2024 NFBC Main Event Winner Team Review

The high-stakes fantasy baseball market draws players from various life backgrounds and home playing fields. Many Yahoos get run over by the more challenging competition because the quickest to the computer no longer wins the game in the waiver wire world. Those bogus “hit-them-with-volume trades to steal a stud player and backfill the lost players with the best available options in the free agent pool” are closed in nontrading formats. In the National Fantasy Baseball Championship, any success is driven by drafting well, staying healthy, and in-season team management. At the same time, the invested players must have success on the field and exceed expectations to win an overall prize.

Clark Olson came to the NFBC with an edge in his fantasy knowledge and experience thanks to multiple overall titles in ESPN’s Uber Fantasy Challenge. His path to success is data-driven, highlighted by his hit-the-ground-running success in the main event in their first two seasons (2004 and 2005). Fantasy baseball is a humbling game, and the best of the best must improve their decision-making to have long-term success. From 2006 to 2016, he only won one other NFBC main event title (2012). I’m sure reflection, sleepless nights, and some spreadsheet tinkering led to a rekindled bounce in his fantasy step over the past five seasons. Since 2020, Olson has picked up six titles while taking home the Holy Fantasy Baseball Grail in 2024 (NFBC overall title and a check for $200,000). His success this year also earned him a spot in the NFBC Baseball Hall of Fame.

In an effort to help my game and potentially see the light for my recent fantasy mistakes, I’m going to walk through his 2024 winning season in three steps: draft, waiver wire pickups, and weekly looks at his lineup.

From November to late March, the player pool has many changes due to research, injuries, and even outside player news. The most significant impact on NFBC's main event live drafts came from the potential gambling scandal and the possible suspension of Shohei Ohtani. To win an overall title, drafting impact players with separator stats is imperative. Olson drew or moved to pick 15 in his winning NFBC main event. Four of the top six hitters in 2024 were drafted after pick 10 in many drafts, giving the back end of drafts an edge offensive production if drafting two of these players.

Here's his draft while adding their final rankings by my FPGscore:

Note: I’ll rank their score by hitter or pitcher, not combined rankings.

1.15 Jose Ramirez, CLE (Ranked 4th – +12.04)

Over my recent fantasy career, I’ve passed, overlooked, and disrespected Ramirez's foundation skill set. His short-pudgy physique screams a downturn in speed, and his rise in power was helped by a change to a flyball swing path in 2018 and repeated in six of the past seven seasons. Ramirez set a career-high in runs (114), RBIs (118), and steals (41) while matching his career-best in home runs (39). He’s missed 15 games over the past three seasons, leading three consecutive years with over 600 at-bats (601, 611, and 620).

2.1 Shohei Ohtani, LAD (Ranked 1st – +19.55)

If Ohtani doesn’t slide to Olson on the one/two turn, he doesn’t win the overall title, and Clark may not have won his main event. Ohtani led the National League in plate appearances (731), runs (134), home runs (54), and RBIs (130) while finishing second in steals (59). No other player in MLB history has posted a 50/50 season. For kicks, he even hit over .300 (.310 – second in the NL) for the second consecutive season.

After two players, Olson has a massive edge in runs (248), home runs (93), RBIs (248), and steals (100). Earlier in my fantasy career, I dreamed of getting 75 home runs and 75 steals with my first three hitters.

3.15 Randy Arozarena, SEA (Ranked 93rd – -0.98)

Based on playing time (549 at-bats) and counting stats (77/20/60/20), Arozarena was a helpful player. Unfortunately, his negative batting average (.219 – a career-low by a wide margin) led to him underachieving his draft position.

4.1 Aaron Nola, PHI (Ranked 27th – +2.37)

In the NFBC main event, I don’t consider Nola a true ace due to his propensity to mix multiple disaster starts on the heels of some brilliant games. He did beat the league average in ERA (3.57), with help in wins (14) and strikeouts (197). Nola hasn’t missed a start, I believe, since 2017, making him a proven veteran player. He allowed a National League high in home runs (30) while giving up four runs or more in seven of his 33 starts.

5.15 Alexis Diaz, CIN (Ranked 96th – -2.46)

The quest for saves can be brutal sometimes when investing in a high draft pick. The idea of drafting Diaz coming into 2024 was the hopes of getting some vulture wins (16 over his first two seasons with the Reds) while setting a reasonable floor in saves (37 in 2023) and some help in strikeouts (86 in 2023). In the end, he lost his strikeout ability (8.8 per nine – 11.5 in 2023), leading to too many down days and not enough saves (28), especially when adding his weakness in ERA (3.99) and WHIP (1.296).

6.1 Adley Rutschman, BAL (Ranked 103rd – -1.46)

Rostering a high at-bat catcher who hits in a favorable part of the batting order can turn into a massive edge if that hitter plays up to expectations. Rutschman slid past his ADP, and Olson thought he landed a steal in this draft. Unfortunately, he failed to reach his previous season in runs (68 – 84), home runs (19 – 20), and RBIs (79 – 80), with a sharp regression in batting average (.250 – .277). At the All-Star break, Rutschman was a helpful player (.276/47/16/59/1). Surprisingly, he lost his way over his final 208 at-bats (.207/21/3/20).

7.15 Tanner Scott, SD (Ranked 25th – +2.48)

Scott was a helpful player for the season, but a midseason trade led to only four saves (22 on the year) in August and September. His stats with Miami (6-5 with a 1.18 ERA, 1.007 WHIP, 53 strikeouts, and 18 saves over 45.2 innings) gave Clark help in all pitching categories. The move to the Padres led to a regression in his ERA (2.73) and WHIP (1.329). Scott will go down as a “keep up in the game pick” with time to address his lost closing opportunity.

Instead of two aces and one closer as his foundation, Olson wanted to save free-agent dollars and potential roster slots on closers in waiting. This plan after three pitchers left him behind the best pitching staffs in the overall standings.

8.1 Joe Musgrove, SD (Ranked 157th – -474)

Over his last six tee shots, Olson missed the fairway more than expected, considering this is an overall winning team. Musgrove gave him 19 reasonable starts (6-5 with a 3.88 ERA, 1.174 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts over 99.2 innings), but he crushed him in April (27 runs, 58 baserunners, and nine home runs over 35.0 innings with 27 strikeouts). Musgrove landed on the injured list twice in May, costing him over nine weeks of the season. I would be surprised if Olson caught his final nine starts (2.15 ERA, 0.874 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts over 50.1 innings).

9.15 Josh Naylor, CLE (Ranked 30th – +2.86)

The first base position was minefield from round 8 to round 12 in last year's main event drafts. On the positive side, Naylor was the winning investment in the area. He finished with career-highs in at-bats (563), runs (84), home runs (31), and RBIs (108) despite a step back in batting average (.243). There is something to be said for drafting a hitter that is one-off on the batting order from a stud. Hitting behind Jose Ramirez should create more RBI chances (412), and Naylor has been successful with runners on base over the past three seasons (RBI rate – 20.0).

