Where Did 2020 NFBC League Champions Draft From?

[Greg Ambrosius]

Every draft starts with your draft position and then you plan your strategy from there. Sometimes you get a draft spot you like and sometimes you don't, but you always make the best of it, right? It's not always about the draft that makes a winning team, but it certainly helps to build a solid foundation on Draft Day before adding pieces throughout the regular season.

This year the draft was very important because we had only 10 weeks of the Sprint season and only 9 or 10 FAAB periods, depending on when you drafted. So this year it's especially important to look at the draft data.

We again finished with 38 Main Event leagues in 2020 -- same as 2019 -- and every draft spot except No. 14 produced at least ONE Main Event league champion. That's pretty amazing. The No. 11 spot produced the most league champions with eight, while the back end of the draft produced 15 league champions (picks 10-15). This is the second straight year that the back-end of the draft order produced the most Main Event league champions.

Here's a list of the Main Event league champions and where they drafted from in 2020:

2020 NFBC Main Event League Champions
Their Draft Spots:
No. 1 Pick - 3 League Champions
No. 2 Pick - 3 League Champions
No. 3 Pick - 1 League Champion
No. 4 Pick - 2 League Champions
No. 5 Pick - 1 League Champion
No. 6 Pick - 2 League Champions
No. 7 Pick - 1 League Champion
No. 8 Pick - 5 League Champions
No. 9 Pick - 3 League Champions
No. 10 Pick - 2 League Champions
No. 11 Pick - 8 League Champions
No. 12 Pick - 3 League Champions
No. 13 Pick - 2 League Champions
No. 14 Pick - 0 League Champions
No. 15 Pick - 2 League Champions

Nos. 1-5: 10 League Champions
Nos. 6-10: 13 League Champions
Nos. 11-15: 15 League Champions

Pretty interesting.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Since the Sprint Main Event is our best data base from 2020, let's look at all 38 league winners and see where they drafted from and how they started out in the first three rounds. I'll break down the first three rounds shortly after posting this. Here you go:

Sprint - Main Event Online 7/12 @ 8:00 pm ET #2983 KJ Duke (pick 11: Jose Ramirez, Bieber, Giolito)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/12 @ 3:00 pm ET #3001 Scott Schonewolf (pick 9: Turner, Bieber, Hiura)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/17 @ 8:00 pm ET #3019 Toby Guevin (pick 11: Scherzer, Bieber, Baez)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/16 @ 8:00 pm ET #3022 James Maples (pick 11: Story, Devers, Altuve)
Sprint - Main Event New York 7/18 @ 1:00 pm ET #3026 Jason Anthony (pick 13: Clevinger, Story, Realmuto)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/18 @ 1:00 pm ET #3027 Michael O`Brien (pick 2: Yelich, Strasburg, Freeman)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/19 @ 10:00 pm ET #3033 Toby Guevin (pick 6: deGrom, Strasburg, Realmuto)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/18 @ 10:00 pm ET #3038 Clark Olson (pick 6: Turner, Devers, Albies)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/19 @ 1:00 pm ET #3048 Tom O`Bryan (pick 4: Bellinger, Mondesi, Giolito)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/23 @ 1:00 pm ET #3051 elliott pell (pick 1: Acuna, JD Martinez, Altuve)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/21 @ 10:00 pm ET #3052 Tony DiVincenzo (pick 11: Ramirez, Bieber, Altuve)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/22 @ 3:00 pm ET #3053 James Tomony (pick 8: Turner, Bieber, Darvish)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/19 @ 8:00 pm ET #3060 James Maples pick 11: Story, Bregman, Springer)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/20 @ 8:00 pm ET #3061 KJ Duke (pick 12: Tatis, Bieber, Realmuto)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/19 @ 8:00 pm ET #3064 Gregg Martin pick 4: Betts, Mondesi, Freeman)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/23 @ 10:00 pm ET #3067 Matthew Davis (pick 1: Cole, Baez, Hader)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/23 @ 10:00 pm ET #3068 Ned Donohue (pick 8: deGrom, Giolito, Torres)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/23 @ 3:00 pm ET #3074 Scott Fleming (pick 13: Ramirez, Harper, Ketel Marte)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/23 @ 8:00 pm ET #3076 Tyler Jung (pick 8: deGrom, Strasburg, Marte)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/23 @ 8:00 pm ET #3077 Gary Allen (pick 11: Scherzer, Tatis, Darvish)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/23 @ 8:00 pm ET #3078 Aaron Seefeldt (pick 1: Yelich, Baez, Devers)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/21 @ 8:00 pm ET #3079 Philippe Dussault (pick 10: Ramirez, Strasburg, Realmuto)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/21 @ 8:00 pm ET #3080 Jason Duponte (pick 15: Clevinger, Bieber, Bogaerts)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/20 @ 8:00 pm ET #3082 Rian Lange (pick 15: Soto, Bieber, Realmuto)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/18 @ 8:00 pm ET #3083 Philippe Dussault (pick 2: Yelich, Giolito, Baez)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/22 @ 8:00 pm ET #3085 Philippe Dussault (pick 12: Story, Giolito, K. Marte)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/22 @ 8:00 pm ET #3086 Mike Cameron (pick 5: Betts, S. Marte, Morton)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/22 @ 8:00 pm ET #3087 Tyler Jung (pick 9: Scherzer, Strasburg, Springer)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/21 @ 1:00 pm ET #3097 Steven Weimer (pick 8: deGrom, Kershaw, Realmuto)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/22 @ 10:00 pm ET #3103 Vlad Sedler (pick 10: Verlander, Tatis, Giolito)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/22 @ 10:00 pm ET #3104 joe song (pick 2: Cole, JD Martinez, Realmuto)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/23 @ 11:55 pm ET #3113 Toby Guevin (pick 3: Cole, S. Marte, Realmuto)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/22 @ 1:00 pm ET #3125 andy song (pick 11: Tatis, Buehler, Springer)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/23 @ 11:55 pm ET #3129 Todd Hoppe (pick 7: Ramirez, S. Marte, Glasnow)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/22 @ 8:00 pm ET #3135 Dave Shovein (pick 8: Turner, Devers, Hader)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/20 @ 10:00 pm ET #3143 Joseph Martens (pick 11: Soto, Buehler, K. Marte)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/23 @ 1:00 pm ET #3163 kc cha (pick 12: Clevinger, Kershaw, Realmuto)
Sprint - Main Event Online 7/23 @ 8:00 pm ET #3184 Glenn Schroter (pick 9: Lindor, Devers, Judge)

