ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly from training camp to Super Bowl with answers to a new question being posted Thursday morning. How the guest experts responded when we asked them: How do you come to terms with a tough playoff loss, either a narrow one, or a monster game (e.g., Jamaal Charles)?

DAVID DOREY

I feel less badly about getting beaten by a monster performance than losing a close game where it was just a matter of a point or two here and there. In the end, it is all a delightful game of speculation that can never be completely forecasted and in that is the fun. Sometimes you are the fire hydrant and sometimes you are the dog. Keep playing and you get the point explosion as much as everyone else. And you enjoy it more having been on the other side.

Dorey is the co-founder and lead NFL analyst for The Huddle and author of Fantasy Football: The Next Level. He has projected and predicted every NFL game and player performance since 1997 and has appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, radio and television.

ERIC CATURIA

Honestly, I don't get to hung up one way or the other when it comes to epic victories or deflating defeats in fantasy football. As long as I put in the necessary research and trotted out the best lineup possible, considering trends and the like, I can rest easy every Sunday night with the knowledge that my squad was formidable, maybe just not in that particular week. Of course, anything less than a championship at the end of an NFL season is disappointing, but there are more important things in life than mulling over the hard knocks. Congratulations to owners of Jamaal Charles, or those who took a flyer on the unknown entity that was Matt Asiata, in Week 15.

Caturia is a writer/editor of NFL, MLB, and NBA content for RotoWire. He can be found on Twitter @etcat30.

MICAH JAMES

I don't think there is an easy way to reconcile a bad fantasy loss, especially in the playoffs, other than to simply acknowledge that there will always be an element of luck that goes into ANY fantasy matchup. Peyton Manning and the Denver offense had one of their worst collective showings of the season after being so consistent in prior weeks. Calvin Johnson was quiet for a second week in a row. Unexpected things always happen in sports and, consequently, in fantasy. And if we're honest with ourselves, that is the exact reason we love it so much... If you took a bad beat in Week 15, stand tall, congratulate your opponent on their win and start focusing on next season because it'll be here before we know it!

James, the FFMagicMan, won the FSTA Accuracy Rankings Challenge in 2012, finishing first out of 61 expert entries with an unprecedented Top-9 finish in each of the four measured skill positions. You can frequently hear him on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio and every week on his fantasy football podcast, Trick Plays, with co-host Coach Dennis Esser. Find James on Twitter and on Facebook, and check his website every week for the latest up-to-date player rankings.

MIKE NAZAREK

If I lost due to Jamaal Charles' big game, I just tip my cap and move on. In fact, I'd rather lose by a large margin than a small one. Those don't sting. If I lost by one point, I'd probably have some regrets about a starting decision, but after a day or two, I just let it go and move on. After all, there's always next year!

Nazarek is the CEO of Fantasy Football Mastermind Inc. His company offers a preseason draft guide, customizable cheat sheets, a multi-use fantasy drafting program including auction values, weekly in-season fantasy newsletters, injury reports and free NFL news (updated daily) at its web site. He has been playing fantasy football since 1988 and is a four-peat champion of the SI.com Experts Fantasy League, a nationally published writer in several fantasy magazines and a former columnist for SI.com. For more info go to www.ffmastermind.com. Nazarek can be reached via email at miken@ffmastermind.com.

IAN ALLAN

If there’s some kind of magic thing to say, I haven’t figured it out yet. I can still remember losses from the ‘80s and ‘90s that bug me — playoff or championship games where I started the wrong guy or the opponent made an unlikely comeback. As George Allen once said. “Every time you lose you die a little bit. You die inside ... a portion of you. Not all of your organs. Maybe just your liver.”

Allan is the senior writer for Fantasy Football Index. He's been in that role since 1987, generating most of the player rankings and analysis for that publication. His work can be seen in Fantasy Football Index magazine, and also at www.fantasyindex.com.

ALAN SATTERLEE

I did in fact get taken down by Jamaal Charles in two leagues. I just keep it in perspective and for me anyway I really enjoy fantasy football win or lose, and you can't win every year.

Satterlee is Co-Owner and Chief Editor/COO of FantasyFootballWarehouse.com. FFW features comprehensive profiles for all the major 2013 skill-position rookies, its Trading Spaces series, the team Deep Dives, the Speed Bump competition plus draft strategies, rankings, projections and more. FFW runs in tandem with its dynasty site DynastyFootballWarehouse.com.

