You might not know me from the average Joe, but that's okay. I don't strive to be a household name. It's not an agenda of mine to have others agree with every word I write or say. And I personally don't care for those that do. Vanity is not my strong suit. I, in no way shape or form, am God's gift to Fantasy Football, nor never will be. And like my tagline says: "I'm not an expert, self-proclaimed or otherwise."

Enough with the disclaimers……

There is no great Fantasy Football Tourney that crowns the winner as the Fantasy Football Supreme Being. And even if there were, the tournament would be tainted by the "selection" committee who hand picked the participants. And who are they to decide who gets selected and who is left out? Would it be a democratic election of all the Fantasy Football players out there? Even the ones that don't frequent certain websites, the newsgroup, or even have Internet access? I'm sure you know the answer to that one.

There are 10 questions that I have to ask myself when looking for an "expert". They are as follows:

1. Does owning your own Fantasy Football website make you an "expert"?
No. But owning your own Fantasy Football website goes a long way in gaining name recognition among your peers. It is a sign that the owner is confident enough to share his/her time, effort, and money at making Fantasy Football enjoyable for many others. Many Fantasy Football websites appear each year, only to disappear the next. Dedication to the website keeps some afloat, but dedication does not necessarily make an "expert".

2. Does writing a Fantasy Football article make you an "expert"?
No. Here is another way to share information and gain peer recognition. It is a way to keep the interest in this hobby high, while also providing insight on certain subjects. It is one of the highest plateaus in which to achieve name recognition because the article may not be limited to being published on only one website or periodical. But, putting ideas or thoughts on paper does not make one an "expert" at Fantasy Football.

3. Does winning your league championship make you an "expert"?
No. But it may mean you had a very good draft, traded well, or made the right moves during the season. In other cases it may mean you played against subpar competition or had a team that peaked at the end of the season. However, when does winning one championship make one an "expert", and does winning five championships make you five times the "expert"? Some of the best Fantasy Football owners I have played with have never won a championship.

4. Does winning a contest make you an "expert"?
No. Contests are normally done out of fun and the winner is usually a one player difference between second place and the champion. Now, was that player the logical choice or a reach? If it were the logical choice, then everyone would have picked that player. If it were a reach pick, kudos for going out on a limb! Again, one reach pick does not make an "expert".

5. Does preaching a certain draft strategy make you an "expert"?
No. Anyone that has been around awhile can tell you that no set strategy is foolproof. How many times have you seen a certain player carry a team to a Championship? Was it a draft strategy that got them that player or did they just happen upon them and took the player for value? I've even seen a kicker carry a team to the Championship this last year. A large majority follow the "stud RB theory", which I call the "sheep syndrome" for it's blind following, and grab 2 running backs early because the talent level thins out so quickly. Others follow the "get a top wide receiver" theory because after the top 3-5 receivers, the talent level drops drastically. "Quarterback studs", "multiple high picks", "depth", or "best available player" are all other strategies that are used as well. But no specific strategy has been statistically proven to win more championships. Thus there can't be an "expert" in the field.

6. Does having name recognition make you an "expert"?
No. This is the biggest misconception out there by far. Just because a certain individual submits topics, replies a lot, owns a website, or even writes articles does not automatically make him/her an "expert" on any given subject. Opinions and opinions alone are all they can provide. Some individuals post to just see their name up on screen, it's sad but true. Kind of like the kids in school that just did things to get noticed by others. A lot of them still haven't grown up yet. Some of the best advice out there comes from guys that rarely make themselves known. The ones that provide insight rather than off-topic remarks or flames are a far better read than many of the articles written on the same subject. Alas, not even name recognition can garner an "expert" title.

7. Does having immense football knowledge make you an "expert"?
No. You may have played football from pop warner through college, but that does not make you the least bit of an "expert" in Fantasy Football. I've seen first time owners that never played a down win a Fantasy Football championship. There are guys that can tell you the difference between the "X" position in a West Coast Offense and the "F" position in a Conventional Offense, and yet they know little to nothing about why a kicker is considered a bad high round investment.

8. Does having 10 years experience playing Fantasy Football make you an "expert"?
No. It sure helps though! Experience is a very wise and forgiving teacher, but it is not all knowing on what is going to happen tomorrow. You may have seen it all, or at least thought you did up until now. Fantasy Football is an enigma in itself because nothing is ever the same. Players rise and fall in performance from year to year, and not one person can tell you who will be the next great player. Experience will guide you on how other owners may respond to certain circumstances, yet it can't tell you who's going to win next Monday Night. Well, not until Tuesday at least. No "expert" soothsayers in this lot either.

9. Does playing in a certain style or size of league make you an "expert"?
No. It may take more year-round effort in a Keeper League than a Redraft League, but the basic concepts are the same - try and amass the best team available. Large leagues require more thinking and the ability to be a talent scout for those "who?" picks. Yet smaller leagues require you to gather the most talent onto a small squad as possible because everyone else's squad is just as good. Some leagues are yardage based; some are only rewarded with actual scoring. There are Dynasty Leagues, Auction Leagues, and even leagues that once you draft you are done for the year. Leagues vary from style to style and not one person can be an "expert" in every single one of them.

10. Does knowing every little statistic known to mankind make you an "expert"?
No. Statistics are a tool to determine quantitative numbers and to analyze trends. But not all math majors make great Fantasy Football owners. Knowing that a running back runs better on carpet that has artificial blades one and a quarter inch tall and that he's playing against the number 22 run defense in the league, may be all well and good when figuring out who to start for the week. But statistics can't always correlate to the fact that he has turf toe or that he had to sleep on the couch last night. Statistics can't take into account the physical, mental and even spiritual wellness of a given player come game time. No statistical "expert" can tell you why a player didn't perform well when every thing appeared to be in his favor.

"expert" (ek' spurt) n - One who has special skill or knowledge; representing mastery of a particular subject.

It's hard enough to find a person that is well versed in any of those categories, let alone all of them. While you may look up to someone else for some sound advice given to you, I'd steer clear of calling anyone an "expert".

Beware of those that call themselves "experts" as well. Ask them "what are you 'expert' in?" and they may very well say "In Fantasy Football of course." Next ask them what facet of Fantasy Football they are "expert" in. If they don't understand the question, it's a safe bet you should just walk away.

Quite often there are pleas for help asking for help from the "experts". Now you know that one can not be an "expert" in all areas of Fantasy Football, nor can they know all the details of your league or particular situation. So when attempting to ask for help from your fellow owners, always give as much info as possible. Some examples of needed info are: scoring rules, starting positions, draft position, how many teams in the league, what team the player is going against, and what your own opinion is. Many times you will find that your own opinion was right on the money.

I say stop asking for an "expert" opinion, because I'm afraid you'll find there aren't any to be found…