The Game
XFL Draft Results
The 15th annual Xperts Fantasy League (XFL) draft took place in Scottsdale, AZ on Friday November 4. The XFL is the fantasy baseball industry’s only keeper league, although it has been described as a keeper-dynasty hybrid. The 15-team mixed league drafts 40-man rosters, with the 23 players auctioned in November and the remaining 17 snake-drafted…
Read MoreMy Keeper List Decision
Last week I asked for your help! My decision appears below. I have a keeper list due this Friday, October 21 in advance of the November 4 XFL draft and am still on the fence for my last few picks. This is a great exercise for all of us in using BABS to support the…
Read MoreLuck and the law
Some people make their own luck and some have luck thrust upon them. We all resign ourselves to the fact that winning in this game requires a good amount of the “L” word, though there is some disagreement over how much. 25%? 33%? 50%? 75%? I’ve always felt close to the 33% figure, but the…
Read MoreDeconstructing an Outwardly Lopsided Trade
I run polls on this site because the results often fascinate me. There was no better an example this past week with my fake case study regarding a keeper league trade decision. I asked: You own hot prospect Alex Bregman in a keeper league in which you still have 2016 title hopes. The last place…
Read MoreThe 9 Rookie Trajectories
Last month at ESPN.com, I wrote a piece about how difficult it is to project young players when they are first promoted to the majors. As much as we’d like to draw conclusions based on minor league performance or scouting reports, they are faulty indicators for future success. BABS essentially throws her hands up, shakes…
Read MoreWhy I hate FAAB
This article was originally published at BaseballHQ.com on June 10, 2005. My opinion has not changed. Sometimes I can’t believe the things we accept about this game. One of the great allures of playing fantasy — you might even call it the foundation of the game — is the sense of control it gives us.…
Read MoreHow 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…
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