DraftBuddy.com

Fantasy Baseball and Fantasy Football Draft Tools

  • Member Login
  • Register

     

  • Fantasy Football
  • Fantasy Baseball
  • Draft Buddy
  • Rankings
  • News
  • Stats
  • Draft Buddy
  • Rankings
  • News
  • Stats

Reality Sports Online Fantasy Writers League Overview

June 11, 2015 By Draft Buddy Leave a Comment

The player mentioned in this article more than any other is now Oakland Raiders RB Trent Richardson. Just like the Indianapolis Colts cut bait on T-Rich, so did I in my Reality Sports Online league. I've got the dead cap to prove it.

The player mentioned in this article more than any other is now Oakland Raiders RB Trent Richardson. Just like the Indianapolis Colts cut bait on T-Rich, so did I in my Reality Sports Online league. I’ve got the dead cap to prove it.

Reality Sports Online is a very unique fantasy football league that tries to – and does a great job – simulating the actual rules and concepts managing a National Football League team.

It uses a salary cap. Players not under contract (veteran free agents) are bid on through an auction process in which owners can offer multi-year contracts. There is a separate rookie draft, franchise tags, and cap penalties for cutting a player prior to the expiration of his contract. Trades need to account for the salary cap at all times. In-season free agent acquisitions charge a prorated portion of the player’s salary for the remaining season to that team’s cap.

The guys behind RSO, Matt and Stephen, previously worked in the Philadelphia Eagles organization helping manage the Eagles salary cap. That background, and their love for fantasy football, spawned RSO.

They’ve done a great job designing their game, and the developers did an excellent job executing the design. This is the best online live auction experience I’ve ever encountered, and that is with the extra complexity of multi-year deals, so that is really saying something.

In 2013, I was invited by buddy Matt Waldman of Rookie Scouting Portfolio fame to join a start-up Reality Sports Online league along with some very well-known names in the fantasy community from various websites. Bob Harris, Sigmund Bloom, Ryan McDowell, Mike Clay, Evan Silva and Jim Day, and others, are owners in this 14-team league.

Inaugural Train Wreck 2013 Season

I’ll be the first to admit, my inaugural season was not particularly good. I finished in 13th with a 4-9 record, 10th in points. Signing Trent Richardson to a 4-year $97 million mega contract was a disaster, and overall the team was way too heavy at RB, especially considering it is PPR scoring, start 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex WR/TE.

To give some perspective on Trent’s contract, he counted $21.3 million (17.3%) on a $123 million team cap in 2013. I would have almost been better off giving up my 1st round pick, a la the Indianapolis Colts that year.

Tom Brady was on a nicely priced 3-year contract but had his worst statistical season in 2013 since his injury shortened 2008 campaign. My receivers consisted of Vincent Jackson, Tony Gonzalez and then a bunch of names I’d really rather not repeat.

The Comeback Kid 2014 Season

Last season was a complete turnaround. I still had that albatross of a contract for Trent Richardson tying up a ton of my cap, but given it was Year 2 of a 4-year deal, cap ramifications for cutting him were severe so I decided to suffer and kept him on my roster, approaching the season simply accepting the fact I had less money to spend than the other teams.

Heading into the 2014 rookie draft, I managed a minor miracle by shedding another big money RB contract to free up some much needed cap space. I traded Alfred Morris (2013: $47 million, 3-years) for the 1.04 rookie pick. I already owned 1.02 of course. Those picks turned into Sammy Watkins and Carlos Hyde, fortunately avoiding the consensus top rookie RB Bishop Sankey.

I was too passive in the inaugural auction. I played the waiting game for good values to present themselves, but with this group of aggressive owners, it never happened. Last season I wanted to take the bull by the horns. I had limited funds, but specific player targets to form a more well-rounded team I more or less refused to get outbid on, even if I had to sign them to a longer term than I preferred. And little to no money to be spent at running back.

Those targets panned out nicely. I bought Julian Edelman ($25.5 million, 3-years), Emmanuel Sanders ($36.5 million, 4-years), Greg Olsen ($14 million, 2-years) and I did drop a little at RB on Mark Ingram ($9 million, 2-years).

These acquisitions left me with a core roster heading into 2014 of Brady, Le’Veon Bell (2013 rookie draft), Lamar Miller (2013 auction – did I say I had too many RB?!?), Ingram, Jackson, Sanders, Edelman, Watkins, Olsen, plus “T-gettin’ Rich off me”, who it turned out was useless, and Hyde, who wasn’t necessary to make an impact last season, given the other RB starters and depth.

The end result was 1st overall regular season finish in record at 10-3 and points by over 100 from the 2nd place point-getter, and 240 more than 3rd. Ah, but you know what is coming next, right? This is still a head-to-head fantasy football league. That’s right, I lost the championship game to Bob Harris. I can’t remember the details, but pretty sure it was one of those, his players found the end zone, mine did not weeks.

