weight
to the bottom 10 guys in each top 20. But in this system, he finished 2nd,
helped along by 2nd-place finishes at running back and in the
Defense/Special Teams category.

Bob Henry (Footballguys), Lenny Pappano (DraftSharks) and Tony Holm (Fantasy
Sharks) rounded out the top 5.

The Fantasy Football Index picks aren¹t part of this poll. That¹s been a
long-standing tradition for a handful of reasons. For starters, we score the
thing. With thousands of points and calculations at stake, it¹s not right to
have a competitor in charge of the scoring. Also notably, in typical years
experts must submit their picks in mid-May. The Fantasy Index picks can be
changed in early June ­ so are we suppose to submit double lists of players
in the magazine? Sometimes something big will happen in late May or early
June; Ben Roethlisberger¹s motorcycle crash and Brett Favre¹s admission of
Vicodin addiction come to mind.

So we have settled into the gracious host role of this competition. We do,
however, run our numbers through to see how we would have fared if in the
competition. We turned out pretty solid this year. In the traditional
scoring, we would have come in No. 2 behind Pianowski. In the other two
scoring systems we¹ve discussed in the past few days, we would have moved up
into the No. 1 spot. So apparently a pretty solid year for the Fantasy Index
lists. (We¹ll list some of those numbers in the Fantasy Index Open results
tomorrow ­ that¹s our Experts Poll-like competition that¹s open to all
comers (it's a chance for readers to see how they would fare in this kind of
format).


FANTASY INDEX EXPERTS POLL, FINAL RESULTS
Position-by-position rankings in the 2011 edition of the Fantasy Index
Experts Poll, using the traditional scoring method (with player's production
multiplied by 1-20 points, depending on where they were ranked):

  QB  RB  TE  WR  PK  ST  Total
   6   1   3  23   5   8   214,652  Scott Pianowski
  10   2  13   8   7   2   212,972  Pretzel May
   8  16   1  19  15  16  212,603  Bob Henry
   4   9   5  18  11  19  212,435  Lenny Pappano
  20  22   4   6   2   3   212,252  Tony Holm
  11   8  10   3  19   4   212,113  Eric Schneller
   2   4  16   4  24   7   211,668  Nathan Zegura
  16   3  17  13   9   1   211,637  Geoff Maleman
   3   6   8  25  14  25  210,843  Brian Laskiewicz
   7  17  11   9  22  22  210,750  Jon Millman
  13  19  12  16   3  24  210,576  Chris Liss
  14  24   2   5  10  21  210,532  Alan Satterlee
  22  18   9  12  13   9   210,305  Sam Hendricks 
  23  14   7  14  16   5   210,168  David Dorey
   1  15  18  10  23  23  210,154  Gregg Rosenthal
  24  10   6  15  20  18  209,443  Justin Eleff
  12  12  19  17  21  15  209,294  Christopher Harris
   9   5  21  24  18   6   209,128  Cory Bonini
  17  20  20  20   6  14  209,090  James Serra
  25  11  22  21   1  10  208,683  Keith Mason
  21  13  24  22   4  11  208,520  Jeffrey Kamys
  19   7  23  11  17  17  208,468  Austin Kipp
  18  21  15   2  25  20  207,856  Craig Davis
   5  25  14   7  12  13  207,788  Louis Tranquilli
  15  23  25   1   8  12  207,749  Greg Kellogg 


Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

FFGuidebook.com (Sam Hendricks) finishes 13th of 25 in K and 9th in Defenses Experts in the Fantasy Index Magazine Rankings Contest

From www.FantasyIndex.com
Below are the official, final results for kickers and defenses. I did just
two scoring systems on these (the tradition 1 thru 20, and the alternate
with the last-place guys worth 11 and the No. 1 choices getting multiplied
by 30).

Readers plucked off the street won both of these categories. (We solicated
for volunteers at our website and randomly selected five who applied). How
much outside info/help these guys had, I have no idea. Picks were made in
early August (just before the kickoff of the first preseason games), so they
presumably could have had access to various draft lists produced by various
companies.