10.1 Hunter Greene, CIN (Ranked 28th – +2.19)

Greene missed 39 days in August and September last season. Over his first 24 starts, he went 9-4 with a 2.83 ERA, 1.019 WHIP, and 162 strikeouts over 143.1 innings. He had five disaster starts (25 runs, 40 baserunners, and six home runs over 33.1 innings) over this span. Greene finished the year with 19 hit batters. In essence, Olson found a value ace that delivered winning stats for about 80 % of the season.

11.15 Anthony Santander, BAL (Ranked 24th – +3.80)

Other than batting average (.235), Santander was a beast selection in this part of the draft. His at-bat total (595) was the best of his career while increasing for the fourth consecutive season. He set new tops in runs (91), home runs (44), and RBIs (102). Coming into 2024, Santander had a proven bar in 2022 (.240/78/33/89) and 2023 (.257/81/28/95), and the Orioles came into the year with plenty of excitement and upside about their offense. His quest for power led to a massive jump in his fly ball rate (54.8 – 49.8 in 2022 and 49.7 in 2023) but easier outs via popups despite having an improved approach.

12.1 Willy Adames, MIL (Ranked 13th – +5.82)

Adames delivered first-round fantasy value thanks to adding more speed (21 steals – previous best of eight in 2022) to his stat line. He set career highs in at-bats (610), runs (93), home runs (32), and RBIs (112). Just like Santander, he came into the season with success in back-to-back years in the counting categories (83/31/98/8 and 73/24/80/5), but he did offer batting average risk (2022 – .238 and 2023 – .217). His one weakness (BA – .251) finished higher than expected, considering his high number of strikeouts (173 – 504 over his last 1,726 at-bats).

After 12 rounds, here’s his lineup structure: C, 1B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, UT, SP, SP, SP, CL, and CL

13.15 Nathan Eovaldi, TEX (Ranked 41st – +0.81)

The attraction to Eovaldi was his expected value in WHIP, thanks to his ability to limit the number of free passes. He finished with a three-year high in starts (29 – 20 in 2022 and 25 in 2023) with a minimal change in his ERA (3.80 – 3.74 from 2020 to 2023). The previous season, Eovaldi was the toughest to hit in his career (.225), and he almost repeated his success in this area last year (.229 BAA), leading to a winning WHIP (1.107) and help in wins (12) and strikeouts (166).

14.1 Jeremy Pena, HOU (Ranked 52nd – +1.08)

The best assets Pena had heading into 2024 were his plate appearances (634) and at-bat total (577). He underachieved in 2023 (.263/81/10/52/13) compared to his rookie season (.253/72/22/63/11 over 521 at-bats). Last season, Pena sat out only five games while delivering a competitive category year (.266/78/15/70/20) while setting a new top in at-bats (602).

After eight batters, his lowest at-bat total is 549, giving Olson 12.1% of the top 66 hitters in playing time. In a 15-team league, each team should have had about 4.4 batters with about 550 at-bats based on last year’s stats.

15.15 Jonathan India, CIN (Ranked 89th – -0.88)

The Reds lineup and offensive structure heading into 2024 was loaded with depth, suggesting India didn’t have a clear path to everyday at-bats. An injury to Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Matt McLain added to the 80-game suspension to Noelvi Marte, cleared the way for a better opportunity a couple of months into the season. The Reds had him in their lineup for 151 games, leading to a steady season in four categories (runs – 84, home runs – 15, RBIs – 58, and steals – 13). He beat the major average (.243) in batting average (.248) while finishing as a liability in this area in the NFBC target goal.

16.1 Masataka Yoshida, BOS (Ranked 174th – -4.13)

Yoshida should have been an excellent fit for this team based on his early team build in power and some batting average risk. Unfortunately, a left thumb issue and a right shoulder injury led to 54 missed games and surgery after the season. He finished the year with a .280 batting average with 45 runs, 10 home runs, 56 RBIs, and two steals. Yoshida was the first whiff in this draft due to health issues, and I would expect him to be replaced by Olson sometime in May or June.

17.15 Sean Manaea, NYM (Ranked 26th – +2.43)

From 2020 to 2023, Manaea went 30-28 with a 4.42 ERA, 1.250 WHIP, and 523 strikeouts over 509.0 innings. His WHIP and value strikeouts suggested a much better arm, and he did have a winning walk rate (2.4) over his first eight years in the majors. Manaea finished with the best season of his career (12-6 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.084 WHIP, and 184 strikeouts over 181.2 innings). His growth was tied to him being more challenging to hit (.202 BAA), an area he showed growth in during his 2023 season (.234). Manaea was the second starting pitcher selected by Olson after round 10 who he gravitated toward command and an improving pitch mix.

18.1 Gerrit Cole, NYY (Ranked 118th – -3.22)

In the early days of auction leagues in the NFBC, the Longood’s had a high level of success by buying discounted star players. Cole developed a right elbow injury in March, creating a free fall in his ADP, and the Yankees placed him on the 60-day injured list on March 28th. Some of the top fantasy players in the NFBC excel at interpreting injury information – when to avoid at all costs and when to buy an elite player at a discount. Olson took a swing on the Cole with the hopes of getting at least a half-season out of him. As his sixth starting pitcher, he knew that reward outweighed the risk. In the end, Cole returned to the mound on June 19th, but his right arm didn’t look healthy after his first seven starts (21 runs, 51 baserunners, and nine home runs over 35.0 innings). Over the final two months of the year, he went 5-3 with a 2.25 ERA, 0.933 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts over 60.0 innings, pushing Olson up the overall standings in the main event.

19.15 Bryan De La Cruz, MIA (Ranked 128th – -2.52)

De La Cruz checked the winning box in at-bats (584) while offering the most value over his first 74 games (.252 with 35 runs, 14 home runs, 35 RBIs, and one stolen base). His bat lost all starting fantasy value after the All-Star break (.216/20/5/24/3 over 204 at-bats), and I’m confident Olson replaced him via the free agent pool at some point over the second half of the season.

20.1 Jon Gray, TEX (Ranked 260th – -7.17)

For the year, Gray was a disaster selection. He did help Olson over his first 13 starts (2-2 with a 2.17 ERA, 1.203 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts over 13 games). He crushed fantasy teams in two of his final three starts in June (17 runs, 21 baserunners, and four home runs over eight innings), leading to his ERA fall to 3.77. One of those starts would have been easy to avoid (@BAL). Gray made only three more starts after a respectable July (2-0 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.132 WHIP, and nine strikeouts over 17.2 innings) due to groin and foot issues.

To fill his starting lineup (23 players), Olson needs these positions (C2, CO, and OF) after 20 rounds.