Black Cloud of Suspensions to Open 2015 Season

Now on to this year, things look a lot brighter heading into it. Mind you, starters Le’Veon Bell and Tom Brady are both serving suspensions to start the season. Hope the other owners are happy I’m taking one for the “team” here waiting out both of those key players to return.

The first decision is what to do with Trent. He counts $25.2 in 2015 (on a $143.3 salary cap, or 17.6%) and $27.2 in 2016. If I cut him now, the cap charge is $12.6 in 2015 and $13.6 in 2016. No brainer, right? Goodbye Trent.

Key players I’m losing because their contract is expiring are Lamar Miller and Vincent Jackson. I could franchise tag one of them, but just like the NFL, the 1-year franchise charge is hefty. It is the average salary of the Top 5 highest paid players at their position.

In Miller’s case, that is $23.7 million. For Jackson, $24 million. I’m not against overpaying for one year of service for a player if he is going to help me win now, but am I going to pay that to Miller when I already have Bell, Hyde and Ingram? Or for Jackson when I already have Edelman, Sanders, Watkins? Probably not. It would be best to look at the available players first before completely discounting the idea, but they likely go back into the auction.

That still leaves me with a projected lineup of Brady (backup Derek Carr, 2014 rookie draft), Bell, Hyde (backup Ingram), Sanders, Edelman, Watkins, (backup Kenny Stills, 2013 rookie draft), Olsen (backup Dwayne Allen, 2014 auction). Not a bad start! And leaves me with a fair bit of flexibility to acquire talent at any of the positions, although I will put the most emphasis at wide receiver.

My rookie pick is next to last, so expectations for that pick making an impact this season will be low. That is probably a good general rule on expectations for all rookie drafts, no matter where you are picking. For every Mike Evans there are a handful of Cody Latimers or Carlos Hydes.

My cap is in decent shape. Carr, Bell, Hyde, Watkins, Stills are all on their initial rookie deals of three years. The teams that are going to do the best in this league are the ones who get production out of their (cheap) rookie contracts. Bell could be a consideration for the franchise tag next offseason. Brady, Ingram and Olsen are all on good to great money terms. Richardson is eating into the cap.

We are working with a $143.3 million cap for 2015, and I’ve got $85.3 under contract plus dead cap, plus another $5.5 committed for five rookie draft picks. That is $90.8 for 19 roster spots, and $52.5 remaining for 11 roster spots. Take off 2 DEF and 2 K at minimum cost of $500,000 each, leaves $50.5 million for 7 players.

That’s not bad. A quick rundown of the UFA list, some who admittedly could be tagged still, indicates Peyton Manning, Ryan Tannehill, Drew Brees, Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson, DeMarco Murray, Arian Foster, Frank Gore, Lamar Miller, Jonathan Stewart, Alshon Jeffery, Vincent Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Andre Johnson, Roddy White, Victor Cruz and Julius Thomas are available.

Good thing I’ve got some money to play with to be an active participant in the auction. Or maybe I can use that flexibility, depth and available cheap contracts to try to trade for a stud WR. Decisions, decisions. Regardless, it should be another great season playing at Reality Sports Online!

Filed Under: Dynasty Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football

Comparing FanTrax, NFBC and RTS Fantasy Baseball League Options

March 10, 2015 By Draft Buddy Leave a Comment

Fantasy baseball season is underway! We are less than – oh my – one month to Opening Day. That is April 6th for those who haven’t marked it on the calendars yet.

If you are still looking for a fantasy league to join, like myself, then I thought I would summarize some options for us. This is if you don’t have a decent local or private league to join, and don’t want to get one going yourself, which can certainly be a chore being commissioner.

These are publicly available leagues operated by various websites. I believe they are reputable businesses. This is not paid advertising. I’m just trying to lend a hand as one fantasy player to other fantasy players.

I wouldn’t post options here that I don’t believe are good options, but always do your own due diligence before laying down your hard earned cash.

FanTrax

FanTrax Classic Drafts

  • Lobby
  • 12-team leagues
  • Entry fees $10, $25, $50, $100 and $250
  • Payouts 79% ($10 entry) and 85-92% ($25 and up)

There are numerous options here to get your fix. FanTrax has classic 5×5 roto and fantasy points leagues, season long cumulative and head-to-head standings. I’m having a little trouble finding the specific rules, but it appears these are weekly transactions leagues – weekly add/drops and lineup changes. That is much preferred for me over daily transactions. The thing holding me back here is all of the drafts are live drafts. I’d like a slow draft. Of course wait any longer and a live draft will be my only option.

