RotoExperts announced Monday that it has acquired fantasy content site RotoCommunity.com, bringing RC’s staff of eight under its ever-expanding umbrella.

Like RX, RotoCommunity was founded in 2008 — by Dave Gawron, Seth Trachtman and Rahm Narayan — centered on delivering content for fantasy baseball, football and basketball. In addition to more standard-style blogs, articles, forums, etc., the site touted its “revolutionary community draft kit” format, which allowed users to have a say in valuing players.

Gawron’s experience and expertise with such technical aspects of fantasy content was a key component in the deal, RX managing director Scott Engel said.

“Dave is a seasoned fantasy veteran, and he and his team bring many talents to RotoExperts,” Engel said in a release. “His knowledge of Fantasy Sports and skills in ranking and projecting is unquestioned. He can’t wait to comb through the RotoExperts site and enhance the premium products, player databases and statistical tools, and assist in ramping up the form and function of the website.”

Gawron said that the two sites were similar in focus and function, and that he believes his staff will fit in well with RotoExperts.com and help build out much of what it is already doing.

“My staff will allow RX to expand and enhance their articles, player news, video and audio broadcasts, and premium chat and e-mail advice services,” Gawron told FSB.com. “I already have a big ‘to-do’ list for Web design and development enhancements, and Scott and I are working on integrating my staff into the existing publishing and broadcasting schedules.

Gawron said that one of the first projects will be focusing on developing functionality for the 2011 fantasy baseball draft kit.

“We’ll establish a player database that will let us do all kinds of things with statistics and information flow throughout the site,” he said.

Also on Monday, RotoExperts.com announced the addition of veteran fantasy writer Dan Dobish to the staff.

“There is not a more well-rounded fantasy writer in the game today, and I know for certain there simply is not a better fantasy hockey writer anywhere on this continent,” Engel said of Dobish, who has worked for outlets such as CBSSports.com and OPEN sports.

(RX has offered no word yet on the success of its search for fantasy hockey writers in Africa.)

Name: Scott Engel
Nickname: “The King”
Job title(s): managing director, RotoExperts.com
Full-time in fantasy? Yes, since 1996
Age: 44
Education: B.A. in journalism, Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus
Family status: Married to Victoria, 16-year old son, Sean.
Favorite fantasy sport to play: Football
Favorite sport to watch: NFL
Favorite team (any sport): New York Mets
All-time favorite athlete: Bernard King
Years playing fantasy: Since the early ’90s, but much earlier if you count games like Strat-o-Matic.

I got my start in the fantasy industry when: I was hired at CBS Sportsline in the winter of 1996 and joined their fantasy department to help in many areas.

Since then, my fantasy résumé includes: Eight years at CBS Sportsline: served as managing editor and senior writer. Four years at ESPN as a fantasy writer, analyst and associate editor. Joined RotoExperts.com in July of 2008. Original executive committee member of the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association and named 2006 Fantasy Football Writer of the Year. Inducted to Fantasy Sports Writers Association hall of fame in 2010 as part of the inaugural class. Host of the “RotoExperts” morning show on Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio.

Three questions

1) How did the fantasy scene of 1996, when you were with CBS Sportsline, compare with that of today? What do you see as the pros and cons of each landscape?

It was so new and exciting then, and I was able to help heavily shape the future of a great company in one of its most important departments. Early on, though, fantasy sports was viewed as an afterthought that didn’t need much attention overall. That thinking changed in a major way over the years, and it was so exciting to be part of the rise from a tiny section on the site to a major component of a successful corporation. Today, I’m back as part of another fast-rising company, enjoying that thrilling growth spurt all over again. It was more challenging in recent years to crack the industry, obviously, but with the right model and people, you can still make a major dent, as RotoExperts has proved.

2) With so many people analyzing and writing about fantasy football and so much luck factoring into the game itself, what does it take to be a truly good fantasy football analyst?

You must not go by numbers alone and realize there are so many other factors that can contribute to performances — emotions, rivalries, and a lot more. Plus, you must be able to write well and have in-depth knowledge of individual sports. Many potential prospects in the industry do one or the other well, hopefully they learn to combine the two.

3) Why did you leave ESPN, and what drew you to RotoExperts?

Working at ESPN was, at the time, reaching the top of the mountain in my career. It was like running out of the tunnel in the NFL when I first arrived there. It was a thrilling, unforgettable period in my life. Yet I thirsted for more creativity and avenues to share my experience with a company that wanted to meet the challenges of trying to crack the industry. Nothing ever matched the thrill ride of being with CBS Sportsline from the beginning and being part of that growth process. With RotoExperts, I saw the same kind of visions and people who wanted to scale great heights and believed in themselves. It was great being with ESPN, which was like a rock legend playing stadiums. Yet RotoExperts was the band I saw in a local club and knew they would be famous, and I wanted to get in early on the ride to stardom.

