The Game
Not Gambling? Seriously.
The following piece was published at BaseballHQ.com back on April 17, 2015. That was before the Fanduel/DraftKings legal implosion the following fall. And it was before last week’s Supreme Court decision leaving the legalization of sports betting to the states. The gambling landscape is changing. This article might be one of my greatest forecasting achievements. Maybe.…
Read MoreSecond base 2018: Focus on speed
With a scarce commodity like speed, second base is where you need to stock up. There are 10 multi-asset mid/full-time players who include speed as part of their skill set. You need to get at least one of them, even if that means bypassing an otherwise solid power commodity. You can get power anywhere. In…
Read MoreSeveral paths to profit with 3Bmen in 2018
Third base is another position with sufficient power and batting average sources, though slightly weaker overall than last year. It runs 17 deep in multi-asset players – down from 20 last year – which means mixed leaguers should be able to find at least one solid contributor. Similar to last year, there are several high-end…
Read MoreIntroducing the BABL Owners
We are about ready to toss out the first pitch of the 2018 BABL Exhibition League. I will be competing against nine other intrepid explorers in hopes of finding the optimal BABS-relevant fantasy draft format. Those nine owners have now been chosen. If you submitted an application and are not listed below, I will be…
Read MoreSpend deep, or not, for elite 1B skills in 2018
As always, this is a position loaded with excellent power options and good batting average foundation players. The nice thing is that you don’t need to pay big for the skills that this group offers. Sure, it would be nice to own some of the top names – and do feel free to invest, they’re…
Read MoreHow will your league handle Shohei Ohtani?
It looks pretty certain that Japanese star Shohei Ohtani will be making his way to the States in 2018. As a legitimate 2-way player – talented as a hitter or pitcher – fantasy leagues must decide how he is going to fit into their roster structure. The upcoming Baseball Forecaster devotes an entire page to…
Read MoreIn search of a new report card
The following passage begins “Simulators,” the introduction to the 2012 Baseball Forecaster: “As fantasy owners, we take pride in our ability to assess baseball players and to project their performance. Our success in piloting our teams to titles and money finishes demonstrates our prowess at these skills. But it really doesn’t. Player evaluation and forecasting…
Read MoreThe Tactical Power of Doing Nothing
The following story is going to sound irrelevant, but bear with me… I recently joined a small band with some friends in my community. There are five of us: a lead guitarist, a rhythm guitarist, a bassist and a drummer. I play the keyboard. We are all in our 50s and 60s, none are professionals…
Read MoreMid-Season Rotisserie All Stars
This is my final ESPN contribution for the 2017 season. Paul Goldschmidt, Bryce Harper, Jose Altuve and Max Scherzer are players most fantasy leaguers drafted in the first round. Through mid-season, they are earning back their owners’ investments – congratulations! But as much as it’s nice to have players like these on your roster, they…
Read MorePitcher attrition and bullpen fallout
Here is my ESPN piece for this week. As of today, 41 percent of the pre-season Top 300 have been disabled, demoted or designated for assignment. That’s only about 10 players away from the 44 percent attrition accumulated over a full season in 2010. We are on pace for about 70 percent turnover of our…
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