21.15 Ranger Suarez, PHI (Ranked 56th – -0.30)

Saurez gave fantasy teams an impactful boost after a sensational first 10 starts (9-1 with a 1.36 ERA, 0.789 WHIP, and 68 strikeouts over 66.0 innings). Unfortunately, he gave back much of his gains over his final 17 starts (only three wins with a 5.10 ERA and 1.524 WHIP) while missing a month after the All-Star break.

22.1 Nathaniel Lowe, TEX (Ranked 117th – -2.01)

Lowe came into last year with over 550 at-bast in three consecutive seasons (557, 593, and 623) while missing only 11 games from 2021 to 2023. A mid-March oblique issue led to him missing the first three weeks of the season while creating a discount on draft day. He finished the season with serviceable production in four categories (BA – .265, R – 62, HR – 16, and RBIs – 69) over 486 at-bats.

23.15 Brendan Rodgers, COL (Ranked 146th – -2.94)

The Rockies gave Rodgers 1,593 at-bats over the past four seasons, but he had yet to live up to his first-round pedigree. I’m sure Olson kicked him to the curb by the All-Star break based on his stats over his first 76 games (.268/31/5/28/1 over 280 at-bats). Rodgers’ production did improve over his final 11 weeks of the season (.267 with 35 runs, eight runs, and 26 RBIs over 221 at-bats).

24.1 Andrew Heaney, TEX (Ranked 142nd – -1.49)

Heaney was a challenging ride over his first 10 starts (4.69 ERA, 1.375 WHIP, and eight home runs over 48.0 innings), leading to five exits before finishing five innings. He did offer winning stats over his next nine starts (2.72 ERA, 1.107 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts over 49.2 innings) before fading over the second half of the season (5.40 ERA, 1.267 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts over 60.0 innings).

25.15 Harrison Bader, NYM (Ranked 148th – -3.05)

Based on his at-bats (402), Bader delivered helpful stats in runs (57), home runs (12), RBIs (51), and steals (17). Unfortunately, he was challenging to time due to his platoon role. Most of his production came before the All-Star break (.273/39/8/36/13 over 264 at-bats).

26.1 Yoan Moncada, CWS (Ranked 531st – -11.68)

Moncada went down as a bust selection due to 150 missed games with multiple injuries. On the positive side, his early trip to the injury list gives a fantasy manager the best chance of finding a potentially helpful player off the waiver wire.

27.15 Johan Rojas, PHI (Ranked 188th – -4.63)

The run at Rojas was expected to be a manageable option on the bench for steals. He finished with 25 stolen bases over 338 at-bats while being a liability in home runs (3), RBIs (32), and batting average (.243). The Phillies gave him 153 at-bats in April and May (.229/19/2/17/13), but Rojas played his way to the free-agent pool in fantasy baseball leagues.

28.1 Jose Quintana, NYM (Ranked 95th – -2.40)

In a non-trading format like the NFBC, there is something to be said for a starting pitcher who wins one-third of his starts. Quintana was a liability in strikeouts (135 over 170.1 innings), but he won 10 of his 31 starts (32.2%) with a reasonable ERA (3.75) and WHIP (1.25).

29.15 Erick Fedde, CWS (Ranked 58th – -0.33)

Fedde came into last season with a 21-33 record in the majors with a 5.41 ERA, 1.523 WHIP, and 352 strikeouts over 454.1 innings). Based on these stats, he appeared to be an easy avoid for drafters. Fedde gained momentum in March after a great year pitching Korea in 2023 (20-6 with a 2.00 ERA, 0.954 WHIP, and 209 strikeouts over 180.1 innings). Olson took a flier on him, and Fedde rewarded his dart with a career year (9-9 with a 3.30 ERA, 1,162 WHIP, and 154 strikeouts over 177.1 innings).

30.1 Yan Gomes, CHC (Ranked 544th – 11.78)

The second catcher position wasn’t important for Olson in this draft. Gomes only had 91 at-bats the year with seven runs, two home runs, and seven RBIs. He’ll surf the free agent pool for viable options, with a goal of finding 50 runs, 15 home runs, and 50 RBIs from the position for all catcher swings.

A Walk to Remember

Before I work my way through Clark Olson’s winner main event season in 2024, I wanted to walk through some weekly checkpoints to help fantasy managers see the road to a championship better. When the gate opens for a fantasy baseball season in the high-stakes market with an overall championship, the goal is to have a balanced team that will compete to be in the top 20% of all 10 Roto categories.

In my Fantasy Baseball Basics Article, I lay out the season targets (12-team format – they are slightly lower for 15-team leagues) for the upcoming season based on what happened on the fantasy baseball field in this event in 2024. The next step is breaking down the data into weekly targets to help get a feel for the strengths and weaknesses of your team. Here’s a look at what it takes over 27 weeks (162 games divided by 6 per week ~ Note: there are two half weeks played during the year – opening weekend and the All-Star break).

Reviewing weekly targets helps to understand the long-season goals. At the same time, a fantasy manager must have a feel for his team’s potential to avoid kicking a struggling star player to the curb or putting too much faith in an overachieving player over the long haul. Knowing when to get on and off the bus of replacement-type players covering injuries or draft day weaknesses in their starting lineup is a challenge and an area in which some game managers excel.

Week 1

Over the first week of the MLB season, most teams will only play three games. The Dodgers and Padres played two games in Korea a week before the live NFBC events in Las Vegas, giving Olson some extra at-bats by Shohei Ohtani. His team hit .245 with 31 home runs, four RBIs, and four stolen bases over 204 at-bats. When each team plays a six-game schedule for the week, the goal is to have 300+ at-bats while also understanding the high walk players will lower this total and be productive in helping fantasy teams. Olson carried three bench bats (Nathaniel Lowe – on the injured list) over the first weekend.

The first few games of the 2024 baseball season were a disaster on the pitching side for Olson. Only one of his six starting pitchers made it through six innings. He posted competitive strikeouts (32) with no wins or saves, and his ERA (6.53) and WHIP (1.91) ranked at the bottom of his league. Olson took a zero by starting Andrew Heaney due to benching Joe Musgrove (rare double starter in Week 1) after a poor outing in Korea. He missed out on a playable game by Ranger Suarez, but the Phillies may not have listed him as a starter when lineups locked. His opening pitching staff had two relievers and 11 starters.

The NFBC runs a waiver period before the start of the season (3/24 in 2024), giving fantasy managers a chance to fill some holes in their lineup to cover injuries. With two games played before this pick-up period, some managers will “buy stats” to gain a home run, a win, a save, or any stat from an unrostered player. Olson didn’t add any players over the first two free-agent cycles.

Week 2

The combination of Josh Naylor, Jeremy Pena, and Shohei Ohtani delivered 11 runs, five home runs, 15 RBIs, and one steal in Week 2, but the rest of Olson’s team barely had an offensive pulse. He did leave two long balls on the bench by Willy Adames. Overall, his team lost ground in all five hitting categories with his subpar week (.237/38/6/29/3).

