FF Strategy Books (1 Viewer)

[Kenlin]

Today's email from FBG has an add for "Dominate Your League" by Randy Giminez. His bio from the book website says he plays at CBSSportsline.

Has anybody read the book yet or know anything more about him.

Also I remember the guy last year who was pimping his book, "Drafting To Win". He more or less got chased away from this site because of the way he presented himself - always bragging about how good he was at FF. I searched his member name and he has only posted here one time since last July and that was a poker post. He also claimed to be a poker pro or something too, IIRC.

I can't imagine that either of these books (or any other book) would have much to offer in the way of strategy that one couldn't find by being a regular reader of the SharkPool.

To those who have read either book, What did you think?

 

[JimmyD]

Haven't read the book, but I'll still drop a post, sorry if this wasn't what you were looking for.

This is how I look at it:

A self help book can't do much other than bring a young pup up to speed.

If someone readsall the How to Golf books ever printed, it still doesn't make the guy a good golfer. You still need to take that knowledge and go apply it.

Also if you are on this site during the so-called offseason, I doubt the book would be anything more of a hobby read. Especially if its a generic How-To and not specific to the upcoming season.

 

[LHUCKS]

Strategy varies so greatly from format to format and year to year the books would have to be very philosophical in nature. You're not going to find very much detailed help I would guess.

That being said, a different outlook/philosophy/approach can be a good thing if you've been sucking every year.

 

[radballs]

I ordered the "Dominate Your League" book, but it does not apparently ship for another couple weeks. I read "Drafting To Win" and it is a good read if you're preparing for a WCOFF type of league. It goes a lot into discussing various reasons for tweaking worst starter VBD baselines and some dynamic drafting techniques. I enjoy reading anything I can get my hands on regarding FF.

 

[Family Matters]

Strategy varies so greatly from format to format and year to year the books would have to be very philosophical in nature. You're not going to find very much detailed help I would guess.

That being said, a different outlook/philosophy/approach can be a good thing if you've been sucking every year.

I agree with you LJUCKS. I think strategies are excellent for baseline ideas but how you implement a strategy is more philosophical IMO. And that definately varies by leagues and formats and so forth.I have a question for you or anyone else for that matter:

What is your philosophy? Actually I am going to start a seperate thread because I don't want to derail this thread. Here it is:

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...howtopic=243103

 

[CalBear]

I can't imagine that either of these books (or any other book) would have much to offer in the way of strategy that one couldn't find by being a regular reader of the SharkPool.

Drafting to Win tells you that if you're uncertain about who to draft, you should let your clock run out so other people draft some of the players you want and make your choice easier.You won't find information like that here in the Shark Pool.

 

[jaemcy3]

Today's email from FBG has an add for "Dominate Your League" by Randy Giminez. His bio from the book website says he plays at CBSSportsline.

Has anybody read the book yet or know anything more about him.

Also I remember the guy last year who was pimping his book, "Drafting To Win". He more or less got chased away from this site because of the way he presented himself - always bragging about how good he was at FF. I searched his member name and he has only posted here one time since last July and that was a poker post. He also claimed to be a poker pro or something too, IIRC.

I can't imagine that either of these books (or any other book) would have much to offer in the way of strategy that one couldn't find by being a regular reader of the SharkPool.

To those who have read either book, What did you think?

As said above "Dominate Your League" isn't out yet. I'll probably order it because I recon that if Dodds and Co. recommend it it's probably got something to offer. Worst case is you pick a strategy or two that you have overlooked. If that's true it's probably money better spent than buying a draft mag.

 

[Keysersoze666]

Radballs is correct, Drafting to Win uses the WCOFF as a backdrop for it's examples but the concepts would be applicable to nearly any type of league. The detail in that book is far and above the typical thread here simply because it's presented in a coherent manner that a book structure can give you, as opposed to the give-and-take format of a board like this.

If you love fantasy football and can get a copy it's worth it. Even if you don't use his system literally, it would still give you ample opportunity to examine your own methods vs. his and adjust in areas you feel are worth it.

PS: Drafting to Win is not a beginners book, anyone relatively new to fantasy football would probably question what the hell kind of hobby they were getting into.

edited to add PS:

 

[Capt Hook]

Today's email from FBG has an add for "Dominate Your League" by Randy Giminez. His bio from the book website says he plays at CBSSportsline.

