Q: What is the "Website Watchdog?"
A: The "website watchdog" serves as the eyes & ears of the fantasy football industry. As we gather information from fantasy football sources around the country, we'll report it.
Q: What kind of fantasy news does the "watchdog" report on?
A: Everything! We conduct interviews. We'll take a look at various web sites and report on how creative their site is. Is it user friendly? Does it have a nice layout? Football contests? NFL happenings, fantasy situations etc. etc.
Q: How does the "watchdog" collect his info?
A: Very easy, from you! Fantasy Tailgate is blessed with the opportunity of using television, radio and the Internet as our way of communicating our message. Therefore, we are able to attract a very broad audience. Last year alone, we fielded more than 1000 questions per week (weeks 1-16) of email and telephone questions relating to starting line-up advice, fantasy football websites and general industry news.
CALL TO ACTION
PLEASE email Fantasy Tailgate if there is something you would like to see the Website Watchdog report on. For example, are you receiving great service from a particular website? Is there a feature a certain website offers that helps (or hurts) your fantasy football decisions?
Attention Webmasters
Is there something from your site (feature, contest, etc) that you'd like us to take a look at? Our goal is to be compelling, accurate and balanced. We welcome and appreciate your input.
We welcome all thoughts, comments, criticisms, compliments, etc.
A native of Watertown, Conn., Fabiano graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 1997 and wrote for several small websites before joining CBS SportsLine.com. Now considered one of the top names in Fantasy Football, he is a regular contributor on such programs as "The Terry Bowden Show" and "The Steve Szaban Show."
Fabiano is also the founder and commissioner of the Gridiron Guru League, which includes CBS Sports analysts Jim Nantz, Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms among others. He now lives in South Florida.
Dan LaBert interviews Michael Fabiano
DAN: Mike, you have a great job with Sportsline.com, how did it all come to be?
How long have you been there?
MIKE: I have been playing Fantasy Football for about seven years. I wrote for much smaller websites in order to get exposure, covered sporting events like the
PGA's Greater Hartford Open, then saw there was an opening at CBS.SportsLine.com and sent in a resume. After two interviews and several
months, I was hired by the company. The rest, as they say, is history.
DAN: Ok, let's jump into some fantasy football questions. In most leagues,
Priest Holmes and Ladainian Tomlinson are going 1 and 2. Who are the next three top running backs and why? Do any of those three warrant the the number 1 or 2 spot?
MIKE: I think Clinton Portis, Ahman Green and Deuce McAllister round out the top 5 backs. These backs are the centerpiece of their team's offenses, and have a
chance to put up great numbers each and every week. Holmes and L.T. are a step ahead of this trio because of their unique combination of running and receiving skills, so it's tough pass on them with the No. 1 and 2 selections in Round 1.
DAN: Which player will not crack the top 10 in many drafts but deserves to be
there?
MIKE: Running backs will dominate the first round in most drafts, so several
top-notch quarterbacks and wide receivers will be on the board after the No. 10 overall selection. But one player I think belongs in the top 10 is Daunte Culpepper. He has a cannon for an arm, the top receiver in the league in Randy Moss and might score more rushing touchdowns than Tiki Barber this season.
DAN: With no proven air support in San Francisco and an already injured Tim
Rattay, why is Kevan Barlow still receiving so much fantasy attention? Don't
you think many defenses will stack the line against him?
MIKE: Ever since he came out of Pittsburgh, I have been a huge fan of Barlow. He
has all the skills needed to be a Fantasy stud, though he must limit his fumbles as a featured back. While he isn't on the same level, Tomlinson has proved you don't need a great passing game to succeed. I think Rattay can be a decent field general when 100 percent, so it's not like Barlow will be out there all alone on offense.
DAN: In our opinion, Chad Pennington has a fantastic offensive supporting cast in
Moss, Martin, Jordan, McCareins, Ricks, etc. They also have a suspect defense which leads us to believe the Jets offense will be on the field quite often. All that being said, should Chad Pennington be considered a top 5 fantasy QB?
MIKE: Like Barlow, I'm also a big fan of Pennington. I see a lot of Joe Montana in
him in terms of his moxie, accuracy and leadership skills. I don't see him being a top 5 Fantasy on rank lists this season, but he is in my top 10 and could emerge as the 2004 version of Matt Hasselbeck, barring injuries.
DAN: With Carson Palmer being named the #1 gunslinger in Cincinnati, will Chad
Johnson's fantasy performance suffer?
MIKE: Palmer has a cannon for an arm, the support of his coach and an offense with great weapons (including Johnson). Furthermore, he has Jon Kitna behind him
should he falter and lose the top spot on the depth chart. Johnson will be an important cog in the passing attack in either case, so I don't expect a decrease in his value.
DAN: Broncos RB Quentin Griffin looked great against the Washington Redskins
porous defense. At 5'7, 195lbs, can he handle the pounding that a every-down back faces? Is he a # 2 or # 3 running back on your fantasy roster?
MIKE: Under the guidance of Mike Shanahan, I think Griffin can emerge as a decent No. 2 in leagues with 12-plus teams, but owners should draft him as their
No. 3. His size is a concern, however, so it's a good idea to nab Tatum Bell as insurance.
DAN: We're expecting you to continue your "Gridiron Guru" column at Sportsline.com for the 2004 season. What else is going on over there and with you that the fantasy football world should know about?
MIKE: The most exciting thing -- besides having the best Fantasy Football commissioner on the Internet -- is the Gridiron Guru League. I founded the GGL in 2003 and have added several big names this season -- Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Phil Simms and Steve Tasker are just a few of the new owners in the league added to incumbents Jim Nantz, Randy Cross and Brent Jones --and the prospects for the league's growth in the future is exciting. The winner, runner-up and division winners all get money to give to their favorite charities, so the GGL is not only a great competitive league, but it's also for a very good cause.
DAN: Thanks so much for your time Mike. Please keep up the great work at Sportsline.com and best of luck in all you do.