All of Olson’s starting pitchers had success in Week 2, leading to five wins with an edge in ERA (1.38) and WHIP (0.96). He fell short of his goal in strikeouts (48) while picking up one save. Joe Musgrove (one run over six innings with seven strikeouts and a win) delivered a nice rebound game on his bench.

For the third waiver period, Olson stood pat with his drafted lineup. The best free agent pickup after Week 1 was Kirby Yates ($16 – runner up $9), but the Cleveland Dustmites dropped him after Week 2.

Week 3

His final stats in Week 3 finished in a competitive area in all five categories (.297/46/13/41/5) with 296 at-bats. He used all his available bats this lineup period, even with Nathaniel Lowe still on the injured list. Yoan Moncada suffered an injury on April 9th (pretty much down for the year), leaving a temporary hole in his starting lineup at the corner position. The combination of Josh Naylor, Bryan De La Cruz, Masataka Yoshida, Willy Adames, and Shohei Ohtani went 38-for-105 (.361) with 19 runs, eight home runs, 24 RBIs, and one steal.

Besides his two Phillies pitchers (two wins with two runs allowed over 12.0 innings with 11 strikeouts), most of his other starting pitchers gave him losing stats. Olson finished the week with par-level strikeouts (53) but weakness in ERA (5.25), WHIP (1.35 WHIP), and two saves.

In his first dive into the free-agent pool, Olson addressed the injury to Yoan Moncada and tried to upgrade his C2 (Patrick Bailey). He also flipped Andrew Heaney for JB Sears. He pushed in $90 for his three players, leading to easy wins for each option in the free-agent pool.

Week 4

After a slow beginning to the season in stolen bases (12), Olson’s team delivered 16 steals this week, pushing him high up the standings in this category. His offense finished with 42 runs, 10 home runs, and 50 RBIs. Bryan De La Cruz (.250/4/3/8/1) and Josh Naylor (.286/3/2/8) stayed hot in the power department. Ten of his hitters stole at least one bag. Patrick Bailey (.353/2/1/4/1) was an instant upgrade at the second catcher position, while Anthony Rendon (8-for-23 with three runs, two RBIs, and two steals) hinted at a better outcome with his bat in 2024. On the positive side, Nathaniel Lowe returned from the injured list, giving Olson a second option at the corner position.

Olson had a stellar pitching week, hitting his goals in all five categories (four wins, five saves, and 62 strikeouts with a 1.79 ERA and 0.99 WHIP). Two starting pitchers (Aaron Nola and Joe Musgrove) had double starts, leading to three wins and 22 strikeouts. Musgrove was the pitching in his lineup with an ERA over 2.25. His two closers combined to pitch 6.1 shutout innings with seven strikeouts and five saves. Jon Gray and Ranger Suarez finished with stellar performances (one run over 16.2 innings with a win and 19 strikeouts).

Over this lineup period, Olson had nine starts. In fantasy baseball with weekly lineups, there tend to be three cycles of starting pitching – shortfall, hold ground, and gain due to starting pitchers lining up for double starts about once every three weeks. Adding pitching depth on the bench or streaming double starters via the waiver wire can improve these categories. The latter is dangerous in 15 formats, while shallower leagues have many more winning opportunities.

Shortfall: With a goal of four wins a week and more than 53 strikeouts, it is challenging to achieve these outcomes when your team doesn’t have any double starters for the week. If a fantasy team has multiple frontline aces, reaching weekly targets in the shortfall cycle is possible. As the season progresses, a manager must sprinkle in double starters in this period if they want to make up ground in wins and strikeouts. By shopping in the free agent pool, this path tends to have more risk than reward in ERA and WHIP.

Hold Ground: The above week by Olson’s team would fall into this category in this lineup period. He had nine starts but averaged 6.55 innings per starting pitcher slot, allowing his team to gain some ground in strikeouts. Winning four of nine starts is an excellent ratio, but it is not repeatable over the long haul, especially for fantasy teams with below-par front-line starters.

Gain: Based on a seven-starting-pitching lineup over three weeks, a fantasy manager should expect 28 starts. Unfortunately, there is a wide range of these opportunities. When looking at Olson’s team over the past three weeks, he had eight, eight, and nine starts despite having 10 available starting pitchers on his roster each week.

Part of his shortfall, along with most other teams, is that there tend to be more off days over the first 10 days or so of the season. Some teams will use five starters, while others will skip their fifth starter until mid-April.

Based on looking at his team, Olson should have his highest inning outcome in the next pitching cycle, giving him a chance to have a massive gain in strikeouts while landing on the positive side of his win target. Rather than wait for an update on his team for Week 5, his team finished with 76.2 innings (only 1.2 by his closers). Olson had 12 starts, leading to five wins and 77 strikeouts.

By having length to his pitching depth on his bench, Olson should avoid seven and eight start weeks, creating more chances at wins and strikeouts. As the season develops, he can shift one or more pitching slots to saves if his team has an edge in wins and strikeouts.

The Rockies called up Bouchard on 4/17. He went 3-for-9 with a run over his first three games before this pickup period. Olson tried to capitalize on six home games by Colorado, hoping Bouchard was a viable buy-and-hold option. The A’s gave Toro every day at-bats in mid-April, and his production (.268/7/2/7 over 56 at-bats) showed an uptick, putting him into the “potential hot hand with playing time” category. Olson dumped his base stealer (Rojas) while moving on from the Anthony Rendon.

Week 5

Olson’s outfield let him down in Week 5, leading to only one home run and six RBIs over 77 at-bats. His team fell short of his targets in runs (35), RBIs (37), and batting average (.245). Jose Ramirez (.348/4/2/6/3) and Adley Rutschman (.385/3/2/5) were his best two players for the week. Masataka Yoshida only had one at-bat due to an injury that pushed him to the injury list for about six weeks.

As I mentioned in my Week 4 recap, Olson had a phenomenal pitching week during this lineup period. He had four double starters, leading to 76.2 innings with five wins, two saves, and 77 strikeouts with excellent stats in ERA (2.23) and WHIP (0.87). Tanner Scott didn’t pitch, and his top three starters (Hunter Greene, Erick Fedde, and Ranger Suarez) combined for four runs and 45 strikeouts over 43.1 innings while allowing only eight runs.

After a one-week trial, Olson shipped Sean Bouchard and Abraham Toro back to the free agent pool. They went a combined 4-for-24 with two runs, one RBI, and one stolen base. Nolan Schanuel was an upgrade in playing time while hitting in a favorable part of the Angels’ lineup. An injury to Cody Bellinger opened a starting window for Pete Crow-Amstrong, and he offered some help in steals. Andrew Heaney struggled in April (16 runs, 29 baserunners, and five home runs over 23.0 innings), but he lined up for favorable starts over his next two games (WAS and @OAK). Over the past three weeks, Olson spent $182 on eight players ($22.75 average). His opposing bids came to $82.

