Sports & Fantasy Sports Blog

Author: Billy Jones Introduction What’s up fantasy sports fam? Ready for another round of insights? In our last chat, we broke down pitcher production in The Dinger 2022 and 2023 tournaments and what that meant in terms of advance rates and the optimal way to draft. Today, we're transitioning from macros level theories to the nitty-gritty of player level projections, focusing on some players who've caught my attention while reviewing the current Steamer projections posted on FanGraphs . It's time to zoom in on the micro-level, examining standout players throughout the draft set to dominate fantasy this upcoming season. Get ready for a deep dive into individual performances, as I iterate this offseason to find the strategy and players needed to win $100,000. Let's jump in! Data Source The source for today’s analysis will be Average Draft Position “ADP” from Underdog Fantasy and Steamer Projections as of 12/27/2023. Renowned as an industry standard, Steamer Projections ar...

Author: Billy Jones Introduction What’s up fantasy sports fam? I’m thrilled to have you back for another deep dive into fantasy sports data. Following the exploration of the strategic intricacies of The Dinger 2023 in the last post, it's time to focus the lens of our investigation on the pitcher's mound. In our previous Underdog MLB post, I noted the undeniable power that steering clear of an early investment in pitchers had on advance rates. The success of this approach in The Dinger 2023 left me wondering if this was it a function of what happened in 2023, or could this drafting strategy be the skeleton key to success in the Underdog draft rooms? So, join me as I peel back another layer of secrets, digging into the data with the goal of helping you shape a winning drafting strategy for the upcoming 2024 tournaments. Let's dive in and find out! Data Source The scope of this investigation will include both The Dinger 2023 and 2022 contest data. The Dinger 2023 boasted 54,98...

Author: Billy Jones Introduction Hey fantasy football fam, welcome back to my blog! In our previous discussion, we dove deep into the world of running backs production from Best Ball Mania II and III, discussing the pieces of what made up an optimal draft strategy. Now in this part of the study, inspired by an intriguing article penned by Hayden Winks of Underdog Fantasy , I switch to investigating wide receiver production under different lights and varying levels of granularity. Armed with thought-provoking visualizations, I aim to shed light on what might be the optimal draft strategies in Best Ball Mania IV. If you're a fellow best ball data nerd, eagerly seeking the keys to victory in BBMIV, join me in this data-driven exploration. BBM Basics For those who may be less familiar with Best Ball Mania (BBM) by Underdog, it’s a unique and immensely popular fantasy football tournament. Best ball is a fantasy football format where participants draft a team and then have no in-season m...

Author: Billy Jones Introduction Hey fantasy football fam, welcome back to my blog! As the best ball summer rolls on, I find myself diving deeper into the captivating world of Best Ball Mania II and III data, provided as part of the Best Ball Data Bowl. A few months ago, I stumbled upon an intriguing article penned by Hayden Winks of Underdog Fantasy . He explored the optimal timing for drafting running backs in previous Best Ball Manias, presenting appealing visualizations and thought-provoking analysis. Although I found it fascinating back then, I hadn't fully succumbed to the best ball obsession that now consumes me (100+ drafts complete and it’s not even July 4th). Fast forward to the present addicted state, I decided to revisit Winks’ article in hopes of finding some new insights now that I had a much deeper understanding of the best ball and draft market. As I got into the article once again, my curiosity was piqued, compelling me to wonder about what insights could be gained...

Author: Billy Jones Introduction In the world of best ball fantasy football, where trades and roster management are off the table, every decision made during the draft becomes crucial. As I mentioned in my last post, I recently finished my 100th draft of the summer and I now feel like I have a good sense for the pockets of the draft and some common nuisances that one can run into when trying to build the optimal roster. Today I am going to put on my "Bye Week Bros" hat and address a particularly annoying week that has been plaguing me during my best ball drafts. This particular week keeps resurfacing, causing headaches and frustration as I strive to assemble the million-dollar roster. While some within the best ball community may dismiss the impact of bye weeks on player selection, let's explore the bye week situation that I keep running into issues with. BBM Basics For those who may be less familiar with Best Ball Mania (BBM) by Underdog , it’s a unique and immensely pop...

Author: Bill Jones Introduction Hey there, fantasy football analytics fam! Welcome back to the blog. Today, we're diving back into Best Ball summer as I continue my exploration of the Best Ball Mania data provided through the Best Ball Data Bowl. Best Ball is the perfect format for those looking to draft during the summer fantasy downtime and offers a twist on traditional fantasy football by eliminating the need for weekly roster management. I’m a little over 100 drafts in on Underdog ($5 and $7 Puppy and Poodle tournament are too hard to resist) and I feel like I have a pretty good sense for the current draft market. The most annoying thing about drafting on Underdog right now is the current Wide Receiver landscape, as Wide Receivers fly off the board at an outrageous rate (Adam Levitan’s tweet demonstrates this perfectly). This wide receiver obsession got me wondering and I dug into the data to see what historical BBMs could tell us about the importance of scoring by position by...

Author: Bill Jones Introduction Hey football analytics fam, welcome back to my blog! As the best ball summer is upon us, I can't help but immerse myself in the wealth of Best Ball data that is available with the Best Ball Data Bowl . In this blog, I’ll continue my studies and explore the most basic question when thinking about roster construction and advancing from one’s pool into the playoffs “How many points does this team need to score?”. By uncovering this simple figure I can begin to process the best ways to construct my BBMIV rosters. Get ready to join me on this thrilling journey, as we navigate the intricacies of Best Ball and unlock the secret to advancing to the BBMIV playoffs. Let's kick off this Best Ball summer with a bang! BBM Basics For those who may be less familiar with Best Ball Mania (BBM) by Underdog, it’s a unique and immensely popular fantasy football tournament. Best ball is a fantasy football format where participants draft a team and then have no in-sea...