About

Ryan on Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/rblaptop

Fantasy awards:

2010 Best Fantasy Football Series (Fantasy Sports Writers Association)

2010 Top-10 Fantasy Football Minds: No. 3 (AskMen.com)

2009 Fantasy Football Writer of the Year (Fantasy Sports Writers Association)

KFFL.com - 2001 Best Fantasy Football Content (Fantasy Sports Trade Association)

KFFL.com - 2001 Fantasy Football Small Business of the Year (Fantasy Sports Trade Association)

KFFL.com - 2000 Best Fantasy Football Content (Fantasy Sports Trade Association)

I've had a hand in multiple fantasy football expert-league championships.

Current location:

Oceanside, Calif.

Hometown:

I'm a Yooper and grew up in Lake Linden, Mich.

Favorite sport:

While I make my living on football, hockey has my heart.

Favorite team:

Detroit Red Wings

Favorite athlete all time:

Steve Yzerman

Favorite current athlete:

Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings

Not really tied to any single NFL player, but love watching Tom Brady, Adrian Peterson, Andre Johnson and, most recently, Ray Rice.

Fantasy sports you participate in:

I currently play football, hockey, baseball and NASCAR. I have also played basketball and golf, but not much love for either.

How did you get your start in the industry?

I've been doing this for so long, there wasn't much of an industry when I started...

While going to school at Michigan Technological University during 1995, a class project was to create an online business. Being an avid fantasy sports player at the time, fantasy sports made perfect sense to the group I was tied to. We put so much effort into it, I hated to see it come to an end. In May 1996, KFFL.com was born.

I launched one of the first fantasy sports websites online. While it has changed directions many times from it's initial launch, it continues to keep me far too busy to this day.

By the way, that class project received an A.

Best fantasy sports memory?

In 2005, I drafted both running backs Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson, of the Kansas City Chiefs.

LJ, at the time, was the "handcuff" option to Holmes. The first seven weeks, Holmes was a solid No. 1 fantasy back, while Johnson chipped in well as a No. 2 fantasy back.

Seven games in, Holmes went down with an injury and LJ took over. LJ rattled off nine straight 100-plus yard performances, including two 200-plus yard outings, propelling me to a championship in a local fantasy league. It may have been the first time a "handcuff" option really worked in my favor.

Before that, and a very close second memory, came from the 1995 season.

I drafted Atlanta Falcons running back (who played wide receiver) Eric Metcalf as my No. 4 RB, pairing him with Falcons quarterback Jeff George.

Metcalf was able to be played at running back or receiver that season due to a loophole in our league rules, and he posted 104 receptions, 1,189 yards receiving and eight touchdowns while also chipping in token rushing numbers. I played him as my second running back (behind Errict Rhett) that entire season, and received a ton of bonus points.

What is the one thing you would tell a rookie fantasy sports player?

It goes a little deeper than just one thing, but the two critical items are:

1) Know (and understand) your scoring system and 2) Don't overvalue rookie players.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

When I'm not neck deep in website related chaos...

I love to cook. Anything Italian is usually my preference, but my steaks and burgers  have built big following.

I am an avid hunter, fisher and sportsman.

My wife, Lindsay, and I have three dogs. Two of them are incredibly manly shih-tzus to go along with a French bulldog, who is more like a pot-bellied pig.

I'm trying to become like Bob Villa at home; unfortunately without much success. Those damn lights are going to work one day...