Tout Daily DFS Round Table

Is DFS an endeavor that you do primarily by yourself or is it more of a social experience, perhaps discussing lineups with friends and then following along together once the games begin?

Chris Liss, www.rotowire.com, @Chris_Liss

100 percent solo. Input from anyone else is a great way to poison your process!

Phil Hertz, www.baseballhq.com, @prhz50

It’s a solo activity. I mention what’s going on to a couple of close friends and my wife, but I think they listen only to be nice, not because they’re interested (except if I win).

Peter Kreutzer, www.askrotoman.com, @kroyte

I read some of my friends’ writing about DFS when I play, but haven’t found the experience very social. The normal variance for any player makes it difficult to get too invested in any prediction, though there is plenty of room for discussion about cheap plays.

Tim McCullough, www.rotoexperts.com, @Tim_RotoExperts

So far, DFS baseball is mainly a solo game for me. I can’t remember the last time I got together with friends to watch a ball game, aside from the occasional trip to see a game live. DFS Football is much more social. There were several occasions last season when I got together with friends to watch the hometown team and we all had our DFS plays with us. That’s a ton of fun because all the games matter to everyone in some way or another. If MLB could figure out a way to turn their Sunday games into an event like that, it would go a long way towards bringing fans back to the game.

Craig Mish, www.craigmish.com, @CraigMish

I really don’t have much interaction on DFS unless it’s when I am hosting on air. I do see people commenting nightly on twitter about their lineups but normally it’s more of an individual thing for me.

Patrick Davit, www.baseballhq.com, @patrickdavitt

Not only do I do my DFS solo, but I’m usually hiding the activity and doing it furtively when I think nobody is watching.

Scott Engel, www.rotoexperts.com, @scotteRotoEx

It  really depends on the sport. I find baseball to be a smaller circle that I don’t tend to play with the same people,although I do compare results with other colleagues. In football I find myself in more head to head games. In NASCAR, it’s a family affair, as my son and I watch the races and our live scoring together every week.

Nando DiFino, www.rotoexperts.com, @nandodifino

If I didn’t have the morning show with Tony Cincotta, DFS would be a totally antisocial activity for me. The only time I talk DFS lineups with anyone is when I’m showig someone what DFS is and how to set a lineup. The more opinions I have in my head, the lower I tend to finish.

Lawr Michaels, www.mastersball.com, @lawrmichaels

I generally make my picks while multi-tasking, later at night, while Diane (my partner) and I watch TV and hang before we go to sleep. I use my Surface, and review pitchers and match-ups and hitters, but then look again in the morning to double check, so it is largely a solo affair.
Although, Lord Zola and I have been known to message back and forth discussing whom we like, when, and why, and that is always fun, if sporadic.
Scott Swanay, www.fantasysherpa.com, @fantasy_sherpa
I actively hide my involvement from family, friends, and anyone who might know the whereabouts of Jimmy Hoffa’s body.
Jeff Boggis, www.FantasyFootballEmpire.com, @JeffBoggis
My DFS endeavor is primarily by myself for several reasons. I want to be in total control of my success and failures, and have the opportunity to learn from the experience. Once I sent my lineup, it them becomes a social experience as I will look at other Tout’s rosters to see if there is a consensus on players. Plus I thoroughly enjoy tweeting with Jake Ciely @allinkid to discuss our team lineups and to see which players on his team will end up on the DL before the end of the contest each Friday evening!
Gene McCaffrey,  www.wiseguys.com, @gene2323
Mostly solo but I often discuss the day’s options with a friend or friends. I also listen to DFS talk on the radio, which is somewhere between solo and social. Research is a solo activity, but I bet it works better when five people are researching in the same room.
Brian Walton, www.mastersball.com, @B_Walton
No, I never discuss my lineups. The daily game requires too much preparation in too short of a time to commiserate with anyone. Besides the players I might speak with are often among my competitors.

Todd Zola, www.mastersball.com, @ToddZola

In full disclosure, I concede I’m a bit of an odd duck, being self-employed, working at home, living by myself, sometimes not talking with humans for days at a time. That said, for me DFS is absolutely a social experience. Be it bouncing line-up ideas off friends via text, g-chat, IM, Twitter etc., sharing news as it breaks and then following along with the games, hopefully having someone vicariously share my sweat but more often than not, at least lately, vicariously sweating a tournament out with a friend, DFS is one of my favorite social outlets.

There’s absolutely nothing like the electricity of an in-person draft or auction, but once the season begins, interaction in seasonal leagues is limited to trade discussions and privately commiserating with another league member over the goofy offer you just received. DFS is a great vehicle to keep in touch with friends since there’s a minuscule something shared will come back to bite you that evening.

Honestly, it’s this social element of DFS, especially following my Twitter feed as the games are ongoing, that keeps me from going more nuts than I already am. If you’re not extracting some measure of social enjoyment from DFS, honestly, you’re doing it wrong.