Year: 2010

Tout AL: Jason Collette’s Draft Day Accounting

In this story for RotoTimes, Jason Collette takes inventory on how each Tout AL team’s draft day roster has performed.

This approach has the virtue of isolating what it was that teams did right (and wrong) on draft day, whether these things were in their control or not.

Most interestingly, only Jason Grey’s runaway leading team has posted a positive value since draft day, and that is just +$2.

Also of interest is the big draft day hit Mike Siano’s team has taken, in large part by paying $29 for Grady Sizemore on draft day. But, as Jason points out, Mike dealt Sizemore to Jeff Erickson the day before Sizemore crashed and burned for the season (for Cliff Lee–ouch), so it was Erickson who who paid most of the price. That doesn’t show in these numbers.

There are a lot of components to a fantasy baseball season. Draft day is one part. Jason’s survey gives some idea how important a good draft is to fielding a winning team. And how tough it is to overcome cataclysmic injury, unless you’re Mike Siano.

Wall Street Journal: Lawyer is Fantasy Expert, too

Glenn Colton and his partner, Rick Wolf, have had great success in LABR, and good success in Tout Wars. The Wall Street Journal noticed that Glenn is also a lawyer.

Embracing Volatility

Tout AL participant Rob Leibowitz has seen his third place team turn into an eighth place team in just a month, and takes a look at what strategies are available to him (and other fantasy players) to regain ground. This is part of a weekly series of articlesfrom Mastersball.com about Tout Wars AL, NL and Mixed.

TOUT NL: Midseason Report

Ask Rotoman is here to kick some second half butt. That’s the message the frontrunners in Tout NL, Brian Walton and Nate Ravitz, should take away from this midseason report. They should be afraid, very afraid. Kreutzer isn’t in last place any more.

Granted, this is what happens when an active participant writes the midseason report. Hopped up on a two-week run that netted him something like 20 points, and brought him out of the basement and into the middle of the pack, the so-called Rotoman is psyched up by the reemergence of Lance Berkman, the chance that Aramis Ramirez won’t be a nightmare from here on out, that the heretofore worthless but free spirited Yunel Escobar will be invigorated out from under Bobby Cox’s authoritarian and crushing breath. If all that happens, it won’t be enough.

But the reemergence of Edinson Volquez, who has looked so good during his minor league rehabs, and the continued brilliance of Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay, could be enough to get this team into running. And speaking of running, what happens if Carlos Beltran actually can run a little? Rotoman’s team gets a lot better, that’s for sure. Continue reading “TOUT NL: Midseason Report”

Midseason Poll Winners

The public has voted…

Tout AL: Jason Grey 62%, Joe Sheehan/Steve Moyer/Jeff Erickson 7% each

Tout NL: Nate Ravitz 37%, Brian Walton 24%, Scott Pianowski 20%

Tout Mix: Andy Behrens 58%, Steve Gardner 13%, Doug Dennis 11%

Good luck fellas!

TOUT Mixed: Midseason Report

GAINING ONE’S BEHRENS

How did Andy Behrens open up a 23 point lead over Doug Dennis and Steve Gardner in Tout Wars Mixed?

1) Three closers (paid for to be sure) earn him all but one point in Saves.

2) A handful of $1 starters have him leading the pack in Wins and ERA, and fourth in WHIP.

3) Classic offensive construction for shallow mixed leagues had him go stars (Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Chase Utley, Kevin Youkilis) and scrubs (no other player cost more than $5).

So, how did he start? Continue reading “TOUT Mixed: Midseason Report”