NFBC Weekly Profile - Jeff Dobies/Andy Saxton
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:49 am
You know you’re having an amazing fantasy baseball season when you can’t remember the last time you weren’t in first place.
For Jeff Dobies and Andy Saxton in the NFBC Auction Championship, first place has become the norm and it’s a spot they show no interest in relinquishing anytime soon.
When Week 3 of the season began, Dobies and Saxton were sitting atop the overall standings in the Auction event. They have remained there ever since, taking a 167.5-point lead into action on Tuesday.
“Staying mostly injury free has been the biggest key,” Saxton said. “Our hitting has been insane. Carlos Ruiz, Carlos Beltran, Adam Jones and Josh Willingham have exceeded our expectations on offense while Gio Gonzalez, Johnny Cueto and Matt Cain have been great for us in the rotation.”
The decision for the 47-year-old Dobies and 35-year-old Saxton to partner speaks to the tremendous rapport the NFBC has generated since its inception. The two NFBC veterans got to know one another competing in New York every year and decided to join forces in the Auction event this season.
“Teaming up with Jeff has definitely been one of my better decisions,” Saxton said. “He already had an auction championship on his resume from two years ago. Hopefully we can do it again at future events.”
It’s impossible to argue with the duo’s success to this point. Anytime you have two co-owners on a team finding the proper balance in approach is vital. For two players who had never co-owned a team before that often means adjusting on the fly once the auction begins.
Saxton said the key for him and Dobies in their New York was simple:
Patience.
“We did not want to overpay for mega-stars and let me tell you it was very tempting,” Saxton said. “We went in with a plan and we executed it. The most money we spent was on Beltre ($25). We were trying to build a team with lots of good players rather than a few great ones and a bunch of potential question marks.”
That level of patience enabled Dobies and Saxton to get some good value picks as the auction went along. Snaring Ruiz for $2 was one big move. Landing A.J. Burnett and Jason Kipnis were two others.
The good work during the auction has meant the duo hasn’t had to invest heavily on the Waiver Wire so far this season. Among their key pickups so far have been Salvador Perez, Daniel Nava and Francisco Liriano.
“We haven’t been heavy FAAB spenders,” Saxton said. “We’re just trolling for value.”
Having spent 13 consecutive weeks atop the event’s overall standings, one might get lulled into a feeling of complacency as the second half of the season kicks into high gear. But that’s not the case with Dobies and Saxton. These two long-time fantasy players know that as the summer continues to heat up so will the pressure to finish the season where they currently reside.
On top.
“We’re in a very tough league,” Saxton said. “There are lots of auction veterans. Anson Chan is currently third overall from the same league and Alan Greenberg is in the Top 20. And last year’s defending auction champs (Richard Gordon and Charles Levitz) are in our league too. We are keeping a close eye on them as they are gearing up for a second-half run.”
So what needs to happen for Dobies and Saxton to emerge as this year’s Auction Championship winners?
“We need to stay healthy,” Saxton said. “We also need to get a little more consistency out of our starting pitching – Matt Moore, we are talking to you. And we need to keep hitting.”
If all that comes to fruition, this first-time partnership may end up being truly memorable.
For Jeff Dobies and Andy Saxton in the NFBC Auction Championship, first place has become the norm and it’s a spot they show no interest in relinquishing anytime soon.
When Week 3 of the season began, Dobies and Saxton were sitting atop the overall standings in the Auction event. They have remained there ever since, taking a 167.5-point lead into action on Tuesday.
“Staying mostly injury free has been the biggest key,” Saxton said. “Our hitting has been insane. Carlos Ruiz, Carlos Beltran, Adam Jones and Josh Willingham have exceeded our expectations on offense while Gio Gonzalez, Johnny Cueto and Matt Cain have been great for us in the rotation.”
The decision for the 47-year-old Dobies and 35-year-old Saxton to partner speaks to the tremendous rapport the NFBC has generated since its inception. The two NFBC veterans got to know one another competing in New York every year and decided to join forces in the Auction event this season.
“Teaming up with Jeff has definitely been one of my better decisions,” Saxton said. “He already had an auction championship on his resume from two years ago. Hopefully we can do it again at future events.”
It’s impossible to argue with the duo’s success to this point. Anytime you have two co-owners on a team finding the proper balance in approach is vital. For two players who had never co-owned a team before that often means adjusting on the fly once the auction begins.
Saxton said the key for him and Dobies in their New York was simple:
Patience.
“We did not want to overpay for mega-stars and let me tell you it was very tempting,” Saxton said. “We went in with a plan and we executed it. The most money we spent was on Beltre ($25). We were trying to build a team with lots of good players rather than a few great ones and a bunch of potential question marks.”
That level of patience enabled Dobies and Saxton to get some good value picks as the auction went along. Snaring Ruiz for $2 was one big move. Landing A.J. Burnett and Jason Kipnis were two others.
The good work during the auction has meant the duo hasn’t had to invest heavily on the Waiver Wire so far this season. Among their key pickups so far have been Salvador Perez, Daniel Nava and Francisco Liriano.
“We haven’t been heavy FAAB spenders,” Saxton said. “We’re just trolling for value.”
Having spent 13 consecutive weeks atop the event’s overall standings, one might get lulled into a feeling of complacency as the second half of the season kicks into high gear. But that’s not the case with Dobies and Saxton. These two long-time fantasy players know that as the summer continues to heat up so will the pressure to finish the season where they currently reside.
On top.
“We’re in a very tough league,” Saxton said. “There are lots of auction veterans. Anson Chan is currently third overall from the same league and Alan Greenberg is in the Top 20. And last year’s defending auction champs (Richard Gordon and Charles Levitz) are in our league too. We are keeping a close eye on them as they are gearing up for a second-half run.”
So what needs to happen for Dobies and Saxton to emerge as this year’s Auction Championship winners?
“We need to stay healthy,” Saxton said. “We also need to get a little more consistency out of our starting pitching – Matt Moore, we are talking to you. And we need to keep hitting.”
If all that comes to fruition, this first-time partnership may end up being truly memorable.
