Product Description
How to Play, Enjoy and Win your Fantasy Football League Every Year! A handy, concise and informative source book. Expertly organized and full of hard facts, helpful tips and valuable strategies. This guidebook is for the novice or the expert who wants to learn more about how to play and win fantasy football. It is your single source for every strategy, tip, rule or league variation available. It is the best book of its kind. Includes: - The history and administration of Fantasy Football - Types of leagues, scoring systems and drafts - How to rank players - Draft day tips, theories and advanced strategies - Roster Management skills (trades, add/drops, start/bench decisions) - Auction, Keeper and IDP leagues - Interview with Lenny Pappano (co-founder World Championship of Fantasy Football and draftsharks.com) - Psychology of Fantasy Football - Injuries - And much more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Not a book for beginners!
Look, the author seems to really know his stuff, and from what I've scanned it looks like he's put it all in a pretty cogent format.But, and I suppose this is my fault, I bought this book because I wanted to *start* playing fantasy football.While the guide is, as it says, quite comprehensive, even for an experienced student like myself (I hold a doctorate) the sheer amount of detailed material squished in from cover to cover put me off even starting to read it.Maybe, someday, when I am an experienced fantasy football fanatic, I may want to read something this in depth.But I'm just looking to get started here, and Mr. Hendricks has written a textbook, not a fun guidebook.I'm going to return it and get Fantasy Football for Dummies, instead.I'm no dummy, but I can always count on the "For Dummies" format to make learning a new subject fun.If you want to know everything there is to know about fantasy football, this guide's for you. If you're just trying to grasp the basics you need to get started, I'd go for something a bit lighter.No offense, Mr. Hendricks -- I did keep your Fantasy Football Tips!Fantasy Football For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies))

The perfect Fantasy Football book.
For years I have been looking for a "Comprehensive" book on fantasy football. This 400 page book has it all. It has a great layout starting with the basics, history and progression of the hobby and then it dives into the types of leagues and drafts. After that the meat of the book is about strategies and tips of what to do and not to do in drafts and managing your team week in and week out. The last few chapters cover injuries, refererence materials and drum roll.......an entire chapter on rules that other leagues use. That alone is a great reference for anyone in a FF league that is getting boring.

It is a well thought out and well written book that wastes no space with silly drawings or blank pages. It is jam packed with tons of stuff. I have a few other FF books but most are TOO basic with lots of empty space or ads for websites. This one is by far the best!

I only wish there was an index so that I could reference the topics more easily when I go back to it from time to time.

I bought the hardback for $24 and a quarter (amazon sell 10% off) and it is great, but another buddy of mine got the paperback for $17.95 (again 10% off) and it seems pretty neat so I might go with the paperback next time when I get it for a friend for Christmas or his Birthday. I guess it depends on what they like either HB or PB.

Probably the best fantasy football book yet written
I ordered this and his F.F. 2009 Almanac at the same time.The Almanac came first.That's about all that can said in its favour.So I was more than a little suprised at the quality of this book.It's comprehensive, well-organized, professionally laid out, reads very easily, and in multiple aspects has advice that is a level beyond the titles that will come up in the "People Who Bought This Book Also Bought..." windows.

Let's face it, the fantasy football canon doesn't need another "it's a good idea to wait until late to pick your kicker" kind of book.This one covers the bases of types of leagues, types of scoring systems, and so forth in a couple of chapters, and then gets on to the main entree.

His chapter on ranking players tells some hard truths and gives the reader a solid foundation for doing (or not doing) his or her own research.The rest of the book deals thoroughly with the strategy and tactics involved in being in a league, from the draft through to trades, choosing your lineup, and other areas, in greater detail than is offered in any other source.

Really, the only other book that has anything useful beyond what's here is Zarzycki's "Drafting to Win".Zarzycki has a couple of good ideas in his book, as well as a whole lot of terrible ones, and it has to be recognized that he has the most highly evolved understanding of how strategies have to be fluid during the course of the draft.But Hendricks has summarized Zarzycki's positive contributions in a few pages, which is probably as much as any fantasy football player needs to see.

All in all, a great book, and a stunningly good bargain at $19.95.

How to win at Fantasy Football
Here's a staggering number: 30,000,000 - that's how many users worldwide are estimated to have played fantasy football this year. So you can be forgiven if you didn't win your league, unless, of course, you were an owner in half a dozen leagues or more, in which case you have no excuse for not winning at least one.

The popularity of online fantasy sports continues to grow, especially for football.

And with that popularity the number of competitive leagues offering huge prizes is soaring as well - which explains why so many of us now watch the NFL with one eye on the big screen, one eye on the computer monitor, and one hand on the mouse, repeatedly clicking the refresh button even though our real-time stats load automatically.

Here's another staggering number: $150,000,000 - that's the estimated cost of Tom Brady's season-ending injury to owners playing for a share of $500,000,000 in fantasy prizes (Darren Rovell, cited in an article on nfl.fanhouse.com).

With that much on the line, fantasy owners need all the help they can get - especially owners who failed in their primary mission this season: winning.

So here is what you need to do now that the fantasy season is over, buy this book: Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football, by Sam Hendricks.

And the emphasis here should really be on comprehensive - because that is exactly what the author provides, a complete and careful examination of fantasy football from its historical roots to drafting best-practices to dealing with Brady-like injuries to the psychology of the game.

Yes, that's right - the psychology of fantasy football.

And don't think for a moment that the psychology of fantasy football isn't a relevant topic - not when there are 30,000,000 owners worldwide.

In terms of qualifications, Sam Hendricks is a legendary figure in fantasy football, having won virtually everything there is to win over the past two decades. Hendricks frequently is invited to speak about fantasy football, offering seminars to people eager to learn firsthand time-tested strategies for winning on the virtual playing field, and he also participates yearly in the World Championship of Fantasy Football.

Hendricks says that playing fantasy football will make you a better NFL fan. I totally agree. And something else, too - using this guidebook that Hendricks created will make you a better fantasy football player.

Great Book For Any and All FF Owners, Regardless of Experience!
This is a super book.Sam's simplified tiering system makes ranking players easy for the beginner or the veteran.There are techniques for getting the best team on draft day and tips to guide you through the entire season.An added bonus are the detailed descriptions on the types of leagues that are out there and how all the scoring systems work.Get and read this book and you can be a champion in any league!

JK ... Read more

Product Description
From the award winning author of Fantasy Football Guidebook (and three other fantasy football books) comes the ultimate step by step guide to success; including methods of drafting, ranking players, creating cheat sheets and drafting like an expert. Finally, an easy to use and understand book, with tips on how to win your fantasy football league every year, is available at a great price. With over 200 winning ways, from how to pick a fantasy league to roster management tools, Fantasy Football Tips provides the key techniques to make you a consistent fantasy football owner. Written for all fantasy football players (whether a beginner or expert), Fantasy Football Tips is your ticket to this years League Championship. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Fantasy football
The Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win Through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting book is an excellent book to use in setting up your fantasy football team. It has helpful ideas for picking players and playing the game.

Another Winner from Hendricks
For the most part there are two kinds of Fantasy Football books out there.The first is the basic, introductory "draft RBs before kickers" kind of book.The second is the goofball theory book -- books that, while far from comprensive overall, describe in great detail the brilliant, wonderful theory that made the author the best fantasy football player in his league two years out of the last ten.The optimist in me thinks the authors of the latter group are people who got lucky, and haven't really subjected their theories to much scrutiny, whether by peer review, computer simulations, or just looking at data.The cynic in me thinks these authors are deliberately peddling crappy ideas, using their (cough) name to cash in without revealing any "real" secrets of the trade.The realist in me suspects that probably there's a some of both going on in most of those books.

In my view Sam Hendricks is the only author out there who is both writing at a high level, and writing honestly about his approach to winning at fantasy football.This book is a gold mine of information, containing valuable tips that you aren't going to see anywhere else.In addition, he isn't shy about calling out some of the nonsense that passes for accepted wisdom in fantasy football canon, and when he does, he backs it up with a solid logical argument.Tip #64, for example, blows away one of the central theses of Randy Giminez's "Dominate Fantasy Football" in less than 400 words, and after reading both, I'm basically ready to use Giminez for kindling.He's wrong, Hendricks is right, it's that simple.

I think a handful of his tips are questionable, but so many of them are so on the money that it makes this book worth far, far more than what he's charging for it.Sure, he could use some help in the editing department -- I grate my teeth every time I read "Jay Cutler or P. Manning", or "ARZ WR Larry Fitzgerald" in a paragraph of prose.Spell 'em out, bro, it doesn't cost you anything and, as you say often enough, consistency is a good thing.

Why this guy doesn't get more credit is beyond me, but a BIG part of me is glad that nobody's reading his stuff.The last thing I need is for my opponents to get better.

Now if he could just clean up his yearly Almanac....

A choice pick for those who love fantasy football
Fantasy football is a game of understanding the potential of players. "Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win Through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets, and Better Drafting" is a guide for those who want to improve their planning and choices when dealing with the game of fantasy football. With advice on better understanding football, seeing who is going to have the better season, and more, Sam Hendricks will give readers a leg up on their competition. "Fantasy Football Tips" is a choice pick for those who love fantasy football.

Outstanding!
Very insightful! There are hundreds of tips to improve your fantasy team at the draft, and techniques to ensure the strength of your team throughout the fantasy season. Sam has considered draft techniques that nobody else has thought of. And, his personal style makes it fun to read. Great book.

First the Fantasy Football Guidebook, now this little gem!
Sam Hendricks hits the bull's eye yet again with another great book not only on how to win at Fantasy Football, but how to better enjoy it as well.