NFBC

National Fantasy Baseball Championship

  • Satellite Series
  • 12 and 15-team leagues
  • Entry fees $125 and up
  • Payouts 80% at lowest entry fees

Talk about options, this one has it, although mostly based on entry fee and prize structure, whether your league is part of a larger overall competition or not. Plus, NFBC leagues are generally for those in a slightly higher to much higher tax bracket. I’m going to focus on the stand-alone satellite leagues, but if you want a 5-star fantasy baseball league experience you should look into these live draft events hosted in Las Vegas, Chicago and New York. Professionally run and a great track record.

A satellite is a great way to understand the NFBC league format – classic roto, cumulative scoring. I like the ability to decide 12 or 15-team drafts. Deep starting lineups and rosters put more emphasis on the draft. Alas, still no slow draft options but a lot of time slots available for live drafts.

RTSports

RealTime Fantasy Sports

  • Overview
  • 10 and 12-team leagues
  • Entry fees $19.95 and up
  • Payouts under 75% at $29.95 and lower but 85%+ at $49.95 and up

In terms of time commitment, maybe a 10-team league is a good option. The range of formats in this post underscores the importance of creating custom cheatsheets (preferably via Draft Buddy or Last Player Picked) to properly value players.

Back to RTS leagues, they have roto and points, head-to-head and cumulative, and even draft masters (draft only, no in-season transactions) and their own overall championship. Transactions are weekly or twice weekly. There are AL and NL-only options if that interests you. I am seeing some auction draft and slow draft options in their lobby. Lots of selection here, although FanTrax is more competitive at the lower entry fees.

 
I haven’t decided which of these I am going to sign up for as of yet. Perhaps I will diversify across each site and then I can comment later on the experience at each. I am also tempted by the FanTrax salary cap game (which takes me way back to my original fantasy sports initiation playing CDM Sports games published in Sporting News, pre-Internet), and of course I want to keep some budget for in-season daily fantasy baseball.

If there are other fantasy baseball league options you think I should consider, then please post a comment and let us know.

Filed Under: Fantasy Baseball

Tony’s DFS Fantasy Football Recommendations: Week 2

September 12, 2014 By AskTony Leave a Comment

Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) eludes the tackle of Oakland Raiders cornerback Phillip Adams (28) during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. December 29, 2013; Photographer: San Jose Mercury News/Zumapress/Icon Sportswire

Denver Broncos TE Julius Thomas got all the love last week from QB Peyton Manning. Tony says it should be WR Demaryius Thomas’ turn this week, so get him in your DFS lineups. Photo: Icon Sportswire

Last year I started playing daily fantasy sports at FanDuel, and over a 10 week span during the NFL season, I turned $200 into $700. I’m not able to retire on that, but it is a nice bonus in addition to my expected winnings from my traditional fantasy football leagues. Whether you play at FanDuel, DraftKings, or a host of other salary cap style daily fantasy sports websites, here are some recommendations at each position that could help you Week 2.

Quarterback

Elite, Expensive: Peyton Manning, DEN (Week 2 vs Kansas City)
Being the most dominant fantasy football quarterback, it’s hard to ignore the fact that you might want Manning in your lineup. He will be the most expensive player on the board, but you know he will deliver. In Week 2, Manning gets a banged up Kansas City Chiefs defense that made Jake Locker look like a Top 5 fantasy quarterback. Manning should have no problem dissecting a defense that certainly isn’t the same as last year. Considering Denver is currently a -13.5 point favorite at home, this game could get ugly fast.

Middle of the Road: Colin Kaepernick, SF (Week 2 vs Chicago)
In Week 1, Kaepernick had a gift-wrapped match up against the worst defense in the NFL. However, with early turnovers from the Dallas Cowboys, Kaepernick wasn’t required to do as much as he otherwise would. In Week 2, he gets a Chicago Bears defense that looks like a shell of their former selves after the Buffalo Bills gashed them last week. Taking into consideration that it is San Francisco’s home opener, we’re expecting some noise from these loaded offenses.

Cheap, High Upside: Jake Locker, TEN (Week 2 vs Dallas)
If you are looking for a bargain quarterback, you can’t ignore the fact that Locker had a very nice day on the road. It’s not supposed to be an easy task going into Arrowhead Stadium and putting up respectable fantasy numbers. In Week 2, Locker faces the Cowboys. Everyone expects the Dallas offense to bounce back resulting in what could be a high scoring game. Locker has all the weapons to keep up with Dallas. From Kendall Wright, Nate Washington, Justin Hunter and Delanie Walker, I expect Locker to have a very respectable home opener.