Has anybody read the book yet or know anything more about him.

Also I remember the guy last year who was pimping his book, "Drafting To Win". He more or less got chased away from this site because of the way he presented himself - always bragging about how good he was at FF. I searched his member name and he has only posted here one time since last July and that was a poker post. He also claimed to be a poker pro or something too, IIRC.

I can't imagine that either of these books (or any other book) would have much to offer in the way of strategy that one couldn't find by being a regular reader of the SharkPool.

To those who have read either book, What did you think?

As said above "Dominate Your League" isn't out yet. I'll probably order it because I recon that if Dodds and Co. recommend it it's probably got something to offer. Worst case is you pick a strategy or two that you have overlooked. If that's true it's probably money better spent than buying a draft mag.

David and Joe didn't recommend it (at least not that I have seen)What you saw in the email was an advertisement just like you see in links here on the site - don't confuse the two.

 

[dotsonian]

Radballs is correct, Drafting to Win uses the WCOFF as a backdrop for it's examples but the concepts would be applicable to nearly any type of league. The detail in that book is far and above the typical thread here simply because it's presented in a coherent manner that a book structure can give you, as opposed to the give-and-take format of a board like this.

If you love fantasy football and can get a copy it's worth it. Even if you don't use his system literally, it would still give you ample opportunity to examine your own methods vs. his and adjust in areas you feel are worth it.

PS: Drafting to Win is not a beginners book, anyone relatively new to fantasy football would probably question what the hell kind of hobby they were getting into.

edited to add PS:

I agree. I read this book about three times. I have been playing about 6 years and Drafting to Win really challenged me to go from using FBG's rankings and software and trying to actually run my own dynamic draft while understanding the full theory behind it. He does a good job of tracing the history and development of value based drafting including references to Joe's contributions to the field of FF science. It made me wish FBG's would publish a book as well. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in further education on FF theory.

 

[RG Dominator]

Hi Gentlemen:

I appreciate you talking about my book. Good comments! From where I set...I have been playing along while such as you all have. In fact much of the book will be old hat to you (maybe not others) but there are things in my book I have never before seen discussed (and I do read alot).

I have read all the other books out there and except for Robert Z. book (I liked) the rest I felt were lacking. I also feel only a book...not a website or magazine is designed to give you strategies that work together from training camp to the championship game.

I don't mean this as bragging .....but I played in 24 leagues last year. Won over 32k and won 85% of my playoff and champioship games by an average of 34 pts. Did this damage when most of my first rounders setting the bench in the championship game.

E James, D. Davis, Deuce.

I am "sure" I do not have all the answers but I think my book will show anyone playing a thing or two at the least. Worth the money, I think so!

Be happy to answer questions...if I don't give the book away...that is.

Appreciate your time reading this,

 

[Kenlin]

Hi RG and welcome to FBG. If you haven't lurked around here much before, you will find that the group that hangs out here is among the most knowledgeable anywhere.

So.... I understand that you need to establish some credibility to sell your book but be careful about bragging too much because many folks around here dominate their competition and I think any one of several dozen members here could write a book.

You might be surprised how much in-depth strategy gets discussed around here. I'm sure you have some good stuff in your book as well.

Finally, I hope you can take a bit of good natured ribbing because I have to say that I hope you had a good editor because your post was a bit hard to read.

 

[joffer]

I can't imagine that either of these books (or any other book) would have much to offer in the way of strategy that one couldn't find by being a regular reader of the SharkPool.

Drafting to Win tells you that if you're uncertain about who to draft, you should let your clock run out so other people draft some of the players you want and make your choice easier.

that one still makes me

 

[perry147]

I can't imagine that either of these books (or any other book) would have much to offer in the way of strategy that one couldn't find by being a regular reader of the SharkPool.

Drafting to Win tells you that if you're uncertain about who to draft, you should let your clock run out so other people draft some of the players you want and make your choice easier.You won't find information like that here in the Shark Pool.

OMG.. Does the book really tell you to do that?

 

[John Mamula]

I can't imagine that either of these books (or any other book) would have much to offer in the way of strategy that one couldn't find by being a regular reader of the SharkPool.