Sam has competed in several high stakes leagues over the years including the World Championship of Fantasy Football and the Fantasy Football Players Championship.He shares the methods he himself has used to win since he began playing.Fantasy Football Tips is a quick and easy read, but it's comprehensive and detailed enough to guide you through the entire season.Sam's winning experience can be yours as he offers tips on drafting for your specific type of league and scoring system, techniques to help you pick the rookies destined to shine and how to spot the most likely breakout players.Sam even mentions weather and field conditions and how it will affect your team, something I rarely if ever thought about.There's also advice on trading and even an appendix with tools to help you stick with your plan on draft day.No FF player, veteran or novice should be without this book.Get it, read it, WIN!

... Read more

Product Description
Packed with expert advice and timely tips

The fun and easy way to guide your team to glory in fantasy football

Fantasy football can be an addictive hobby. But if you've never played before, how do you start? Have no fear! This friendly guide explains the game to you from start to finish -- from scouting and drafting your players to building your coaching skills to planning your strategy. And who knows, perhaps even to tasting victory in your league championship!


* Understand the basics of the game
*

Pick the league right for you
*

Assemble your dream team in the draft
*

Develop your in-season management skills
*

Know which quick fixes work and what common mistakes to avoid ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Fantasy Football for Dummies
It was a perfect gag gift for someone that came in last place in our fantasy football league!

3 1/2 Stars
Well I can honestly say I knew nothing about fantasy football before and in the first chapter alone I learned sooo much. I didn't realize there was so many different ways to play either. The main things I didn't like was how disorganized the material was. If you know nothing about FF (like me) the book instructs you to skip around chapters and come back. I don't like doing that and I really didn't see why it couldn't be set up like a normal front to back read and just let the more advanced players be the ones who skip around. Another thing was when it came time to look into joining a public league that he suggested there was information I needed to know that he never discussed. That kind of makes me nervous. A lot of important stuff (worth remembering) got buried in useless info as well. I can always skim back through the book if I need to, unless I get stuck during the draft (this is what I'm nervous about) where I just wont have enough time.

Great Book for 1st Timers
If like me you have never played Fantasy football before this book is a must.
It explains in clear easy to understand language the way to go about drafts, run your team etc.
Anyone who is playing on Yahoo will find it especially useful as it is written around the Yahoo format (other leagues are covered as well).
A good buy at the price & big help if you want to get maximum fun out of your 1st season.

Great Book
Great Book.Taught my husband a few things about Fantasy Football that he didn't know and he has been playing for years.A must have for any wife who wants to learn what occupies hours of their husband's time.

Your first choice!
If you are thinking about playing fantasy football or even if you played a little last year and want to improve those basic skills, get this book! It is a great introduction to fantasy football. It covers everything to get you started including where to play online and look online for information on players. Many of the tips are exactly what you need to draft, manage and improve your team for a winning season.

After reading Fantasy Football for Dummies, it is obvious that Martin Signore has played the game for many years and his love of the hobby shines through.Once again, the winning "dummies" format makes it easy. I am amazed at how much information he provides. Martin even discusses Auction leagues which many of todays FF books ignore. He hits all the right techniques and even includes some advanced draft strategies.

I usually find the "part of tens" pages in a dummies book tedious, but Martin has provided a great Top 10 list of mistakes to avoid and perhaps even more importantly ten fixes to make to your team after draft day. The draft is not the end but instead should be the starting point for a championship team. You should constantly try to improve your team through trades and/or the waiver wire. A great manager can always look back and point out a significant improvement during the season.

This is definitely the book of choice for anyone who wants an introduction to the greatest hobby of all time, Fantasy Football.

Sam Hendricks, author of "Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football" and "Fantasy Football Almanac"
... Read more

Product Description
You’ve signed up for a Fantasy Sports league.Now what do you do?Fantasy sports is an activity played by 15-20 million players annually so you are not alone!From football to game shows, there is a fantasy sports game for everyone.Whether you are a new player or an experienced one, your goal is the same – to enjoy the experience.

Fantasy sports leagues started before the Internet, played by the hard-core fans and done so primarily on paper.The Internet has allowed the growth and proliferation of fantasy sports to happen very quickly.Whether you want to play football, basketball, baseball, or soccer;want to race with the NASCAR® crowd or follow the drama of the Survivor TV show, there is a fantasy sports league for you!

The Savvy Guide to Fantasy Sports will help you understand the different types and styles of leagues regardless of the sport.From the simplest fantasy football league to the most complex baseball league, author and Yahoo!® Sports Columnist Mike Harmon will help you to understand the league styles and fully enjoy your experience.

Harmon also provides valuable insight into running your own fantasy league – with you as the Commissioner!He covers rules, styles and considerations, all intended to help you run a fun and enjoyable fantasy sports game.

Sports covered include football, baseball, soccer, hockey, baseketball, auto racing, cricket, TV shows and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

As advertised!
The book came pretty much as advertised. We are very pleased with the condition. Thanks!

expert instruction on all kinds of fantasy sports
Fantasy sports is an area of online game-playing that is booming, like the other video games it is related to have in recent years. Harmon--a staff writer at Yahoo Sports doing columns covering many of the fantasy sports--does a manual for play which is comprehensive and in-depth, but also well-focused and reader-friendly. Each of the major sports fantasy games such as football, baseball, and auto racing as well as lesser-played sports of cricket, soccer, and also reality TV shows (similar to the sports) are dealt with in individual chapters. These chapters include many short sections so readers can learn about improving skills in the particular, complex, multifaceted games one step at a time, as if "having a good friend by your side." A chapter "Ask the Experts" includes tips from others experienced players and recognized names in the field. In Harmon's enthusiasm, readers recognize a shared keen interest; and his knowledge will help players at any stage develop greater prowess.

All You Want to Know About Fantasy Sports
Your chances of ever being able to manage a team in the NFL are pretty slim. And it seems that that the only way you'll manage Allan Border, Steve Waugh or Ricky Ponting on the world champion Australian team in in your fantasy world.

Well, why not, this is a fantasy even your wife won't mind.

From nowhere a very few years back, fantasy games now have something like 20 million participants. I first found them in football, but now they are in just about any sport you can name and some activities (reality TV shows).

Mike Harmon was one of the first sports writers to pick up on fantasy games. At the time he was working for Yahoo and was able to participate in the very beginnings of the game.

In this book he describes the different types and styles of leagues so you will know which league fits the way you want to play.

Oh yes, the Australian world champs play the game of cricket. Yes, there's fantasy cricket. ... Read more

Product Description
A great new way to getall kids excited about math!

Fantasy sports are a hit worldwide, and now teachers and parents can take advantage of this phenomenon to give students a reason to look forward to doing math. The games and activities in Fantasy Football and Mathematics will get kids excited about learning and practicing math, even if they're not big sports fans. With this fun-filled educational resource you can teach one math concept or many, and plan lessons that can last for a week or a whole season.

Here's how it works. Students create fantasy teams by picking real-life professional football players, following their players' statistics, and calculating their team's total points using algebraic or nonalgebraic methods specifically designed to complement the math skills they are learning. The instructions are easy to follow, and the dynamic hands-on games address all learning styles and abilities. The book includes more than 100 scoring systems that give you the flexibility to customize the content according to your students' skill levels.

In addition to the basic Fantasy Football game, the book contains easy-to-use lesson plans, reproducible worksheets for extra practice on 46 different math concepts, graphing activities, quizzes, a pre- and post- test, and an answer key. More than just a fun way to learn math, the book's activities also support the NCTM Math Standards.



"I had students' eyes light up like never before when I told them we were going to play Fantasy Football in math class! The students who have never been successful at anything in math are now my experts helping other students. They are so proud of themselves!"
--Julie Myers, Lyman Moore Middle School,Portland, Maine

"Playing Fantasy Football and Mathematics from a preservice teacher perspective allows my secondary math methods students to see the power of teaching math with motivational and mathematically sound materials. My students are very engaged in Fantasy Football."
--Dana Pomykal Franz, assistant professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Mississippi State University

Also available in the Fantasy Sports and Mathematics series:

Fantasy Baseball and Mathematics | Fantasy Basketball and Mathematics | Fantasy Soccer and Mathematics ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

I LOVE Fantasy Football & Mathematics!
I teach 5th grade gifted and talented students in an enrichment pull out class. I have 3 groups and I see each group 1 full day per week. We started Fantasy Football at the beginning of the school year. It's now Week 13 and my students are still enthusiastic and engaged. We started off slowly with the integer equation and we're now using the default equation - adding, multiplying, subtracting and reducing fractions with ease.

A neighboring school is also using Fantasy Football & Mathematics, so we started a "friendly" competition. Each week we post our high scores on our web pages and the school with the highest score wins. A local sporting goods store donated a football helmet and we put helmet stickers on for each win. When the season ends, the school with the most wins will get to dump a water cooler on their teacher. The kids are psyched about this and right now it's too close to call! :)

I would recommend FF&M to any teacher who is looking for a way to motivate his/her students to use and extend their math skills. Your kids will beg to play and their level of engagement lasts for the entire season. The points equations range from easy to extremely challenging, so it is appropriate for grades 5 - 12. It makes an excellent enrichment program and you can choose how much time you want to devote to it each week. Dan Flockhart has a website that you can use to easily check your scores and there is even an online competition that includes celebrities, students and teachers. When football season is over,you can play Fantasy Basketball or start Fantasy Baseball in the spring. It's a highly motivating program that will have even your mathphobes asking "Are we playing Fantasy Football today?"