In well less than three years, I’ve already seen the RotoExperts audience grow in major ways, and we are ready to rock the fantasy world for years to come. I am actually playing on bigger stages than I did at ESPN, and RotoExperts now draws large audiences as its own popular fantasy act. I grew up wanting to be in KISS, and RotoExperts is the fantasy equivalent: unique, groundbreaking and unmatched for excitement. Joining forces with RotoExperts CEO Louis M. Maione was like meeting and joining up with Gene Simmons, they both are history-making visionaries with incredible work ethics. We already have churned out big hits like our significant presence on Sirius XM’s fantasy sports channel and partnership with NFL.com as an exclusive fantasy content provider. We have more to come, including our totally groundbreaking Sports Grinder product and Upset Challenge game. Rock and roll!

It’s been about two weeks since the Sirius XM fantasy sports channel hit the air, but a week from now will be the launch bash — centered on a football draft, of course.

The Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square will play host Wednesday to a daylong event featuring live broadcasts by multiple Sirius XM shows and a 12-man fantasy football draft with a field populated by station personalities — a list that includes Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew.

“We’re assembling intriguing personalities from sports, talk, comedy and music in one place for an unprecedented event in the world of fantasy sports and we’re thrilled to share it with our subscribers,” Scott Greenstein, Sirius XM’s president and chief content officer, said in the media release.

Joining Jones Drew will be:

• Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, a former New York city sports talk radio host who now fronts his on satellite channel
• Steve Phillips, former Mets GM and ESPN analyst
• Jeremy Roenick, former NHL star
• Gary Dell’Abate, “BabaBooey” to anyone who would care
• Jay Thomas, an actor and Sirius host
• John Hansen of FantasyGuru.com
• Kyle Elfrink of Fanball
• Scott Engel of RotoExperts
• Chris Liss of RotoWire
• Scott Ferrall, who hosts a show on Howard Stern’s Sirius channel
• Rich Davis, Ryan Sampson, Stanley T. and Nicole, who host Morning Mash Up on Sirius XM’s Hits 1

Where this draft differs, of course, from the typical celebrity draft is that it includes several real fantasy industry veterans. It’ll be interesting to see who among the non-fantasy pros can hold their own and if anyone, say, drafts Brett Favre at the top of Round 2.

The draft itself will broadcast live at 1 p.m. on both the fantasy channel and Sirius NFL radio, following a lead-in show by Adam Schein and former Raiders (and about 13 other NFL teams) quarterback Rich Gannon. The overall event will begin at 10 a.m.

If you take nothing else from this, it’s at least obvious that Sirius XM isn’t merely putting some fantasy stuff out there to fill a station. The company seems to realize that this is a strong market and one that deserved more attention than it might have previously been giving it (at least beyond previous shows by Hansen and the RotoWire crew).

Company: RotoExperts.com
Launch date: February 2008
Became full-time operation: June 2008
No. of employees: More than 30

RotoExperts blew onto the fantasy scene two years ago, making a particular splash by pulling in Scott Engel fresh off his stint with ESPN. Now Engel runs the day-to-day operations and took some time recently to tell FSB.com about what’s going on with his growing company.

1. What gap did RotoExperts see in a fairly saturated market of fantasy content when it launched in 2008?

We saw a need for more professional-style, high-level fantasy content. We treat fantasy content as seriously as any newspaper or wire service treats its standard sports coverages. We follow AP style and demand the highest professional standards from our writers. Fantasy sports is serious, and we take it seriously. Our syndication partners have a desire for high quality content and we meet their needs. Plus, many outlets are outsourcing these days, and we are nimble and can customize content with our partners’ needs foremost in our plans.

2. What did you see in RotoExperts that led you there after stints with big boys CBS and ESPN?

During my CBS SportsLine days, I was part of a thrilling ride as the company became a major player in fantasy sports. I can always know and say I was part of something truly special. The same thrill ride is taking place at RotoExperts. We have very quickly built a highly recognized and credible site and have made some serious headway in an industry that is not easy to make a mark in. Landing the platforms we have has been a very rewarding experience, and I work with some great people who really know the business. Being part of a great management team is a spectacular experience in addition to continuing as a fantasy content generator.

3. The site seemed to be building its brand in the early going as much as building up the content. How important has that brand building been, and what kind of steps were or are key to that process?

It has been very important to us to establish credibility with both users and with our peers in the industry. Partnerships have helped us establish our presence very quickly as one of the top independent fantasy sites in the industry. People have come to know and trust us, and we highly value those that follow us and work with us. The steps in the process include identifying and adding staffers who are willing to meet standards and help the business grow. Also, to share the quality of our content and experience and visions of our management team with partners.

