The start of the NFL season has really done a number on my time allocation, as the NFL Weekly Value Meter Rankings are a labor of love but also a gigantic time consumer. Next week's final addition will be done sooner, however, as I won't be traveling back from Vegas.
AL Tout Wars
I had bids in on Shea Langeliers and Emmanuel Rodriguez, but with only $0 bids available, I didn't have any realistic expectations of getting them. I don't regret going big near the trade deadline, because I was mired anywhere from seventh to ninth place and playing the long game wouldn't give me a chance to leap into the top tier. But the last couple of weeks serves as a good reminder that even in an AL-only league, talent comes into the league each week. If you're in a tight race, it behooves you to keep some of your budget for even the last couple of weeks.
NFBC Main Event
This is the first of many leagues where I gambled on Corbin Burnes and his projected two starts for the week. It hasn't worked out so far - Burnes faltered in his first and easier start against the Marlins, allowing five runs in 4.2 innings, and his velocity was down over 2 mph from his pre-injury form. He's going to be a tough decision in 2027.
NFBC Auction Championship
What a great league - 38 players were picked up in the penultimate FAAB weekend. I had paltry
The start of the NFL season has really done a number on my time allocation, as the NFL Weekly Value Meter Rankings are a labor of love but also a gigantic time consumer. Next week's final addition will be done sooner, however, as I won't be traveling back from Vegas.
AL Tout Wars
I had bids in on Shea Langeliers and Emmanuel Rodriguez, but with only $0 bids available, I didn't have any realistic expectations of getting them. I don't regret going big near the trade deadline, because I was mired anywhere from seventh to ninth place and playing the long game wouldn't give me a chance to leap into the top tier. But the last couple of weeks serves as a good reminder that even in an AL-only league, talent comes into the league each week. If you're in a tight race, it behooves you to keep some of your budget for even the last couple of weeks.
NFBC Main Event
This is the first of many leagues where I gambled on Corbin Burnes and his projected two starts for the week. It hasn't worked out so far - Burnes faltered in his first and easier start against the Marlins, allowing five runs in 4.2 innings, and his velocity was down over 2 mph from his pre-injury form. He's going to be a tough decision in 2027.
NFBC Auction Championship
What a great league - 38 players were picked up in the penultimate FAAB weekend. I had paltry bids in on five players and got outbid on all of them. This league is to me as Michael Scott is to inside jokes - I love great leagues, I'd sure love to be a meaningful part of them.
Beat Jeff Erickson1
Ok, so this is a league with a legitimately good race - the top four teams are within two points of each other, and the spots change almost every day:
I have upside in Runs, Homers and Wins (albeit with significant downside too), but also might have to start protecting my flank in saves, with two teams two saves behind me. I've been going with eight starters and one reliever (Cade Smith) the last two weeks, resting Jacob Latz and Kodai Senga. We'll see if I go 8-1 again, or 7-2, or even 9-0, as I can't gain any points in saves, only lose them.
Willson Contreras was dropped by his owner when Contreras went on the IL, and I timed my bid to get him well, with Contreras returning to action on Sunday. Unfortunately I tried the Corbin Burnes gambit here as well.
My Drops: Willy Adames, Esmerlyn Valdez, Ildemaro Vargas.
Beat Jeff Erickson2
This is another tight race, but I'm up more against it here - losing Shohei Ohtani has been crushing, and now even though I'm five points out, I have precious little categorical upside. I can squint and maybe see finding 3-4 points I might be able to gain, but the scenarios are more in favor of losing points.
I did get a cheap share of Josue De Paula, but so far all I've gotten is one RBI and a 1-for-11 performance against the Reds.
My Drop: Esmerlyn Valdez.
TGFBI
I'm going to finish either second or third in this league - Bakers Bona Fides have a 20-point lead. But hey, I have another share of Corbin Burnes!
My Drop: Esmerlyn Valdez.
SCARF
Kev Mahserejian (aka @RotoSurgeon) continues to run away with the league and is in first overall in the EARTH series of leagues. I'm in fourth, up from seventh place low point, but too far to get back up to second, where I was in the first half of the season.
My Drop: Rhett Lowder. Lowder has been pretty disappointing, and I had the pleasure of watching him in person a week ago when the Dodgers pounded him and the Reds in a 14-1 game. But at least Elly De La Cruz homered for me in this game.
LABR
This remains my most agonizing race. I was in first place by a point to begin the week, and I still have tons of saves upside. So of course, saves have been impossible. I was the only person this side of the Kodai Senga family that hated the Pete Alonso homer against him. Yoendrys Gomez was a godsend this season - I have 17 of his 22 saves - but he's blown not one but two save chances this week. And the cherry on top was Aroldis Chapman suffering a lat strain this week, and thus being unavailable to close on Thursday night in a one-run game. Meanwhile, Derek VanRiper continues to get a homer, stolen base or both every night from Pete Crow-Armstrong and Henry Bolte. Agony.
My Drop: None - Jazz Chisholm went on the IL. I now have 10 guys of various ability on my IL in this league.
RotoWire Staff Keeper League
RotoWire's Ryan Rufe, who maintains our Closer Rankings and is in fifth place overall in the NFBC's RotoWire Online Championship, just picked up Shea Langeliers at a price where he can be kept next season. I picked up Christian Koss, who is alive, breathing and playing some shortstop. One of the 56 players on the Giants' 40-man roster, including those on the 60-day IL.
My Drop: Jazz Chisholm Jr. I'm gambling that Chisholm doesn't get activated before Sunday night. Players on the IL aren't eligible to be picked up, and we have one more FAAB period, so I'm hoping that someone else in the league doesn't get one last windfall.