Want to Engage Students Mathematically?
This is the first year that I have been using Fantasy Sports Math.I teach remedial math (below Algebra I) for 9th graders at a large suburban public high school.I teach on a block schedule...100 minutes per class every other day, and I have my students create their own Fantasy Teams, which they calculate points for once per week.It's an extremely effective "filler" activity that have students primarily on-task as they busily sort through, calculate, and post their player's stats...all whilelearning how to convert equivalent fractions, turn improper fractions into mixed numbers, etc.It's exciting to "talk smack" with the students as I have my own team and see students do the same as they compete with their other classmates.For this reason, I give it four and a half stars (if Amazon had that option).FSM's user-friendliness took a huge step forward this year as the author funds a website that actually gives you the weekly stats of each player...so no more looking at cumbersome newspaper box scores (yikes!).Also, with the purchase of the book, the author gives you a Player Value ranking that allows students to create their own team given a $40 million salary cap.The author also made me aware that students' calculation can be verified quickly online.Overall, definitely a recommended book to buy.Keep up the great job, Mr. Flockhart!

Awesome math activities to motivate students
This book is awesome!I teach 6th grade math, and my students had a great time playing fantasy football!Dan's book was easy to adapt to my class.Even if you do not know much about football, you can do this, and your students will thank you for it.I also bought the basketball book, and we have already drafted our teams and fantasy basketball starts after the Christmas break.I plan to make this an even bigger part of my curriculum next year!

Want to get students excited about math.......
I've been using fantasy Football with Mathematics for 2 years now with a 7th grade all girl math class.I work in the inner city and trying to make math come alive for students can get draining.Fantasy Football not only got my class focused, on task, interested in a male-oriented sport but got the highest math scores of all of my 5 classes.I knew nothing about Football before this.I stumbled along for a bit trying to understand the terminology - but I got the hang of it thanks to the my math class who helped ME understand.The class worked in pairs - getting data, the calculating fractions and creating stacked graphs as well as circle graphs.....even through in an algebraic expression......all this done with huge smiles on the girls faces.The season is coming to an end and the girls are asking about Fantasy Basketball now - Oh no - I don't know basketball either....but it will be fun again to learn something new.

Get students excited about math
I have been using Fantasy Football in my classes this fall. Students that are good in math, but not so much socially are working peacefully with students that are good with sports, but not so much mathematically. All are more excited about math than they once were.
I knew nothing about football going in, but this book makes Fantasy Football easy. I still don't know much about football, but I do know that a touchdown is worth .25 and a PAT is worth .042. (At least in the scoring system I used) You can tailor the scoring system and worksheets to your students' needs. Even though I don't know football and really am not terribly interested in it, this program has been easy to implement and I think very worthwhile. ... Read more

Product Description
Fantasy Healthball is the health and nutrition program rooted in fantasy sports. It is part fantasy game, part science, and all attitude. You compete directly with professional football players to meet your health goals. This personal approach is drastically different from other diet plans. It isn't about conforming to some new fad like low-carb or high-protein or low-sugar. It's about you and using your passion for sports to propel you to achieve your personal health goals.

Starting as a popular website (FantasyHealthball.com) launched at the halftime of 2008's Super Bowl XLII, Fantasy Healthball turns passion for football into passion for great health and turns spectators into active players. You'll be actively engaged in the pro football game, without having to worry about a 300-pound linebacker planting you in the artificial turf!

All of the great things about fantasy football combine to motivate and push you to improve your daily health challenges - and your long term health. By selecting one of our competition methods, the "on the field" actions of pro football players will relate directly to your healthy actions throughout the week. You'll earn "Healthpoints" for executing good decisions just like the pros earn points for executing a successful scoring play. The weekly result will be a win or a loss as you attempt to have a good season and even make the playoffs! When it is the off-season, you can play a health-only (no fantasy football) game called Training Camp against your friends, family, or yourself.

Fantasy Healthball combines no-nonsense "Dr. Oz sort of health advice" wrapped neatly in a fantasy sports package built on competition and fun. It is like a powerful combination of Nutrition for Dummies, Dieting for Dummies, Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide, and your favorite fantasy sports website! You'll learn about calories, weight loss, eating strategies, exercise, and even how to perform a "Pantry and Refrigerator Exorcism!" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not your father's (or mother's) diet book
Jim Ballard's and Jeff Hagen's Fantasy Healthball is a must have!It is the book for anyone searching for a fun, yet practical way to become healthier.
The authors are armed with not only the most up to date information on diet and exercise, but solid common sense and great humor.If you are a football fan, this book is a gift from heaven.My husband eats, sleeps, and breathes football. He found Fantasy Healthball to be the perfect motivator to adjust his less than stellar eating habits as well as exercise routine.For me, two key things stand out.First, I could play with my husband.The challenge was such a fun way to connect and grow even closer.Second, Ballard's and Hagen's doable approach to nutrition was a simple way for me to fit delicious and healthy foods into my everyday meals.If a diet plan is too complicated or regimented, I just won't stick to it.Chapter three, Diet and Nutrition, spoke to me.It's a reminder that one's physical health is the foundation of every single thing you enjoy in life.Common sense information is laid out in a very readable way that can become part of your life immediately.The section on Starting Over-Learning to Eat, is one that everyone needs to read, digest, and implement.I can't tell you how many unhappy humans I've crossed paths with who are unhealthy truly because they just don't know HOW to eat!
Ballard and Hagen are successful in their endeavor to engage all audiences.This book will appeal to any person who is looking fora new, exciting way to be healthy.This is not your father's (or mother's) diet book.
Jim Ballard surely practices what he preaches as is evidenced by his continuously updated blog on the Fantasy Healthball website.Visit it for weekly inspiration!
This slim volume is a powerful way you can change your life and how you think about diets/eating.It is a painless, positive path to a better, healthier, happier you. ... Read more

Product Description
A great new way to get all kids excited about math!

Fantasy sports are a hit worldwide, and now teachers and parents can take advantage of this phenomenon to give students a reason to look forward to doing math. The games and activities in Fantasy Baseball and Mathematics will get kids excited about learning and practicing math, even if they're not big sports fans. With this fun-filled educational resource, you can teach one math concept or many, and plan lessons that can last for a week or a whole season.

Here's how it works. Students create fantasy teams by picking real-life professional baseball players, and then follow their players' statistics and calculate their teams' total points using algebraic or nonalgebraic methods specifically designed to complement the math skills they're learning. The instructions are easy to follow and the dynamic hands-on games address all learning styles and abilities. The book includes more than 100 scoring systems that give you the flexibility to customize the content according to your students' skill levels.

In addition to the basic Fantasy Baseball game, the book contains easy-to-use lesson plans, reproducible worksheets for extra practice on 46 different math concepts, graphing activities, quizzes, a pre- and post- test, and an answer key. More than just a fun way to learn math, the book's activities also support the NCTM Math Standards.



"The Fantasy Sports and Mathematics programs allow you to reach the students, making the lessons not only comprehensive and enriching, but very exciting. The students loved it, worked harder than ever, and their GEPA scores increased over 40 points in the first year alone!"
--Robert Creamer, teacher, Woodbine School District, Woodbine, New Jersey

"Fantasy Sports and Mathematics! Finally, a fun and effective method not only for teaching math knowledge but going further and providing a framework for students to comprehend, apply, and analyze the learned competencies. A rare and innovative example of academics using sports to teach students life skills."
--Kim Beason, associate professor, Park and Recreation Management, University of Mississippi

Also available in the Fantasy Sports and Mathematics series:

Fantasy Basketball and Mathematics | Fantasy Football and Mathematics | Fantasy Soccer and Mathematics ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fantasy Baseball big help in my class
The season has not yet started, but my classes have completed their draft and are very excited about play fantasy baseball once the season starts in a week or so.I'm very optimistic about using the fantasy sports in my classroom.I plan to use football and basketball along with the baseball next year.

A Wonderful, Effective Addition to My Math Curriculum
As a middle school educator, I'm always searching for ideas to better engage my students in the learning process.An aide at my school told me about a news piece she saw on EPSN showing how teachers were using fantasy sports to help students learn math concepts.Once I saw the piece, I was really intrigued.I ordered the entire set of Dan Flockhart's books immediately.In the past, I have made impulse buys on something that seems really interesting, and I have eventually regretted it.This was not the case with these books.From the first time I opened them and began reading, I was immediately impressed.These books are written in a way that I think anyone could implement this in their classroom, regardless of background knowledge of sports in general, or fantasy sports in particular.Also, if you're worried that this program is just superficial material, it addresses many NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) standards, all of which are similar to the Ohio state math standards that I am required to teach.

On top of that, the support from the author through his website has been outstanding.Any questions I have asked, whether in the forums on the site, or through personal messages and email, have been answered in a thorough and timely manner.He has even personally put me in touch with another teacher who implemented his program in a class with a similar demographic makeup to mine (All girls!And, yes, they are LOVING it!).The exchanges with that teacher have been invaluable.Dan Flockhart is really supporting his product in a very personal way.

I have begun my first fantasy baseball season, and, already, the results have been wonderful!My students are engaged in a way I haven't seen all year.I give this book my strongest endorsement.
... Read more

Product Description
The Sports Forecaster hockey Yearbook is the must-have magazine for hockey fans. Published for the first time in 1995, Canada's best-selling magazine is also the ultimate tool for Fantasy Draft Day!Reader-friendly, colorful, analytical and insightful, The Sports Forecaster bursts at the bindings with facts, figures and an unsurpassed forecasts section laid out in a handy, tear-out section. Reputed for its depth of team and player previews and analysis -- all the way down to a team's fourth-liners and reserve players -- it's the most complete hockey annual on the market today, bar none!Simply, it's a one-stop shop for all hockey fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

2010-11 NHL Preview & Fantasy Hockey Yearbook
Essential magazine for hockey fans and fantasy hockey fanatics. A must have every year for Fantasy Hockey.

