So you want to be a guru, eh? Want everyone in your league worshipping the soapbox you stand on? If you're looking for pearls of wisdom, you've come to the right place. You’ve got to draft well, research well and trade well.

A Winner Puts in the Time: As an active Fantasy Baseball player you’ll be a league champ if you put in the time necessary to maintain a top notch roster. Player maintenance and acquisition is the most important facet of Fantasy Baseball.

A Winner Does His Homework: Most league winners are Stat Heads. This doesn’t mean that you have to acquire this skill but it does require you to knowledge this skill in your opponent. To compete you have to do your homework. You need to be well read, absorb everything- relevant news, industry opinion, even rumor and hearsay. The more you read the more you will recognize what is relevant and what is not. Talent always is projected. Find it before anyone else does.

A Winner will take Chances: Ever heard the cliché “The higher the Risk the Higher the Yield”? Sometimes taking a chance on a player that was injured last season and subsequently had bad number or a player who has historically done well but had a less than par performance last year can make the difference between coming in first and second place in your league.

Draft Well

1. Have your own value system -- the masses use conventional wisdom. Use that to your advantage and let others take last year's breakthrough. You want this year's.
2. Know your opponents' values - you don't want to be reaching for players others will let fall to you.
3. Hold no unsubstantiated bias - you must maximize the value of your draftees, even if just for trade bait.

Research Well

1. Take risks. High-reward players can have huge upsides cloaked by injury. Pounce on bargains, and trust their abilities.
2. Anticipate. It is the sixth sense. Know who is going to happen next. Know your prospects long before they become MLB call-ups.
3. Don’t be lured by hot streaks. Leave that to your peers. It is a marathon. Be true to your player analysis and stick with guys you trust in order to reap the reward of inevitable hot streaks.

Trade Well

1. Treat every player like a battery: plug it in when it's charged up; discard it before it runs dry.
2. Evaluate every team’s needs and wants. Know the team owners favorite MLB teams. Team Owners tend to over value players from their favorite team.  
3. Think multiple moves ahead. Think about one trade you can make that might help you with a subsequent trade.