NFBC Champion Profile - Chris Fessler

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Tom Kessenich
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NFBC Champion Profile - Chris Fessler

Post by Tom Kessenich » Mon Jan 03, 2022 12:02 pm

Chris Fessler is no stranger to fantasy baseball success at the highest of levels. As the 2017 NFBC Main Event champion he has tasted the sweetest nectar this game has to offer.

Fessler knows what it takes to survive a season of peaks and valleys, being tested by the most stringent of competition. He knows the margin for error can be minute, the window of opportunity to strike can be fleeting. So, when the opportunity arises it’s one you cannot pass up.

That rare opportunity presented itself for Fessler last season. The opportunity that had occurred only twice before in the history of the NFBC. And when Fessler found himself with that chance to seize it, he did not miss.

He made history.

Fessler won the 2021 RotoWire Online Championship, joining Lindy Hinkelman and James Tomony as the only people in NFBC history to win both the Online Championship and the Main Event. Fessler topped a record field of 2,388 teams to win the $125,000 grand prize.

“My initial feeling when the season ended was a sense of relief,” Fessler said. “When you invest so much time and energy into a closely contested overall championship, anything other than first place is a huge disappointment.

“A couple days after the season, my feelings turned to joy and satisfaction when I reflected back on the accomplishment.”

There was certainly much to be happy about without question.

Fessler jumped into the lead in the final month of the season and held off several teams down the stretch, including one run Philippe Dussault, who also won the 2021 Main Event and the 2021 Auction Championship. Fessler bested Dussault’s team by 400.5 points to win the $125,000 grand prize, with Philippe, Curtis Jones, Andrew Geller and Thomas Warner rounding out the Top 5.

Fessler won his league title with 111 points (92.5%) and he won the overall title with 22,139 points (92.7 percent). Hes entered three Rotowire Online Championship leagues this year and he won all three league titles, finishing 63rd overall and 126th overall with the two other teams. He also finished second in one of his Main Event leagues and 34th overall.

“I am very proud to be one of the three to own two NFBC national titles,” Fessler said. “It means more to me than the prize money.
“I have always had a passion for baseball. I enjoy the NFBC because it allows me to compete against other elite players who share the same passions. It's a hobby I get a lot of joy and relaxation out of playing. However, I won't be content until I have more national titles than any other player.”

For some, the final few weeks of a fantasy season can be filled with angst and nervousness, especially when there is so much money on the line. Fessler, though, had an entirely different feeling in the closing weeks of the 2021 campaign.

“The stretch run was such a blast,” he said. “Heading into August, I thought I had a shot to win the overall title.

“In the middle of August, I moved into the Top 10 and remember thinking to myself that the title is for the taking. From that point on, my team went on an absolute tear for the next six weeks. I moved into first place the first week of September and never looked back.

“In any fantasy baseball league, there is nothing better than the stretch run. You get to look forward to the slate of games daily. It is fun as well as stressful trying to strategize your weekly plan.”

Among Fessler’s key Draft Day moves were snaring Shohei Ohtani in the 11th round, targeting Robbie Ray late in the draft in Round 25 and building his draft around offensive players early (five of his first six picks on his championship team were hitters).

“Two of my first three starting pitcher picks (Kyle Hendricks and Sonny Gray) were busts,” he said. “Another draft strategy that panned out was taking drafting two closers relatively early. I plucked Aroldis Chapman in the 5th round and Will Smith in the 14th. Neither closer had a great year, but they both were solid, stayed healthy, racked up saves, and allowed me to allocate my FAAB money toward other weaknesses.

“I am a proponent of drafting proven closers. If not, more often or not you are going to throw FAAB money down the drain chasing closers. Ultimately, you have to choose between upside drafting closers late or building off knowing what you have reliable closers.”

There’s also a specific contrast in the format of the RotoWire Online Championship contest Fessler tries to utilize to his advantage as well.

“What I enjoy about a 12-team league is that every owner can adjust on the fly,” he said. “Ultimately, the team was able to win the championship because of how I utilized the FAAB budget and managed the team weekly.”

Among his key FAAB pickups on the championship team were Cedric Mullins, Logan Webb, C.J. Cron, Luis Robert, Eric Lauer and Giovanny Gallegos.

“The addition of a super-hot Logan Webb for eight weeks, Eric Lauer's strong September, a 23-inning scoreless inning streak from Framber Valdez, numerous big September saves from Giovanny Gallegos were the perfect complement to the rock steady pitching performances of Robbie Ray and Charlie Morton,” he said. “These moves allowed me to fix my draft day mistakes and allowed the squad to put up incredible pitching metrics nine out of the last 10 weeks of the season.”

When the season had come to an end, Fessler had made history and pocketed a cool $125,000 in the process. He put the money to good use and some fun.

“I spent some of the money on much needed vacations,” he said. “I spent a week in Tulum, Mexico and have a trip planned to Italy this year.”
Tom Kessenich
Manager of High Stakes Fantasy Games, SportsHub Technologies
Twitter - @TomKessenich

Philippe27
Posts: 239
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2017 7:18 am

Re: NFBC Champion Profile - Chris Fessler

Post by Philippe27 » Mon Jan 03, 2022 3:08 pm

Congrats Chris!

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