The FAAB Issue: Rotoman Speaks

Brian Walton wrote a story earlier this week about his attempts to trade with a nameless owner who caused him fits. Brian was peeved and let the owner know it, but when he told the story he scrubbed it of any identifying information, to save the owner from embarrassment. It was a gracious gesture but unnecessary. The owner felt his actions were, with one small exception, above board and proper. I should know, the owner was me.
Continue reading “The FAAB Issue: Rotoman Speaks”

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”

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”

DRAFT PREP: Know Your League!

By Nick Shlain, special to toutwars.com

Each auction is unique, and none more so (if something can be more unique, at all) than the CBSsports Analysts Auctions. CBSsports’ holds their auctions in mid-February, before the start of spring training, and the onslaught of news about players that come with that. Perhaps because of that the CBS analysts draft has some other qualities of note.

Roto Think Tank’s Mike Gianella (rotothinktank.blogspot.com), a former CBS Analsyts champion (2009 AL, 2010 NL) and third place finisher in 2010 Tout Wars, was kind enough to correspond with me about this year’s auction.
Continue reading “DRAFT PREP: Know Your League!”

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.