Drafting to Win tells you that if you're uncertain about who to draft, you should let your clock run out so other people draft some of the players you want and make your choice easier.

that one still makes me

There is only one situation where I would consider doing this...where having one pick would be less valuable without having the other and at a point in the draft when it would not hurt your team to forego a few other players picked.Any guesses?

 

[datonn]

Is it just me, or do 99% of the new/fresh ideas all of us might want or need to tweak our own FFL games come from something as simple as participation in a place like The Shark Pool?

I don't know.....I guess I am VERY skeptical about shelling out even one dime for somebody else to tell me how they "dominate" their league. So much of FFL is simply:

1. Commitment (research)

2. Active participation (trades/waivers/FA)

3. "Rapport" with other owners (trades)

4. Lady Luck.

If someone is even seriously considering a purchase of a book on FFL strategy, I would guess that they already have #1 well under control. #s 2 and 3 aren't something that a FFL book can really help, I assume, any more than any other type of "play nice with others" book, that is! EVERYONE writing a book will say that for your $19.95, you won't be under the thumb of #4 as much as the other 20,000+ FBGs subscribers, as an example (well, about 16,000, factoring out aliases, LOL). I don't buy that though.

I'm willing to be proven wrong! I just don't want to spend any of my hard-earned money on somebody else telling me how they DOMINATED their league. What does that mean, really? Any of us can dominate a league if you pick the right suckers.....er "owners", to play with. Show me a book though that could come even remotely-close to being as beneficial to my/our FFL game as FBGs.com is and they'll gladly get some of my $$$. In the mean time, a 3:1 return on my annual FFL investment (subscriptions + dues) is more than enough to keep me happy.

 

[radballs]

I can't imagine that either of these books (or any other book) would have much to offer in the way of strategy that one couldn't find by being a regular reader of the SharkPool.

Drafting to Win tells you that if you're uncertain about who to draft, you should let your clock run out so other people draft some of the players you want and make your choice easier.

that one still makes me

There is only one situation where I would consider doing this...where having one pick would be less valuable without having the other and at a point in the draft when it would not hurt your team to forego a few other players picked.Any guesses?

Oh my lord, bagger = Z Men

 

[radballs]

Is it just me, or do 99% of the new/fresh ideas all of us might want or need to tweak our own FFL games come from something as simple as participation in a place like The Shark Pool? 

I don't know.....I guess I am VERY skeptical about shelling out even one dime for somebody else to tell me how they "dominate" their league.  So much of FFL is simply:

1. Commitment (research)

2. Active participation (trades/waivers/FA)

3. "Rapport" with other owners (trades)

4. Lady Luck.

If someone is even seriously considering a purchase of a book on FFL strategy, I would guess that they already have #1 well under control.    #s 2 and 3 aren't something that a FFL book can really help, I assume, any more than any other type of "play nice with others" book, that is!  EVERYONE writing a book will say that for your $19.95, you won't be under the thumb of #4 as much as the other 20,000+ FBGs subscribers, as an example (well, about 16,000, factoring out aliases, LOL).  I don't buy that though.

I'm willing to be proven wrong!  I just don't want to spend any of my hard-earned money on somebody else telling me how they DOMINATED their league.  What does that mean, really?  Any of us can dominate a league if you pick the right suckers.....er "owners", to play with.  Show me a book though that could come even remotely-close to being as beneficial to my/our FFL game as FBGs.com is and they'll gladly get some of my $$$.  In the mean time, a 3:1 return on my annual FFL investment (subscriptions + dues) is more than enough to keep me happy.  

I guess I just look at things a lot differently (not that I have more disposable income than most here). But, if somebody takes the time and effort to publish a book about my favorite hobby, I'll buy it as long as it is reasonably priced. With the amount of money that I have riding in all the various leagues I have going, one little nugget of good information might pay for itself. I also enjoy critiquing anything that others are saying, and if it's in book form, I'll pretty much take a chance on it. That said, there's only been a couple books that I'm aware of. I bought and read Confessions and Rob Z's book. Both were entertaining in their own right, but Confessions is a much better written story. It doesn't go too much into strategy. Z's book is flat out about strategy which is cool too. I wish a FBG staff member (s) put something out (and I guess the magazine will qualify), because I'll buy pretty much whatever comes out. That said, at the newstand I generally only will plunk down the 5.95 for no more than two fantasy mags.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Hi Gentlemen:

I appreciate you talking about my book. Good comments! From where I set...I have been playing along while such as you all have. In fact much of the book will be old hat to you (maybe not others) but there are things in my book I have never before seen discussed (and I do read alot).