Week 6

In this lineup period, Olson had a shortfall in at-bats at C2 (8) and one outfield position (17 by Harrison Bader). Other than batting average (.238), his team climbed up the overall standings in runs (49), home runs (14), RBIs (51), and steals (11). Shohei Ohtani and Willy Adames combined for 10 runs, six home runs, 16 RBIs, and four steals. Pete Corw-Armstrong chipped in with two steals despite having only three hits over 20 at-bats. Eight starting batters had at least one home run and/or a stolen base.

This pitching period fell into the shortfall cycle due to only eight starts and multiple starters failing to pitch deep in games. A vulture win by Tanner Scott helped him reach his target of four wins, but Olson was unable to earn a save for the week. Alexis Diaz (five runs over 1.1 innings) started to show his weakness out of the bullpen. His two Texas starters (Jon Gray and Nathan Eovaldi) and hot Ranger Suarez gave up three runs over 26.1 innings, accounting for his other three wins and 24 strikeouts. Despite two lousy pitching slots (Diaz and Erick Fedde), his team posted a competitive ERA (3.49) but a losing WHIP (1.33). Olson left one win on his bench while all three options pitched well (three runs over 19.1 innings with 19 strikeouts).

The decision to carry a potentially helpful injured player is always challenging, but there is always a cost of tying up a bench spot. Olson has already committed to Gerrit Cole and wanted to add another outfielder option to help cover the Cody Bellinger injury. Masataka Yoshida packed his bags, leading to a fantasy opportunity for Andrew Benintendi. His bat and overall production soured over the previous couple of seasons after looking like a 20/20 player early in his career for Boston.

Week 7

In Week 7, Patrick Bailey was becoming a problem due to an injury and 13 missed games over 16 days. The combination of Andre Benintendi (.143/1/0/0/0 over 14 at-bats), Pete Armstrong-Crow (.250 with one steal over 12 at-bats), and Harrison Bader (1-for-9 with no production) was creating two weak spots in Olson’s lineup. Despite these weaknesses, his team finished with solid stats in five categories (.273/40/16/39/10). Five players hit two home runs or more. Jeremy Pena (.435/3/1/31) was his best overall hitter in Week 7.

After seven lineup periods, Olson only has 11 saves, putting him behind pace by about eight saves. He had a hold-ground week in strikeouts (52) due to only having eight starts. Andrew Heaney had 13 strikeouts over his 11 innings in two starts, with a 2.45 ERA while allowing too many baserunners. Erick Fedde, Sean Manaea, Ranger Suarez, and Jon Gray allowed four runs over 25.0 innings with 20 strikeouts and three wins. Olson lost Nathan Eovaldi and Joe Musgrove to injuries, compromising his starting pitching options and the flexibility of his bench.

Jose Soriano was a helpful waiver wire about this time of the year last season. Olson dumped three bats while taking a flier on Isiah Kiner-Falefa (.391/3/1/6) and Connor Joe (.333/5/2/6) after uptick weeks early in May. He didn’t fix his catching issue, and his team now has three hurt pitchers on his bench.

Week 8

Despite no at-bats from his C2 and two dull half weeks in playing time from Anthony Santander (eight at-bats) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (0-4), Olson finished with 296 at-bats for his team. He hit his category goals in home runs (13), RBIs (44), and steals (8). His batting average (.233) has been below par in three of the past four scoring periods. Shohei Ohtani (.357/3/2/6/2), Jose Ramirez (.375/2/2/8/2), and Adley Rutschman (.353/5/3/5) played at a high level. Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 0-for-10, giving Olson an excellent reason to launch him back into the free-agent pool this waiver period. I have foresight when looking at player's stats (completed games), making it easier to see when to cut someone. Patrick Bailey shouldn’t survive another week after only having three at-bats over the past 14 days.

Olson had a dream week in wins (9), allowing him to pass many teams in his league and in the overall standings. He has 32 victories after seven and a half lineup periods, putting on pace for 100+ wins. His ERA (2.00) and WHIP (0.96) were stellar, but Olson added only one save (12 on the season). His growing edge in wins should allow him to chase saves as the season moves on. Aaron Nola (two wins) delivered ace stats (1.13 ERA, 0.56 WHIP, and 13 strikeouts over 16.0 innings), while Tanner Scott added a pair of vulture wins. Alexis Diaz continues to pitch below expectations. Andrew Heaney (4.91 ERA) was his only starting arm that struggled. Olson did miss on an excellent double start week by newly acquired Jose Soriano (one run over 13.0 innings with a win and 11 strikeouts).

Olson decided to hold onto Patrick Bailey. He rebought Brendan Rodgers ($1) and threw a dart at the often disappointing Jarred Kelenic ($1). His total investment in free agency after eight weeks is $282. Lindy Hinkleman had the best buy of the week (Mark Vientos – $6).

Week 9

The desire to hold onto Patrick Bailey paid off well for Olson in Week 9. He went 7-for-19 with four runs, one home run, seven RBIs, and one steal. His team finished with a steady week in four categories (37/11/45/7), helped by excellent team at-bats (307). Jose Ramirez (.348/7/4/11/1) was the stud of the week. Olson rotated in all his bats, but Jonathan India and Randy Arozarena did not have a hit or any production over their 15 combined at-bats. His batting average (.238) was an area of weakness again in this scoring period.

Olson earned a win and five saves from his two closers, and they combined for 6.2 shutout innings with eight strikeouts. His early pitching MVP is Ranger Suarez (1-0 with a 3.46 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 13.0 strikeouts over 13.0 innings). Olson gained some ground in strikeouts (63) while falling one notch off his target in wins (3). His ERA (3.15) and WHIP (1.05) continue to grade well. JP Sears and Joe Musgrove pitched well on his bench.

The lifeline of Jarred Kelenic lasted one week. His replacement (Nick Senzel) was brought for the league minimum ($1). Olson flipped JP Sears for Taijuan Walker, with the hopes of earning a better chance at wins.

Week 10

The combination of Josh Naylor, Jose Ramirez, and Willy Adames delivered 20 runs, five home runs, 22 RBIs, and one steal for the week, accounting for almost half of Olson's stats (41/8/39/3). His team finished with weakness in at-bats (278) and no edge in his batting average (.252). He appeared to play matchups at 2B and one outfield line spot. Nick Senzel went 5-for-10 with a run and two RBIs over his half-week of playing time. Bryan De La Cruz (two hits with production) over his 19 at-bats.

The quest to add a double starter in this shortfall scoring period didn’t go as planned. Taijuan Walker failed to earn a win while posting losing stats in ERA (7.36) and WHIP (1.73). He took a zero from Joe Musgrove, leading to only 40.0 innings pitched for the week, with one win, two saves, and 36 strikeouts. His only help on the bench was Andrew Heaney (two wins and eight strikeouts), but he appears he wasn’t scheduled to start early in the week. His improved opportunity came from an injury to team and roster mate Jon Gray. Olson lost some ground in ERA (5.85) and WHIP (1.33). Olson correctly sat Nathan Eovaldi and Erick Fedde.

