Posts Tagged ‘Ron Shandler’
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 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…
Read MoreThe First BABS In-Season Update
On the other side of the links below, you’ll find the first BABS spreadsheet update of the young season. It is important to point out just how young 2016 really is. If a single baseball season represented someone’s full lifespan, today would herald the onset of puberty. And for those of us who’ve gone through…
Read MoreThe BABS Guide to DFS
If you missed my previous DFS articles, they are here (free) and here (not free). Assuming you’ve read them, let’s jump right in. My DFS planning process typically takes about 60-75 minutes, sometimes less. Depending upon my schedule on a given day, I might prep my starting pitcher options in the morning (15-20 minutes) and…
Read MoreHow I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love DFS
Love DFS? Hmm. Perhaps to my detriment in this changing world, I am not a gambler. I started playing fantasy sports back in the mid-1980s for the intellectual challenge and the camaraderie. The money was a nice carrot at the end of the season, but it was never even remotely a part of the motivation…
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