15 year roto league uses this book
it's the best of what's out there.
missing the articles this year.
i think they should list the sources for each team or player for the predicition or player review.
be nice if they listed other league stats such as ohl, ahl, khl echl, ncaa.
overall it's good. the positions are very important to roto leagues not just forward and def but centre and wings.

The Best
Comprehensive! Quite simply the best hockey preview magazine on the market, year it and year out. ... Read more

Product Description
Between 20 and 30 million people play fantasy football each year. Now, Fantasy Football: The Next Level goes beyond stats and projections to teach readers a proven approach to drafting and managing a team that succeeds - in any league. Dorey's wealth oftips, tools and techniques - based on two decades of fantasy football expertise - will help experienced players and newcomers alike win their championships every season.

Learn how to:

• Understand the true value of each position to your team's success using LAG analysis
  
• Get a handle on your league's scoring system and use it to your advantage
  
• Keep your focus and your discipline on draft day using the Advanced Draft Tracker
  
• Ignore the hype surrounding last year's superstar--and build your team with players who will produce this season.
  

Customer Reviews (8)

Fantasy Football made easy ?
One man's opinion, but all in all, it's not a bad book.I disagree with some of the strategies, but again, some extra food for thought.

David Dorey knows his stuff
Whether you are a fantasy football veteran or a rookie, this book is very helpful.David knows fantasy football better than most of the "experts" out there.Read the book.I promise it will help you focus on what is important in fantasy football and what it takes to win.

Get This Book
David Dorey is man.If you are serious about Fantasy Football then you need to read this book.It does'nt matter if you are new to Fantasy Football or are a seasoned vet.This book is a good read.

fantasy football
very well written. YOu will have to make excel files for your players so be prepared.

Brillant !!! A must have book that explains and teaches how to be better
I have followed David Dorey at The Huddle for many years now. His insight and advice have always impressed me as down to earth and on the money, yet his words were never preachy. He always seems to explain concepts as if he were your friend beside you at the draft, not the jerk Champion who knows everything and tells you so. It is with this same refreshing style that Dorey presents all of the best of his many years of wisdom.

This book really could be titled the 'Best of David Dorey'. And that is precisely why you should pick up a copy, because it is the best from one of the best in the business. He explains how to draft for a team not just individual stars. Perhaps more important is his analysis of what to look for when creating your own projections and rankings. But personally I think his LAG analysis is the most effective way to really see what effect your leagues individual scoring system has on your draft.

One last point that must be mentioned. Not only does 'Fantasy Football: The Next level' give tons of great advice, but it also explains why these concepts are valid and................illustrates this with the numbers to prove it. This is truly a great book and one you need to own if you want to win at Fantasy Football consistently. ... Read more

Product Description
How to play, enjoy and win Fantasy Football.
A book every beginner will enjoy!

Answers these questions:
- Why play fantasy football?
- Where do I start?
- How do I pick the right league?
- How do I score points?
- Who do I start each week?

Includes:
- Explanation of NFL and fantasy football rules
- Draft tips
- Vital resources to help
- Foreword by Emil Kadlec, Co-Founder of the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF) and owner of Fantasy Sports Publications
- And much more!

Finally, an easy and straightforward way to learn how to play fantasy football. Learn the easy way. Everything you need to play. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book for learning the basics of fantasy football!
For every beginner out there who is floundering in your league and doesn't have a clue what the different league types are or what the rules are for ff, buy this book! It will help you learn the basics, enjoy the games more, and it might actually help you win this year...I will just add that it is about time that this type of fantasy football "how-to guide" was published! This would make a great gift for all those novices in your league too.

Finally a fantasy football book for beginners!
If you've ever wondered what FF is, why people are playing it, and how to get started yourself - this is the book for you! Sam Hendricks has taken the "basics" of fantasy football and broken it down into easy to understand chapters that are fun to read. He covers everything from the NFL and FF rules to draft tips and also includes important resources for help. This is a great book to learn how to play ff and should be required reading for the beginners in your league.

Perfect book for anyone starting to play Fantasy Football for first time!
I bought this as a gift for a friend who is playing FF for the first time this year. I skimmed through it myself and read many parts of it. I wish there was a book like this when I started playing. It has everything a beginner needs to play and play well. It really is the perfect gift for someone who wants to learn the easy way to play Fantasy football

The chapters on scoring systems, how do I prepare for the draft and who do I start each week are priceless. Those three chapters alone will prevent 90% of the rookie mistakes many people make when learning to play FF.

One note: if you already play FF you may get a few tips from this book but you are better off getting one of the authors other books (I have all of them). Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win Through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting is great and anyone can learn from it. Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football (2nd Edition) is for the advanced FFer.
... Read more

Product Description
A handy, concise and informative source book. Expertly organized and full of statistics, schedules, rankings and projections. This reference book is a must for anyone involved in fantasy football. Your single source for preparing for the fantasy football season.

Includes: * Past draft data * Free agent and coaching changes * Offensive line and strength-of-schedule (SOS) analysis * Team predictions* Team evaluations* Depth charts * 250+ player projections * Cheat Sheets for 5 different leagues; auction values for 3 leagues * Rankings for TD-only, performance and performance plus leagues * 2009 player and team statistics * IDP, rookie and keeper rankings* Draft tips* Q+A section * And much more ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Huge improvement over last year's model
This is a great reference tool for those who rely more on their own analysis and less on the yearly magazines.Hendricks addressed many of the complaints about previous editions and delivers a better designed version for 2010.In particular he gets major props for doing what almost nobody out there does -- acknowledge which of his prior predictions were wrong, as well as listing the ones that were right.

My only complaint is that I wish he'd engage in a little more discussion about why he's picking particular players to bust out or progress further, and why he made particular right (or wrong) choices the year before.I've said in other reviews of his other books that he's the only guy out there writing at a high level, and in good faith, about FF.More of his discussion would always be welcome.

Not that Useful
Unless you're into auction Fantasy Football, you will likely be disappointed with this publication.Save your money.

One source Almanac
Let's say you've got a friend or family member interested in fantasy football and you want to give them a gift. Do you buy a magazine and wrap it up? Do you send them an email with a link to a website so they can look up their own stats? No and no.

This almanac certainly isn't the "end all" "be all" in fantasy football, but it doesn't pretend to be. It's a comprehensive book of detailed statistics and projections that any fantasy football participant would find useful and helpful on draft day. And for guys like me who sometimes attend drafts outside... it won't blow away in a strong wind!!!

I like that the author takes some chances and risks with his projections and I'd like this book more if it offered his insight as to how he came to rank different from "the experts" on some of these websites. His opening section lists both his correct and incorrect predictions from the previous season and I admire that greatly... and his correct predictions would help give a fantasy football owner some valuable information!

Stephen Prosapio, Author of Dream War

Exactly what I wanted. A great reference book for FF.
I bought Fantasy Football Basics for a friend who is playing Fantasy Football for the first time this year and Fantasy Football Almanac 2010 for me.After looking at Fantasy Football Basics (Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Beginners), I think one of the other reviewers wanted that book and not the 2010 FF Almanac. I have most of his other books and they have the FF Strategies.

I liked Fantasy Football Almanac 2010 because:
1) It is the first printed material (Book/magazine) with cheat sheets after the NFL draft. I used it again this year for a Memorial Day draft. Nothing else is available by then unless I wanted to spend over $25 on a pay website.

2) It is a book, not a magazine. I like the solid feel of a book.

3) No advertisements. I do not want my six year old seeing some of the "ads" in the FF magazines.

4) Mr. Hendricks is not afraid to point out his mistakes. Not too many "experts" point out their misses. He admits to thinking Tom Brady would not be a Top 5 QB in 2009, he was wrong and admits that. I don't know what he was thinking with that prediction but I like that he does not follow the herd all the time.

5) I like the large print for the schedule. I may be getting too old.

6) I love that the price is lower this year. I think it is a huge improvement on the 2009 Almanac. Thanks for the Tiers!

What I did not like:
1) Give me more analysis. I loved Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football (2nd Edition) and Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win Through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting. Get back to that format more.

Great almanac to get ready for the fantasy football season
I like this year's version of the Fantasy Football Almanac for the following reasons:

1) Lower Price! I like a bargain and we can all use a discount in this recession.

2) More text and analysis. I really like the Q & A section too. Practical questions with real advice answers.

3) Earlier availability- you have to wait until July for most ff magazines to come out.

4) Consistency and durability - this book stands up to the day-to-day spills and mishaps much better than any other ff magazine I have purchased in the past.

5) Better editing and formatting. Hendricks is paying attention to the details and I appreciate that.

6) Wealth of information all in one place- I don't have to spend my valuable free time searching all over the web for this info - it is right at my fingertips when I need it - that alone makes it worth the price.

If you play fantasy football, buy this book so you can be prepared before your competitors and maybe get an edge before the season starts.
... Read more

Product Description
A twisted adventure set deep in the heart of the ever changing kingdoms of the Border Princes. Players must negotiate both the undead horrors of a long forgotten tomb, and the grasping ambitions of the petty princes who have sent them to recover an item of unsupassed power. Will they play the factions off against each other or simply opt to take the artefact for themselves? Will they survive the traps and tribulations of the adventure? Will they succumb to plague, terror and the guardians of the tomb? And how will they cope with the final twist in the tale- when they discover the issue is not what they have been sent to return from the grave...but who. Not only does Lure of the Lich Lord contain a thrilling adventure, but also extensive appendicies on tombs, traps, treasure and monsters that might all be found when plundering a tomb. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Warhammer
I was at first a bit dissapointed when i read through the book, since it is not ready to play scenario. The book gives you openings to design your own scenarion around ready made locations and persons.
But when i looked again I found many beautifull items. Like a detailed discription of the tomb and many great openings for a scenario or even an campaign. It will not take you too many effort to write a scenario that hooks in to the events described in the book.
A campaign will take some more effort. But there are ample backgrounds to make a grand campaign.
But the detailed lay out of the tomb will give you hours of dungeon crawl you won't have to write youself. It is suplemented with good maps.
The book also gives you new history about the Border princes.
It is good an addition to my WRFP collection.

