We were able to get ahold of veteran fantasy player Billy Wasosky and get his view on many aspects of high stakes fantasy football.
Occupation (when not playing fantasy football)
8th Grade Special Education Math Teacher/Athletic Director
Family life
Wife of 10 years, a daughter who is 16, a 16 year old stepdaughter, and 19 year old stepson.
Years playing fantasy football
27
Your biggest score(s) in fantasy football
2nd place in the FPC Championship in 2013 ($35,000)
Do you prefer drafting live or online? Why?
I prefer live without a doubt. It is more about seeing all the great people I have met in this industry than anything else.
Name two players that will not be on your roster at any draft position. Explain why you think these busts could drastically under-perform their ADP.
WR DeSean Jackson…..had a career year last year in Chip Kelly’s high octane offense and is now 2nd fiddle in Washington. RG3 and Garcon have a great rapport, and I expect to see D-Jax targeted a lot less this year…which means less points.
RB Ben Tate…..First, he is in Cleveland where he could face 8 in the box on every play. Second, Terrance West seems to already be on his heels. Third, he has never been able to stay healthy in part time duty, how will he do it in full-time duty?
Give us a snapshot of how you prep for a fantasy draft once you know your draft position?
I am constantly “mocking” drafts looking for the best ways to construct a team. I feel that and doing as many drafts as possible can help with prep. That being said, no draft EVER goes as planned, so you have to be able to adjust on the fly.
How do you go about evaluating talent that you will add via the waiver wire?
Most of my evaluation is done before the season starts. Then when a certain player who I feel has talent gets an opportunity (usually due to an injury), I try to get him wherever I can.
How much of fantasy football is skill? How much is luck?
Over 26 years, I have only had 3 years where I lost more money than I have invested, so I would like to think there is a decent amount of skill. It is very much like poker, sometimes you have the best hand and get beat on the river, and sometimes you don’t have a great team, but things work out for you.
What advice would you give a player taking a shot at high stakes for the 1st time? Without giving away all of your secrets, how can a newbie get up to speed quickly in the world of high stakes?
Be ready for ANYTHING. Stay true to your rankings, and don’t fall into following ADP too much. High Stakes Players will take people they want, whenever they want. If you want someone….go after them.
What is your favorite high stakes format? (Main Event, Draft Experts, Dynasty, Auction, etc). Why do you prefer this format?
I really do enjoy the auctions, but the main events and going for the big money, is probably the most exciting of all the drafts out there.
To tight end or not to tight end? With the FFPC dual flex (and awarding 1.5 points per reception for tight ends), this position is extremely valuable. Do you generally pay a premium for a top five tight end or do you seek value at RB/WR and look to grab your tight end later?
It all depends. I have done it both ways, and been successful at both. I generally grab a top 5 tight end when the other options at RB/WR aren’t as appealing.
Give us your top six picks in the FFPC Main Event
In no particular order…..RB Jamaal Charles, RB LeSean McCoy, RB Adrian Peterson, RB Matt Forte, TE Jimmy Graham, WR Demaryius Thomas
Many of the best players in the FFPC wait on their quarterbacks. But with the NFL moving more and more to a passing league (and guys like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers putting up ridiculous totals), when will you be looking to grab your quarterback in the Main Event?
Again, it all depends. When guys like Manning, Brees, Rodgers, etc. fall too far, I will snag them. If I don’t get them, the next 10-12 can all be productive, and I will generally wait until round 9 or 10.
Make a case for why someone should come to Vegas and participate in some high stakes events.
Walking into the room with all those drafts and the excitement of sitting down at the table is something that can’t be duplicated at home. I unfortunately will not be able to make Vegas this year, but plan on making it back in 2015.
What's the biggest mistake you see high stakes players consistently making in these leagues?
Taking a guy they really don’t like because he “feel to them”. I used to do this, but now I stay much more true to my rankings.
Aside from the obvious payout and competition level, what's the biggest difference between high stakes leagues and regular leagues?
Probably the dedication. While you still will occasionally have teams that “quit”, most everyone still works the waiver wire and tries to put the best team on the field as much as possible. This of course is a reflection on the payouts and competition.
What's the thing you wished you'd learned five years ago?
That looking at the playoff weeks in August and September isn’t what it is cracked up to be. Things in the NFL change so much, and defenses are constantly changing. Did anyone draft the Kansas City Chiefs D/ST in the top 5 last year? During the season, you can look into that as you have more information, before the season, there are many better things you can be doing to improve your draft.
Can you take both a quarterback and a tight end in the first six rounds of an FFPC draft and be successful?
Sure. While most high stakes veterans will not do that, I believe it can be done. When people are gobbling up all the RB’s and WR’s, why not focus on QB and TE?
At the end of the 20 rounds (drafts/auctions), how many of each position do you expect to end up with? In Draft Expert format (now 28 rounds), how many of each position do you plan to roster?
In a regular 20 round draft, I generally end up with something like this: 2 QB, 6 RB, 7 WR, 2 TE, 1 K, 2 D
In a 28 round Draft Expert, it generally looks like this: 3 QB, 8 RB, 9 WR, 3 TE, 3 K, 2 D
What is your basic waiver strategy?
Use money when I have to, and always be looking ahead to when I need to cover a bye week.
Best guesses: By what week will you have spent 50% of your allocated dollars? How much money do you plan to still have after 10 weeks of play?
I usually am a little cheap when it comes to spending my free agent money. I would say by Week 4 I have about 50% left, and after 10 weeks, I usually have around 20% ($200) left.