Tout Head 2 Head Finals Update: Ariel Cohen on Week 1

At 8 PM Sunday night at the end of week one of the two-week H2H final contest – Frank Stampfl of CBS currently leads my team (Ariel Cohen of FanGraphs) in the 2021 Tout Wars Head to Head Championship. His current lead is a large one, sitting at just over 106 points. For now I am the reigning champion of the league, but I am in trouble.

After heading into Sunday down by over a hundred and fifty points, I managed to cut Frank’s lead down to about 100. At one point, the margin of victory was as large as 175 on Sunday … but I still had four starting pitchers throwing late afternoon out on the West Coast, which helped my team climb back.

Still, it was a miserable week. I haven’t scored fewer than 328 points in a week since back in July. Meanwhile, Frank is on a roll, scoring more than 400 points in four of his last five weeks. Stampfl picked the right time to get hot, while I have picked the wrong time to stumble.

Frank managed to generate his solid first-week lead despite not having Max Scherzer in his active lineup. But Nick Castellanos has carried his team through the weekend, homering in three straight games. His pickup of the week, however, was Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz. Baz is now 2-0, securing 50+ points for Team Stampfl.

I was done in this week by poor team play across the board, that happens, but I also made some poor managerial decisions. I left Kenley Jansen sitting on the bench while in real life he earned two wins and two saves. Jansen would have hauled in more than 40 fantasy points for my team if he’d been active. Marco Gonzales was my top performer – notching a seven-inning victory on Sunday against the Angels.

A 100+ point deficit is not insurmountable, but it is still a very tall order to overcome. Consider Frank the favorite to knock off the defending champ this week, denying me the chance to be the league’s first back-to-back winner.

Follow the action at onRoto.com. The results update each morning around 8 AM eastern. (Editor: We’ll have updates during the day next Sunday here at Toutwars.com if the race is close.)

If Frank does win, I wonder what scoring system he’ll choose next year? Did I make a mistake choosing CBS this year?

Tout Wars Final FAB Report: September 26

And then there was one. It all started on April Fool’s Day and will end on October. Well, maybe. The Braves and Rockies could play a makeup on October 4 if it matters for the NL East plus the possibility of a Game 163 is alive an kicking in the AL.

If there are extra games, the crowning of six Tout Wars champions will wait an extra day. Ryan Bloomfield from BaseballHQ has already earned the title of Tout Daily Champion.

Halfway through the head-to-head finals, Frank Stampfl leads defending champion Ariel Cohen.

Here are the winning bids of the final FAB session. You can check out the standings and follow the races all week by clicking on the league header. Click HERE for the Draft and Hold league.

American League

PlayerTeamBid
CHernandez, CWSRob Leibowitz 48
EMorgan, CleRick Wolf/Glenn Colton 31
CBassitt, OakJeff Erickson 29
JCastro, HouRick Wolf/Glenn Colton 20
JBarria, LAARyan Bloomfield 10
JKowar, KCMike Podhorzer 9
DCameron, DetDoug Dennis 2
SRomo, OakDoug Dennis 0
DTate, BalDoug Dennis 0
KAkin, BalMike Gianella 0
JGant, MinMike Gianella 0
LTrivino, OakDoug Dennis 0
DTapia, KCDoug Dennis 0

National League

PlayerTeamBid
TraThompson, ChCGrey Albright 51
TFriedl, CinPeter Kreutzer 22
MPerez, PitTodd Zola 6
ASenzatela, ColSteve Gardner 2
JMercer, WasPeter Kreutzer 2
JWendelken, AriTristan H. Cockcroft 0
APujols, LADPeter Kreutzer 0
EAlvarez, MiaDerek Carty 0
WContreras, AtlTristan H. Cockcroft 0

Mixed Salary Cap

PlayerTeamBid
CBassitt, OakZach Steinhorn 20
TAlexander, DetJeff Zimmerman 19
NGordon, MinBrent Hershey 15
AEscobar, WasZach Steinhorn 8
GRichards, BosBrent Hershey 3
MStassi, LAAIan Kahn 0
SBaz, TBIan Kahn 0

Mixed Draft

PlayerTeamBid
ACobb, LAAAdam Ronis 67
ASenzatela, ColPerry Van Hook 33
MMikolas, StLPerry Van Hook 33
SBaz, TBPerry Van Hook 33
WContreras, AtlPerry Van Hook 11
TAlexander, DetSeth Trachtman 1
MDuffy, ChCAdam Ronis 0
JGray, ColTim McLeod 0
EMorgan, CleTim McLeod 0

Head to Head

PlayerTeamBid
TGonsolin, LADAriel Cohen 10
HBader, StLAriel Cohen 10
LGarcia, WasAriel Cohen 10
HDozier, KCAriel Cohen 10
MKeller, PitAriel Cohen 10
THearn, TexAriel Cohen 10
DRasmussen, TBFrank Stampfl 7
AEscobar, WasFrank Stampfl 1
KHayes, PitFrank Stampfl 1

Mixed with IP & Saves+Holds

PlayerTeamBid
GTorres, NYYJennifer Piacenti 56
HDozier, KCJennifer Piacenti 54
WPeralta, DetJennifer Piacenti 31
DVarsho, AriAlex Fast 15
NGordon, MinRay Flowers 1
DSteckenrider, SeaRay Flowers 1
DRasmussen, TBBrian Entrekin 0
JRyan, MinBrian Entrekin 0
ESuarez, CinBrian Entrekin 0