NFBC Weekly Profile - Sam Botnick
Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 5:46 am
Sometimes the key to fantasy success boils down to the most elementary of necessities. When Sam Botnick assesses his chances to make a run at the National Fantasy Baseball Championship’s Main Event prize, he doesn’t need a convoluted list of needs or things to occur.
For Botnick, there’s just one thing his team needs to compete at the highest level.
“I just need for my team to stay healthy,” he said. “I’ve had some share of injuries, but nothing major which is obviously huge in this game.”
So far the good health has helped Botnick make a strong run to the top of the NFFC’s Main Event’s overall standings. He began the week in first place in the event and entering play on Tuesday was a mere 3.5 points behind Andre Bourcier’s front-running team.
Besides good health, Botnick has enjoyed success thus far due in large part to nailing his Draft Day strategy.
“I’m not a real big proponent of targeting or getting too involved in projections,” he said. “I’m more about drafting skill set, not numbers. I’m much more concerned with batting order and the teams they play for as opposed to projected numbers.”
With that in mind, Botnick put together a Draft Day plan that focused on addressing certain positions with his first few picks.
“With my first five picks I wanted to get a first baseman, two catchers and two tier-one starters who were durable,” he said. “I wanted that history of durability with my top two starters.
“I also thought the catcher pool was extremely thin, moreso than normal. Same with first base. I thought it was pretty thin so I really wanted to get a top first baseman.”
With that plan in place, Botnick came away with Miguel Cabrera, Buster Posey, Carlos Santana, Felix Hernandez and Jered Weaver to establish the foundation of his team.
Having Hernandez and Weaver as his starting pitching foundations was critical in his estimation.
“It was really important to me to get a deep pitching staff,” he said. “Last year was the first year I had played in the NFBC and I was really shorthanded. I didn’t have enough depth with starting pitching. So it was important for me this year to get 9-10 guys I could use. So far that has worked.”
Botnick’s success in the Main Event comes as a mild surprise if for no other reason than prior to last year he did not like the draft format in fantasy baseball.
“I started playing (fantasy baseball) in the mid-80s in local leagues but all the leagues I played in were auctions,” he said. “I was pretty negative on the whole draft thing at first but I actually like the differences now. I grew to like it which is why I came back (to the NFBC) again this year. So far so good.”
The 50-year-old Botnick lives in Los Angeles where he works as an accounting professor and a tax consultant. When he’s not focusing on his NFBC teams, he’s spending as much quality time as possible with his four-year-old daughter.
Although the season is still in its infancy, it’s never a bad move to get off to a strong start. Botnick’s team has opened the year with a bang and now he’s hoping to maintain that level of success the rest of the way and keep his team positioned to make a run at the NFBC’s ultimate prize.
“I like the way my team is constructed,” he said. “I just need to stay healthy.”
For Botnick, there’s just one thing his team needs to compete at the highest level.
“I just need for my team to stay healthy,” he said. “I’ve had some share of injuries, but nothing major which is obviously huge in this game.”
So far the good health has helped Botnick make a strong run to the top of the NFFC’s Main Event’s overall standings. He began the week in first place in the event and entering play on Tuesday was a mere 3.5 points behind Andre Bourcier’s front-running team.
Besides good health, Botnick has enjoyed success thus far due in large part to nailing his Draft Day strategy.
“I’m not a real big proponent of targeting or getting too involved in projections,” he said. “I’m more about drafting skill set, not numbers. I’m much more concerned with batting order and the teams they play for as opposed to projected numbers.”
With that in mind, Botnick put together a Draft Day plan that focused on addressing certain positions with his first few picks.
“With my first five picks I wanted to get a first baseman, two catchers and two tier-one starters who were durable,” he said. “I wanted that history of durability with my top two starters.
“I also thought the catcher pool was extremely thin, moreso than normal. Same with first base. I thought it was pretty thin so I really wanted to get a top first baseman.”
With that plan in place, Botnick came away with Miguel Cabrera, Buster Posey, Carlos Santana, Felix Hernandez and Jered Weaver to establish the foundation of his team.
Having Hernandez and Weaver as his starting pitching foundations was critical in his estimation.
“It was really important to me to get a deep pitching staff,” he said. “Last year was the first year I had played in the NFBC and I was really shorthanded. I didn’t have enough depth with starting pitching. So it was important for me this year to get 9-10 guys I could use. So far that has worked.”
Botnick’s success in the Main Event comes as a mild surprise if for no other reason than prior to last year he did not like the draft format in fantasy baseball.
“I started playing (fantasy baseball) in the mid-80s in local leagues but all the leagues I played in were auctions,” he said. “I was pretty negative on the whole draft thing at first but I actually like the differences now. I grew to like it which is why I came back (to the NFBC) again this year. So far so good.”
The 50-year-old Botnick lives in Los Angeles where he works as an accounting professor and a tax consultant. When he’s not focusing on his NFBC teams, he’s spending as much quality time as possible with his four-year-old daughter.
Although the season is still in its infancy, it’s never a bad move to get off to a strong start. Botnick’s team has opened the year with a bang and now he’s hoping to maintain that level of success the rest of the way and keep his team positioned to make a run at the NFBC’s ultimate prize.
“I like the way my team is constructed,” he said. “I just need to stay healthy.”