After the 10th bidding cycle, Olson has spent $250. He has plenty of FAAB dollars to negotiate the final 17 waiver periods. Taijuan Walker…he gone after two poor showings. The Joe Musgrove injury led to him serving time in the free-agent pool. His speculation play on A.J. Puk could pay dividends if Olson holds him through the next scoring period (three runs, three hits, and a home run over 3.1 innings with three strikeouts). Blake Perkins went 6-for-16 with four runs, one home run, four RBIs, and one steals) over the final five days before this pick-up period, putting him in the flier category. His only attraction was steals based on his career path in the minors and previous weakness in stats with the Brewers. I was surprised Olson took a ride with the Cal Quantrill (Rockies pitcher). He was trending lower in ERA (3.53) and WHIP (1.21) at the end of May.

Week 11

Besides steals (2), Olson had a productive four-category week (.286/53/16/64). He continues to play matchups with his two extra bench hitters. Ten of his 16 batters hit .300 or higher, highlighted by the power output of Adley Rutschman (.323/5/3/11) and Anthony Santander (.296/5/4/6). Newly acquired Blake Perkins and Brendan Rodgers had 14 hits over 37 at-bats with eight runs, one home run, and seven RBIs. The core of his team remains healthy while adding another week with 300+ at-bats.

In this hold-your-ground week, Olson only had eight starts, but his team picked up six wins with strength in his ERA (2.56) and WHIP (0.93). He fell short of his goal in strikeouts (47) and saves (1). He benched the soaring Ranger Suarez (nine wins over his previous 11 starts) in favor of Cal Quantrill and Andrew Heaney. This decision was due to Suarez getting hit by a line drive on his pitching hand in his previous start (two innings). Olson correctly benched Sean Manaea. A.J. Puk struggled, but he does offer handcuff insurance in the Marlins’ bullpen.

When opportunity knocked, Olson saw the light and dropped the Hammer with his FAAB bid. The previous week, Pile of Dial dropped Snell (7.85 ERA and 1.74 WHIP over his first 28.2 innings) after landing on the injured list again with a groin issue. In his defense, he picked up Spencer Schwellenbach ($59), one of the best free-agent pitchers in 2024 (8-7 with a 3.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 123.2 innings). Snell ended up being out for a month with his groin injury.

Olson ($360) outbid the runner-up ($239) by $121, as this league didn’t see the potential in Snell’s arm over the second half of the year. A top arm rarely lands in the waiver pool in 15-team leagues due to the overall weakness in the free-agent pitching inventory. The motto in any fantasy baseball league should be “You can never have enough good pitching.” His team already ranked high in wins, ERA, and WHIP, with Gerritt Cole returning shortly. For Snell to land on the team that ends up winning the overall, the fantasy gods were shining on him in 2024. Rule number one in fantasy baseball when doing player pickups – never put the best player into the free agent pool. Pile of Dial also added Taijuan Walker and Austin Gomber during this week.

A.J. Puk didn’t survive this waiver period. Olson flipped him for Griffin Jax (on June 9th), who hadn’t picked up a save since May 10th. He also traded in Brendan Rodgers for Otto Lopez (six-game hitting streak – 9-for-22 with two runs, four RBIs, and two steals).

Week 12

The major league schedule (276 at-bats) didn’t line up for Olson in Week 12 based on only five players having more than 20 at-bats. His team had strength in one category (home runs – 14), with steals (8) falling in line with his weekly target. His batting average (.207) remains below an overall winning team. The combination of Anthony Santander, Willy Adames, and Shohei Ohtani delivered 15 runs, 10 home runs, 19 RBIs, and three steals. Connor Joe (6-for-48 with eight runs, one home run, and five RBIs) appears to be on the chopping block after recording his third consecutive down period.

Olson only had eight starts in this period, which should have been a gain cycle in strikeouts and potentially wins. Three starters failed to record an out in the fifth inning. Erick Fedde delivered two excellent outings (a win, 2.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts over 13.0 innings) and a stud showing by Jose Soriano (win over eight innings with five strikeouts). Aaron Nola, Nathan Eovaldi, and Andrew Heaney pitched poorly (15 runs over 11.1 innings), leading to a 4.84 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP for his team for the week. Olson missed out on a winning showing by Sean Manaea (a win and five strikeouts over five innings with a 1.80 ERA and 1.00 WHIP). His team held ground in saves (3).

Twelve waiver periods into the NFBC season, Olson invested only three free-agent dollars on potential saves. His team has 19 saves (about 15 behind the top 20 % in the overall contest). He dumped Griffin Jax for an extra bat, and Connor Joe didn’t survive the week. Joe Adell (.193/28/12/32/9 over 19 at-bats) offers power and speed, but his bat was a losing investment over his previous 23 games (8-for-77 with six runs, three home runs, 10 RBIs, and one stolen base) due a rise in strikeouts (34).

Week 13

Olson’s offense kicked into high gear in all four counting categories (54/19/53/9) while seeing an excellent outcome in batting average (.319). Four players (Josh Naylor, Bryan De La Cruz, Anthony Santander, and Shohei Ohtani) had three home runs or more, highlighted by an impressive week by Ohtani (.458/8/4/11/1). Blake Perkins (0-for-6) was the only weak link, and Olson left Otto Lopez and Jon Singleton on the bench during this scoring period.

The rhythm of starts had been off over the past month for Olson, leading to 269 strikeouts (43 behind the top 20 % in the overall standings). His ERA (4.50) backed up while posting a winning WHIP (1.00). On the positive side, Gerrit Cole returned to the Yankees’ starting rotation. Jon Gray (nine runs over nine innings) turned in a disastrous week, a signal of doom around the corner. Olson received 13.1 shutout innings with 15 strikeouts from his two closers (three saves) and Hunter Greene.

The potential of Tyler Black in power, speed, and batting average is high, but it didn’t materialize last season. I chased him down the fantasy rabbit hole for much of 2024, and Olson saw his upside and the possible help to his team, leading to a big overbid ($54). Unfortunately, after receiving four starts (3-for-11 with a run, one RBI, and one steal), the Brewers pushed him to the bench over the following five games (0-1), earning him a ticket back to AAA. For the year, Black hit .258 in the minors over 392 at-bats with 61 runs, 15 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. Wencel Perez lacked a winning resume at AAA (.164/10/2/8/4 over 55 at-bats), but he flashed over eight games (11-for-30 with three runs, three RBIs, and two steals) before this waiver period. Olson has $275 of free agent money left.

Week 14

As the fantasy baseball season hits the midpoint of the year, Olson gained ground in runs (54), home runs (14), and RBIs (51). His uptick in batting average last week didn’t carry over to this scoring period (.242). Jose Ramirez and Shohei Ohtani combined for 13 runs, seven home runs, 14 RBIs, and one stolen base. Willy Adames didn’t have a hit over his 22 at-bats. Jonathan India smashed .538 over his 26 at-bats (14 hits) with eight runs, five RBIs, and two steals).