I have read all the other books out there and except for Robert Z. book (I liked) the rest I felt were lacking. I also feel only a book...not a website or magazine is designed to give you strategies that work together from training camp to the championship game.

I don't mean this as bragging .....but I played in 24 leagues last year. Won over 32k and won 85% of my playoff and champioship games by an average of 34 pts. Did this damage when most of my first rounders setting the bench in the championship game.

E James, D. Davis, Deuce.

I am "sure" I do not have all the answers but I think my book will show anyone playing a thing or two at the least. Worth the money, I think so!

Be happy to answer questions...if I don't give the book away...that is.

Appreciate your time reading this,

Holy Smoke. For an author, you sure don't have a very good grasp of the English language. I hope you had a good proofreader and editor.

 

[radballs]

The only thing that I don't think is very fair is when people poke holes in someone's work before they've even read it. How can you say something is not worth the money if you've never even read it?

 

[radballs]

Hi Gentlemen:

I appreciate you talking about my book.  Good comments!  From where I set...I have been playing along while such as you all have.  In fact much of the book will be old hat to you (maybe not others) but there are things in my book I have never before seen discussed (and I do read alot). 

I have read all the other books out there and except for Robert Z.  book (I liked) the rest I felt were lacking.  I also feel only a book...not a website or magazine is designed to give you strategies that work together from training camp to the championship game. 

I don't mean this as bragging .....but I played in 24 leagues last year.  Won over 32k and won 85% of my playoff and champioship games by an average of 34 pts.  Did this damage when most of my first rounders setting the bench in the championship game.

E James, D. Davis, Deuce.

I am "sure" I do not have all the answers but I think my book will show anyone playing a thing or two at the least.  Worth the money, I think so! 

Be happy to answer questions...if I don't give the book away...that is.

Appreciate your time reading this,

Holy Smoke. For an author, you sure don't have a very good grasp of the English language. I hope you had a good proofreader and editor.

Good point, I hope I didn't just flush $20. I read that and thought that I may have made a bad purchase. Still, there may be some useful information in his book. I will report back with some commentary after I receive it and read it.

 

[datonn]

The only thing that I don't think is very fair is when people poke holes in someone's work before they've even read it. How can you say something is not worth the money if you've never even read it?

Agreed. I guess my only point is having to pay money for the "privilege" of poking holes in someone else's work on something as "101" as FFL is :X to me though. Read it for free? Heck yeah, I'm all over it! However, "$20" means a lot to me, versus other folks who might see that as chump-change. When you've got two kids in diapers, every penny adds up! I don't know....I tend to agree with an earlier poster when it comes to most books and "strategy" articles/publications being of HUGE benefit to the newbies. However, once you've been playing this game seriously for 4-5+ seasons, it's not much more than staying on top of your "homework", playing smart and hoping that Lady Luck smiles on you when it comes to the injury bugs and police reports. Guys can learn to go from "roadkill" to competitive with a few years of FFL experience and study of the various theories and strategies out there. However, I feel like I've got more than enough in me without paying to read what other -types have to say.........OTHER THAN A FBGs.com PAID SUBSCRIPTION, OF COURSE! That's money well-spent for everyone out there... :blatantadvertising:

 

[kook178]

WOW. I'm not sure what to say other than I sure would have had my editor check my message board posting before I posted it were I to come here and hawk my book. Maybe it is just me, but that may be the worst "advertisement" ever.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Pictus Cat]

I don't think grammer is the most critical quality in a fantasy football expert. Now fantasy football knowledge, football knowledge and math/statistics...

 

[gocats]

I ordered the "Dominate Your League" book, but it does not apparently ship for another couple weeks. I read "Drafting To Win" and it is a good read if you're preparing for a WCOFF type of league. It goes a lot into discussing various reasons for tweaking worst starter VBD baselines and some dynamic drafting techniques. I enjoy reading anything I can get my hands on regarding FF.

Bought the drafting to win, on this post, plus, its gotten excellent reviews everywhere.