Adventure in the Borderlands
I have not read the adventure from cover to cover.However, I have read the first few chapters and skimmed the rest.This adventure has some interesting challenges for a party of adventurers.Travelling to the Borderlands presents some problems.And, of course, the various denizens of the Borderlands make it impossible to simply waltz into the region.Three Border Princes fight to survive (and to add to their petty kingdoms).Depending on their actions, the PCs might find any number of reasons to seek out the Tomb of The Liche Lord.Finding the entrance to the Liche Lord's lair could be an adventure in itself (assuming the GM has the patience and imagination to create such an adventure).Even if the GM allows the party to find Karitamen's Tomb easily, the adventure should not be a cakewalk.The GM has plenty of options (new monsters, diseases, traps, etc.) at her/his disposal.

Well, I will try to cut this short.Notice that I gave the book four stars instead of five.Well, the book is not perfect (indeed, few books deserve 5 stars).However, the book IS excellent.I wish that I could give the book 4.5 or 4.75 stars.I felt that rounding down was wiser than giving the book an inflated rating.

I'm not sure going into any detail would better explain why I gave it 4 stars.Do I think this book is worth buying?Yes.Like many adventure books in the Warhammer series, this one requires a LOT of preparation to run (not just the usual preparation for various game mechanics, but also for setting the mood).If you buy this book, expect to spend many hours preparing the adventure.And, of course, be ready to improvise.The book does not (nor should it) cover every possible situation.

I hope you enjoy the book as much or more than I have.Cheers.

HUGE AND TERRIFYING ADVENTURE
Lure of the Liche Lord is a fantastic new adventure for Warhammer Fantasy RPG, and exhaustive 128 page, highly detailed book complete with new curses, traps. Diseases, monsters, and much more. In this book, the players will journey to the tombs of the Liche Lord, and ancient, undead necromancer named Karitamen. The book opens with a chapter detailing Karitamen's life when he was yet flesh and blood. Once a mighty warlord, he rose to power and became known as the Death Scarab because it was said he could kill with a touch or a glance.

After years of his tyrannical rule, the nobles finally fought back and enlisted the aid of a powerful wizard to enchant a dagger named the Dagger of Bound Souls which would cut through even Karitamen's powerful spell protections, killing him and entrapping his soul within his body forever. When the Priest-King raised the dead to aid him, Karitamen found himself turned into an undead Liche.

The second and third chapters reveal some of the important people and places in and around the lands of the Border Princes where the campaign is set. The adventure begins in earnest in chapter four, The Road To Adventure. Several plots are provided to get the PCs on their way, or which the GM can use to devise their own adventures. Several smaller plot hooks are also provided as additional adventure options. The GM can choose to make this a broad, lengthy campaign which will take many game sessions to complete, or make it a fairly straight forward dungeon crawl and get the players headed directly to the Liche's tomb.

The remaining eight chapters cover the lands surrounding the tomb, and each of its seven levels. This is one massive place! Tomb is set within an inverted pyramid and as I read through the book, I couldn't help but wish that I could be the PC rather than the GM, particularly because of my fondness for ancient Egyptian mythology which heavily influences the Tomb of the Liche Lord.

I love the straight forward, and detailed narrative of the description of the tombs locations and rooms. Lots of options are provided to the GM for events and encounters. The maps are eloquently drawn with legends and scales provided. This is not going to be an easy adventure and each level gets progressively harder as it is filled with all manner of diabolical traps, which are more pervasive than creature encounters. Writer Aaron Rosenberg truly knows how to set a mood. I got chills just reading about the tombs.

The book concludes with appendices detailing the new creatures, curses, and traps, along with a set of pre-generated characters that the players can use to jump right into the fray or to be used as NPC's.

Tomb of the Liche Lord is a grand and terrifying adventure. As you would expect from Black industries, the book is filled with top-flight artwork including that fantastic cover by Paul Dainton and Darius Hinks.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Good, fun adventure and decent source material.
The adventure in "Lure of the Lich Lord" is very well done, especially if you're a gamemaster looking for a good dungeon crawl to run your players through.It reminded me a lot of an old D&D classic "Tomb of Horrors" but with a better back story behind the tomb and its reason for being.I really liked that the adventure was set up with a pretty open ending, and the players can end up working for or against the lich lord depending on their actions while investigating the tomb.

The source material is decent, though could be fleshed out a bit more.The part on traps was pretty well done though, and can easily be transported out of the book for use in other adventures.

I really liked the book, the only reason I don't really give it 5 stars is because I did notice a ton of typos that some half-way decent editing would've taken care of.No big deal, just a pet peeve of mine, and it certainly didn't ruin the product's over-all value to me.If that sort of thing doesn't bother you, definitely check this one out if you're looking for a good adventure for your WFRP campaign (or even for other games with a little conversion work).

A HUGE AND TERRIFYING WARHAMMER ADVENTURE!
Lure of the Liche Lord is a fantastic new adventure for Warhammer Fantasy RPG, and exhaustive 128 page, highly detailed book complete with new curses, traps. Diseases, monsters, and much more.In this book, the players will journey to the tombs of the Liche Lord, and ancient, undead necromancer named Karitamen.The book opens with a chapter detailing Karitamen's life when he was yet flesh and blood.Once a mighty warlord, he rose to power and became known as the Death Scarab because it was said he could kill with a touch or a glance.

After years of his tyrannical rule, the nobles finally fought back and enlisted the aid of a powerful wizard to enchant a dagger named the Dagger of Bound Souls which would cut through even Karitamen's powerful spell protections, killing him and entrapping his soul within his body forever.When the Priest-King raised the dead to aid him, Karitamen found himself turned into an undead Liche.

The second and third chapters reveal some of the important people and places in and around the lands of the Border Princes where the campaign is set.The adventure begins in earnest in chapter four, The Road To Adventure.Several plots are provided to get the PCs on their way, or which the GM can use to devise their own adventures.Several smaller plot hooks are also provided as additional adventure options.The GM can choose to make this a broad, lengthy campaign which will take many game sessions to complete, or make it a fairly straight forward dungeon crawl and get the players headed directly to the Liche's tomb.

The remaining eight chapters cover the lands surrounding the tomb, and each of its seven levels.This is one massive place!Tomb is set within an inverted pyramid and as I read through the book, I couldn't help but wish that I could be the PC rather than the GM, particularly because of my fondness for ancient Egyptian mythology which heavily influences the Tomb of the Liche Lord.

I love the straight forward, and detailed narrative of the description of the tombs locations and rooms.Lots of options are provided to the GM for events and encounters.The maps are eloquently drawn with legends and scales provided.This is not going to be an easy adventure and each level gets progressively harder as it is filled with all manner of diabolical traps, which are more pervasive than creature encounters.Writer Aaron Rosenberg truly knows how to set a mood.I got chills just reading about the tombs.

The book concludes with appendices detailing the new creatures, curses, and traps, along with a set of pre-generated characters that the players can use to jump right into the fray or to be used as NPC's.

Tomb of the Liche Lord is a grand and terrifying adventure.As you would expect from Black industries, the book is filled with top-flight artwork including that fantastic cover by Paul Dainton and Darius Hinks.

Reviewed by Tim Janson
... Read more

Product Description
Fantasy Football has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry!Finally, for the millions of fantasy footballers who play for fun and/or money, here is a serious, comprehensive guide that teaches fantasy football from its basic terminology and fundamentals to the advanced strategies and systems needed to win consistently. In Drafting To Win: The Ultimate Guide To Fantasy Football, author Robert Zarzycki finally reveals how he uses his unmatched psychological, mathematical, and football knowledge to draft players and make a long-term profit in one of today's fastest growing hobbies. Learn How To: Select a league Rank Players Project Statistics Apply static and dynamic value-based drafting Strategize for every single round Handle being "on the clock" Significantly increase your overall chances of winningBook Quotes: "Robert''s indisputable record of success in high-stakes competition makes DRAFTING TO WIN a must-read for all serious Fantasy players." - Bob Harris, TFL Report "Robert''s accomplishments in the World Championship of Fantasy Football are unparalleled. His back-to-back finishes in the top three demonstrate his cunning understanding of how to win." -- Roger Craig, three-time Super Bowl Champion, San Francisco 49ers ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

good principles...
...but poor execution.I utilized some of his strategies for two drafts this past year.First, I attempted the his dynamic value based drafting, until I found that the calculations took too long and/or were too complicated to do during the draft because of time pressures.I then used a few of the static VBD formulas, which I will say gave me a perceived edge on my competition.I came out of one of my drafts with what I saw as one of the top 3 teams (out of 10).

The major flaw of this book is that I found the author's explanations confusing when he got into the meat of the calculations.I work as an analyst, so this stuff is not overly complex for me.... I did, however, find it difficult to absorb this material, and it was hard to go back and reference something because the sections of explanation of the formulas were not broken out in an easy-to-understand manner.The book could do with more helpful tables and figures.

