Early first round underperformers

This is my weekly article for ESPN Insider. When we draft players in the first round, or spend $30 or more for them in auctions, we expect them to provide a statistical foundation to our teams. Although we are only a month into the season, the fates of these players are likely tied tightly into…

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Deconstructing Didi Gregorius

by Chris Doyle As is often the case this early in the season, a look atop the leaderboards can make your head spin. This time last year we were marveling at Aaron Judge’s power display and wondering if it was for real. Fast forward 12 months and it’s another Bronx Bomber stealing the spotlight out…

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Deconstructing Ozzie Albies

by Chris Doyle Usually scouts have an idea of who players are before they reach the major leagues. “Player X is a power-speed guy who has the potential to go 20-20 someday.” “Player Y throws hard but he has command issues.” That said, every now and then someone surprises even the most experienced baseball people…

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BABS and points league observations

by Justin Cary BABS is a great tool to identify skills and asset groups that can assist you in grabbing value to reap profits in order to win leagues. However, marrying BABS to a points league can be more difficult than in a typical Rotisserie format. There is some variation in how points leagues are…

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Opening week standouts

By Chris Doyle Jumping to conclusions is hard to avoid this early in the season. Winters are long and spring training is noisy, so when we finally get some legitimate data it’s easy to get caught up. One of the most satisfying things to do is proclaim how right you were about that breakout pick…

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BABS has some final thoughts…

For those who have not yet drafted, here are a few last-minute tidbits: Finding value in the catcher pool Earlier this off-season, we posted the following poll: What will be your approach to drafting catchers in 2018 (2-catcher leagues)? 32%     Value, value, value. I’ll take it wherever it comes. 21%     I will try to draft…

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BABS Draft Plans for AL/NL-Only Leagues

by Justin Cary The following are suggested BABS draft plans for AL-only and NL-only leagues. AL Only First base in the AL presents a challenge between targeting high upside guys with risks versus stable lower skill sets. BABS purists know they can find a ton of value here, so wait for your selection for that…

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Tout Wars, BABS and the Changing Marketplace

Player projections are irrelevant. What you think players are worth is irrelevant. All that matters is the marketplace. Here is the description that I have used time and time again: “If you are convinced that a player is worth $25 and land him for $21, you will have overpaid if the rest of your league sees…

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Using BABS in alternate formats

by Chris Doyle With all of the different fantasy formats that have spawned over the years, and the player rankings that accompany them, owners face a lot of informational noise. At the end of the day, all you’re looking for is an accurate evaluation that paints a picture of what a given player has to…

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BABS Update: The Humidor Cometh

The BABS database and master spreadsheet are both updated with the latest player additions and moves. Last week’s poll indicated that most of you are planning to have your drafts the weekend of March 24-25 so I will get one more database update posted before then. I’m not sure if I’ll get in a spreadsheet…

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