NFBC Weekly Profile - Stephen Jupinka
Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:39 am
If there’s a common denominator to first-place teams in fantasy baseball this year it may very well be Ubaldo Jimenez. Jimenez was the value pick to beat all value picks. Although he was a top-flight starter going into most drafts, few could have predicted the level of dominance he has delivered so far this season.
As a result, Jimenez owners are likely doing a lot of watching from atop of their league standings this year. So it’s no surprise that with $100,000 on the line in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship, there’s a Jimenez owner sitting atop that event’s standing as well.
Stephen Jupinka can only hope the ride lasts a couple more months.
Jupinka is an NFBC veteran who is enjoying one of his finest seasons ever in the Classic event. As of Tuesday morning, he remained in first place in the event due in large part to the impressive impact Jimenez has delivered thus far.
“It’s like something in that game in the 90s. Where’s Ubaldo?” he said. “Find the team with Ubaldo on it and most likely that team is near the top of the standings. He probably has 30 percent of the team’s wins and is propping up ERA and WHIP in a big way. I was familiar with him from last year so when I needed a starting pitcher in my draft, he was there and I took him.”
Smart move, without a doubt.
This isn’t Jupinka’s first brush with the top of the NFBC’s overall standings. He spent two months atop the leaderboard in 2008.
“I even had a 300-point lead in late July,” he recalled.
If that experience taught him anything, however, it’s that there is still plenty of baseball left to be played before the $100,000 winner is determined.
“Thinking of the $100,000 is pure folly – especially in June,” he said. “Players’ production dies. What led you up probably won’t be the ones who keep you up. You need to integrate fresh blood but it’s hard to juggle with a seven-man reserve. I do like how my team is constructed, though.”
The team construction has worked well to date despite Jupinka faltering on his closer’s approach. Although Francisco Rodriguez has been his usual stellar self, drafting Brad Lidge in the 13th round hasn’t worked out as well.
“I had him in 2008 too,” Jupinka said. “I pulled a Bruce (Springsteen) and I was trying to recapture a little of that glory of. I just don’t do closers well.
“What has worked is that out of my first 16 picks, only Asdrubal Cabrera, Lidge and Jorge De La Rosa were duds. The rest have worked out well. Every once in a while, the pitcher lines one up the gap.”
Jupinka has also done well working the Waiver Wire. Among his top additions in free agency so far have been Angel Pagan, Jason Vargas and Trevor Cahil.
“I’m in a league with a lot of tough NFBC veterans so I came up short (in free-agent bidding) quite a few times,” he said.
A longtime fantasy player, Jupinka is married with three children. He works as a controller for a commodity trading company on Wall Street.
It’s no surprise to see Jupinka residing near the top of the NFBC standings considering he has long been one of the top players in the event. He began the year ranking 16th on the NFBC’s All-Time Money Winner’s List.
Not only is he enjoying a standout season in the Classic, he’s also currently third in the Auction Championship as well.
“This was my first NFBC auction,” he said. “Shawn Childs’ prices were spot on but I spent too much too fast. Getting Pujols, Crawford and Upton left me scrambling for the $1 bin way too soon.
“The overall (auction) title is a tall order. (Michael Cortese) has built a monster and I can’t fathom adding on another 200 points to catch him. I’ll take my chances in the Main instead.”
That’s probably not what everyone else in the Classic wanted to hear.
[ June 23, 2010, 08:06 AM: Message edited by: Tom Kessenich ]
As a result, Jimenez owners are likely doing a lot of watching from atop of their league standings this year. So it’s no surprise that with $100,000 on the line in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship, there’s a Jimenez owner sitting atop that event’s standing as well.
Stephen Jupinka can only hope the ride lasts a couple more months.
Jupinka is an NFBC veteran who is enjoying one of his finest seasons ever in the Classic event. As of Tuesday morning, he remained in first place in the event due in large part to the impressive impact Jimenez has delivered thus far.
“It’s like something in that game in the 90s. Where’s Ubaldo?” he said. “Find the team with Ubaldo on it and most likely that team is near the top of the standings. He probably has 30 percent of the team’s wins and is propping up ERA and WHIP in a big way. I was familiar with him from last year so when I needed a starting pitcher in my draft, he was there and I took him.”
Smart move, without a doubt.
This isn’t Jupinka’s first brush with the top of the NFBC’s overall standings. He spent two months atop the leaderboard in 2008.
“I even had a 300-point lead in late July,” he recalled.
If that experience taught him anything, however, it’s that there is still plenty of baseball left to be played before the $100,000 winner is determined.
“Thinking of the $100,000 is pure folly – especially in June,” he said. “Players’ production dies. What led you up probably won’t be the ones who keep you up. You need to integrate fresh blood but it’s hard to juggle with a seven-man reserve. I do like how my team is constructed, though.”
The team construction has worked well to date despite Jupinka faltering on his closer’s approach. Although Francisco Rodriguez has been his usual stellar self, drafting Brad Lidge in the 13th round hasn’t worked out as well.
“I had him in 2008 too,” Jupinka said. “I pulled a Bruce (Springsteen) and I was trying to recapture a little of that glory of. I just don’t do closers well.
“What has worked is that out of my first 16 picks, only Asdrubal Cabrera, Lidge and Jorge De La Rosa were duds. The rest have worked out well. Every once in a while, the pitcher lines one up the gap.”
Jupinka has also done well working the Waiver Wire. Among his top additions in free agency so far have been Angel Pagan, Jason Vargas and Trevor Cahil.
“I’m in a league with a lot of tough NFBC veterans so I came up short (in free-agent bidding) quite a few times,” he said.
A longtime fantasy player, Jupinka is married with three children. He works as a controller for a commodity trading company on Wall Street.
It’s no surprise to see Jupinka residing near the top of the NFBC standings considering he has long been one of the top players in the event. He began the year ranking 16th on the NFBC’s All-Time Money Winner’s List.
Not only is he enjoying a standout season in the Classic, he’s also currently third in the Auction Championship as well.
“This was my first NFBC auction,” he said. “Shawn Childs’ prices were spot on but I spent too much too fast. Getting Pujols, Crawford and Upton left me scrambling for the $1 bin way too soon.
“The overall (auction) title is a tall order. (Michael Cortese) has built a monster and I can’t fathom adding on another 200 points to catch him. I’ll take my chances in the Main instead.”
That’s probably not what everyone else in the Classic wanted to hear.
[ June 23, 2010, 08:06 AM: Message edited by: Tom Kessenich ]
Mets lead up to 10-0 but takes 1/2 hour to do it. He comes out for the 4th