I gave this book 3 stars (really 3.5) because I liked the insight and the mathematics makes sense, but the explanations and descriptions could defninitely be improved

May be a complicated way to achieve no more than mediocrity
(This is a re-edit of an earlier review.)

It is a fundamental principle of any non-random game that a person wins by exploiting whatever advantages one has, in order to outperform the competition.It's kind of like each week's Fantasy Football game itself -- you need to outscore your opponents, and you're given six categories (QB, RB, etc.) in which to do it.Well, Fantasy Football overall has several categories too:ranking players, draft mechanics, start/sit decisions, and waiver wire pickups, being the most obvious. To borrow from the medical field, with most of the categories Zarzycki's advice is the equivalent of "bloodletting is good generally, but in some cases using leeches is better".When it comes to draft mechanics, though, he's mapping the genome.

His big flaw, in my view, is his section on ranking players.One of his principle concepts is that you gain no advantage whatsoever by doing your own analysis of data to make projections for individual players.Instead, he says you should just to take a position by position ranking list -- any ranking list -- from one of the fantasy football magazines, because, given the degree of randomness from year to year, you're not going to be able to come up with anything better yourself.

He follows that up with a second step which is in one way a stroke of genius and in another way a very lazy mistake: you predict the points that the top receiver will receive by averaging the score of the top receiver over the past three years, the second receiver by averaging the scores of the #2 receiver, etc.You do that for each position, then you match those numbers against your ranking lists.

It's a stroke of genius because it calls upon you to look at the actual numbers from your league, which (of course) are based on the scoring system you're using.Most books do not sufficiently emphasize the extent to which variations in scoring systems affect draft strategy, leading to some appallingly bad recommendations ("start with three RB's, and don't take a TE until...").

It's a lazy mistake because among other things it misallocates the impact of injuries.Actual end-of-season numbers are deflated because of unforeseen calamaties, most commonly injuries.Those numbers then get applied against your ranking list without regard for known information regarding injuries.One example is Ronnie Brown:the dude's got issues.More importantly, his quarterback has SERIOUS issues.(QB injuries have as big an impact on their RB's numbers as their WRs' numbers, but that's another story.)So last year, and for the rest of his career, Ronnie's projected value should have gotten a major downward adjustment.But Zarzycki's approach was as likely to give a bump to Ronnie, and drop down a relatively solid guy like Frank Gore or (O, the irony) Clinton Portis.

I won't get into a discussion of his draft mechanics except to say that it's so far ahead of anything else that's been written that it really is like comparing mapping the genome to treating illnesses with leeches.It's very complicated.(At some point someone will write a computer program that does all this stuff for you during a draft.)But it tells you how to figure out when you should take your first TE.And that's infinitely better than the typical one-size-fits-none "don't take your TE until round 6" advice so often seen.

It's unfortunate that Zarzycki didn't put the same amount of study into projecting players.As he acknowledges, that's the most fun part of the whole process.And, there is knowledge out there that the magazines aren't yet up to speed on.For example, 2009 was the first year that any magazines referred to the Rule of 370, which was first published in the 2004 edition of Pro Football Forecast.While the Rule isn't quite what most people think it is (I suspect it's actually three rules), it's very useful information that would have saved people from blowing up their teams by wasting a first-overall pick in recent years on guys like LJ or Shaun Alexander, who were due for a crash.

There are things that can be predicted with great accuracy, such as breakout seasons and crash-and-burn seasons.Those predictions can have a monumental impact on a person's success.Find one player who is undervalued by, say, two rounds, and if the rest of your team plays to par, you're in the playoffs.Find two such players and that will win you a championship.Similarly, if you fail to recognize that your top rated player is due to crash, and you pick him, you're toast.The magazines, on which Zarzycki would have you rely, are way behind the curve on a lot of this stuff, and that's not going to change anytime soon.

Okay, so let's say you apply the knowledge that is there to be had from any of the numerous other books on fantasy football.Let's say you come up with a good ranking list and a good projection of numbers.How valuable is his state-of-the-art drafting system?That's a question he needs to answer for his next edition.There's an easy way to do it, too -- do some mock drafts at the end of the season,once the final actual numbers are known.(Winner determined by total points, not any kind of week-by-week analysis.)Even in that context, it is beyond question that his system will outperform everybody else's (that's how bad most of the advice out there is... even when you know the final numbers, they still get it seriously wrong), but by how much?More importantly, will it give enough of an advantage over a basic tier system to triumph if you stick it with the worst drafting spot?To those questions I'd say not much and no, respectively, but damn, I'd like to know for sure one way or the other.

So, you could look at this book as being seriously bipolar.In part it's a celebration of ignorance, and in part it's the first real attempt at a level of analysis that will win somebody a Nobel Prize for fantasy football.Proceed accordingly.

My first book on Fantasy Football...and it is a Winner
This is the first book on Fantasy Football and I am proud to include it in my fantasy football library. Sure, there may have been one or two before, but in my opinion, Rob Zarzycki's Drafting to Win: The Ultimate Guide to Fantasy Football is the first definitive book on fantasy football. Drafting to Win (DTW) goes beyond the basics and explains the "how" and "why" behind draft theory. For many readers it will be their first exposure to Value Based Drafting (VBD) and baselines. The introduction to these concepts is worth the price of this book ten times over. This book has the best explanation of Value Based Drafting that I have ever seen and as an added bonus; it explains how to apply VBD to your draft in a dynamic manner (i.e. reacting to other owners draft actions/needs). I find myself re-reading it ever year before the FF season starts. It is that good!

The chapter on ranking players is really an inside look at the strategies of a "top ranked fantasy football player" since Rob finished second in 2002 and third in 2003 at the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF). However, DTW also discusses fantasy football's history and the basics in detail, but the heart of this book is the extensive draft preparation knowledge and the demonstration of his techniques in how to draft a winning team based on your own rankings of players. Yes, there is math involved; but the good news is that it starts slowly and builds as the techniques become more advanced. I found myself using most of the techniques, but sidestepping some that are quite advanced mathematically.

If there is a downside to the great ranking system/draft advice he illustrates, it is that Rob does not provide as much of his wisdom into start/bench decisions or waiver wire pick-ups as many readers will have liked. Similarly, he does not discuss Auction drafts much but he hints at a future book devoted exclusively to that much-deserved subject. I am eagerly awaiting that book.

I highly recommend this as your first book in an ever-expanding fantasy football library.

Sam Hendricks, author of Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football

Drafting to Win:The Ultimate Guide to Fantasy Football
I generally play poker, last year was my first season participating in fantasy football.I read this book Drafting to win and took down first place.If you have any sort of mathematical background I highly recommend this book.Better yet if you are a competitive person who likes to win then get the book.If you like to loose don't get the book.

DTW- A must read for fantasy football diehards and beginners
If you're reading this review, then the book is a perfect fit for you.You are either a diehard or FF novice.Regardless of what category you fall into, Mr. Zarzycki's approach caters to both.Much of the fantasy football content out there is stale, generic and downright useless.Zarzycki offers a nice simplistic tutorial for beginners (which experienced players will want to skip) but then quickly moves into elements of drafting techniques that can take you to the next level and help you to compete with even the most experienced fantasy players.I've played fantasy sports for nearly 20 years with much success and still found Zarzycki's info to be helpful in my preparation this year.The math is made simple in the form presented.In this ever evolving industry, we always need cutting edge content to take us to the next level and Zarzycki does just that. ... Read more

Product Description
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. ... Read more

Product Description

Talking Trash, Trading Studs, and Drafting Sleepers -- an Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Obsession

U.S. businesses lose $200 million in productivity each football season because employees are managing their fantasy squads instead of working.

In Why Fantasy Football Matters (And Our Lives Do Not), two grizzled veterans revel in the addiction that is fantasy football. From pre-draft hijinx to post-draft trash talk, from tumultuous trades to the perils of free agency, it celebrates the eccentric personalities, absurd rituals, and hilarious superstitions of one of the most fanatical fantasy leagues on earth.

With humor, insight, and a dash of advice, Why Fantasy Football Matters celebrates the thirty-two million Americans who prefer managing their fantasy squads to relaxing with loved ones. And it gives girlfriends, coworkers, and sports purists all the proof they need to accept that this is an obsession that really matters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Disappointed
This book has fantastic reviews and I am horribly disappointed. It seemed to take everything that people have heard happening in a fantasy league and condensed it all into one season.It reminded me of the ESPN show "Playmakers" where every cliched NFL event from the last 10 years happened to one team during one season.Unrealistic. I also had trouble buying the email sent out by one of the team owners venting.Anyone who has read this will know what I'm talking about.His venting email read like an ESPN article, not one someone would actually write.After finishing this book, I read "Committed: Confessions of a Fantasy Football Junkie" by Mark St. Amant, which is a much finer book with a similar theme.I struggle to understand anyone who has read "Committed" can honestly rate this book as high as 5 stars.To each his own I guess.

Laugh out loud funny
"Why Fantasy Football Matters (and our lives do not)" by Erik Barmack and Max Handelman

One word sums up this book best.

Captivating.

I picked up "Why Fantasy Football Matters (and our lives do not)" and finished it within two days. It was hard to put down because every new chapter takes the reader along the next adventure of a leagues FF season. If you play fantasy football you will enjoy reading this in-depth look at a typical fantasy football league by Barmack and Handelman.

I loved the references to movies and other cultural icons like Bill O' Reilly, Seinfeld, Wile E Coyote, Cool Hand Luke, the Muppets and even DR Seuss. Sure some of the lists were for issues that are not of particular importance to me; however, for the most part, they were an enjoyable look back into some iconic moments from my past.