 

[radballs]

I ordered the "Dominate Your League" book, but it does not apparently ship for another couple weeks. I read "Drafting To Win" and it is a good read if you're preparing for a WCOFF type of league. It goes a lot into discussing various reasons for tweaking worst starter VBD baselines and some dynamic drafting techniques. I enjoy reading anything I can get my hands on regarding FF.

Bought the drafting to win, on this post, plus, its gotten excellent reviews everywhere.

Cool, I really think you'll like it. The first five chapters are relatively elementary but chapters 6-9 are very good and worth the price of the book right there. Rob's got some interesting concepts in the book if anyone takes the time to read it.

 

[radballs]

The only thing that I don't think is very fair is when people poke holes in someone's work before they've even read it. How can you say something is not worth the money if you've never even read it?

Agreed. I guess my only point is having to pay money for the "privilege" of poking holes in someone else's work on something as "101" as FFL is :X to me though. Read it for free? Heck yeah, I'm all over it! However, "$20" means a lot to me, versus other folks who might see that as chump-change. When you've got two kids in diapers, every penny adds up! I don't know....I tend to agree with an earlier poster when it comes to most books and "strategy" articles/publications being of HUGE benefit to the newbies. However, once you've been playing this game seriously for 4-5+ seasons, it's not much more than staying on top of your "homework", playing smart and hoping that Lady Luck smiles on you when it comes to the injury bugs and police reports. Guys can learn to go from "roadkill" to competitive with a few years of FFL experience and study of the various theories and strategies out there. However, I feel like I've got more than enough in me without paying to read what other -types have to say.........

OTHER THAN A FBGs.com PAID SUBSCRIPTION, OF COURSE! That's money well-spent for everyone out there... :blatantadvertising:

datonn,I hear you. Both of my kids are still both in diapers (and I'll slap one on occasionally before hitting the sack after a heavy night of drinking sometimes ) . If my total annual investment in FF materials was limited to $30 I would only subscribe to FBGs and get a couple of mags. I don't spend much on other reading materials and it's relatively cheap entertainment to buy a book and read it when it covers a hobby you really enjoy. Yes, sometimes you're reading things you already know, but other topics or points of view can never hurt. I haven't regretted one FF novel purchase. A couple mag purchases have burned me in the past because they were flat out awful but they were the first to hit the stands and I was jonsing. Also, I bought some crappy FF DVD 3 years ago that totally stunk. By the way, you can still check books out of public libraries for free can't you?

 

[datonn]

datonn,I hear you. Both of my kids are still both in diapers and I hear you. If my total annual investment in FF materials was limited to $30 I would only subscribe to FBGs and get a couple of mags. I don't spend much on other reading materials and it's relatively cheap entertainment to buy a book and read it when it covers a hobby you really enjoy. Yes, sometimes you're reading things you already know, but other topics or points of view can never hurt. I haven't regretted one FF novel purchase. A couple mag purchases have burned me in the past because they were flat out awful but they were the first to hit the stands and I was jonsing. Also, I bought some crappy FF DVD 3 years ago that totally stunk. By the way, you can still check books out of public libraries for free can't you?

Libraries are a GREAT idea! However, when you live in a town of 2,200 and the nearest population center of over 50,000 is a 2+ hour drive, it's tough to find many FFL titles on the shelves....if you know what I mean. No, I COMPLETELY understand where you are coming from. I just find that most people's "cutting edge" theories are either thinly-veiled repackaging of other ideas OR stuff that has already been hashed out in the Pool months/years ago. I'm kind of an "ist" or "snob" when it comes to paying for expert FFL opinion/analysis though. Get David, Bloom, Cecil and/or a few others to write some FFL books though, and I might just have to get out my wallet for some entertaining and educational reads on the plane......

 

[Keysersoze666]

Hey Radballs, I agree with your thoughts about spending $20 on books specific to my hobby, I also have Confessions as well as Rob's book. I agee with you that Confessions was a breezy, fun read that captured the emotional swings of our addiction against the backdrop of the real world. I think any regular member of this board would enjoy it.

As far as Rob's book goes, he does a good job of presenting dymanic VBD along with a number of other concepts in one coherent source. A certain percentage of members here wouldn't be shocked with completely new info but I'd bet that most would benefit from seeing it presented in one place.