Regardless, Keith Mason of Sumter, S.C., was the winner in kickers. He was
followed by Tony Holm (FantasySharks.com) and Chris Liss (RotoWire.com).
When you go to the more balanced 11-30 scoring system, James Serra (First
Place Sports Software) moves up to the No. 1 spot, with Holm and Liss still
in those Nos. 2-3 slots.

For Defenses, they included both defense and special teams, with 6 points
for TDs and 2 for every sack, takeaway and safety. Geoff Maleman of Redondo
Beach, Calif., won this category, followed by Pretzel May and Tony Holm.

If you go to the more balanced scoring system for defenses, then each of
those top 3 spots was filled by these reader entries. Which says what? Maybe
we¹re all spending too much time overanalyzing that position? With no
injuries among defenses (no defenses missed most of the season, like with
the individual players) there was much less difference between the overall
scores ­ about a 5 percent difference between first and last.


EXPERTS POLL, KICKERS (official scoring)
(multiplier numbers ranging from 1-20)
  Points
  22,249  Keith Mason (Sumter, S.C. / Fantasy Index reader)
  22,182  Tony Holm (FantasySharks.com)
  22,116  Chris Liss (RotoWire.com)
  21,831  Jeffrey Kamys (Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports)
  21,636  Scott Pianowski (Yahoo! Sports)
  21,526  James Serra (First Place Sports Software)
  21,209  Pretzel May (FantasyDraftMaster.com)
  21,078  Greg Kellogg (Kellogg's Komments)
  20,871  Geoff Maleman (Redondo Beach, Calif. / Fantasy Index reader)
  20,804  Alan Satterlee (Dynasty Rogues)
  20,666  Lenny Pappano (Draft Sharks)
  20,653  Louis Tranquilli (BFD Fantasy Football)
  20,630  Sam Hendricks (FFGuidebook.com)
  20,625  Brian Laskiewicz (Randolph, N.J. / Fantasy Index reader)
  20,591  Bob Henry (Footballguys.com)
  20,499  David Dorey (The Huddle)
  20,484  Austin Kipp (Olathe, Kan. / Fantasy Index reader)
  20,465  Cory Bonini (KFFL)
  20,220  Eric Schneller (Indianapolis / Fantasy Index reader)
  20,170  Justin Eleff (Fantasy Index)
  20,143  Christopher Harris (ESPN)
  20,048  Jon Millman (Fantasy Football Champs)
  19,644  Gregg Rosenthal (NBC Sports / Rotoworld)
  19,262  Nathan Zegura (The Fantasy Consultant)
  19,011  Craig Davis (FantasyFootball.com)

EXPERTS POLL, KICKERS (alternate scoring system)
(multiplier numbers ranging from 11-30)
  Points
  42,836  James Serra (First Place Sports Software)
  42,732  Tony Holm (FantasySharks.com)
  42,616  Chris Liss (RotoWire.com)
  42,106  Scott Pianowski (Yahoo! Sports)
  41,990  Sam Hendricks (FFGuidebook.com)
  41,865  Cory Bonini (KFFL)
  41,831  Jeffrey Kamys (Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports)
  41,819  Pretzel May (FantasyDraftMaster.com)
  41,779  Keith Mason (Sumter, S.C. / Fantasy Index reader)
  41,695  Brian Laskiewicz (Randolph, N.J. / Fantasy Index reader)
  41,184  Alan Satterlee (Dynasty Rogues)
  41,131  Bob Henry (Footballguys.com)
  40,799  David Dorey (The Huddle)
  40,756  Lenny Pappano (Draft Sharks)
  40,561  Geoff Maleman (Redondo Beach, Calif. / Fantasy Index reader)
  40,128  Jon Millman (Fantasy Football Champs)
  39,988  Greg Kellogg (Kellogg's Komments)
  39,790  Justin Eleff (Fantasy Index)
  39,773  Louis Tranquilli (BFD Fantasy Football)
  39,764  Austin Kipp (Olathe, Kan. / Fantasy Index reader)
  39,730  Eric Schneller (Indianapolis / Fantasy Index reader)
  39,411  Craig Davis (FantasyFootball.com)
  38,593  Christopher Harris (ESPN)
  38,254  Gregg Rosenthal (NBC Sports / Rotoworld)
  37,992  Nathan Zegura (The Fantasy Consultant)