I especially enjoyed Chapter 20 "Rage Against The Experts E-Mail". It has an excellent diatribe about "expert advice and analysis" and the sometimes stupid questions (and answers) FF columnists get and give. I think every fantasy fooballer has had these thoughts on one occasion or another. It was good to see them in print!!!

As far as criticism, do not expect too much fantasy football wisdom from this book. Just sit back, read it and enjoy the ride. It does have an occasional morsel of knowledge, but if you are into fantasy football these "tips" and "strategies" will be well known by you now.
Another albeit small criticism is that "Why Fantasy Football Matters" was published in 2006, so some of the references to the fantasy football season may seem a bit old to new readers. But this does not distract from the obvious humor in these references.

All-in-all, this is an entertaining book that examines the stereotypical thoughts and actions of a 12 man fantasy football league from pre-season through their post season blues. I guarantee something in the book will remind you of your league and make you laugh out loud. Along similar lines if you enjoy this book you will also love "Committed, Confessions of a Fantasy Football Junkie." by Mark St. Amant which I have also reviewed (and others have mentioned in previous reviews). It too is a humorous look at a fantasy football league's season and the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF).

Sam Hendricks, Author of "Fantasy Football Guidebook" and "Fantasy Football Almanac"

Eagerly anticipated, ultimately disappointed
Having recently read the superb "Committed, Confessions of a Fantasy Football Junkie." by Mark St. Amant, I bought "Why Fantasy Football Matters" in the hope that it would be just as good. Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed and it did not compare favourably with St. Amant's book. Too many ham-fisted tangents into irrelevant and distracting lists, not enough substance.

An exciting look into a fantasy league season
Fantasy football is about having fun and humiliating your friends and colleagues at the same time. This book captures that mentality perfectly.

There have been other books where the history of fantasy sports are explored, journeys are made to interview fantasy luminaries, etc. Not here. This is the story of a fantasy football season from start to finish. The participants are all regular joes, and they do what most fantasy owners do. There is talk about the psychology of drafting, trade offers, in-season trash talking, and many other things that make fantasy sports worth playing. I felt like they were telling the story of my league.

Barmack and Handelman do a great job of writing. The book never becomes mundane or boring. The writing is witty, and the different aspects of the fantasy season are presented in all of their glory. Each owner has a distinct personality. Even though they are each labeled as a specific fantasy sports archetype, the authors do a good job of keeping them relatable and human instead of becoming caricatures.

My only complaint is the many Top 10 lists in this book. They often don't even relate to the content. It feels like filler inserted to make sure this book achieved a respectable page count. That's a minor quibble. The reader can easily avoid these.

This is a great book for fantasy sports lovers and those who tolerate them.

Painfully acurate
This book really makes you take a step back and examine your addiction to Fantasy Football.It is a must read for wives that just don't get the importance. ... Read more

Product Description
The Winner's Guide in Fantasy Baseball is the most comprehensive guide on the market to one of America's favorite hobbies. Where are the best websites to find fantasy baseball information? Which pre-season publications are worth your dollar? What should you look for in evaluating major and minor-league players? How do you value players for your league and adjust for draft inflation? How should you react when your league's draft isn't going your way? The Winner's Guide to Fantasy Baseball not only tackles these issues, but walks you through the "how's" and "why's" of each so that owners learn to think for themselves. If winning a league title is your ultimate goal, this book will help get you there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Improve Your Fantasy Baseball Management Skills
This is a great book for the serious fantasy baseball manager.The author gives you step by step instructions on how to create your own player value system.This system is especially helpful for leagues that have existed for a couple of years as it helps identify trends within the league.The book not only teaches you how to create your own value system, but also teaches you how to prepare for draft day inflation, propose beneficial trades, and value minor leaguers.A must read for anyone serious about fantasy baseball! *** I chose not to use my real name for fear that people in my league would catch on to me.

Best Guide to Fantasy Baseball
With this book you will no longer depend on the "experts" to guide your draft or auction strategy.This book does not give you values but rather teaches you how to calculate your own values.Mr. Lee gives you step by step instructions on how to "price" your players based on your league salary cap and statistical categories.The best part is that you don't have to be a mathematical wizard or computer genius to do it.

This book also contains solid advice on trading strategies as well as other magazine and web site publications related to fantasy baseball.

I would recommend this book for both veteran and rookie fantasy baseball players.This book will definitely improve your game. ... Read more

Product Description
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP or WHFRP) is a roleplaying system created by Games Workshop. It is set in the Old World, which bears some resemblance to late medieval / renaissance Europe. The world is threatened by the forces of Chaos. The major power in the Old World is the Empire, in which most of the adventures are located. The Empire itself is a country full of intrigue, conspiracies, and dark plots. This is the core set of rules that everyone needs in order to play the RPG.BL Publishing is the publishing wing of the world famous Games Workshop group of companies. As well as its new Black Industries imprint, the division is also home to the Black Library, which has been producing best-selling and award-winning novels, comics and artbooks set in the worlds of Warhammer since 1997. It also includes the Black Flame fiction imprint for non-Warhammer titles, and Warhammer Historical Wargames.Warhammer Fantasy Battle was originally published in 1986 and subsequently licensed to Hogshead Publishing.This is the second edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Better RPG than DnD
I grew up with 3rd Edition Dungeons and Dragons and was thoroughly pleased with that system. That is, until I found WFRP 2nd Edition. This system is thoroughly more realistic (as realistic as a Fantasy Role Playing Game can be) than Dungeons and Dragons. With the new 4th edition emerging, I found WFRP 2e to be the best of all systems I've tried so far.

Better than the new 3ed
Warhammer fantasy roleplaying game 2ed, is one of the best roleplaying games i have ever played, so if you have doubts about the new 3ed, then spend your money on this book, while you still can.....

The rules are easy to learn, fast and fun, much better than the new 3ed... It has 60 Careers in the rulebook, and over 200 if you buy the Career compendium. You only have to invest in 2 10 sided dice, and you are ready to play, with your buddies...

Its a book you will not regret buying

Not the original
One wonders why there was a need to re-do what was a very good product in the first place.It is now a much trimmer book, without some of the scenarios that were in the earlier edition, and with a combat system relying upon the same die roll, which makes armor even more useless than it was before.These are just two of the criticisms I have of the game, though for the most part it still evokes the Warhammer universe well.If you have the original, I would stick with it, and just get the latest scenario books.There just does not seem to be enough in this new edition to justify the revision.

Fun and Simple
I'm 37 years old and grew up playing AD&D.I was walking through the bookstore and the new Player's Handbook caught my eye.I went home to buy it, but after some research I found out that WFRPG was the way to go.There are a lot less charts for the GM to flip through than the AD&D I grew up with and the Career system for leveling beats the "you find a Chest with 40gp and you get 35xp" scenarios.Internet research however has suggested n' RPG called Savage Wars.It seems to beat them all for fun factor and ease of play and best of all, the core rule book is only 10 bucks!!! If this isn't your first rodeo, try SW first...it's the bees knees.

Great Game!
This is a great game and a good break from D&D. The flavor is gritty and dark. The fact that characters advance through careers is more logical than D&D. All and all a good buy and fun to play. ... Read more

Product Description
Warhammer Fantasy Role play is a new, exciting way to experience the popular Warhammer Fantasy setting. It is a grim world, constantly at war. As a hero, you will take up weapon, spell, or prayer and do your best to combat the might of enemies terrifying to behold. As the Game Master, you will make the lands of the Old World real as you craft the story, the people, creatures, and the mysteries the other players will encounter during their adventures.

Everything your group needs to begin its adventures in the Old World is included in the Core set. This Core set is an excellent way to bring new players into the fold, as well as to reward experienced role playing with new and exciting innovations.

-4 comprehensive rule books provide all the knowledge you will need on the Old World

-Over 30 Custom Dice give you unprecedented options for story-telling

-Party sheets provide new skills and abilities to keep everyone engaged

-30 different careers and 4 different races offer a multitude of character options

-More than 300 cards keep you in the game, no need to look up skills or abilities

-Three character keepers designed to hold everything your hero will need each session
... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Great game, astonishing system, respects the mood...but it has the curse of three
FFG really invested in this game, inserting all the experience they acquired through the years as a great multi-format game publisher. Probably the internal benchmarking proccess that created this product was thourough, because it really shines with the best of the RPG and Board gaming worlds.

It includes 4 full colour booklets with excelent art (although most of it was already published in Games Workshop or Black Library products) covering the rules, magic, gamemastering, the setting, bestiary, religion, etc. The dark fantasy mood of the setting is respected and although using a very different set of rules then the previous edition they aren't really as different in their essence. You still roll a characteristic with a small "bonus" from your skill our specialization. One difference is that most defences are inserted in the offensive rol (saving lots of time after a few experiences, although in the beginning it's somewhat time consuming). Then you compare your results with the action card.

This system incorporates stances, that give you the choice between risking more for maximum results (but also with the increased chance of something going wrong); Party characteristics and internal relationship management and many other innovations.

The play aids are great and they include hundreds of cards, several dice, stance meters, card cut stand up figures and the very useful progress tracker. Everything is of extremely high quality and although not essential for playing, they add to the fast gameplay, no book flipping that this system is all about. You have almost all info in front of you!

A few advices: protect your pieces! Use card protectors! Ask authorization to FFG to photocopy for personal use some action cards. LOOK AFTER YOUR DICE (it's difficult to substitute them because they can't be bought in regular stores and they are quite expensive).

Some annoying things: With such a pricy product, no GM screen (even a flimsy one) is almost inexcusable; although every major religion and school of magic are detailed, we can only play three from each - Sigmar, Morr and Shallya priests and Celestial, Shadow and Fire mages. It only includes material for three characters (is this the curse of three???). I'm perfectly aware that FFG covered this lack of information and material with more products, but this box is much more expensive then the competition, it should come more "complete".

