Yahoo! Fantasy Sports–MLB Baseball
I’m looking for a unified theory of fantasy baseball. And I’m appealing to mathematicians and statisticians that may be drawn to the game as much as run-of-the-mill fantasy leaguers.
My batters strategy on Yahoo! is at the moment quite simple–try and get as many players ranked* 150 or better as well as those that have less play (and are generally ranked 300 or lower) but who have strong OPS stats–usually upwards of .800. I don’t want all first basemen or outfielders because I wouldn’t have enough slots on my roster to play them. But it’s worthwhile to have a backup in the case of each field position and a couple backup outfielders–to fill in for days-off taken and for injured players who lower my team’s optimal total games played (which is capped at the total of a team’s regular season, or 162)–and for which I can make up points by swapping backup players on days when the backup players play but my ideal starter’s team is off.
Somewhat standard procedure, I’m sure. But where to improve?
There is only so much inside info available out there–so where to get reliable info on near certain breakout players just up from the minors or returned-to-action stars whose numbers are deceptively low (in terms of rankings as well as in terms of actual season stats)?
Tips?
(To be honest, I really doubt many will come across this post and those that will may very likely not understand it or understand it but find it too trivial. Ah, well. <smiles>)
*A ranking is an index that takes into account all scored categories and stands for the total contribution a player makes across categories–his relative worth in the universe of fantasy league players.
Greater than / Less than
Like recent evidence suggesting sexual preference is affected by hormone levels during pregnancy, this article in the journal Science indicates that the relative length of the ring finger in boys and girls may correspond to their relative aptitude for mathematics.
“Boys with the longest ring fingers relative to their index fingers tend to excel in math, according to a new study. In girls, shorter ring fingers predict better verbal skills. The link, according to the researchers, is that testosterone levels in the womb influence both finger length and brain development.” (Link via Slashdot)
(Obligatory and obvious rude comment and none-too-subtle, mathematical retort after the jump)