EXPERTS POLL, DEFENSES (official scoring)
(multiplier numbers ranging from 1-20)
  Points
  33,176  Geoff Maleman (Redondo Beach, Calif. / Fantasy Index reader)
  33,024  Pretzel May (FantasyDraftMaster.com)
  32,814  Tony Holm (FantasySharks.com)
  32,800  Eric Schneller (Indianapolis / Fantasy Index reader)
  32,762  David Dorey (The Huddle)
  32,732  Cory Bonini (KFFL)
  32,718  Nathan Zegura (The Fantasy Consultant)
  32,714  Scott Pianowski (Yahoo! Sports)
  32,696  Sam Hendricks (FFGuidebook.com)
  32,616  Keith Mason (Sumter, S.C. / Fantasy Index reader)
  32,606  Jeffrey Kamys (Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports)
  32,588  Greg Kellogg (Kellogg's Komments)
  32,482  Louis Tranquilli (BFD Fantasy Football)
  32,378  James Serra (First Place Sports Software)
  32,366  Christopher Harris (ESPN)
  32,350  Bob Henry (Footballguys.com)
  32,288  Austin Kipp (Olathe, Kan. / Fantasy Index reader)
  32,256  Justin Eleff (Fantasy Index)
  32,220  Lenny Pappano (Draft Sharks)
  32,210  Craig Davis (FantasyFootball.com)
  32,124  Alan Satterlee (Dynasty Rogues)
  32,118  Jon Millman (Fantasy Football Champs)
  31,922  Gregg Rosenthal (NBC Sports / Rotoworld)
  31,480  Chris Liss (RotoWire.com)
  31,412  Brian Laskiewicz (Randolph, N.J. / Fantasy Index reader)


EXPERTS POLL, DEFENSES (Times 3 scoring system)
(multiplier numbers ranging from 11-30)
  Points
  63,756  Keith Mason (Sumter, S.C. / Fantasy Index reader)
  63,440  Eric Schneller (Indianapolis / Fantasy Index reader)
  63,436  Geoff Maleman (Redondo Beach, Calif. / Fantasy Index reader)
  63,344  Pretzel May (FantasyDraftMaster.com)
  63,178  James Serra (First Place Sports Software)
  63,174  Tony Holm (FantasySharks.com)
  63,122  Louis Tranquilli (BFD Fantasy Football)
  62,742  David Dorey (The Huddle)
  62,734  Scott Pianowski (Yahoo! Sports)
  62,698  Nathan Zegura (The Fantasy Consultant)
  62,676  Sam Hendricks (FFGuidebook.com)
  62,608  Austin Kipp (Olathe, Kan. / Fantasy Index reader)
  62,586  Christopher Harris (ESPN)
  62,552  Cory Bonini (KFFL)
  62,486  Jeffrey Kamys (Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports)
  62,428  Greg Kellogg (Kellogg's Komments)
  62,290  Bob Henry (Footballguys.com)
  62,236  Justin Eleff (Fantasy Index)
  62,190  Craig Davis (FantasyFootball.com)
  62,158  Jon Millman (Fantasy Football Champs)
  62,100  Lenny Pappano (Draft Sharks)
  62,084  Alan Satterlee (Dynasty Rogues)
  61,222  Gregg Rosenthal (NBC Sports / Rotoworld)
  60,892  Brian Laskiewicz (Randolph, N.J. / Fantasy Index reader)
  60,100  Chris Liss (RotoWire.com




Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

FFGuidebook.com (Sam Hendricks) finishes 18th of 25 Experts in the Fantasy Index Magazine RB Rankings Contest

From www.FantasyIndex.com


Scott Pianowski and Pretzel May were the top finishers in our 2011 Experts
Poll, so fitting that they placed the highest in the pivotal running backs
category. Pianowski ranked the highest in our traditional, official scoring
format, while May placed first in both of our supplemental scoring formats.