Aaron Nola and Andrew Heaney allowed eight runs over 25.2 innings with 29 strikeouts, leading to two of his three wins. Five of his other starting pitchers, plus Jon Gray (bench), posted an ERA higher than 6.00. Tanner Scott carried the load in the save department (3). Olson had three double starters, leading to his highest innings (72.0) and strikeouts (64) since Week 5 (77).

Olson didn’t pick up any this week.

Week 15

At-bats (312) continue to rank highly in most weeks for Olson. His team gained some ground in runs (48) with a steady outcome in home runs (13), RBIs (39), and steals (9). He regressed again in batting average (.231). He had four batters hit two home runs, leading to 19 runs, eight home runs, 18 RBIs, and four stolen bases. Patrick Bailey, Bryan De La Cruz, and Joe Adell went 6-for-47 with four runs, one home run, and four RBIs, putting all players at risk to survive another free-agent period.

For the second week in a row, Olson gained ground in strikeouts (66), with the output in wins (3) and saves (3) over the past three scoring periods. His ERA (3.13) and WHIP (0.93) graded well, thanks to five excellent starts by Nathan Eovaldi, Hunter Greene, and Sean Manaea (three runs over 34.0 innings with 29 strikeouts). Gerrit Cole turned in his second liability start in four games since his return on June 19th, while Ranger Suarez struggled in back-to-back outings (11 runs, 20 baserunners, and three home runs over 9.2 innings). Jose Soriano appears to pitch himself to a bench role after allowing seven runs over nine innings.

The Marlins called up Xavier Edwards in early June for the second time. He went 8-for-23 with three runs and one RBI before this waiver period, but no other manager saw the potential of him. Edwards had speed on his minor league resume (119 steals over 1,782 at-bats) with upside potential in batting average (.311 – .330 in 2024 at AAA). Lenyn Sosa fell into the “hot player of the week category” after extending his hitting streak to eight games (15-for-34 with six runs, two home runs, and six RBIs, and one stolen base).

Week 16

Over the past two months or so, Olson has had no significant injuries to the foundation of his batting line. He continues to search for an extra middle infielder and another outfield option. Xavier Edwards (.409/3/0/2/3) played well, but his bat was on the bench all week, and Olson didn’t need the steals this scoring period (13 stolen bases). He fell short of his targets in runs (39) and RBIs (35) with a neutral batting average (.270). His at-bats (319) remain his best asset for the counting categories. Willy Adames (.417/5/2/9/1) was his best batter.

For the first time all season, Olson had the use of all his pitching slots on his bench. Blake Snell pitched 12.0 shutout innings with 11 strikeouts in his first appearances on Olson’s team. Aaron Nola, Hunter Greene, Gerrit Cole, and Sean Manaea allowed a combined six runs over 25.0 innings with 35 strikeouts and four wins. All four of his starters on the bench pitched well, but Jon Gray and Ranger Suarez are trending in the wrong direction. He gained some ground in wins (5), ERA (2.41), and WHIP (0.94), but Olson picked only one save.

With two aces now in Olson’s starting lineup, he dumped the struggling Jon Gray for a third shot at potential saves ($10 invested on the year).

All-Star Break Offensive Totals

With 11 scoring periods (10 full weeks and a half week) left in the season, Olson’s team is on pace to finish in the top 20 % in the four counting categories (runs, home runs, RBIs, and steals) while trailing by about one percentage point in batting average. To win the NFBC main event, he’ll need three to four categories to reach over 90 % of the overall league points while maintaining close to 80 % in the other target areas.

Olson has a significant edge in wins (59 – on pace to get about 99 wins) and ERA (3.27) at the All-Star break. His strikeouts (1,417) grade well, and he is in a favorable position in WHIP (1.12). To win the overall, Olson must gain more points in saves (33, about 23 behind the top 20%). With Gerrit Cole and Blake Snell rounding into form, his team looks poised to gain more pitching points over the final 15.5 weeks.

Week 17

With a half week of games after the All-Star break, Olson continued his offensive march by gaining ground in runs (25), home runs (10), and RBIs (26). His success was driven by the combination of Anthony Santander and Randy Arozarena (11-for-26 with six runs, six home runs, 12 RBIs, and one steal). Patrick Bailey (0-for-9 with an RBI), Bryan De La Cruz (1-for-12), and Harrison Bader (0-for-9 with one run) were liabilities in his lineup.

Olson managed to have five starts this scoring period, but he did take two zeros in his lineup by Blake Snell and Jose Soriano. His ERA (5.08) took a hit due to Aaron Nola and Nathan Eovaldi giving up 10 runs over 10.0 innings with six strikeouts. Tanner Scott helped in saves (2), and his team added a pair of wins. Olson fell short in strikeouts (22).

With the trade deadline approaching and a need for more saves, Olson made his most aggressive move for a reliever (Victor Vodnik). His arm was trending upward over his last 14.1 innings (2.51 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 16 strikeouts, a win, and three saves) heading into this waiver period, but the danger of pitching in Colorado kept other game managers off the scent. Garcia extended his scoreless streak to 9.1 innings with two hits, three walks, and 12 strikeouts over the previous three weeks.

Week 18

Olson received a fantastic week out of Xavier Edwards (11-for-23 with six runs, one home run, five RBIs, and five steals) in his first appearance in his starting lineup. Bryan De La Cruz (.344/3/2/7/1), Jeremy Pena (.391/5/1/4/1), and Shohei Ohtani (.308/4/2/64) helped his team have a productive five-category week, highlighted an insane total in steals (20) while maintaining elite at-bats (317). Joe Adell (1-for-9 with a run) and Harrison Bader (3-for-8 with a steal) were his only lineup changes midweek.

The addition of Blake Snell (1.50 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 12.0 innings) continues to pay off in a big way. Olson had four double-starts for the week, leading to an uptick in strikeouts (68) while failing short of his target in wins (2). He continues to roll out two closers (three saves) with no panic to make up ground in this category with nine weeks to go in the season. Olson left a great start on his bench (Nathan Eovaldi – a win and 10 strikeouts over 7.0 innings with a 2.57 ERA and 0.57 WHIP). His team also gained ground in the overall standings in ERA (2.88).

After four down starts (18 runs, 37 baserunners, and three home runs over 21.0 innings with 17 strikeouts) and a trip to the injured list with a back issue, Olson released Ranger Suarez and thanked him for his 10 wins over his first 13 starts with a 1.81 ERA and 0.85 WHIP over 79.2 innings with 85 strikeouts. He flipped his open roster slot to River Ryan, who dominated over eight short-inning starts in the Dodgers’ system (2.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts over 24.1 innings). He made his major league debut before this waiver period (a win and 10 strikeouts over 11.0 innings while giving up one run and 12 baserunners).

The A’s gave Tyler Ferguson two successful save chances in late July after Mason Miller landed on the injured list with a fractured pinkie on his non-throwing hand. Unfortunately, Miller returned 15 days later with no other saves for Ferguson.

