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FAAB Trading, Like It or Not

By Brian Walton, Tout NL champ 2009

[Editors Note: Brian wrote and submitted this story before the recent FAABonanza played out in Tout NL on July 31st. You can view the results of the trading deadline frenzy here.]

The concept of trading FAAB (free agent allocation budget) dollars is a most interesting and topical subject currently. As the major leagues are approaching their non-waiver trade deadline on Sunday, fantasy owners in many FAAB leagues were maneuvering as well.

Though not the case in all formats, in many leagues including Tout Wars, FAAB can be traded right along with players. However, any money acquired in any given week cannot be used until the next – meaning to increase the contents in one’s war chest in time to use this weekend, owners had to complete their deals prior to this past Monday.

The goal of some is to accrue the highest available FAAB balance. That would allow the cash leader to hopefully snag the best player coming into the league at the deadline, when AL-NL and NL-AL trade activity is traditionally at its highest.

Having the third-highest FAAB total in NL Tout Wars this season at $82 is not somewhere I planned to be. I generally subscribe to the theory of acquiring needed parts whenever possible, even if that is in week one.
Continue reading “FAAB Trading, Like It or Not”

Fred Zinkie’s Mixed League FAAB report: Trade Deadline Version

The interleague nonwaiver trade deadline doesn’t mean as much to Mixed Leaguers as it does in AL and NL leagues, but that’s because many of the changes are more subtle. Read Fred Zinkie’s account of this week’s FAABonanza in Tout Wars mixed here.

TOUT NL FAAB Survey

Last night Rotoman bid $5 on Jose Altuve and thought he had a chance. No way! Remembering similar debacles with Dee Gordon and Chase D’Arnaud earlier this year, Rotoman looks back at this year’s first-half FAAB results. Is aggression good? Read about it here.

Jason Collette’s Tout MIXED midseason review

If you were a subscriber to baseballprospectus.com you could have read Jason Collette’s midseason Tout Wars roundups two weeks ago. Jason and BP, however, are making them available to us all now, for which we are thankful. Jason Collette’s column appears at every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at baseballprospectus.com.

Playing in Tout Wars is a rewarding experience because of the exposure the league gets. It, like the LABR (League of Alternative Baseball Reality), are the two best gauges fantasy players have to see how the “experts” apply their knowledge at the draft table. It is one thing to read the work each of them publishes online, but it is another to see what they do with their imaginary money, or in the case of playing in high-stakes leagues such as the ones in the NFBC leagues, real money.

Last week, we looked at the AL-Only league and how Larry Schechter and Jeff Erickson have turned their profits into the top spots in the standings and how others have suffered some serious losses from the prices they paid at the draft table either due to bad valuations or bad luck related to injuries. Monday, we saw how Brian Walton has been able to build a commanding 23 point lead in the NL-Only league on the strength of his two bargain closers in Ryan Madson and Craig Kimbrel. This week, we look at the 15 team mixed league to see how it is shaking out at the break.

Here are the current standings for the 15 team Mixed League:

  1. Fred Zinkie – 114 points
  2. Tim Heaney – 109 points
  3. Gene McCaffrey – 102.5 points
  4. Nick Minnix – 102 points Continue reading “Jason Collette’s Tout MIXED midseason review”

Jason Collette’s Tout NL midseason review

If you were a subscriber to baseballprospectus.com you could have read Jason Collette’s midseason Tout Wars roundups two weeks ago. Jason and BP, however, are making them available to us all now, for which we are thankful. Jason Collette’s column appears at every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at baseballprospectus.com.

Playing in Tout Wars is a rewarding experience because of the exposure the league gets. It, like the LABR (League of Alternative Baseball Reality), are the two best gauges fantasy players have to see how the “experts” apply their knowledge at the draft table. It is one thing to read the work each of them publishes online, but it is another to see what they do with their imaginary money, or in the case of playing in high-stakes leagues such as the ones in the NFBC leagues, real money.

Last week, we looked at the AL-Only league and how Larry Schechter and Jeff Erickson have turned their profits into the top spots in the standings and how others have suffered some serious losses from the prices they paid at the draft table either due to bad valuations or bad luck related to injuries. This week, we look at the NL Only League that was won by ESPN’s Nate Ravitz last season.

Here are the current standings for the 12 team AL-Only League:

  1. Brian Walton – 103 points
  2. Chris Liss – 80 points
  3. Steve Gardner – 79 points
  4. Tristan Cockcroft – 78 points Continue reading “Jason Collette’s Tout NL midseason review”

Jason Collette’s TOUT AL midseason review

If you were a subscriber to baseballprospectus.com you could have read Jason Collette’s midseason Tout Wars roundups two weeks ago. Jason and BP, however, are making them available to us all now, for which we are thankful. Jason Collette’s column appears at every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at baseballprospectus.com.

Playing in Tout Wars is a rewarding experience because of the exposure the league gets. It, like the LABR (League of Alternative Baseball Reality), are the two best gauges fantasy players have to see how the “experts” apply their knowledge at the draft table. It is one thing to read the work each of them publishes online, but it is another to see what they do with their imaginary money, or in the case of playing in high-stakes leagues such as the ones in the NFBC leagues, real money.

Over the next three pieces, I will examine each of the three Tout Wars leagues to see which touts have done the best job so far in 2011 in terms of current player values compared to what those players went for at the draft table. This will allow us to see who did a good job in player valuations, who struggled, as well as who was affected by injuries. Lastly, it will show any kind of correlation between value attained and current place in the standings.

Here are the current standings for the 12 team AL-Only League:

  1. Larry Schechter – 97.5 points
  2. Jeff Erickson – 90.0 points
  3. Jason Grey – 79.5 points Continue reading “Jason Collette’s TOUT AL midseason review”

A Liss and a Swing

You may have heard him on XM, but here it is in pixels: Chris Liss describes the Tout Wars FAAB reclaim rule in less than flattering terms, and explains why he failed to redeem Buster Posey on time.

The rule reads:

If a player is placed on the major league 60-day disabled list, his Tout Wars team may release him and add his salary back to this year’s FAAB. If this transaction occurs prior to Monday 5 pm EDT of the All Star Break, the team may reclaim 100% of the player’s salary. If the transaction occurs after Monday 5 pm EDT of the All Star break, the team may reclaim 50% of the player’s salary. Odd number reclaim amounts will be rounded down (e.g. a $1 reclaim will be rounded down to $0). The salary reclaim decision must be made within the first 30 days that the players has been DLed. FAAB units acquired in this manner cannot be used for bidding purposes until the following week’s transaction period. If a 60-day DLed player is released in this manner, he will be placed back in the free agent pool and will be available for FAAB acquisition. If a player is deemed out for the year but is not placed on the 60-day DL, his team may not reclaim his salary.