What up playa: Fantasy football resources for when you’re ready to get serious about fake football
“There are several dozens of other sites and outlets to choose from but these three and the people involved are all I typically utilize. They are the most accurate and have personalities I can stomach where some of the other sites/podcasts are non-stop inside jokes, corny posturing and so much fake self-deprecation, it becomes a distraction.”
Everyone is a fantasy expert and they will spare no expense in telling you so. “You don’t want me in your league because I’m too good and you’re afraid I’ll win.” Yes, that’s exactly it. You are such an expert I’m avoiding embarrassment by leaving you out.
Right.
While everyone claims to be an expert at fantasy football, few people actually are. I’m no expert. What I like to call myself is a “skilled player”- I know a truckload about fantasy football and do win a few leagues, but I’m in no way what’s considered an expert.
But experts do exist and through the magic of this crazy world we live in, there are more and more of these experts, making a living off of fantasy football every day.
Here are a few the experts I follow that help me achieve “skilled player” status. Drafts are starting up and if you play fantasy and don’t follow these guys, you’re already at a disadvantage.
The FootballGuys.com crew:
While some may consider us biased due to our deep love for Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey), it’s not solely because he’s a yearly guest on the South Stands Denver Fancast. Or that he attends our fantasy draft and Colin soaps up to him every Sunday during his Game Time Decisions show on ESPN Denver. No, we love Cecil because he’s an outstanding dude and FootBallGuys are some of the best fantasy football analysts in the business.
The Audible, the several times a week podcast Lammey does with Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) is the best source for fantasy football on the web. And the FootballGuys.com website has some incredible analysis from dozens of great football minds. There is some good free content, but if you’re serious about winning your league, you should already be a subscriber.
The CBS Sports fantasy crew:
CBS fantasy sports coverage is top notch and its writers are some of the best in the business. You’ll always get up to date rankings and analysis but what I really enjoy are the podcasts they produce. The CBS fantasy football podcast is a great mix of low key humor, debate and accurate projections from knowledgeable football folks. Jamey Eisenberg (@JameyEisenberg), Dave Richard (@DaveRichard) and host Adam Aizer (@AdamAizer) always keep it light and fast moving, hitting everything you need to know without a lot of distractions. They do make Aizer’s life a living hell, but I’ve come to accept this and actually look forward to it.
The RotoWorld Crew:
I don’t know how I was managing before I started following Evan Silva (@EvanSilva) and Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) but that seems like a bitter lifetime ago. The deadly accurate, no bullshit approach is a breath of fresh air from the blustery puffed chests you usually come in contact with fantasy experts. Silva is well hated (mostly by Raiders fans) but probably because he’s right most of the time. Daughtery is a little lighter touch than Silva but he’s just as spot on with his analysis. They are both involved in podcasts: Silva can be heard on the Fantasy Feast: Eatin’ podcast as well as sometimes on Sigmund Bloom’s On the Couch and Roto Pat jumps on various shows including the 2 Mugs podcast, which is also a decent show. Both are well worth checking out and while RotoWorld has paid content like FootballGuys, there is mostly great free articles you can check out before taking the plunge.
There are several dozens of other sites and outlets to choose from but these three and the people involved are all I typically utilize. They are the most accurate and have personalities I can stomach where some of the other sites/podcasts are non-stop inside jokes, corny posturing and so much fake self-deprecation, it becomes a distraction. If you’re serious about winning some leagues, any combination of these outlets are your first step. Read all you can, listen to the various shows and pay attention to the experts you trust and what they are telling you. You may never become an expert, but you can reach “skilled player” status in no time soaking in what these guys have to say.
(The South Stands Fantasy Show: FantasyVille starts back up very soon. Stay tuned)
