Book excerpt: The essential guide to playing and winning fantasy football, one of the fastest growing games in the country. With an estimated 20 to 30 million participants, fantasy football has burst into the mainstream of American pastimes. CBS, FOX, ESPN, and ABC devote significant airtime to fantasy predictions and advice, and there are over a dozen magazines devoted solely to the subject. Despite its meteoric rise in popularity, there has never been an authoritative and comprehensive book covering all aspects of the game. Until now. In this invaluable handbook, sports writer, handicapper, and gambling aficionado Stephen Nover presents a first-of-its-kind guide for dominating your league year in and year out. First time players and fantasy gurus alike will benefit-and profit-from the hard-won wisdom, insider tips, and battle-proven strategies found here. From off-season study and draft-day strategies to team maintenance and playoff mentality, this book delves deeper than any magazine to reveal the overall strategies and underlying philosophies that win-every year.