Category: Article

FAAB Rules! Or, the Rules of FAAB.

Mike Gianella takes a look at how the Tout FAAB rules played a part in how Tout teams bid on the Biggest Day of the Year!

To add some context, we implemented the rule change for the transaction period following the ML interleague trading deadline because we wanted teams to be able to bid more than they had in their budget, including contingent bids. The Aug 2 rules allowed that.

In every other Tout Wars week, teams aren’t allowed to bid, for their main bid plus contingent bids, more than they have, total.

What is interesting is that in every other week of the year, nobody notices the contingent bid restriction. Also of note is that some owners this year asked us to simplify the rules and play like other leagues play.

I’m interested in hearing about how other leagues play. In the variety of leagues I play in there is a variety of ways FAAB or Waiver Dollars are dealt with. I’m of the opinion that whatever you all decide upon is fine, but there is a real virtue to restricting the total bids any team can make, actual and contingent, to the total amount of FAAB (Waiver Dollars) they have.

Why? I think it’s more strategic. Mid tier teams can strategize and capitalize on their analysis of other team’s needs. In a system that allows teams to stack contingent bids using all their available Waiver Dollars, mid level teams don’t have a chance.

But it’s okay if think they don’t deserve a chance. I agree to disagree.

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 AL: Mid Season Report

WHEN BLUE TURNS TO GREY

Then try as you may….

The Rolling Stones wrote a song about losing your girl and thinking, at first, about getting over her quickly and starting to have a great time with other girls, but then… Blue turns to grey, and you have to find her. Love isn’t so easy to put aside, it turns out, even for Jagger and Richards.

Jason Grey takes the same approach to drafting pitchers. You pledge your troth, you start it up, and then you either win, as Jason has done in Tout a couple of times (and is doing so far this year), or you look to mother’s little helper for salvation. Continue reading “TOUT AL: Mid Season Report”

LINKS: The Tout Draft Wrapup

Here are some of the writings by Tout Warriors about their teams:

Live From New York, It’s Perry Van Hook’s Mixed Draft Recap at fantasybaseball.com.

Eric Mack’s Mixed Draft Recap.

Eric Karabell’s mixed league draft recap is available to ESPN Insiders.

JP Kastner’s mixed league team and his analysis of his team.

Jason Collette’s AL League Team, and the story behind it.

Derek Carty writes about his mixed league team. He also write about the players he has on multiple teams in multiple leagues this year.

Steve Gardner writes about the players he has on at least a couple of his teams this year, including Tout Mixed.

Dave Gonos explains about his Tout mixed pitchers and hitters.

Scott Pianowski writes about his NL Tout Team.

Andy Behrens’ Tout mixed team pushed limits. You go Andy!.

Cory Schwartz writes about his NL Tout team.

Rob Leibowitz writes about his Tout AL team

Tout rookie Mike Gianella writes about his Tout NL team.

NL Leader Talks but Doesn’t Brag

Brian Walton is doing just fine in NL Tout. He’s got a comfortable, if not insurmountable, lead, and he’s playing the game very well.

Although he doesn’t write about his fantasy teams much, at midseason he took a breath and gave a peak at what is going on in his head. Not surprisingly, his rooting interests often conflict.

Perry Van Hook’s Mixed League Analysis–Midseason

TOUT Wars (17 team, Mixed)

By Perry Van Hook

Well I finally got Votto back into the lineup, but losing Beltre at the same time was a double blow – he had started hitting better and it means I have to play Melvin Mora and hope for a turnaround, or play the valuable but still part time Willy Aybar whom I added a few weeks ago because he could be a MI or CI substitute if needed.
Currently the lineup is:
C  – Pierzynski and Y. Molina
CI – Votto, Mora, and Atkins
MI – A. Ramirez, Barmes, and J. Lopez
OF – Ellsbury, N. Cruz, Werth, Juan Rivera, and Dye
UT – Spilborghs (this week with Rockies at home for seven)
Reserve – L. Scott and Willy Aybar

The offense has climbed to 65 points now, fourth in the league, with
BA=.2796 for 15 points; HR=137 for 14 points; RUNS=501 for 10 points; RBI=516 for 10 points; and SB=102 for 16 points

On the pitching side I now have 57.5 points (now sixth) with
ERA=3.93 for 13 points; K=578 for 9 points; S=25 for 7 points; W=48 for 13.5 points; and WHIP=1.28 for 15 points
SP – Carpenter, Hanson, Zimmermann, Washburn, Nieve, Mazzaro, and Blackburn
RP – Broxton and MacDougal
Reserve – Lowe and Saunders (wish I had been that smart a week ago)

While the pitching points have only gone up a point (losing two points in WHIP), I think the stats are better positioned to gain more points in most all categories. Hanson has been worth the wait, and hopefully that will continue in Coors this week.

TOUT differs in many ways from other expert leagues and the recent rule changes have put the emphasis on the individual writer/analyst, and not the site where they are currently working. When there is a vacancy, there is a nomination process, followed by a vetting by a committee and finally a vote. I was glad to have been voted in this year to start with a couple of other newbies in the Mixed League. (If you survive and are “promoted” it is to the AL or NL only leagues). Information about all three of the leagues and the participants as well as articles and comments can be found at the league website (https://www.toutwars.com/).

Here are the TOUT standings after Week 13:
Rank        Team            Points
1)     Jason Pliml, MDC        132.0
2)    Chris Liss, Rotowire        130.0
3)    Perry Van Hook, FB.com    122.5
4)    J.P. Kastner, CreativeSports    103.0
5)    Michael Salfino, SNY.tv      98.0
6)    Paul Petera, HQ          92.0
7)    David Gonos, OpenSports      90.5
8)    Eric Karabell, ESPN          90.0
9)    Andy Behrens, Yahoo.com      88.0
9)    Alex Patton, pattonandco      88.0
11)     Larry Schechter, Shrink      86.5
12)    Brendan Roberts, ESPN      84.0
13)    Eric Mack, CBS          80.5
14)    Alex Cushing, mlb.com      74.5
15)    Doug Dennis, HQ          66.5
16)    John Hoyos, rotojunkie      66.0
17)    Will Carroll, BP          38.0

For a complete look at Van Hook’s expert league review, click HERE