Many of us have been playing fantasy football for quite some time now and manage an internal database of players almost as efficiently as we eat, sleep and breathe. When you've been playing for over a decade, depth charts and player rankings become second nature, and the game becomes much more enjoyable (assuming you're able to parlay this knowledge into success at some point in time). Much like a rolling wheel, it's more difficult to get started than it is to simply keep moving along once you're in motion.

Call it a basic principle of physics if you will, but fantasy circles refer to it as the dreaded learning curve.

As a fantasy rookie, you're most likely a legitimate fan of the NFL, or at least a team or two. You join a league thinking you have a pretty good working knowledge of the players and feel pretty confident heading into the draft. Sure, you'll bone up a bit and try to figure out who will be playing for whom during the upcoming season but, unless you're a relentless research hound, you won't be able to process the amount of information necessary in order to have a shark-level draft.

For a rookie owner, it's simply a case of too much information, and not enough time to process it all. Welcome to the learning curve, Rook.

Much like the on-field success of NFL receivers, I think fantasy football takes a good three seasons in order to make the moves necessary to field a competent team year-in and year-out. Sure, there are stories of rookie champions, but we all know this thing of ours requires a bit of luck at times … and a truckload at others. The only thing certain about luck is sooner or later it's going to run out.

Before you burn all those cheat sheets, however, realize there is hope (and it doesn't consist of forty-hour research weeks, either). By following some basic guidelines during your first few seasons, you can accelerate the learning curve and become shark-worthy in no time at all. You're still going to take some lumps during your first years … we all do; however, by setting yourself up with some efficient researching skills, you'll minimize the mistakes and put a little fear into the rest of your league.

• Step One: The Information Websites
  If you're reading this, you've already stumbled upon one of the most extensive fantasy football resources on the web (s'up Joe & David). Footballguys.com is perfect example of an informational site offering a variety of timely NFL news and advice.

If you haven't book marked this site and several others already, you might want to consider a new hobby before you waste any more time. If you want to be a shark, it's going to take a bit of time each day in order to get there. Not hours, mind you. Mere minutes will suffice, as long as you make it a daily event.

Whether it's in the morning or evening, make it a point each day to cruise by your informational sites to stay on top of the NFL news. Many of these sites also have daily e-mail updates and, if you didn't know already, it's much easier to read official looking e-mails on company time than it is to surf fantasy football websites. Those office managers and authoritative types have an uncanny knack for walking at the most inopportune times and, difficult as it may seem, they tend to frown on our brand of research.

At any rate, while you might not recognize all the players just yet, make it a point to read this info each day and things will start to click. Your daily info source, whatever it may be, is the lifeblood of your fantasy season … be sure you treat it as such. It's not necessary to subscribe to the pay-per-view sites out there, either. Realize you can find all the info that's out there if you look hard enough; however, pay sites such as FOOTBALLGUYS.COM do an excellent job of organizing all the material and giving you exactly what you need to survive out there. While it's a judgment call on your part, keep in mind it's almost always money well spent.

• Step Two: The Notebook
  Your key to optimal organization will take a grand total of three dollars to achieve. While your preferences may vary, I like a good three-ring binder that's about ½-inch thick. Coupled with a hole-punch and a few pocket folders, you have the start of your information tome.

Yes … we all have our wonderful computers; however, low-tech as it may seem, you'll be able to take this notebook everywhere (and you won't have to worry about breaking an LCD screen when you drop it on the sidewalk). The mere exercise of reviewing your notes on paper will help you process your information better … trust me on this one.

Now that you have your fantasy football workhorse, don't let another minute go by without covering that bad boy with your team or league logo. Ink jet printers and slide-in plastic cover holders were made for this very purpose. Don't skimp, either. You're going to be hauling that notebook around for the next few months, so you might as well enjoy looking at it.

So, what goes in first?

• Roster of your league's owners, along with e-mail addresses and phone numbers (local leagues) for each.
• Rules and scoring system
• Important dates in your league (draft, trading deadline, etc.)
  - Draft order (if you already have one assigned)
• A copy of the NFL schedule
• A copy of NFL bye weeks
• A copy of your fantasy schedule

Now that we have a little bit of seed info, let's add some weight to your database.

• Step Three: Depth Charts
  Just as we need oxygen in order to breathe, the shark needs depth charts in order to prepare for the draft, and now is also the time for that computer to pay for itself.