Pianowski, of Yahoo! Sports, was one of only seven experts to put Ray Rice
up in the No. 3 spot (ahead of Chris Johnson and Jamaal Charles). Doesn¹t
seem like that big a deal, but it would be a huge deal if you drafted either
Johnson or Charles back in August. He also earned points (relative to most
of the other experts) by dropping Darren McFadden (foot) down to 15th.

Our secondary scoring systems (which are weighted more heavily to the
quality of the middle and bottom of the top 20s), allowed May to shine. He
was one of only two experts to rank Maurice Jones-Drew 6th. That earned him
points relative to the field (allowing him to move by Pianowski in our other
scoring systems).

By ³scoring systems² we don¹t mean fantasy scoring system. All players are
ranked according to 6 points for TDs and 1 for every 10 run/rec yards. We
mean how WE SCORE THEM.

For years, we have made the top pick in each category worth 20 times as much
as the last.

(1st pick = 20 x player¹s production)
(2nd pick = 19 x player¹s production)
(3rd pick = 18 x player¹s production)
- - -
(20th pick = 1 x player¹s production)

But that scoring system might not give enough credit for uncovering a
later-round gem. If, for example, some expert had the foresight to rank
Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson as the final two backs in his top 20, those
picks wouldn¹t have much impact on his overall score. Lynch scored 220
points, so he¹d count 220 or 440 in one of those final two spots, which is
essentially nothing in this kind of scoring system.

In future years, we may go to the more balanced grading approach. If we use
³11² rather than one for that final player (and slide the first guys up to
30), then those final picks are worth a little more than a third of the top
pick. That might be better. Or we can even make them worth more.

We¹re not sure which is best. Out of respect for all the time the
competitors put in, we¹re listing the results both ways for now.

In what we call the ³Times 2² scoring system, Sam Hendricks
(FFGuidebook.com) moves up from 18th to 6th, and David Dorey (The Huddle)
moves up from 14th to 7th.

Chris Liss of RotoWire.com finished outside the top 15 in all three
categories. That was a surprise, considering he ranked LeSean McCoy 4th,
higher than any of the other 24 experts.


EXPERTS POLL, WIDE RECEIVERS (official scoring)
(with multiplier numbers ranging from 1-20)
   Points
   39,624   Scott Pianowski (Yahoo! Sports)
   39,213   Pretzel May (FantasyDraftMaster.com)
   39,058   Geoff Maleman (Redondo Beach, Calif. / Fantasy Index reader)
   39,039   Nathan Zegura (The Fantasy Consultant)
   38,978   Cory Bonini (KFFL)
   38,871   Brian Laskiewicz (Randolph, N.J. / Fantasy Index reader)
   38,791   Austin Kipp (Olathe, Kan. / Fantasy Index reader)
   38,771   Eric Schneller (Indianapolis / Fantasy Index reader)
   38,768   Lenny Pappano (Draft Sharks)
   38,701   Justin Eleff (Fantasy Index)
   38,679   Keith Mason (Sumter, S.C. / Fantasy Index reader)
   38,534   Christopher Harris (ESPN)
   38,492   Jeffrey Kamys (Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports)
   38,390   David Dorey (The Huddle)
   38,300   Gregg Rosenthal (NBC Sports / Rotoworld)
   38,245   Bob Henry (Footballguys.com)
   38,226   Jon Millman (Fantasy Football Champs)
   38,195   Sam Hendricks (FFGuidebook.com)
   38,104   Chris Liss (RotoWire.com)
   38,060   James Serra (First Place Sports Software)
   37,484   Craig Davis (FantasyFootball.com)
   37,352   Tony Holm (FantasySharks.com)
   36,574   Greg Kellogg (Kellogg's Komments)
   36,346   Alan Satterlee (Dynasty Rogues)
   34,600   Louis Tranquilli (BFD Fantasy Football)