CORY BONINI

I was knocked out of the playoffs by Jamaal Charles, so this may be the strangest answer you'll receive, but my first thought was happiness -- the icing on the cake of a splendid season by Charles. I was mocked in June for drafting Charles No. 2 overall in the FSTA league and No. 1 in another league. I caught flak all offseason for ranking him No. 2 overall. Fittingly, Charles came back to haunt me, but in a redeeming way. No one wants to lose, but my job is to help viewers win their leagues. The guy I pushed all offseason posted what has to be the largest single-game fantasy effort by any player in the last 20 years or more -- at crunch time, no less. Knowing I helped people who listened advance makes it a losing pill I can swallow without getting indigestion. It's always nice to win, but I find more gratification in knowing I have provided fruitful advice. It is pointless to place blame on a single player. The bottom line is my team didn't score enough points. I fielded the best lineup I could and it wasn't enough. I'll spend a little time after the season reviewing where I went right and wrong before moving on to the offseason's work and prep for 2014.

Since 1996, KFFL.com has been combining its award-winning news service with fantasy analysis. KFFL.com offers services including daily news, draft guides and in-season advice. Completely free, KFFL.com is your destination for fantasy baseball, football and NASCAR cheat sheets, tips, sleepers and much more. KFFL.com has won more than a dozen expert championships and was listed as "One of the 10 essential sports-related online destinations for fans, athletes and fantasy owners" by Time.com. KFFL.com is property of USA TODAY Sports Media Group.

SAM HENDRICKS

You congratulate yourself for making the playoffs (and then check the rules to make sure you get something for third place). After that, you console yourself with the rationalization that fantasy football is 25% draft skill, 25% start/sit decisions, 25% free agent pickups and 25% luck. There I said it. Lady Luck plays a pernicious role in fantasy football. If you lost to Jamaal Charles --I did, you chalk it up to the greatest fantasy football performance in modern history and appreciate the story you will get to tell every year about this time for eternity. If you lost a close one --I did, then you...Give me a week I will tell you how it went.

Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook, Fantasy Football Tips and Fantasy Football Basics, all available at ExtraPointPress.com, at all major bookstores, and at Amazon and BN.com. He is a 20-plus year fantasy football veteran who regularly participates in the National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) and finished 7th and 16th overall (out of 228 competitors) in the 2008 and 2009 Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC). Follow him at his web site, www.ffguidebook.com.

SCOTT SACHS

I certainly hope the scenario you posed in your question isn't a prophecy, as I am in a money league Super Bowl this week and my opponent has Jamaal Charles! Strictly my opinion here, but first and foremost, it is important that I make the right line-up choices and don't leave points on the bench. If I do that, then I can't have any remorse as I gave best effort. There's no shame in getting lit up by a blow-up day by a player--regardless if it's a fluke or legit. However, if I lose against an opponent with a blow-up guy and I leave points on my bench that would have won it for me, then I'm not sure I ever truly get over it until next year's draft. Heck, being a Cleveland fan, looking forward to next year is a way of life for me anyway. So, good luck to those that are in the fantasy playoffs, and best wishes to all for a terrific holiday season!

Sachs runs Perfect Season Fantasy Football, offering LIVE Talk/Text/Email consulting & advice. Winner of Fantasy Football Index's 2012 Experts Poll & 2011 Mock Auction League, Scott can be found at http://perfectseasonffb.com/.

ANDY RICHARDSON

Maybe I have been fortunate, but for every heartbreaking loss I've had, I can remember a win where I was fortunate -- a meaningless catch in garbage-time, one that gave me a win by a fraction of a point as time expired. So when I lose a tough one, I try to think of the good ones, and say, yeah, I feel awful now, but imagine how bad that guy felt when I beat him by a ridiculous occurrence. Of course, that next heartbreaking loss is just around the corner, so you've got to cling to and remember the wins -- enjoy them when you get them, think back on them when you don't. That's what I tell myself, anyway; I admit sometimes it's easier said than done.

Richardson has been a columnist and contributor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and web site for 12 years. His responsibilities include team defense and IDP projections and various site features, and he has run the magazine's annual draft and auction leagues since their inception. He previews all the NFL games on Saturdays and writes a wrap-up column on Mondays during the NFL season.