Ironically, the "pass" event that's being joked about, where Rob let his time expire and didn't make a pick for several rounds happened in year one of the WCOFF and my partner and I were in that league with him. Needless to say everyone at the table was surprised/shocked and then to top it all off, he finally made his choice right in front of our pick, and TOOK the exact player we wanted. He's taken some flak on these boards but in person, he's smart, considerate and quite a good guy.

I'm like you, if similar books pop up, I'll probably buy them as a continued homage to my addiction!

 

[RG Dominator]

Ok, you caught me...author material I am not (FF winner I am)...and yes the hired proofreader became my best friend....I should have known to pay attention in my English class.

Also first year trying a forum... very little clue on how all this works, but it looks like some fun talking FF.

In reading some of the responses...it was brought up that anyone can get lucky. I address this subject in my book. Luck will always be part of the game but it can be reduced...not eliminated..with proper strategies. The key is to work with it acknowledge that it's there.

 

[John Mamula]

I can't imagine that either of these books (or any other book) would have much to offer in the way of strategy that one couldn't find by being a regular reader of the SharkPool.

Drafting to Win tells you that if you're uncertain about who to draft, you should let your clock run out so other people draft some of the players you want and make your choice easier.

that one still makes me

There is only one situation where I would consider doing this...where having one pick would be less valuable without having the other and at a point in the draft when it would not hurt your team to forego a few other players picked.Any guesses?

Oh my lord, bagger = Z Men

Honestly, I can see doing it if you are doing a defensive duo. Grabbing two defenses late in the draft where if you couldn't get both you may not want either and go with a different combo.

Other than that it's a foolish strategy and the reasons z-man gave for his actual draft he did it in had many holes.

However, I always like hearing alternative strategies.

 

[fsufan]

I do not see how a book could give any better advice than this site and this MB.

Also FF is not that hard. Do your homework, pay attention and get lucky.

 

[Dreamer]

Ok, you caught me...author material I am not (FF winner I am)...and yes the hired proofreader became my best friend....I should have known to pay attention in my English class.

Also first year trying a forum... very little clue on how all this works, but it looks like some fun talking FF.

In reading some of the responses...it was brought up that anyone can get lucky. I address this subject in my book. Luck will always be part of the game but it can be reduced...not eliminated..with proper strategies. The key is to work with it acknowledge that it's there.

I had to read your first post three times.

 

[Family Matters]

Ok, you caught me...author material I am not (FF winner I am)...and yes the hired proofreader became my best friend....I should have known to pay attention in my English class.

Also first year trying a forum... very little clue on how all this works, but it looks like some fun talking FF.

In reading some of the responses...it was brought up that anyone can get lucky. I address this subject in my book. Luck will always be part of the game but it can be reduced...not eliminated..with proper strategies. The key is to work with it acknowledge that it's there.

This reminds me of my definiton of luck:"When preparation and opportunity meet".

Sure you can make your luck. There's a difference between blind luck, like winning the lottery, and luck that fantasy football players have that win on a regular basis. A few of the owners in my local league have said I'm the luckiest guy they know to have won every year but 2 since we started. I respond by saying "isn't amazing that I'm that lucky"? Go figure.

Good fantasy owner put themselves in a position to be lucky. Good research and analysis makes them prepared to know where the good fortune is most likely to be and putting themselelves in a position to capitalize.

With that said and in all fairness to those that say luck plays a part, I think alot of it can depend on the league structure too. The rules may be in place to lend lady luck playing a bigger role in the outcome. These are known as the "democracy rules" where I come from. You know, rules designed to help players that are poor drafters, projectors and traders. You know, the rules that say the worst team gets first choice in all matters going forward. Things like that can bring "bumb luck" into play a little more. But that's far more rare than normal from what I've seen.

 

[fsufan]

Good fantasy owner put themselves in a position to be lucky. Good research and analysis makes them prepared to know where the good fortune is most likely to be and putting themselelves in a position to capitalize.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

I guess I just look at things a lot differently (not that I have more disposable income than most here). But, if somebody takes the time and effort to publish a book about my favorite hobby, I'll buy it as long as it is reasonably priced. With the amount of money that I have riding in all the various leagues I have going, one little nugget of good information might pay for itself. I also enjoy critiquing anything that others are saying, and if it's in book form, I'll pretty much take a chance on it. That said, there's only been a couple books that I'm aware of. I bought and read Confessions and Rob Z's book. Both were entertaining in their own right, but Confessions is a much better written story. It doesn't go too much into strategy. Z's book is flat out about strategy which is cool too. I wish a FBG staff member (s) put something out (and I guess the magazine will qualify), because I'll buy pretty much whatever comes out. That said, at the newstand I generally only will plunk down the 5.95 for no more than two fantasy mags.