EXPERTS POLL, WIDE RECEIVERS (Times 3 scoring system)
(with multiplier numbers ranging from 11-30)
   Points
   74,348   Pretzel May (FantasyDraftMaster.com)
   73,607   Scott Pianowski (Yahoo! Sports)
   73,521   Brian Laskiewicz (Randolph, N.J. / Fantasy Index reader)
   73,182   Justin Eleff (Fantasy Index)
   73,173   Nathan Zegura (The Fantasy Consultant)
   72,734   Geoff Maleman (Redondo Beach, Calif. / Fantasy Index reader)
   72,713   Sam Hendricks (FFGuidebook.com)
   72,508   Eric Schneller (Indianapolis / Fantasy Index reader)
   72,474   David Dorey (The Huddle)
   72,303   Cory Bonini (KFFL)
   72,235   Lenny Pappano (Draft Sharks)
   72,024   Austin Kipp (Olathe, Kan. / Fantasy Index reader)
   71,732   Gregg Rosenthal (NBC Sports / Rotoworld)
   71,609   Keith Mason (Sumter, S.C. / Fantasy Index reader)
   71,335   Christopher Harris (ESPN)
   71,142   Bob Henry (Footballguys.com)
   71,141   Jon Millman (Fantasy Football Champs)
   71,101   Tony Holm (FantasySharks.com)
   70,758   James Serra (First Place Sports Software)
   70,675   Jeffrey Kamys (Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports)
   70,411   Chris Liss (RotoWire.com)
   70,182   Craig Davis (FantasyFootball.com)
   69,335   Greg Kellogg (Kellogg's Komments)
   69,298   Alan Satterlee (Dynasty Rogues)
   68,100   Louis Tranquilli (BFD Fantasy Football)


EXPERTS POLL, WIDE RECEIVERS (Times 2 scoring system)
(with multiplier numbers ranging from 21-40)
   Points
   109,483   Pretzel May (FantasyDraftMaster.com)
   108,171   Brian Laskiewicz (Randolph, N.J. / Fantasy Index reader)
   107,663   Justin Eleff (Fantasy Index)
   107,590   Scott Pianowski (Yahoo! Sports)
   107,307   Nathan Zegura (The Fantasy Consultant)
   107,231   Sam Hendricks (FFGuidebook.com)
   106,558   David Dorey (The Huddle)
   106,410   Geoff Maleman (Redondo Beach, Calif. / Fantasy Index reader)
   106,245   Eric Schneller (Indianapolis / Fantasy Index reader)
   105,702   Lenny Pappano (Draft Sharks)
   105,628   Cory Bonini (KFFL)
   105,257   Austin Kipp (Olathe, Kan. / Fantasy Index reader)
   105,164   Gregg Rosenthal (NBC Sports / Rotoworld)
   104,850   Tony Holm (FantasySharks.com)
   104,539   Keith Mason (Sumter, S.C. / Fantasy Index reader)
   104,136   Christopher Harris (ESPN)
   104,056   Jon Millman (Fantasy Football Champs)
   104,039   Bob Henry (Footballguys.com)
   103,456   James Serra (First Place Sports Software)
   102,880   Craig Davis (FantasyFootball.com)
   102,858   Jeffrey Kamys (Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports)
   102,718   Chris Liss (RotoWire.com)
   102,250   Alan Satterlee (Dynasty Rogues)
   102,096   Greg Kellogg (Kellogg's Komments)
   101,600   Louis Tranquilli (BFD Fantasy Football)




Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100