Styles: Non-Football Fantasy

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BEHIND NEARLY EVERY CUBICLE wall lurks a wannabe NFL owner who surreptitiously makes trades, tracks stats and benches players during his 9-to-5. Want to get in on the virtual action without having to learn the Xs and Os? We checked out sites that offer a different take on fantasy gaming.

» TABLOID FANTASY: If you can easily tell the Olsen twins apart, Tabloid Fantasy League is the game for you. Points are awarded when your chosen stars appear in Us Weekly, People, Star or In Touch. It's free for now, but soon players will have the option to donate a small entry fee to charity.

How to Win: "We try to reward vigilant gossip-watching," said Breht Burri, the Web developer who launched the site in May with three friends. Look for long-running storylines: Britney's divorce — with all its attendant custody battles — is destined for more coverage than Mel Gibson's arrest, which faded fast after he apologized.

Pitfalls: Players are docked points when their starlets get busted by the Fashion Police. And while the site offers a slew of stats, "past performance is not an indicator of future fame," Burri warned.

Good Pickups: Jessica (Ms. Simpson is the site's top-rated celeb), Angelina, Lindsay, Brad and any other first-name-only VIPs.

» FANTASY CONGRESS: Hill workers may have an unfair advantage in Fantasy Congress, launched last month. Players (dubbed "citizens") draft four senators and 12 representatives, who earn points as they introduce legislation and lead it through committee and into law. A little rusty on your civics? A flowchart gives a quick primer on how a bill becomes law. "We want to be the 'Schoolhouse Rock' for the 21st century," said Andrew Lee, one of four Claremont McKenna students behind the site. A self-described "dorky kid" who worked in D.C. for the past two summers, Lee dreamed up the game after watching his freshman-year roommate agonize over fantasy football. "If people cared about government as much as they care about sports, we'd have a much better government," he said.

How to Win: "You need to pick a senator who will continually perform for you so you can stay at the market level," said Lee. But a supporting cast of junior senators, mid-level representatives and congressional rookies make up the majority of a team's points.

Pitfalls: Concurrent or simple resolutions (i.e. legislation that doesn't require the approval of both houses and the president) are only worth 1/5 as many points as a bill.

Good Pickups: Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Tex.), Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) are all good picks, said Lee. Also try sleepers Bobby Jindal (R-La.) and Rob Andrews (D-N.J.).

» FANTASY CRIMINAL: Sports leagues may have cornered the fantasy market, but James Lanter's Fantasy Criminal League offers a game where off-the-court exploits are more valuable than stats. Players (or "wardens") draft one college conference, two legends (a retired coach or player), two major league football, baseball, basketball and hockey teams, and one individual player (like from tennis or golf). During the yearlong season, wardens bust their players by submitting legitimate news stories detailing the offense. Right now, only 15 people play in a league on Lanter's site, but if there's enough interest, he'll expand.

How to Win: Winners do lots of "Citizen's Arrests" — busting athletes no warden has on their team.

Pitfalls: Having to bust your own players can be a major time-suck. Even though he lives in Cary, N.C., Lanter once drafted the Mid-American Conference and had to troll the Web for news stories from small towns in Indiana.

Good Pickups: "The biggest thing is getting one of the big college conferences. The SEC has been perennial," said Lanter. "Once you get out of the college realm, usually the bigger cities do well. Or Ron Artest — wherever he goes."

This post was written by Express contributor Julia Beizer