Radballs,I agree with this sentiment.

I'm involved in Real Estate, and I see a lot (A LOT) of "gurus" coming through to tout their wares and give "free" or cheap talks for a few hours. Basically they skim over a lot of stuff then offer to sell their info. Granted most of it is regurgitated information, but there are occasions when paying $20-99 for a day or few hour discussion is worth it. If you can pick up just one thing that will make you more $, then even a few hundred bucks is worth it. I even occasionally will shell out more $ if there's something that will make me 5-10x or more on that info.

And yes, reading things on topics of interest is rarely a bad call.

 

[Family Matters]

I guess I just look at things a lot differently (not that I have more disposable income than most here). But, if somebody takes the time and effort to publish a book about my favorite hobby, I'll buy it as long as it is reasonably priced. With the amount of money that I have riding in all the various leagues I have going, one little nugget of good information might pay for itself. I also enjoy critiquing anything that others are saying, and if it's in book form, I'll pretty much take a chance on it. That said, there's only been a couple books that I'm aware of. I bought and read Confessions and Rob Z's book. Both were entertaining in their own right, but Confessions is a much better written story. It doesn't go too much into strategy. Z's book is flat out about strategy which is cool too. I wish a FBG staff member (s) put something out (and I guess the magazine will qualify), because I'll buy pretty much whatever comes out. That said, at the newstand I generally only will plunk down the 5.95 for no more than two fantasy mags.

Radballs,I agree with this sentiment.

I'm involved in Real Estate, and I see a lot (A LOT) of "gurus" coming through to tout their wares and give "free" or cheap talks for a few hours. Basically they skim over a lot of stuff then offer to sell their info. Granted most of it is regurgitated information, but there are occasions when paying $20-99 for a day or few hour discussion is worth it. If you can pick up just one thing that will make you more $, then even a few hundred bucks is worth it. I even occasionally will shell out more $ if there's something that will make me 5-10x or more on that info.

And yes, reading things on topics of interest is rarely a bad call.

Rads is pretty smart guy. I've learned a great deal from him. One of his great strengths is drafting. He works a draft as well as anyone I know. And I've seen many different strategies employed by him and they all have good results.

 

[mistersmith]

Any updates from people that have read these books? I'm considering either getting Drafting to Win or How to Dominate Fantasy Football by RG.

Thanks!

 

[radballs]

Any updates from  people that have read these books? I'm considering either getting Drafting to Win or How to Dominate Fantasy Football by RG.

Thanks!

I've read them both now and I have to give the nod to Z-Man's book by a pretty fair margin. Randy's book is much more geared toward the beginner to immediate FFer and smaller leagues. His book has some good concepts for people just starting out in the hobby and for those that are in leagues with small rosters (i.e. 15 players or less and it has a very specific focus on CBSSportsline league scoring rules). Rob's book covers a lot more advanced concepts and is geared more toward people who are in leagues with 16 or more roster slots (and it is especially tailored to WCOFF drafting strategy). Go with whatever one you feel more appropriately fits your skill level and league type.

 

[The Beezer]

I've read DFF and here are my thoughts:

- I'm a real stickler for good grammar/spelling in my reading. No issues there with this book.

- The author bases a lot of his ideas off of his leagues at CBS Sportsline. He cites many statistics that only come from his leagues from 2005, and I'm not sure how true they are for the general population. I applaud that he provides enough raw data to let folks draw their own conclusions.

- A lot of the strategies as they are laid out as far as what positions to draft when will not apply to larger leagues. Therefore these strategies won't be as helpful to folks who play in leagues with 14+ members, IDP, 2 QB leagues, or auctions. The ideas can be adapted to those formats, but those who can successfully do that are likely already doing these things anyway.

- I thought the post-draft roster management chapters were the most useful as they talk about an area of the game that doesn't receive enough focus IMO. It's too easy to spend the offseason focused on the draft since that hasn't happened yet, and I think there are much bigger advantages to exploit during the season for the savvy owner that there are in the draft.

