NFBC Weekly Profile - Jeff Schwartz

[Tom Kessenich]

Jeff Schwartz is no stranger to fantasy baseball success. A long-time player of CDM games in the ‘90s, Schwartz collected four national championships, pocketed more than $150,000 and was one of CDM’s most respected players before diving into the NFBC.

So Schwartz is well aware that what transpires in April and May isn’t guaranteed to result in the type of success in October every fantasy baseball owner craves.

But when there is $60,000 on the line, as is the case with the Online Championship, it’s certainly a great feeling seeing your team at the top of the event’s overall standings. That’s precisely where Schwartz is entering action this weekend.

Schwartz’s March 22 team began the week in first place in the event and has dipped a bit to second heading into play today. But the strength of his team remains evident as Week 6 nears its conclusion.

“The strong start is due to good luck,” he said. “Both in regard to having some overachievers like Josh Hamilton and Bryan LaHair and avoiding underachievers like Albert Pujols and Jose Bautista and good health.

“I have had some injuries, such as a season ender to Mat Gamel and I have four players currently on the DL. However, I think my team is in great health overall and has been very lucky with my Top 12 draft picks all staying injury free.”

Schwartz admits he didn’t have a super secret draft strategy in place when he put this team together back in late March. The key ingredient was simple.

Value.

Lots and lots of value.

He was able to get plenty of good value picks in that draft, including Hamilton, LaHair Stephen Strasburg, David Freese, Jason Kipnis and Jesus Montero.

“Some of them fell because of injury concerns and some because they were young and unproven,” Schwartz said. “I also wanted to fill a position with several choices if I was drafting a position late. I didn’t get a first baseman until Round 17, but I drafted Justin Morneau, Gamel and LaHair, hoping at least one of them would be good.”

Although he drafted well, Schwartz still was aggressive in free agency early in the season. He spent $504 last Sunday to acquire David Robertson, hoping he may be able to nail down the closer’s job with the Yankees now that Mariano Rivera is out for the season.

“The jury is still out on that move after his recent blown save,” Schwartz said. “I also overpaid to pick up Kyle Seager to replace Gamel but with my injuries to Coco Crisp and Morneau, Seager was going right into my starting lineup and I like him a lot as a player.”

The 43-year-old Schwartz lives in Janesville, WI with his wife Michelle and their three children. The impressive start to the season has been heartily welcomed but part of a highly competitive league, Schwartz knows a lot is going to happen before his league, and the event’s overall, titles are decided.

“I expect things will even out,” he said. “I don’t think many people out there think LaHair will have a better season than Pujols despite LaHair being far more valuable to date.

“The keys to maintaining my strong start are to avoid injuries and continue to have much more good luck than bad. I think I have a very strong team that will contend all year long if I avoid injuries.

“But considering that I took several players that fell in the draft because of injury concerns, it will take a lot of luck. My team is strong enough to get through a 15-day DL stint for Hamilton or (Ryan) Braun, but a long-term injury to any of my Top 10 picks will be tough.”