After being part of a two-man team that took Mock Draft Central from fantasy obscurity to a necessary feature on every major fantasy site, Geoff Stein is now a Senior Editor at Fanball. I recently got a chance to pepper Geoff with some questions that I help shed some light on this emerging player in the fantasy sports industry.

How did you get involved in fantasy sports?
I drafted my first fantasy football team as a sophomore in high school back in 1999. I went undefeated in the regular season with the likes of Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Tony Gonzalez, but lost in the first-round of the playoffs. I’m still seeking vengeance for that extremely painful loss.

My start in the industry came from applying for a job that was posted on Grand Valley State University’s — go Lakers! — Web site: part-time Fantasy Sports writer. That job would eventually turn into Operations Manager at Mock Draft Central.

What’s your reaction when you read your old columns?
It’s been a while since I’ve read some of my older stuff, but I’m always shocked about how far I’ve come as a writer when I do. Not too bad for a broadcasting major who only took one writing class in school. I’ve learned from many talented folks, though, most notably my good friend Herbie Teope, who I credit for a lot of my growth.

How has your fantasy advice evolved since you started?
Instead of telling people what they should do, I try to present information to allow them to form their own opinion. Fanball offers a Live Advice option that allows me to chat with users that have questions; the first thing that I always ask is, “what do you think you should do?”

What’s been your favorite part about becoming a fantasy football expert?
Definitely just watching how the game has grown. When I first started in the industry, most people didn’t have a clue what I was talking about when I told them what I did … mostly just shook their heads while thinking, “I wonder when he’s going to get a real job?” Now, a lot are stunned when I tell them that I make my living in the fantasy sports industry. It’s a good gig.

What is the worst move you ever made as a fantasy owner?
No single move sticks out as being horribly awful, but I’ve trusted in a lot of turds over the years who have killed a lot of teams. The most recent memory involves Francisco Liriano on almost all of my squads
last season. While I think he may finally be “right” again in 2010, I can never muster up the courage to click the “Draft” button next to his name when I’m on the clock.

Tell us about your new role at Fanball. Also, what made you want to leave your previous gig?
I consider myself to be Fanball’s Mark McLemore — super utility man. In my two months with the company, I’ve done it all: writing for both the online Owner’s Edge product and magazines for the upcoming Fantasy Baseball season and NFL Draft; I’ve sat in on tech meetings and helped a fine technical team put together drafting software for the National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC); and a lot of my time has been spent helping with various NFBC festivities. There is also more in the works that I am really excited to be a part of.

Moving to Fanball seemed like the next natural step in my professional career, and the change in ownership at MDC made it the perfect time to do so. I always respected the work that Ryan Houston, Charlie Wiegert, Greg Ambrosius, and Tom Kessenich have done, so getting a chance to learn from them was just too much to pass up. I’ve quickly learned that the entire Fanball operation is first-class with many quality people, and have no doubts that the decision to join their fine team was the correct one.

What do you think is the next big thing in fantasy baseball?
I’m a big fan of the daily and high stakes games — and not just because Fanball offers versions of each. Both games have a way of keeping people interested whether it’s the third week of May or the last week of September.

How do you approach the daily fantasy games differently than you would a regular season-long fantasy game?
Three words about the daily fantasy games: matchup, matchup, matchup. While I think strength of schedule is overrated in games that are played over an entire season, matchups are key to putting together a successful daily squad.

Thanks again to Geoff for the interview, and congratulations on your new position!