NFBC Weekly Profile - Jason Duponte
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:20 am
It sounds so simple. Draft the best players in fantasy baseball and then sit back and enjoy the ride. What’s so hard about that?
Unfortunately, the twists and turns of professional sports rarely make any fantasy season simple and relaxing. However, when you do strike gold, the enjoyment level rises considerably and the potential for a memorable season becomes significantly enhanced.
Jason Duponte is having that type of season in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship’s Main Event. The reason? Simple. He drafted some of the best players in the game who have put forth the type of production all championship teams need and relish.
Thanks in large part to standout seasons from Ryan Braun, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clayton Kershaw and Cole Hamels, Duponte’s first weekend Main Event team has vaulted in prime position in the overall standings. That team entered play on Wednesday fourth in the event.
“The keys have been incredible pitching and an offense led by two of the Top 6 offensive players in fantasy baseball – Braun and Ellsbury,” Duponte said. “I’ve maximized my lineup options all season with the twice-a-week offense change rule. I’ve been very active watching player splits and not taking chances with players who are nursing injuries. I’ve been trying to maximize at-bats and have options on the bench to fill in at most positions.”
While Braun and Ellsbury have supplied the offensive prowess, landing Kershaw and Hamels was a specific part of Duponte’s Draft Day agenda.
“My draft strategy has changed throughout the years depending on the player pool,” he said. “This year, my goal in the Main Event was to grab two of my Top 10 preseason ranked starting pitchers. I’ve been fortunate that both of them have lived up to the preseason rankings.”
As is typically the case with a strong team, Duponte was able to find some value picks later in the draft who have proven popular as well as mine for helpful talent on the Waiver Wire.
“My Round 16 pick – James Shields – has been tremendous,” he said. “He’s burned me in the past but I thought that as long as he was healthy he was a good bounce back gamble for Round 16. Bud Norris (20th round) and Justin Masterson (30th) were two pitchers that I thought pitched better than their numbers last year. They’ve both been tremendous back-end starters of my rotation.
“On offense, Danny Espinosa has been my biggest surprise. I had my eye on Neil Walker during the draft but he went one pick before it was my turn. I felt that Espinosa was the last viable starting second baseman on the board and a major gamble. I thought there was a 50 percent chance he’d struggle and get sent back to the minors at some point and a 50 percent chance that he’d hit for a low average but have great counting stats. Fortunately, the latter scenario has come to fruition for the first half.
“My best free agent pickup has been Travis Hafner, who I grabbed the first week for $45. There was plenty of positive news on him during spring training which led me to pick him up. I also picked up Eric Hosmer for $585 and so far have been satisfied with his numbers. I broke the bank on Hosmer because I felt that he was the best rookie left with the highest upside. I was also trying to patch up a hole at corner infield since I had Ryan Zimmerman on the DL at that point.”
Duponte is no stranger to success in the NFBC. He joined the event in 2006 and has competed in nearly everything the NFBC has to offer, including the Main Event, Ultimate, Super, Auctions and the Double Play.
Last year, he finished second in his Double Play Live league and third in his New York Main Event league. Duponte also finished second in his Main Event league in 2007.
So when it comes to assessing what his team needs to do to remain in the hunt for his first NFBC league title and – even better – the overall championship and its $100,000 grand prize, Duponte believes he has a firm grasp on what needs to occur the rest of the way.
“My team needs to stay healthy,” he said. “I’ve had my fair share of injuries so far – Ryan Zimmerman, most notably – but fortunately they haven’t all come at once. I’d like to find a third closer for my roster. I’m hoping my $5 Bobby Parnell pickup this week will pay dividends once the Mets trade (Francisco Rodriguez).
“Most of the time when you’re in fourth place in the overall standings you would expect to lead your division. I have had the unfortunate fate of being Paul Gromek in my division and the overall standings (Gromek is currently third overall). I’m also being chased by a three-time Main Event league champion in Bob Mazur.
“Prior to the draft I wasn’t familiar with many of the names in my league but that means nothing. The NFBC has tough competition so I prepare for a grind every year.”
The 33-year-old Duponte lives in Waltham, MA and works as a financial adviser. He typically joins the NFBC each year with close friend Eric DelRicci. Unfortunately, Eric wasn’t able to take part this year but his presence remains an integral part of Duponte’s NFBC season.
“Eric was recovering from donating his liver to save his cousin’s life,” Duponte said. “It was a very heroic act on his behalf and I changed my long-standing team name (Red Sox Nation) to Eric’s Liver in honor of this courageous act. Eric and his cousin are doing great today.”
