At FantasyLabs, we publish a number of pieces that touch on daily slates. The Breakdown, Trend of the Day, and Data Dive are all valuable and help readers make tough decisions as they construct their lineups.
We also publish a host of long-term articles that remain relevant for months, in some cases years. These pieces are invaluable in that their application is almost limitless. Ultimately, this evergreen content will help you learn daily fantasy sports and become the best DFS player you can be.
Here are five pieces from this week that will be just as worthwhile next week.
General
– Deconstructing the DFS-Poker Analogy
FantasyLabs Editor-in-Chief Matthew Freedman analyzes the DFS-poker analogy and notes the vital ways in which the two games are fundamentally dissimilar. Whereas the primary analytical task in poker is psychological, in DFS it’s probabilistic. Further, in DFS players have the power to choose the cards they are dealt, as it were.
PGA
– Volume, Sample Size, and Predicted Performance
FantasyLabs PGA Director Colin Davy discusses the perils of rostering rookies and similar small-sample golfers in PGA DFS. For starters, other sports don’t have odds-based pricing, so golf player pricing is far more efficient. And second, fast-start rookies consistently regress to a lower level of play, as small-sample players perform an abysmal eight percent lower than their raw numbers would otherwise suggest.
MLB
– Narrative Calle: Home Run Derby Curse
FantasyLabs contributor J.J. Calle walks down narrative street and explores the extent to which Home Run Derby participants struggle in the second half of the season. Ultimately, DFS players should be wary of Home Run Derby participants who overperform in the first half, especially those who outpace their career home run/fly-ball rates.
– What Happens to MLB All-Star Pitchers in the Second Half?
Matthew Freedman looks at the second-half performances of All-Star pitchers and notes their history of regression, suggesting that in cash games DFS players should continue to use these pitchers but with tempered expectations. In tournaments, ownership arbitrage should be employed whenever possible, as these pitchers are likely to be rostered more than their historical Plus/Minus values warrant.
NFL
– Utilizing Whole-Team Stacks in NFL DFS
FantasyLabs writer Bryan Mears notes the negative correlations of whole-team stacking and highlights the extent to which these can be beneficially leveraged in guaranteed prize pools. Additionally, by whole-team stacking DFS players covertly mitigate risk.
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For more strategy content, see our collection of evergreen articles.