4. How did you go about building content partnerships with major outlets such as NFL.com and Yahoo! Sports?

Such sites have high standards when it comes to fantasy content, and we share similar views and commitments to quality. Having worked closely with many of the NFL.com people in the past, we knew we were on the same page in terms of delivering analysis and insights. Yahoo! Sports appreciates the diversity of our content as well as the approach, and our editorial teams have worked closely with each other since the beginning. Again, having previous relationships with current and key Yahoo! staffers only eased the initial process.

5. RotoExperts has maintained a pretty strong Fantasy Sports Channel presence from early on, and you just added the SIRIUS XM deal. What has been the role of radio in building your site’s identity? How did the SIRIUS gig come about, and what does it mean for you guys?

Building and maintaining strong broadcasting presences has always been a goal of ours, and being on BlogTalkRadio allowed us to get more personal with users and further establish credibility while allowing us to build another professional presence. Fantasy players do not always want to sit and read, they like to be informed and entertained, too. We have a strong relationship with the Sirius XM team and had shared similar visions about a Fantasy Sports Channel. Now is the time to make such an idea become reality, and as the morning drive program, we lead off history in the making every day. That says a lot about the credibility and impact of the RotoExperts brand. Again, we demand high standards of content in all mediums, whether it’s written or spoken word.

6. Making money as a free content site is harder now than it might have been a few years back. What led you guys to go free and stay that way, even with material such as draft kits that some free sites might sell? What are the chances of going pay - or even adding a pay component such as a “premium” content level - down the road?

It was important for us to establish trust and credibility with users. We have reached those goals and now have a significant following. We have just launched our first-ever premium package, named the Xclusive Edge. People already know what they can get for free from us, and now they can get even higher levels of content and tools in a very price-friendly bundle. At the heart of our new package is our Xclusive Edge rankings and projections, for both drafting and lineup purposes. The RotoExperts “Supercomputer” takes more than 30 factors into account to come up with amazingly accurate player ratings, preseason and in-season. We are also offering live fantasy advice every day of the week. Get personal answers from some of the best of the biz, all year long. Fantasy experts are standing by!

7. RotoExperts has always sported a pretty large writing staff. How have you gone about scouting and adding writers?

We receive a lot of interested applicants, but we also seek out those who are willing to learn in a very professional environment. Our management team has a knack for identifying and adding only the best prospects. They have to be willing to meet our high standards and help us continue to build the brand. I personally review every applicant, and after many years in this business, not just anyone is going to pass the initial test or interview. It’s a rare bird who fuses promising writing skills with expert analysis. It’s our goal to find those people and mold them into something and someone fantasy players can trust.

8. You introduced Upset Challenge during football season last year. Should we expect to see more games from RotoExperts? If so, what role will they serve from a business standpoint?

We will be rolling out the Upset Challenge again this year, and it will be even bigger, better and more compelling. Look for the launch this summer. It’s the most unique and addictive game that you should play this year. You pick three NFL teams every week to possibly score the biggest upsets and earn big points and win great prizes. It makes rooting for the underdog better than ever. It really rewards your predictive skills in pro football.

9. Earlier this year, you put together a new board of directors, headed by Spackman Capital Group CEO Martin Mohabeer. What do he and the other board members mean for the site going forward?

Martin’s addition validates our visions to further grow RotoExperts as a major player in the industry. He sees the growth potential and exciting opportunities that still are there for the taking in a fantasy industry that is only going to continue to explode. Martin’s benchmarks and background in financial services and strategic development can only help us identify and seize the best opportunities out there. Our board is dedicated to making RotoExperts a long-lasting presence in the industry, one that will only continue to grow in reach and presence. We have some great visions of how to bring our top-notch fantasy information and insights to unique and distinctive platforms.

10. What are your plans for Fantasy Grinder, acquired earlier this year?

It’s a great application that can be a real difference-maker in the fantasy industry. Incorporate the Grinder into your league, and no more surfing all over the league site for all the info you need in one place, including expert advice and even trash talk.

The Grinder acts as a digital “beat reporter” for your Fantasy team and churns out unique and distinctive game previews and wrap-ups for every team in your league. It’s sleek, highly versatile and fresh, entertaining and informative. It makes the average fantasy league manager or game even more compelling and retentive. It’s drawn rave reviews from those who have been allowed behind the curtain so far. Think of a digital beat reporter assigned to your team who not only covers the games, but quotes you and offers advice of his own.

We plan to make the Grinder a reality in fantasy leagues, and once we do, those who play in such leagues will find it to be completely addictive. There have been attempts by others to do a Grinder-like product, but none matches ours for its customization and personalization.