In summary, I think I got $25 in value out of this book. As Jeff Pasquino stated above, I'll pay a fair amount even if I only get a handful of ideas out of a book, so if you're really cheap or only want to buy a book that's going to be strongly revelatory, this may not be the book for you.

 

[ShaqAttaq]

I ordered the "Dominate Your League" book, but it does not apparently ship for another couple weeks. I read "Drafting To Win" and it is a good read if you're preparing for a WCOFF type of league. It goes a lot into discussing various reasons for tweaking worst starter VBD baselines and some dynamic drafting techniques. I enjoy reading anything I can get my hands on regarding FF.

i also read zarzycki's (sp?) book last year and i thought much of it was good information

 

[Tiger Fan]

Is it just me, or do 99% of the new/fresh ideas all of us might want or need to tweak our own FFL games come from something as simple as participation in a place like The Shark Pool? 

I don't know.....I guess I am VERY skeptical about shelling out even one dime for somebody else to tell me how they "dominate" their league.  So much of FFL is simply:

1. Commitment (research)

2. Active participation (trades/waivers/FA)

3. "Rapport" with other owners (trades)

4. Lady Luck.

If someone is even seriously considering a purchase of a book on FFL strategy, I would guess that they already have #1 well under control.    #s 2 and 3 aren't something that a FFL book can really help, I assume, any more than any other type of "play nice with others" book, that is!  EVERYONE writing a book will say that for your $19.95, you won't be under the thumb of #4 as much as the other 20,000+ FBGs subscribers, as an example (well, about 16,000, factoring out aliases, LOL).  I don't buy that though.

I'm willing to be proven wrong!  I just don't want to spend any of my hard-earned money on somebody else telling me how they DOMINATED their league.  What does that mean, really?  Any of us can dominate a league if you pick the right suckers.....er "owners", to play with.  Show me a book though that could come even remotely-close to being as beneficial to my/our FFL game as FBGs.com is and they'll gladly get some of my $$$.  In the mean time, a 3:1 return on my annual FFL investment (subscriptions + dues) is more than enough to keep me happy.  

I guess I just look at things a lot differently (not that I have more disposable income than most here). But, if somebody takes the time and effort to publish a book about my favorite hobby, I'll buy it as long as it is reasonably priced. With the amount of money that I have riding in all the various leagues I have going, one little nugget of good information might pay for itself. I also enjoy critiquing anything that others are saying, and if it's in book form, I'll pretty much take a chance on it. That said, there's only been a couple books that I'm aware of. I bought and read Confessions and Rob Z's book. Both were entertaining in their own right, but Confessions is a much better written story. It doesn't go too much into strategy. Z's book is flat out about strategy which is cool too. I wish a FBG staff member (s) put something out (and I guess the magazine will qualify), because I'll buy pretty much whatever comes out. That said, at the newstand I generally only will plunk down the 5.95 for no more than two fantasy mags.

I think alot of people on here are extremely naieve to think that no published book could ever tell them something that they don't know...especially with the amount of threads in the SP.

I've read Drafting to Win a few times, and while I don't agree with everything in the book, there are 2 chapters that I found extremely beneficial and had never seen talked about on here in the amount of depth that it was.

That being said, I think Zman really screwed himself by coming off so cocky, when there he could have merely started threads talking about points in his book....and he would have earned the respect w/o demanding it.

Radballs hits the nail on the head by saying all you need to do is pick up a nugget of info, and the book can pay for itself many times over. DTW did that for me. I am alot more confident in my projections/rankings this year than I ever have been b/c of the book.

 

[mistersmith]

Hey,

Just read Zarzycki's book, Drafting to Win. Now keep in mind that although I've played fantasy football for a number of years, I haven't really gone behind the numbers...typically all I've used in the past are cheatsheets and only last year did I really look into VBD. So this year I thought I'd check this book out based on the recommendations of some of the ppl on this board. Thought it was very informative and I learned a lot concerning baselines and dynamic drafting.

The question is, how many of you guys implement his techniques? AVT? ZVBD? I'm curious in trying his methods on a mock, but is there an easier way to obtain the data for his R values? I tried using the software in his site, but I'm getting some really different numbers than what I calculated using his book. Ok, if anyone wants to discuss over a PM, let me know.