Archive for the ‘Fantasy Sports Tools’ Category

Why Play Fantasy Baseball Online?

Saturday, July 14th, 2012

If you’ve not yet experienced drafting your fantasy baseball team online, then you may not be aware of the numerous benefits that doing so can offer. Next time you’re busy putting together your dream team, why not consider using online tools in order to do so? Here are just a few of the advantages to be had…

Firstly, drafting your fantasy team in this way can often prove to be incredibly convenient. Many of us already spend the majority of our days at the computer, whether it be preparing presentations or playing games at sites like OnlinePoker.com. If you find it hard to find time within your busy schedule to choose who to include in your dream team, then this can make it that little bit easier. It also means that you can make alterations to your team line-up at any time of the day or night, from the comfort of your own home (or office). This something which would not necessarily be an option .

By drafting your team online, you may even find that you make better decisions about who to include. After all, while you’re using the internet, you will also have access to a huge amount of useful statistical information. If you want to know the latest baseball events as they unfold, then this is certainly one of the best ways to do so. If you want to research your team before deciding who will make the cut, then you will have all the information you need at your fingertips. Being able to make decisions which are well-informed can be key in choosing a team which is likely to prove successful. You will also find it much easier to share your choices with others taking part, and keep track of scores. These are just a few of the reasons why more and more people are choosing to go online to draft their fantasy baseball team.

Hidden Outfield Gems

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
I’ve often entered fantasy baseball drafts feeling like the OF position is really deep.  So one of my favorite draft strategies is to hold off on grabbing superstar OF’s in the early rounds, fill other needs instead, and go after the 2nd and 3rd tier OF’s hoping at least one will pan out into a top tier player.  That’s the type of value I’m looking for.  Go heavy for a few late rounds and you may come out of the draft with the OF power you need.  But you need to choose wisely to find these gems.  Power is the game and gamble here, as speed often comes with a premium. 

First, I concede that these players may have their flaws, in some cases pretty major flaws, such as high strikeout rates, low AVG, and ratios suggesting regression.  But that is why they are not Ryan Braun or Josh Hamilton.  They are players that will fill up portions of your stat sheet at a much lower investment.  Think about how these types of guys might fit into your strategy.

  • Corey Hart.  Only 3 OF’s hit more HR’s than Corey Hart.  Top 10 among OF’s last year in RBI, TB, XBH, and SLG.  Depending on the rest of your team combination, if you can spare the K’s and low AVG, he could be exactly what you need to round out your stats.  Right now on ESPN he’s the 25th ranked OF and going after 90+ picks.  And his recent oblique flare-up may scare other managers off, so you can probably get him even later.  He is worth a gamble for the small commitment.
  • Delmon Young.  Only 2 OF’s had more RBI’s.  Young led OF’s in doubles, which tells me he could be on the verge of even bigger things.  All could be had after 90+ picks.
  • Nick Swisher.  Top 15 RBI’s, 5th in HR and OPS, 6th in SLG.  Average draft pick = 150+.
  • Other late flyers:  Carlos Quentin, Vernon Wells, Luke Scott.

Take a look for yourself.  Play around with the Advanced Search feature in the DraftMVP tool and see what kind of gems you might be able to uncover.  Later this season you may be rubbing these picks in the faces of your fellow managers.

A creative way to track your fantasy sports teams and competition

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

As toolsmakers for the Fantasy Sports industry, we’re always looking around at interesting ways that technology can be applied to Fantasy Sports, making your job as a manager easier.

Recently, our friends at Zentact blogged about how one of their users was using Zentact to keep tabs on all of the owners and players in his league. Head on over there and take a read of the blog post, it’s well worth it. If any of you decide to use it yourself, be sure to let us know how it works out for you!