What is a Fantasy Expert? At this point, don't many of us consider ourselves an Expert?  I read all of the news every day. I know when a guy has been hurt or traded within minutes, via one news source or another, and the numerous emails I get from the various FF sites I've registered with at some time or another.  Does that make me an expert?

I've read every free and half of the pay site's rankings over the last 2 weeks. I know every “sleeper” they've all preached, whether on a site, in an email or in a magazine. Does that make me an expert?

I manage a half a dozen FF teams each year, attempting to put as many of them in the playoffs and hopefully to the Promised Land as possible. I never enter an incomplete lineup and make waiver requests every week in every league, whether on a winning or losing streak. Anything I can do to improve my team, I do. Does that make me an expert?  Maybe.

In fact, many of the sites you will see employ 5, 10, 15 or even more writers, that they find from who knows where and labels them as “Experts”. They may have no track record or experience with winning anything, let alone high stakes, or expert leagues and yet they still call themselves “experts” who are qualified to help you win. What makes them more of an expert than you? Simply having an outlet to opine their thoughts, does NOT make an “Expert” … at FF or anything else.

 Or you will see sites pop up year after year that offer “expert advice”. What makes them an expert? Or for that matter, what makes ANYONE an “expert”?

My answer is… we are all Fantasy Football experts in a way (at least those of us who work on this everyday reading and gathering info). In fact, what's the difference between someone who studies FF constantly and knows every player and has their own opinions, and someone who does the same thing but posts them on the internet for everyone to see?

 In our opinion, there is ONLY ONE THING that makes someone a Fantasy Football Expert… WINNING. I don't care if it's your local league, a national league, a high stakes league, an “expert league”, an “expert poll”, etc. To even be considered an expert, you MUST have won at some level, and to be a true “expert” you must have done it A LOT. Otherwise, why would anyone care what you think?

 In my humble opinion, for you to call yourself an “expert” and tell others to pay you to hear what you think and say, you must have taken it even further and won at some high levels. Your local league, where 3 guys show up with a magazine that was published in June does not count. You must win a league with 12 highly prepared players to even qualify for “FF Expert Q School.“

 In this business, we compete every year with the top 25 FF sites and publishers in the Top Expert poll in the industry – Fantasy Index Magazine. To win this type of event, you have to assemble rankings and do projections in May and June and do it better than 24 other companies that spend all of their time knowing the game. So you better be good or you'll look silly. Winning an event like that, at least lets you qualify to apply for your “FF Expert” status. (We've WON it twice in 6 years, and never been outside of  4th).

 There are various “expert leagues” out there that we are invited to each year. Probably 2-4 per year from 2002-2006. Playing 11 of the most respected FF services in a head to head league and beating them all certainly get's you nominated to receive “Expert status”. (We have managed to win at least 1 of them each of those years)

 We've also chosen to create our own “expert” league and we challenged the top 11 sites and magazines we could find to play us in a league. We put up $5,000, they simply put up their reputations and we play for the bragging rights. These are the top information sites that all of you can choose to subscribe to. So whose info and insight would you pay for? I assume the ones who have done well right? Winning this type of league would let you qualify to register for “expert” status. (We won it once, lost in the Superbowl once, and lost in the Playoffs once in the 3 years we did it).

 If you put your own money on the line in a high stakes FF league such as the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF), against the most fanatic 600 FF nuts and do well, that would get you consideration for “Expert Status”. We've managed teams at WCOFF every year and been asked to participate in the first ever WCOFF Hall of Fame league, based on our past achievements in the WCOFF Tournament, against the top 11 WCOFF players over the first 2 or 3 years. Doing well on the biggest stage in Fantasy Football gets you consideration for “Expert Status” (We won the HOF league and lead nearly the entire season. At 1 time or another over the years in WCOFF, our teams have: won 3 League Championships; was #1 in the entire tournament after the Regular Season; and won the consolation bowl (most Playoff points), not to mention winning the first ever HOF League).

 That's just part of our Recent Track Record. We also compete against each other in our local LFFL league with our college buddies. We've been in this league since 1994. We originally launched FFC after having repeated success in this league and developing our own strategies. Ian and I compete more fiercely towards each other than anyone else so we really one-upped each other developing innovative FF strategies in an effort to beat each other, which usually meant winning this league. Since 1998, either myself of Ian won either the Superbowl, Total Points Title (both assigned equal value in our league as winning any one game can be lucky, but scoring the most points in the season is the real goal), or both every single year. 5 of those times one of us managed to win both (I'cve pulled it off each of the last 2 years so I have now done it 3 times).  You think that may sound easy against “local average Joe's”, but think about it...  We have to publish our rankings, sleepers, trade advice, strategies – everything. Wouldn't you buy that if you were in our league and we won every year if you could? So basically there are no secrets in our league. Imagine joining a league and before the draft you had to hand out your rankings, and list all of your sleepers for all the participants? You think that's easy? (Ha, I am sure they are all reading this ; )

 My point is this… the anticipation and preparation for the Fantasy Football season is like no other. Baseball doesn't hold a candle to it. The definiteness of plans you have on Sunday to watch football, and cheer highlights and updates makes it special. Before you entrust your entire FF season, and basically your Sunday, Monday nights and eventually holidays and Saturdays to someone's advice who has never won anything, let alone at a high level … think about it. If you refuse to pay anyone, and instead rely on the plethora of free advice all over the web – than more power to you. If you win leagues that way.. great. But if you barely squeak by to make the playoffs, and never have won the big game, maybe the old saying “you get what you pay for” holds true for you. Take a leap of faith, and see if maybe the grass is greener on the other side. Maybe it's time to shake things up. Isn't it worth $30 to find out if we have what you are missing to win your league? What would you pay if you knew your odds doubled, or better?  $50?  $100?  Maybe more. All I'm saying is if,  you're going to pay someone, you might as well see their resume. If you want to go with someone else, so be it. But if you want to give FFChamps a shot, we'll show you how we do it ourselves and how you can apply our principals (not to mention provide you with probably the most innovative and customizable FF website you've ever seen). At FFChamps, it's all about YOUR Championship and how we can improve your FF experience. At some point our past success can't be attributed to luck, and even if it was – we'll show you how to get lucky along with us.