Compare and Contrast

Fantasy Sports: Football or Baseball

            When talking about fantasy football and fantasy baseball there are quite a few similarities. They are all pretty obvious, starting with the draft, it is basically the same other than you usually draft a lot more players in a baseball draft. Another way that they are similar is if you want to be successful you have to pay attention and be knowledgeable in the sport.  The only other way that I think they are the same is the owner of the team has complete control of who is going to play each week. That is where the similarities end.

            Fantasy football and fantasy baseball are also very different. The biggest difference for me is the amount of time spent on baseball. In a baseball league you have to set your lineup every day for about 25 weeks. In football you set you lineup once a week for 16 weeks if you’re lucky (this means you made it to the championship game). In football once you pick your players you usually don’t do that many transactions if you have a decent team. In baseball you have a maximum of ten transactions per week in most leagues and if you don’t use them you probably won’t win. Most baseball leagues 10-12 categories that a player can score in, usually 6 for pitchers and 6 for offense. Each time the player does whatever the category is the, they get a point. For example the offensive categories are runs, homeruns, stolen bases, extra base hits, on base percentage and runs batted in, so if a player hits a solo homerun you get one point in homerun, run, runs batted in, extra base hit, and you on base percentage goes up. It is the same for the pitching categories. Whoever is leading the most categories at the end of the week wins. In football everything has a point value, 10 yards receiving or rushing is one point, 25 yards throwing is one point, touchdowns are six points, and some points for field goals and defensive stuff. Whoever has the highest point total at the end wins.

            There are similarities and differences in fantasy football and fantasy baseball and they are both really fun. Winning really just depends how dedicated you are and how much time you have on your hands.

Process Analysis

Process Analysis – How to build the perfect fantasy team.

           

When talking about fantasy football the number one goal is to win. Having a winning fantasy football team doesn’t just happen; there are several things you can do to help out. I like to think of myself as a bit of an expert for a few reasons and they are: I have been playing for about 13 years, I have won more leagues than I can remember, I love football, and I have helped other people out and they always seem to do pretty good. I’m not saying what I am going to tell you is guaranteed but it could help.

            First comes the time right before the draft, before you even make a pick you have you set aside any loyalties you have to any team. If you don’t do this you will probably lose, for example if you won’t take Aaron Rodgers because you are a Bears fan, that’s just stupid, you could take him and dangle him in front of some Packer fan and get a lot more than he is actually worth. What I’m saying is, be prepared to take the best player available regardless of what team he plays for.

            Next you have the actual draft, I’m going to use this year as an example. You have to go in having a well thought out plan, knowing how many draft worthy players there are for each position, how many roster spots you have available, what scoring system is being used, bye weeks of players, and health of players of course. This year my motto was wait on quarterbacks and tight ends, the reason for this is outside the top two or so in either position they are so close in points and you can find good ones late in the draft or in free agency. I have always been a huge fan of picking running backs in the first who rounds unless there is a player sitting there you just can’t pass on. After you have your top two running backs you want to get a couple receivers. Around the fifth round you should take a look and see what quarterbacks a left still, if there are quite a few pass on one until later. I would pick a running back in the fifth and receiver in the sixth. Then I the seventh round take the best available quarterback and take his tight end in the next round, if he is a good tight end. I was able to pair Tony Gonzales with Matt Ryan in the 7^th and 8^th rounds in one draft this year. After this your team is pretty much filled out just missing a defense and kicker and you will get those with your last two picks. Just play the matchups week to week with your defense, which means to play a defense that is playing a bad team. From pick nine to mid-teens I would alternate running back then receiver to add depth on your team because injury’s happen and usually to running backs and receivers so it is good to have plenty. Finish by taking a backup quarterback and kicker and defense.

            The last thing you have to do to build the perfect fantasy team is pay attention. It is most important to pay attention early in the season because there are always a few players that are going to come out of nowhere and be fantasy studs. This year that player is Knowshon Moreno; he is ranked in the top five for running backs in most leagues. Picking up a player from free agency that I producing like a number one pick really can help a team win. There are always players that just pop up out of nowhere so keep your eyes peeled. You don’t have to follow these steps exactly but I hope it gave you a little bit better understanding on how to build the perfect team.

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How an Injury Ruined My Week

            I know many of people that play fantasy football along with myself and we all have the same goal, to win. I learned this week that it’s not over until the fat lady is singing. This week in my matchup against Dylan, towards the end of the noon games my team was looking unstoppable and I was already starting to celebrate. I even stopped paying attention to the score and was playing outside with my daughter. We were having a blast out in the front yard, playing catch that is a little more like fetch when playing with a two year old. After a few hours I decided it was time to eat and we went inside to have some meatloaf and mashed potatoes. It was delicious, my wife makes the best meatloaf. When we finished dinner I checked my phone that kept going off and I saw it was Dylan who I was playing this week. He had called and texted me several times to let me know one of my players had gotten hurt and our matchup was getting closer. So, going into the last game I was up about twenty points and we both had a player going. I figured I still had this in the bag. Well wouldn’t you know it, very early in the game the Cardinals called a run play to Rashard Mendenhall and he had to leave the game with an injury. But it wasn’t over yet I was still up twenty points and feeling ok. Dylan still had Jimmy Graham going, and he went off for about 35 points. If this taught me anything it was its not over until it’s over.

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                Just about every Sunday morning I follow a pretty strict routine. I almost always wake up to the smell of bacon, I work late on Saturdays and sleep in and my wife cooks breakfast every Sunday. I am usually a little discombobulated form the night before so it takes a little time fumbling around to find my glasses and then I immediately check my phone for fantasy football news. I then head outside for a morning smoke, the ground is usually so cold in the morning it feels like a thousand needles poking me in my feet. After the smoke I head inside and warm up with a hot cup of coffee and breakfast. I chat with my wife for a while because we probably won’t talk much during the day.

                Around 9:00am I’m usually done with breakfast and begin my Sunday football ritual. It takes me about thirty minutes to set up my living room and when I’m done it looks more like some sort of a video surveillance room. I have three TVs set up (two 32” and one 47”), I have my laptop going, my phone is always in my hand, and my Kindle is never out of arms reach. And then I wait, and wait, and wait. The next two hours feel like an eternity. I pace back and forth in the living room sometimes speaking out loud to myself but usually in my head, did I pick the right guys, are the bears going to win, it never ends.

                By the time its 11:45am I have changed my lineup at least ten times, but now I am ready. I head back outside for one more smoke and the ground is always quite a bit warmer since the sun has peaked over the house and is beating down on the walkway. I head back inside open up the window behind the couch, even in the middle of winter. I like that gentle breeze coming in over the back of the couch. I snuggle up with my huge Chicago Bears colored blanket and don’t move for the next 11 hours. I love Sundays.