  Using your word processor, make an alphabetical list of each and every NFL team (using one full sheet per team). Next, make a listing beneath each team for QB, RB, WR, TE and K positions. Once you have that completed, head on over to NFL.com and review each team's depth chart information. You'll want to key in as many players as are listed at each position, as this will help familiarize yourself with the multitude of backups you'll need down the road. Also, don't forget to date each one of the pages … you'll thank me for this later when you're stuck wondering which set of notes is the most recent.

  Take this document into your office and print it out on the laser when nobody is looking, three-hole punch all 32 pages and then place it neatly into your binder.

  Congrats!

  You're now set with lunchtime, break time and bathroom reading material. Throughout the days and weeks ahead, make it a point to constantly review your depth chart listings and update them as necessary (this is why you wasted 32 sheets of paper, btw).

• Step Four: Player Rankings
  If you believe anything I tell you in this article, make certain it's this: Nothing screams rookie owner louder than showing up to your draft with a mere magazine cheat sheet in hand. For one, they're almost always tragically out of date by the time your league's draft rolls around and, what's more, you're putting entirely too much faith into someone else's opinion (not to mention the fact that rankings won't always reflect your league's scoring system).

  Player rankings are literally everywhere on the 'net. Print out several from online sources, grab a magazine if you must, and plop down in front of your computer one evening with an ample supply of whatever beverage you're most comfortable drinking seven or eight at a time.

  Using one document page per position, rank your own players. It's perfectly acceptable to copy from your favorite list, too. Just make certain you have your own printouts at the draft. That, alone, will get you a front row seat inside someone's head at the draft … guaranteed.

  Once you have your positions ranked, date your sheets, print them out and then punch them into your notebook. If your office manager looks at you suspiciously, tell them they're missing out on free donuts in the break room.

  Review your player rankings throughout the days and weeks leading up to your draft. As you watch for player and team updates, be sure to adjust your rankings whenever necessary. While nothing is more embarrassing for a rookie owner than drafting a player out for the entire season, keeping track of this each week will help ensure you're the one laughing on draft day instead of the one being laughed at.

• Step Five: League Rosters
  Once you get through your draft, head back to the computer and create a sheet for each one of your league's owners. In addition to contact information, key in each owner's roster by position (don't forget to date your sheets). On the way into the office to print out your rosters, stop by the donut shop and pick up some grub for your office manager. That story won't ever work a second time, after all.

  Familiarizing yourself with team rosters is one of the keys to fantasy success. Sharks are able to spot a player update and instantly know which owner is affected by the news. Timing in fantasy football is everything and, sometimes, being the first one to make that trade offer after an owner's stud player goes down makes all the difference in the world.

  You must know thy league in order to crush thy league.

• Step Six: The Wish List
  It's often said that fantasy football leagues aren't won during the draft. Instead, they're won over the course of a long season of free agent transactions, trades, and a little bit of luck. It's highly unlikely you're going to be successful in your league standing pat with your newly drafted roster. Undrafted players will break out and put up some huge numbers, while highly touted draft picks will go into the tank.

  Once your rosters are complete, take a peek at the list of undrafted players and list several at each position you feel could have opportunities to succeed. On that same page, list some players who you might have had your eye on during the draft only to see them selected by other owners.

  By keeping track of these players each week, in addition to your own, you'll be able to gauge the potential risk vs. reward of adding them to your own roster, and fantasy football is all about risk vs. Reward Wait too long for a player to develop, and you'll get the chance to watch him perform on someone else's roster.

  Sure, you'll have your share of reaches. After all, for every Dominic Rhodes in the league, there will exist a slew of Ron Dayne-type players who are eager to disappoint.

• Step Seven: Owner Trends
  With everything else being equal, sometimes it's the tiniest detail that makes or breaks a fantasy team. During one season in which I was struggling with injuries, I was able to pull off a monster trade simply because I overheard a comment during the draft that so-and-so's favorite player ended up on my roster. While I traded away a stud, I received much more value in return from an owner more than willing to net his prize catch. That very trade catapulted my floundering team into the finals that season.

What's the point here?

I was more than willing to take less in the trade initially, but by knowing a particular owner's trends, I was able to leverage myself into an even better position. You'll still have to learn the art of the deal on your own over time; however, knowing your enemy will always be almost as important as knowing your players.

You can't control what happens out on the field, but you can certainly influence what happens within your own league. Even the slightest advantage is still an advantage and, in a competitive league, could make all the difference in the world.

You have your hands full this season, Rook. Better take a deep breath and swim like hell.

There be sharks in these waters.