Archive for NFBC

Big Kid Adds (8/16/22)

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

While the NFBC Main Event garners most of the attention, there are a handful of leagues with even a larger entry fee ($2.5K to $15K). They get originally named “High Stakes Leagues” and this year there are nine of them. With so much money on the line, these fantasy managers are going to try to gain any advantage. Most of the time, these managers will be a week or two ahead of everyone else on their adds. Here are the players and some information on the ones added in five or more of these leagues: Read the rest of this entry »


Big Kid Adds (7/19/22)

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

While the NFBC Main Event garners most of the attention, there are a handful of leagues with even a larger entry fee ($2.5K to $15K). They get originally named “High Stakes Leagues” and this year there are nine of them. With so much money on the line, these fantasy managers are going to try to gain any advantage. Most of the time, these managers will be a week or two ahead of everyone else on their adds. Here are the players and some information on the ones added in five or more of these leagues.

Read the rest of this entry »


Beat the Shift Podcast – FAAB Episode w/ Scott Jenstad

The FAAB Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Scott Jenstad

Strategy Section

  • FAAB / Waiver Wire
    • How has the waiver wire changed over the past few seasons?
      • Is it more important or less important?
    • When to enter FAAB during the week.
    • Looking at “your” team.
    • How playing with a partner helps with waiver wire pickups.
    • What to look for when picking up players?
    • What to look for when dropping players?
    • How much FAAB should you have left over at the All-Star break?
    • Does prior league bidding affect your FAAB bids?
    • Does current team FAAB amounts affect your FAAB bids?

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Big Kid Adds (6/21/22)

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

While the NFBC Main Event garners most of the attention, there are a handful of leagues with even a larger entry fee ($2.5K to $15K). They get originally named “High Stakes Leagues” and this year there are nine of them. With so much money on the line, these fantasy managers are going to try to gain any advantage. Most of the time, these managers will be a week or two ahead of everyone else on their adds. Here are the players and some information on the ones added in five or more of these leagues.

Read the rest of this entry »


Big Kid Adds (6/14/22)

While the NFBC Main Event garners most of the attention, there are a handful of leagues with even a larger entry fee ($2.5K to $15K). They get originally named “High Stakes Leagues” and this year there are nine of them. With so much money on the line, these fantasy managers are going to try to gain any advantage. Most of the time, these managers will be a week or two ahead of everyone else on their adds. Here are the players and some information on the ones added in five or more of these leagues.

Read the rest of this entry »


Beat the Shift Podcast – Expert League Recap Episode w/ Matt Williams – Part I

The Expert League Recap Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Matt Williams

LABR Reacap

  • Overall thoughts
  • Closer strategy
  • When to drop out of bidding wars
    • How much is too much to pay?
    • The economincs of waiting to nominate desired players in the auction
  • Nomination strategy
    • Nominate players that you want to buy or players that you don’t?
  • Franmil Reyes
  • Catcher strategy
  • Draft regrets

TGFBI Recap

  • Noticeable trends
  • Grabbing players earlier than ADP
  • Big decisions

 

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Beat the Shift Podcast – Player Pool & Catcher Episode w/ Todd Zola

The Player Pool & Catcher Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Todd Zola

Todd’s Mastersball Projections

  • What’s new?
  • Assuming a DH in the National League
  • Adjusting for the Camden Yards’ new dimensions
  • Adjusting for the Blue Jays irregular home park in 2021

Strategy Section

  • Player Pool
    • Starting Pitchers
      • Is there more risk at the very top?
      • Is this the year to wait and grab pitchers in the early middle rounds?
    • Closers
      • Where is the value?
      • How many saves do you really need to be competitive?
    • Corner infielders
      • Bargains in the first base position
        • Pass on top talent?
      • The drop in talent at third base
        • How to attack/address the 3B position
    • Middle infielders
      • Do you need to obtain steals from the middle infield position?
      • Setting hotspot values and budgeting for the middle infield
    • Outfielders
      • At what price points should one purchase outfielders?
        • Early, middle, late, or spread them out?
        • The $1 outfielder conundrum
        • The effect of multiple position eligilibity on the OF pool

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2021 Projection Systems Comparison – A Game Theory Approach

Introduction

In 2018, I introduced a game theory approach for comparing baseball projection systems. Proudly, the original article was nominated for Baseball Article of the Year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA). Now, just days ahead of the release of the 2022 ATC Projections, the projections comparison article is back for its fourth consecutive year!

The approach used in this article is not the standard projections comparison analysis that most others use. The standard analysis involves calculating least square errors, performing chi-squared tests, or perhaps even hypothesis testing. Some type of statistical measure is used to determine the most accurate projections.

For example, late last year – my fellow RotoGraphs colleague Jeff Zimmerman put out a series of in-depth projection comparison accuracy articles. His study centered around the root mean squared error test applied to all projection sets surveyed. The first installment of this excellent series can be found here.

My methodology does not incorporate a statistical model. Instead, it looks to determine the profitability potential of each projection system by simulating what would have happened in a fantasy auction draft. Instead, it games the projections.

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Beat the Shift Podcast – NFBC Episode w/ Jenny Butler

The NFBC Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Jenny Butler

First Pitch Arizona mishaps

Strategy Section

  • Playing in the NFBC
    • What is the NFBC?
    • How Jenny got into the NFBC and how you can get your start
      • Tools that a first time player should use
    • Differences between home leagues and the NFBC
    • Differences between standalone leagues and leagues with an overall prize
    • The value of multi-positional players in the NFBC
    • KDS selection preferences
  • Should we pay the market premium for saves and for speed?
  • Roster Construction
    • General principles
    • Should you create a “Do Not Draft” list?
  • Draft preparation tips
  • Incorporating risk into drafting decisions
  • Jacob deGrom – What to make of the current Steamer IP projection?
  • Power Drafters
    • Should you incorporate a “deGrom share” into your fantasy portfolio?
    • Should you diversify your player selections on your fantasy teams?
  • How to find fantasy baseball sleepers

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Beat the Shift Podcast – Format Episode w/ Frank Stampfl

The Format Episode of the Beat the Shift Podcast – a baseball podcast for fantasy baseball players.

Guest: Frank Stampfl

Tout Wars Congratulations

Strategy Section

  • Drafting Strategy based on fantasy format
    • Rotisserie leagues vs. Head-to-Head Points leagues vs. Head-to-Head Category leagues
      • One win vs. full category score
    • Waiver wire leagues vs. Draft Champion/Draft & Hold Leagues
    • Roto leagues vs. Best ball leagues
    • Trading leagues vs. non-trading leagues
    • Deeper leagues vs. shallow leagues
    • 1-Catcher leagues vs. 2-Catcher leagues
    • Large vs. small bench size
      • Having IL slots vs. no IL slots
    • Daily lineups vs. weekly lineups
    • Overall competition vs. standalone leagues

Read the rest of this entry »