2007 NFBC Champion Profile - Fred Zinkie

[Tom Kessenich]

NFBC CHAMPION PROFILE – FRED ZINKIE MARCH 27th $100 WINNER TAKE ALL LEAGUE



1. How did it feel to win your league title?

Winning the league felt great. I've never been to the main event and I've always wanted to go. The opportunity to travel to New York and compete for $100,000 will put a little extra charge into me while I do my draft preparations this winter.



2. What were the keys to your championship season?

The biggest key to my championship season was having reasonably good health from my top picks. I had a couple guys from the first eight rounds hit the disabled list, but never for too long. Another key for me was drafting Al Reyes in Round 28 and picking up Jeremy Accardo in May. Along with my other two closers, those players allowed me to secure a high total in saves by the middle of August. With saves in my pocket, I could chase wins and strikeouts during the final weeks.



3. What draft day strategies worked best?

For me, drafting a balanced team worked out well. I started with Santana, followed by Suzuki, Dye, Wagner, Roberts and Rios. I entered the middle of the draft without a glaring need for a starter, closer or base stealer. I was a little light in power numbers, but there were many 20-30 home run players available in the middle rounds.



4. Were there any draft day strategies that didn't pan out?

I reached for a couple guys who hadn't proved themselves enough (Baldelli and Duffy). They left me with holes in June.



5. How did FAAB work for you?

I made a huge mistake in the spring by dropping Jeff Francis. He didn't start well and his youth and home ballpark made me impatient with him. I regretted that one all year. I had some good pickups in the first half - Tulowitski, Accardo, McGowan, Gallardo and Garrett Anderson. They were all weekly players for me in the second half. Once I had the lead, I saved a lot of my money for September so that I could control the weekly pickups. This worked well as I nabbed Votto, Barton, Stairs and Correia for the final weeks. Before the season Greg said that the most important aspect of winning the NFBC leagues is in-season roster management. I didn't believe him at the time, but by the end of the year I did. Even with a good draft, you just can't get everyone right and you need to build depth during the season. I've come to believe that you can't win an NFBC league on draft day, but you still can lose one if you pick too poorly.



6. How long have you been playing fantasy baseball/fantasy sports?

I've been playing fantasy sports for 11 years. I started with football and baseball during the same year. Pretty basic stuff at first - ESPN etc., but as I got into it I started seeking bigger challenges. Once I found the NFBC, I knew I had found the fantasy sports site for me.



7. Personal - single/married/occupation/where do you live?

I live in Newcastle, Ontario. Finding good local fantasy football and baseball leagues around here is pretty hard so I rely on the Internet a lot. I teach Physical Education and I am the head coach of a high school football team. I also got married on Sept. 22, 2007. Yes, you read that right – during September I was coaching football, teaching, getting married and chasing an NFBC league title. Let's just say that I didn't get a lot of sleep!