A warning: this line can be extremely expensive in the medium run, by the date this review was published and only a year or so of this product line existence, it has more or less 500 USD of products in the catalog!!! Although you obviously don't need most of them, your campaign would probably benefit from those with playing options, campaigns, more dice (that is a must or else your in for a very slow game), screen, etc.

Now some personal feelings - this isn't about the product in itself, so please don't evaluate this great product by the following opinion. I miss second edition. Although this third edition is an astonishing game, the second edition was in no way inferior to this one (they are different from each other, but both are very good). Yes, it needed some adjustments that were easy to correct, but the sourcebooks and adventures were extraordinary and the rules were solid and easy to master. Proof of this is that WH 40K highly sucessfull game lines still use a variation of the second edition WFRP (even the recently published Deathwatch)! Also there's still an huge demand from the second edition material as you can see for the impressive prices sellers ask from the previous edition products. Lots of fans still play with the old rules (like my gaming group); The Warhammer world was expanded with supplements that detailed Brettonnia, the Empire, Border Princes territory, Sylvania, the Skaven among so many others unforgettable products...now they could expand to Lustria, Araby, Tilea or Estalia! But with the third edition everything's back to square one...leaves a bitter - Sweet taste in our mouth.

Excellent and Refreshing
Compared to 2nd edition, this is a huge leap in the right direction. The cards allow players to fine-tune their tactics and allow them character customization within the ruleset that was previously unheard of.

Sure, in the beginning it's a mess until everybody picks their talent cards and sorts out their actions etc., but once you get going you really feel like the new mechanics are empowering both the role playing and the combat parts of the game. The idea with the special dice sounded terrible to me, but once you get used to the new mechanic, it is actually much more enjoyable than the constant calculations in 2nd edition.

Our group converted their campaign to 3rd edition and we have not regretted it yet.

Highly recommended!

A Good Beta
This is a really nice product at first glance but then as you dig into the books you find that there hasn't put much thought into organizing the chapters.
Most of the rules are mixed with bits of lore and there is no index,
making it impossible to find relevant rules while playing
- luckily the rules are pretty simple but still..
The coloring is beautiful but it just doesn't make up for the lack of effort that has been put into organizing the contents.
After a couple of playing sessions we also found that keeping track of the the assortment of tokens was all but impossible and my players quickly turned to just marking the numbers on their sheets(which are also horribly designed - great looking though) like we do in D&D.

but I'm still giving it 4 stars - even though it feels like it could have used a lot more polish the game is quite good at its core and has lots of potential.

btw. there's only rules for 3 of the magic schools and only up to the second rank - you HAVE to buy the magic expansion before letting your players be mages imo(same goes for priests btw.)

Something New for WFRP
I am cautiously for the new edition of Warhammer FRP.While the price of the box is extremely high, when you compare it to other Warhammer products (namely WFB), you are really getting your money's worth.I've been a fan of WFRP for quite some time, I still have a copy of the trade paperback version of first edition.I also have a good number of second edition volumes.And as a WFB gamer, mainly the Empire though I do have a number of Chaos figures, I like what I see.So I would have to say that I am coming to this game as someone who has loved the Warhammer world for a long time.

There is only really one problem I have with the game.As noted by many, this game differs from many of the RPGs out there today.I would have liked to see character creation and advancement examples.I'm a bit sketchy on how the advancement works exactly.Just so that I can have something to show a new player what he or she is in for.The books that you get in the box set are well-developed books.The only worry I have about the actual books has to do with the binding.I get the feeling that with a lot of reading and rereading of the various books, the binding might not hold.

What I wish though would be that there would be a connection to WFB.The original WFRP had enough connection to the war gaming part that you could, if you so desire, convert RPG characters to FB characters in order to stage large scale wars.Less so with second edition.Even lesser with this new edition.One would want to hold large scale battles simply because, well, they are enjoyable as a "climax" to a long and well developed campaign (mainly the Enemy Within campaign of the first edition RGP).Still, you aren't really losing anything if you don't care for the FB version of the game.

What does the future hold for the game? I don't know.I am interested in seeing and reading the new supplements to the game. I like what I see in terms of the new Winds of Magic box set.I also like that they've come up with several campaign boxes.The GM box looks good.I've just bought the Adventurer's box set and like the components.I would also like to see, and again, this is the gaming nerd in me speaking, miniatures that can replace the various character classes of WFRP.I mean really, who wouldn't want to have a small but vicious dog nicely painted and placed on the battlefield?

Story and character-fueled goodness with intuitive gameplay
I have been playing RPGs for the past 25+ years, have owned and operated a game store and currently design games for a new startup company.D&D has always been the staple of my RPG diet since that is the game people most frequently play in the circles I travel.The groups that I gather to play with tend to prefer character-driven escapades which is a little cumbersome to incorporate as the primary game mechanic when playing a rules set that is designed to be mostly for tactical combat (such as D&D 4th ed).When I started reading the development info from Fantasy Flight about this new edition of WHFRP, I became intrigued and then downright piddle-my-pants-excited.

The resulting product has proven to be most everything I could have wished for in a wide-release RPG.Gone is the need to constantly refer to charts since this game provides plenty of cards that keep most of the rules issues out in front of the players at all times.The very crafty and original dice mechanic is brilliant once you get used to it (which will take experienced gamers very little time)and allows for a broad scope of story-telling gameplay that encourages the players to play their characters with much more sophistication than other systems might allow.

I agree with other reviews that the rules as laid out in the core 4 books are a bit scattered at times and it does require a thorough reading of both the players book and the adventure book to attempt to grasp how it all works together.Of course, if you are lucky enough to get to sit down and play with a group that can explain things as you go, it is easy to pick up the gist very quickly, as is the case with most any well-designed game.

What I have enjoyed so far is that I can tell a story where the characters' well-being is always at stake, a socially-skilled character can add JUST AS MUCH to the experience as a combat-oriented character, and the gameplay rarely gets bogged down by rules once you are used to the operation of the core mechanics.The rules system that Fantasy Flight designers have come up with seems to strike a beautiful balance between open-endedness and specificity, at least for me and my friends.I must admit that I have come to detest level-based systems and far prefer skill-based systems as the level system seems to always get bogged down in huge number calculations and number of allowable actions per turn once higher levels of PCs are broached.

As with any new system, fans of older versions may rail at the changes and perceived bastardization of the newer version.I own the 1st edition core book, though never really got to play it.This 3rd edition seems to keep all the flavor of the original while making it MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE to players who have never touched an RPG before, unless, of course, you refer to the purchase price.It has certainly been well worth my money and I have since purchased every supplement (including more dice) that has been released in support of this game.I am even tempted to convert the original D&D Dragonlance saga to this system since it lends itself to telling a great story with engaging characters that do not have to continuously add more and more equipment of "+5 this" and "protection from that" just to be statistically competent to face off against increasingly higher levels of adversaries.

I think this RPG is fantastic and I hope sales prove strong enough to keep it as a growing force in a difficult game market. ... Read more

Product Description
The key to winning fantasy football is strategy. Learn the game, drafting and management strategies, and what tools are available with this guide, by a leading competitor and based on hard facts. Get maximum value from every decision, and win. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Pretty, but useless
This is a very good looking book, well-written in the sense of being very readable, but there's really very little in it.It doesn't have enough basic stuff to be useful for beginners, and doesn't have anything advanced in it to separate it from the pack.All in all, there are two or three magazines published every year that offer all the same stuff and much, much more.

The chapters are all very, very short, some as short as a two pages.Some of his key theories are palpably absurd.My favorite:load up on rookie running backs, ANY rookie running backs, because "it may not pay off every season, but when it does the dividends can be astronomical."He then helpfully adds that this strategy is particularly good in a keeper league.(It's almost like that commercial that airs from time to time where the guy tells the rookie, "don't worry about top running backs, they'll be there later on, and don't be afraid to grab your kicker early.")

Another one of his grand theories is to "beware of free agent wide receivers".He gives a list of examples that didn't work out, while acknowledging two that did (Joe Horn, Jerry Rice in Oakland).One of his points in this chapter is on Andre Rison.He strongly suggests, without actually saying, that Rison's success in Atlanta was due to the run-and-shoot offence, and not because he was an elite talent.His conclusion is based on the fact that when he left Atlanta for Cleveland, he tanked.

More compelling in my view is the fact that despite seven different starting QB's, and two different head coaches, Rison had a five year stretch that is better than anybody in the Hall of Fame (with the possible exception of Lance Alworth).That, and his four consecutive all-pro selections suggests to me at least that maybe he WAS a pretty talented player.

When things like this are combined with his muddled chapters on draft stragety, it makes me think that Mr. Schimanski really doesn't know very much about either real football or fantasy football.At the same time, there are some ideas here worth exploring; he just grossly simplifies EVERYTHING.Even his caution of FA wideouts has some merit, if he were to just look at it in a bit more depth.Eg, there is a difference between someone cut because he's too old (Tim Brown), someone cut because of cap problems (Keenan McCardell), someone whose contract expires and goes somewhere where he's a better fit (Joe Horn), and someone whose contract expires and goes somewhere where he's a horrible fit (Alvin Harper, Az Hakim, and a cast of thousands).

But, until a book with that level of analysis gets written, stay away from this one and stick to the magazines.

Highly Recommended
The book says: "strategy, not cheat sheets win championships".It is so true.You need to have STRATEGY for how you draft your team and how you manage it during the season and this book delivers on both. ... Read more