It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Delicious food, wintry snow and expensive presents cannot even begin to compare to the start of the NFL season.

This year at The Butler Collegian, a new arsenal of sports writing mixed with satirical wit will be brought to the Butler community by yours truly.

The name of the game: fantasy football. The name of the column: irrelevant, but I would be glad to hear your suggestions.

With the amount of people playing the virtual gridiron game, I pitched an idea that blossomed into this position. I am as surprised as you are that I am getting paid for this.

I first played fantasy football in fourth or fifth grade, making me feel like an experienced veteran now. That first year, I somehow grasped the concepts enough to win, riding the likes of Duce Staley and Donald Driver to a championship.

In my current keeper league of six years, I have two championships to show for my hard work, not counting more than $300 in winnings.

In short, I know my stuff. It doesn’t mean I’m always right, but I’m highly knowledgeable.

I have no set method or plan for writing this column, so feel free to send me suggestions for things you would like to see written. I also will open up my email for any questions you have.

Since it is still preseason, the actual writing for this week will be devoted to a few draft day tips to help you prepare to  dominate your buddies.

First things first: Never draft a kicker until the last round of your draft.

You have a better chance of hooking up with Megan Fox than predicting the top kicker, and the point differential between the top kicker and 20th kicker is negligible.

Second, fantasy football is a game based on real life.

If you don’t like a player in real life, don’t draft him either. Keep the headaches in check, as this is meant to be fun.

The opposite also applies. If you like a player in real life, by all means, go ahead and draft him earlier to ensure that player is on your team.

Last, and maybe most important, is practice.

Because fantasy football is so mainstream, sites like ESPN.com and Yahoo.com provide excellent tools to prepare you for a draft.

Both offer mock draft lobbies on a continuous basis. Try one today if your draft is quickly approaching.

Additionally, read articles either on websites or magazines from “experts.” Championships are built before the league even has a draft.

Look for this column on a weekly basis. Read it. Hate it, if you want. Agree or disagree. I’m always up for talking about sports.