Running Back

Elite, Expensive: LeSean McCoy, PHI (Week 2 @Indianapolis)
Week 1 was not all bad for McCoy. He finished with 74 yards rushing and 6 receptions for 41 yards receiving. There were no touchdowns though, and that is not what owners who drafted him first overall want to see. Jacksonville has an underrated defense, especially with linebacker Paul Posluszny leading the charge. Expect a big bounce back game for McCoy, with a good chance of getting his first regular season touchdown.

Middle of the Road: Frank Gore, SF (Week 2 vs Chicago)
Gore is coming off an underwhelming game against a banged up Dallas offense. He only ran 16 times for 66 yards. Chicago just gave up a combined 193 yards rushing to the Buffalo Bills run game. It’s obvious the weakness on the Chicago defense is still the run game, so an established veteran like Gore should pound the ball over and over again for success.

Cheap, High Upside: Knowshon Moreno, MIA (Week 2 @ Buffalo)
Buffalo is coming off a Week 1 game where they allowed 82 yards rushing and 87 yards receiving to Matt Forte. Moreno is no Forte, by any means. However, that does show Buffalo’s run defense has some issues. Moreno ran for 134 yards against a supposedly great New England Patriots defense in Week 1. Expect more of the same this week.

Wide Receiver

Elite, Expensive: Demaryius Thomas, DEN (Week 2 vs Kansas City)
After a disappointing Week 1, you have to expect Peyton Manning to favor his number one wide receiver in Week 2. All eyes will be focused on Julius Thomas after his monster Week 1 performance. It is a carousel in Denver, and this week the favorite Bronco will be Demaryius Thomas.

Middle of the Road: Jordy Nelson, GB (Week 2 vs New York Jets)
Like Demaryius Thomas, Nelson had a rather quiet day, but that’s what happens when you play the number one defense, the Seattle Seahawks. This week, Green Bay plays a secondary that allowed Derek Carr to post a 94.7 quarterback rating, including two touchdowns. If Derek Carr can do that, you have to think Aaron Rodgers will be spoon feeding his wide receivers. Also, given it’s the Packers home opener, everyone will want to get in on the Lambeau Leap action early.

Cheap, High Upside: Kelvin Benjamin, CAR (Week 2 vs Detroit)
Looking for another bargain player, Benjamin certainly turned some heads in Week 1. He did this with Derek Anderson under center. If Cam Newton returns this week (and he’s expected to), you have to think that he will be eager to get his most dynamic receiver the ball. Carolina also faces a Detroit Lions defense that seems to only show up at home. Being Detroit’s first game on the road, I don’t think they will be as dominant as they were Week 1.

Tight End

Elite, Expensive: Jimmy Graham, NO (Week 2 @ Cleveland)
In his 2014 debut coming off his new contract negotiations, Graham had a solid performance, but disappointed fantasy owners by not getting into the end zone (and not giving us our first goalpost dunk). In what should be a blowout against the Cleveland Browns, expect Graham to get his first touchdown and possibly another in this lopsided Saints victory.

Middle of the Road: Zach Ertz, PHI (Week 2 @ Indianapolis)
Week 1 was the start of a breakout campaign for Ertz. All offseason, experts were talking up Ertz as a sleeper, and he didn’t disappoint with a 3 reception, 77 yard, 1 touchdown performance. Week 2 pits Ertz against the Colts that just allowed over 100 yards and 3 touchdowns to Denver’s tight end Julius Thomas. Don’t expect those numbers from Ertz as Indianapolis will adjust their coverages, but expect a good fantasy game.

Cheap, High Upside: Delanie Walker, TEN (Week 2 vs Dallas)
Walker had a good game Week 1 with 1 touchdown but only 37 yards. Week 2 brings Dallas into town and Dallas just gave up 2 touchdowns to tight end Vernon Davis. Expect another touchdown from Walker as that Dallas defense is struggling to find itself.

Defense

Arizona Cardinals (Week 2 at New York Giants)
After holding Philip Rivers to just 17 points, you have to think one of the most dominant defenses will have a field day with one of the worst offensive lines. Coming into this season, we knew Arizona would be one of the best defenses. I expect the Arizona Defense to feast on Eli “turnover machine” Manning.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 2 vs St. Louis)
If you’re looking for a bargain, look at Tampa Bay to smother a team that’s already down to their third-string quarterback. St. Louis Rams struggled to score Week 1 against a supposedly weak Minnesota Vikings defense. Lovie Smith has been known for calling a good defensive game and I expect him to do so Week 2. Given the situation, I feel very confident in the Buccaneers hitting value and then some.

Filed Under: Fantasy Football

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »
  • Fantasy Baseball
    • Draft Buddy Software
    • Last Player Picked
    • Rankings
  •  
    • Articles
    • News
    • Stats
  • Fantasy Football
    • Draft Buddy Software
    • Rankings
    • Projections
  •  
    • Articles
    • News
    • Stats

Copyright © 2020 Draft Buddy • Privacy Policy