BABS says: No need to spend big for Manny

by Doug Gruber BABS has taught us that players with the same asset ratings are pretty much interchangeable. The (F,p,AV) asset group is a great place to dive into this concept. BABS has identified 20 players that she says are more alike than they are different. There are some big names in this group, including…

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Pay for top starters or play the marketplace

Latest special discount to The Athletic for site members. By Patrick Cloghessy When it comes to pitching, we want strikeouts. Lots of them. When it comes to starting pitchers who take the mound every fifth day and stockpile the whiffs, well…we can’t always get what we want. There are 45 starting pitchers BABS tabs as…

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BABS rates Ron’s 50-round D&H team

I just completed a 50-round snake in an NFBC “Draft Champions” (Draft & Hold) format, with 14 other speakers from the First Pitch Arizona conference. I used the BABS spreadsheet published late last month, although I veered a bit from the plan. I fully embraced the BABS ratings, but opted to eschew the targets. Instead,…

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BABS loves the 2019 Outfield pool

Today is the final day to take 50% off a subscription to The Athletic. by Doug Gruber Welcome to the outfield, where the skills are extreme, diverse and plentiful…more than enough for even the deepest mixed league. From superstars to end game speculations, BABS provides bountiful possibilities to fill every owner’s outfield roster needs. Extreme…

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Speed is plentiful in the shortstop pool

The 50% Off discount to The Athletic is available through Monday, February 18. by Pat Cloghessy Speed is a precious commodity. In this year’s player pool, speed paired with another asset is in short supply. There are 33 full-timers who can claim another asset in addition to speed. Thirteen of these have shortstop eligibility. So,…

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Secondbasemen offer diverse skills, multiple positions

In our perpetual quest for speed, second base is the first place where we can take a serious look. Here, and at shortstop, you can really stock up. However, SS also has a bunch of power options, so if you are going to skim off the SBs, they may come a little cheaper here. There…

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I’m joining The Athletic… and an early BABS observation

The news is out… I am joining the staff of The Athletic. For those unfamiliar, TA is a subscription-based online sports magazine that boasts some of the best writers in the business. Today kicks off the launch of their new fantasy baseball section, and I’m honored to have been asked to be a contributor. Here…

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Grab your 3Bmen early in this shallow skills pool

by Doug Gruber The perception by many fantasy owners is that the 3B position is a deep player pool. BABS says otherwise; she tells us that the number of multi-asset players continues to fall… from 20 in 2017, to 17 last year, to only 12 for 2019. Some of the pool evaporation is due to…

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First Base is Thinner, but Leverage Options are Plentiful

It has been pointed out in numerous places that this is the first year (since 2004, anyway) that there are no first-basemen in the first round ADP rankings. Indeed, the position has thinned out, but there still remain plenty of BABSian opportunities to play off the marketplace. Among full- and mid-timers, there are only seven…

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Catcher pool hits bottom

Is there anyone here worth drafting? When it comes to catchers in 2019, it is a legitimate question. We’ve watched the value of the backstop population plummet in recent years. It was not too long ago that Buster Posey was a first-rounder. Gary Sanchez managed a second round ADP in 2018, only to bust. Even…

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