Unfortunately, the twists and turns of professional sports rarely make any fantasy season simple and relaxing. However, when you do strike gold, the enjoyment level rises considerably and the potential for a memorable season becomes significantly enhanced.
Jason Duponte is having that type of season in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship’s Main Event. The reason? Simple. He drafted some of the best players in the game who have put forth the type of production all championship teams need and relish.
Thanks in large part to standout seasons from Ryan Braun, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clayton Kershaw and Cole Hamels, Duponte’s first weekend Main Event team has vaulted in prime position in the overall standings. That team entered play on Wednesday fourth in the event.
“The keys have been incredible pitching and an offense led by two of the Top 6 offensive players in fantasy baseball – Braun and Ellsbury,” Duponte said. “I’ve maximized my lineup options all season with the twice-a-week offense change rule. I’ve been very active watching player splits and not taking chances with players who are nursing injuries. I’ve been trying to maximize at-bats and have options on the bench to fill in at most positions.”
While Braun and Ellsbury have supplied the offensive prowess, landing Kershaw and Hamels was a specific part of Duponte’s Draft Day agenda.
“My draft strategy has changed throughout the years depending on the player pool,” he said. “This year, my goal in the Main Event was to grab two of my Top 10 preseason ranked starting pitchers. I’ve been fortunate that both of them have lived up to the preseason rankings.”
As is typically the case with a strong team, Duponte was able to find some value picks later in the draft who have proven popular as well as mine for helpful talent on the Waiver Wire.
“My Round 16 pick – James Shields – has been tremendous,” he said. “He’s burned me in the past but I thought that as long as he was healthy he was a good bounce back gamble for Round 16. Bud Norris (20th round) and Justin Masterson (30th) were two pitchers that I thought pitched better than their numbers last year. They’ve both been tremendous back-end starters of my rotation.
“On offense, Danny Espinosa has been my biggest surprise. I had my eye on Neil Walker during the draft but he went one pick before it was my turn. I felt that Espinosa was the last viable starting second baseman on the board and a major gamble. I thought there was a 50 percent chance he’d struggle and get sent back to the minors at some point and a 50 percent chance that he’d hit for a low average but have great counting stats. Fortunately, the latter scenario has come to fruition for the first half.
“My best free agent pickup has been Travis Hafner, who I grabbed the first week for $45. There was plenty of positive news on him during spring training which led me to pick him up. I also picked up Eric Hosmer for $585 and so far have been satisfied with his numbers. I broke the bank on Hosmer because I felt that he was the best rookie left with the highest upside. I was also trying to patch up a hole at corner infield since I had Ryan Zimmerman on the DL at that point.”
Duponte is no stranger to success in the NFBC. He joined the event in 2006 and has competed in nearly everything the NFBC has to offer, including the Main Event, Ultimate, Super, Auctions and the Double Play.
Last year, he finished second in his Double Play Live league and third in his New York Main Event league. Duponte also finished second in his Main Event league in 2007.
So when it comes to assessing what his team needs to do to remain in the hunt for his first NFBC league title and – even better – the overall championship and its $100,000 grand prize, Duponte believes he has a firm grasp on what needs to occur the rest of the way.
“My team needs to stay healthy,” he said. “I’ve had my fair share of injuries so far – Ryan Zimmerman, most notably – but fortunately they haven’t all come at once. I’d like to find a third closer for my roster. I’m hoping my $5 Bobby Parnell pickup this week will pay dividends once the Mets trade (Francisco Rodriguez).
“Most of the time when you’re in fourth place in the overall standings you would expect to lead your division. I have had the unfortunate fate of being Paul Gromek in my division and the overall standings (Gromek is currently third overall). I’m also being chased by a three-time Main Event league champion in Bob Mazur.
“Prior to the draft I wasn’t familiar with many of the names in my league but that means nothing. The NFBC has tough competition so I prepare for a grind every year.”
The 33-year-old Duponte lives in Waltham, MA and works as a financial adviser. He typically joins the NFBC each year with close friend Eric DelRicci. Unfortunately, Eric wasn’t able to take part this year but his presence remains an integral part of Duponte’s NFBC season.
“Eric was recovering from donating his liver to save his cousin’s life,” Duponte said. “It was a very heroic act on his behalf and I changed my long-standing team name (Red Sox Nation) to Eric’s Liver in honor of this courageous act. Eric and his cousin are doing great today.”
Great team you two put together. Thumbs up there Eric, hope all are recovering well.