[Greg Ambrosius]

After looking at all 38 Main Event league championship teams, there were 15 different players who were selected in the first round on these championship teams. Eight different players were on three or more title teams with Jose Ramirez leading the way as he was a first round pick on five championship teams. Fourteen different players were also selected in the second round, which was a key round for title winners. Here were the first round picks in the 38 Main Event leagues:

First Round:
Jose Ramirez - 5 championship teams
Trea Turner - 4 championship teams
Jacob deGrom - 4 championship teams
Max Scherzer - 3 championship teams
Trevor Story - 3 championship teams
Mike Clevinger - 3 championship teams
Christian Yelich - 3 championship teams
Gerrit Cole - 3 championship teams
Mookie Betts - 2 championship teams
Fernando Tatis, Jr. - 2 championship teams
Juan Soto - 2 championship teams
Ronald Acuna, Jr. - 1 championship team
Justin Verlander - 1 championship team
Francisco Lindor - 1 championship team
Cody Bellinger - 1 championship team

Now let's look at the players from the Second Round who were on Main Event league championship teams:

Second Round:
Shane Bieber - 8 championship teams
Stephen Strasburg - 5 championship teams
Rafael Devers - 4 championship teams
Starling Marte - 3 championship teams
Lucas Giolito - 3 championship teams
Adalberto Mondesi - 2 championship teams
JD Martinez - 2 championship teams
Javy Baez - 2 championship teams
Fernando Tatis Jr. - 2 championship teams
Clayton Kershaw - 2 championship teams
Walker Buehler - 2 championship teams
Bryce Harper - 1 championship team
Trevor Story - 1 championship team
Alex Bregman - 1 championship team

And now for the third round where we had 17 different players on championship teams:

Third Round:
JT Realmuto - 9 championship teams
Ketel Marte - 4 championship teams
Lucas Giolito - 3 championship teams
Jose Altuve - 3 championship teams
George Springer - 3 championship teams
Javy Baez - 2 championship teams
Freddie Freeman - 2 championship teams
Yu Darvish - 2 championship teams
Josh Hader - 2 championship teams
Ozzie Albies - 1 championship team
Gleyber Torres - 1 championship team
Rafael Devers - 1 championship team
Keston Hiura - 1 championship team
Xander Boegaerts - 1 championship team
Charlie Morton - 1 championship team
Tyler Glasnow - 1 championship team
Aaron Judge - 1 championship team

So the ideal team would be Jose Ramirez in Round 1, Shane Bieber in Round 2 and J.T. Realmuto in Round 3. Not a bad start for 2020. Congrats all and thanks for the great championship data.

[Greg Ambrosius]

We had two private high-stakes leagues this year, the New York 15-Team Super League and the 12-Team Mini-Super League. Mike Massotto won the NY Super League and Jeff Zimmerman won the 12-Team Mini-Super League. Here's how they started those leagues:

Mike Massotto, 6th Pick:
Jacob deGrom, Ketel Marte, Bo Bichette

Jeff Zimmerman, 7th Pick:
Trea Turner, Nolan Arenado, Charlie Morton