NEWBIE TIPS

Shhhhhhhhh.....listen up folks, this is your man D.Dread with some tips for you first time fantasy sports players. Make sure that none of those hard core players that call themselves "experts" are looking over your shoulders…..Not only have they never won anything, but they can't pick a chicken drumstick out of a bowl of peanut soup with a spoon!

As for moi….I have 5 teams in various European leagues. In one of those leagues, there are 45,000 managers. My team is ranked 19th as of today December 20th 2007.

Am I good? Is the sky blue? Is Ghana in Africa?

Now for the tips:

1. This game is for real folks. It might be called "fantasy" but trust me, it is as real as it gets. Real Players, Real Statistics, Real Goals and, yes, Real Red Cards. So don't let the word fantasy trip you up. Every move, every player, every decision you make is Real. Everything will impact your performance. If you stink as a manager, you will be at the bottom of the table and worse, you bear the brunt of jokes and insults - the donkey who selected a bunch of losers on his or her team.
2. Do not let your emotions or nationalistic pride get in the way as you select your players. Just because Drogba is the greatest striker in world football at the moment (yes he is and that is not up for debate) it does not mean that you should select him. Look at the fixtures and ask yourself - what are the odds that he will score four or more goals against the other teams in the group.
3. Make good use of your budget. Buy wisely and you will be on your way. Study the point scoring chart as you select your players and decide on your formation.
4. Do not waste your transfers. The African Nations Cup Tournament is a very short tournament. Players might get hurt or get sent home....hmmm pretty common in some of the FA's.
5. Have a good strong bench and do not make the mistake of stacking your bench/subs with a bunch of strikers or midfielders. Remember that once you chose your formation, 4-4-2, 4-2-4, 4-3-3, 5-4-1, or whatever system you like, you cannot change it. So if you have a bunch of strikers on your bench and one of your starters other than a striker gets hurt or is sent home, you better pray that you have not used up your transfers. You have been warned!
6. Do your home work, read up as much as you can on the various teams and key players. All the above information is free, but I will not turn down 25% of your winnings, if you offer. For the real inside tips...ha! That my friends you will have to pay for, after all this is the African Cup of Nations.

Good luck! D. Dread.