How to Make Enemies and Influence Pennant Races, part 2
In part 1… Back in 2009, I was trolling the trade wires with the owners in the Fantasy Xperts League (XFL) 15-team mixed keeper league. I received six sub-par offers, so I decided to up the ante. I sent out an email with a list of all the offers, so everyone could review, compare and…
Read MoreHow to Make Enemies and Influence Pennant Races, part 1
The following column, condensed from its original version, was published at BaseballHQ.com in two parts, on June 12 and June 19, 2009. I usually don’t like to dredge up dirty laundry from the past, but… um, heck, who am I kidding? I love to dredge up laundry, wallow in the dirt, use people as my…
Read MoreThe Mega-Challenge Trade
A version of this article was previously published at ESPN.com. In a recent ESPN piece, I wrote about how I was dealing with my under-performing pitching staff. One idea I offered was trying to trade my bad eggs for someone else’s equally bad eggs. Maybe a “change of scenery” could work for fantasy players too.…
Read MoreWhat are the odds of finishing in the money after a slow start?
Over the past week, I have been asked that question twice. “What are the odds of finishing in the money after a slow start? I recall you mentioning the odds in an article at one point, and they weren’t real good.” No, the odds are not good. But this seems like a good time to…
Read MoreBetts, Fowler Top the BABS Leaderboard
Through nearly two months, we are starting to see some of the early season’s extreme performances settling down. But even within that settlement, there are a few players who are taking that next step up. A reminder about how to use the chart: Batters and pitchers, individually, are ranked by skill, regardless of playing time.…
Read MoreNegotiating Change, part 2
In Part 1, I attempted to orchestrate some change in the free agent bidding process by working up negative backlash towards live bidding events in order to sell the idea of the Vickrey Method. The email exchange continues… JOSH PALEY, 2000 CDM Diamond Challenge Winner: As for which auction method is preferable, I suspect that if…
Read MoreNegotiating Change, part 1
The Tout Wars experts leagues made a constitutional change this season that eliminated a rule that had been in place for about a decade. After a bunch of wrangling, Tout tossed the Vickrey method for free agent bidding. There were two reasons for this change, only one of which was really valid in my mind.…
Read MoreMy Grievances Against Fan-Kings
I recently received an email from a respected colleague and industry leader. He asked me, “What are your grievances against Fanduel and DraftKings?” Several long-time industry friends have asked me similar questions over the past year. I am one of the few fantasy industry veterans who has not fallen into lockstep with a blindly pro-DFS…
Read MoreImportant Articles – Please Read
The following three articles are important updates on current DFS legislation. If you are about to click away because you don’t play DFS, stop. This directly affects season-long games. Fanduel and DraftKings have been pushing forward their own goals at the expense of the industry as a whole. That is why I have been advocating for…
Read MoreEarly BABS Observations
As noted on Tuesday, early season’s extreme performances will take some time to settle down, and that’s reflected in the early BABS ratings. No, Aledmys Diaz is not the best player in baseball, but BABS sure does like his skills in those small-sample April ABs. The next few full-timers, however, have more for us to…
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