West Milford man turns fantasy football into cold hard cash
HEWITT Robert Zarzycki didn't play football in school. He didn't have a favorite team or player and didn't spend his autumn Sundays quarterbacking from his living room. But he has managed to parlay football teams that don't exist into a genuine career. He did it in the realm of fantasy football, a hobby that is fast becoming worth big bucks for a dedicated few. Anyone with access to cable TV channels has undoubtedly come across some of the big stakes poker tournaments that have captured the public's imagination. And anyone who likes to play poker has no doubt watched the final tables and thought, "I could do that." But the truth is, there is a miniscule percentage of players that can consistently earn a living from playing what is, for most people, a Friday night hobby. But while Hold em Poker tournaments can be found on television almost any night, cash-prize fantasy football is a world of gambling that has been flying under the radar. Here's a simplified explanation of how it works: Players pony up a fee to own a team and go through a drafting process, where they pick the players that make up their team. Once their team of 20 players is established they must decide which 10 will play each week. As the real NFL games are played, the football player's fantasy counterpoints are racking up points for good plays. If one of them is sitting on the bench, well, you've made a bad decision. At the end of the season, the accumulated points determine who gets the prize money. Zarzycki discovered football as a spectator sport when he was in college studying for an engineering degree, but it was his high school buddies who dragged him (rather reluctantly) into a fantasy football league. The now 31 year-old West Milford native discovered a better use for his sharp math skills than engineering. Although he graduated from Rutgers with an engineering degree and got a job working for a major corporation, he soon discovered it wasn't very satisfying. He wanted to be his own boss, so he went right back into school for a master in business and opened a deli with his sister. Although they ran the deli for five years, Rob was also entering and winning fantasy football competitions. His ability to use math, statistics and probability soon had him winning many times his entrance fees. He started writing for a number of fantasy football magazines. (Yes, they exist - in fact there are about 20 of them and surprisingly more of them are print magazines than webzines). And then he decided to write a book. Drafting to Win: The Ultimate Guide to Fantasy Football is a 348-page guide which simplifies the concepts and math for the average person. His Web site www.Drafting-ToWin.com offers visitors chat forums, software, and - of course - an opportunity to purchase his book. As the 2005/2006 season draws closer, Zarzycki will be flying to Las Vegas to draft for two of the eight leagues he plans to enter. Prizes vary in each league, but the two top prizes he's hoping to win are $200,000 and $100,000. His biggest success, he said, has turned out to be New York Giants running back Tiki Barber. "He's very underrated and doesn't get drafted early. He's good value for the money." His biggest disappointments have come from injuries. "Injuries are impossible to predict. One time, three of my top five players were out with injuries and I ended up coming in last." Whoever he ends up drafting, Zarzycki will be spending his Sunday afternoons with multiple television sets, keeping a close eye on his investments. And he won't be working in a corporate cubicle any time soon.