Week 19

Olson had another excellent offensive week, hitting his targets in all five categories (.269/57/15/52/13). The combination of Josh Naylor and Jose Ramirez delivered 19 hits over 46 at-bats (.413), with 16 runs, seven home runs, 19 RBIs, and two steals. Xavier Edwards and Shohei Ohtani carried the load in stolen bases (7). Anthony Santander (.344/9/3/7/1) also played well. His team had over 300 at-bats again in Week 19.

With the Marlins moving Tanner Scott to the Padres at the MLB trade deadline, Olson was left with one trusted closing option heading into this lineup period (19). For the first time all season, he wheeled out three relievers, leading to two surprising saves, a vulture win by Victor Vodnik, and a good week (two saves) from Alexis Diaz. Tyler Ferguson (four runs over three innings with four strikeouts) was a liability in his lineup. With only one double start in this shortfall spin through his rotation, Olson posted a winning week in wins (4), ERA (3.42), and WHIP (1.06) while falling close to his target in strikeouts (50). He left a great start by Sean Manaea (no runs over seven innings with a win and 11 strikeouts) on his bench. Blake Snell and Hunter Greene combined for 15.0 shutout innings with two wins and 22 strikeouts.

Heading into August, Olson had $172 of his $1,000 free agency budget left. This pickup period was his second most aggressive ($101) of the year. He priced the market correctly on the cost of Jeffrey Springs ($71 to $65) while taking two fliers on Whit Merrifield (bump in playing time expected) and Carson Spiers. Olson tossed three relievers to the curb, leaving him only two closing options on his roster.

When the calendar hits August in the NFBC, a fantasy manager must evaluate the carry cost of any injured players. If someone will be out another month, I generally cut this type of player, regardless of name value. I would rather have the bench maneuverability than hold someone who won’t return on time. Team needs are critical, and pitchers tend to ramp out slowly after missing a month.

Week 20

Olson rode the hot base-stealing hand of Xavier Edwards in Week 20, hoping to push up a couple more ticks in batting average. Unfortunately, he missed an elite power week by Willy Adames (.348/8/4/9/1). His top four power bats (Naylor, Ramirez, Santander, and Ohtani) combined for 13 runs, nine home runs, 17 RBIs, and four steals. Olson secured another 300+ at-bats (317), leading to a steady four-category week (51/12/39/11). He fell short of expectations in batting average (.227). His catchers haven’t hit a home run in three weeks (21-for-121 ~ .174 with 12 runs, 12 RBIs, and one stolen base).

His loss of closer Tanner Scott hasn’t been a factor, thanks to another stellar week in saves (3) by Victor Vodnik. On the downside, he did blow the lead in a game (three runs and five baserunners over two-thirds of an inning). Olson slipped Jeffrey Springs into his lineup for double starts, but he underperformed expectations except for strikeouts (11). His team lost some ground in ERA (4.50) and WHIP (1.45) while grading well in wins (3), strikeouts (68), and saves (4). Olson picked up 13 saves over the last four weeks, increasing his season total to 46. Over his first six starts, Gerrit Cole posted a 5.52 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts over 31.0 innings. His right arm started to come into form over his last two outings (three runs, 14 baserunners, and 14 strikeouts over 11.0 innings). Blake Snell has two wins, a 1.15 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, and 49 strikeouts over his first 39.0 innings on Olson’s team.

River Ryan picked up a forearm injury before the run of this waiver period, leading to a trip to the injured list and TJ surgery in late August. Olson took a flier on Tyler Mahle after success over 18.0 innings in the minors (2.50 ERA and 18 strikeouts). He had been out of action for over 15 months due to his recovery from TJ surgery. Mahle allowed one run over five innings with two strikeouts in his 2024 debut for the Rangers. Charlie Blackmon (.251/44/7/35/5) was a losing fantasy investment over his first 315 at-bats. He went 5-for-10 with two runs and three RBIs over a three-game stretch (two starts), so Olson added him to the back of his hitter string to replace Wenceel Perez (who suffered an oblique injury).

Week 21

Over his first 38 games on Olson’s team, Xavier Edwards hit .357 with 21 runs, one home run, and 16 RBIs while stealing 22 bases in 23 tries. His team struggled in four categories this scoring period (.215/37/13/25/17), with Randy Arozarena (1-for-18 with no production) being the bum of the week. His five players (Bailey, Edwards, Adell, Merrifield, and Blackmon) off the waiver wire for the year went 18-for-87 with nine runs, three home runs, five RBIs, and seven stolen bases. Jose Ramirez and Shohei Ohtani combined for 13 runs, five home runs, eight RBIs, and nine steals. Olson finished with fewer than 300 at-bats (297) for the first time since Week 12 (excluding the All-Star break scoring period).

The investment in Tyler Mahle (7.04 ERA and 1.57 WHIP) didn’t go well this week, but Olson finished with a correction week in ERA (2.20) and WHIP (1.15) for his pitching staff. Hunter Greene, Blake Snell, and Gerrit Cole allowed two combined runs over 26.1 innings with two wins and 37 strikeouts. Victor Vodnik added a save but struggled again, a hint to buy save insurance in Colorado. Greene has been a stud over his last eight starts (4-1 with a 1.07 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 59 strikeouts over 50.2 innings). I expect him to launch Carson Spiers into the free agent pool this week.

With six weeks left in the baseball season, Olson had $46 of free dollars left to manage his team. Osvaldo Bido pitched well in his first three starts in August (two wins, two runs, 15 baserunners, and 17 strikeouts over 18.0 innings), highlighted by 12 shutout innings coming into this waiver period. His dart at saves went to Manuel Rodriguez (no runs allowed over his past 10.0 innings with 12 strikeouts and no saves). The Rays lost their closer (Pete Fairbanks) for the season on August 18th (the day of this waiver period). After a 2-for-33 stretch with two runs and two RBIs, Olson moved on from Patrick Bailey. When he added Carson Kelly, he had a six-game hitting streak (9-for-23 with four runs, one home run, and six RBIs).

Week 22

As great as Olson's season has been, there are other fantasy teams with excellent rosters, meaning he must post top-tier batting and pitching stats to win the overall title. His team continued to run wild (13 steals) while sliding in the batting average category (.219). Olson finished this scoring period with 292 at-bats (seven from his second catcher) and neutral results in runs (39), home runs (9), and RBIs (42). Shohei Ohtani (.333/6/2/6/3) was his best hitter for the week.

Victor Vodnik, Hunter Greene, and Tyler Mahle landed on the injured list, and two starters (Blake Snell and Jeffrey Springs) were knocked around over short innings (five runs, seven hits, and eight walks over 6.1 innings). This combination, along with poor outcomes by his bullpen, left Olson with only 40.1 innings for the week. He lost ground in strikeouts (36), ERA (4.02), WHIP (1.46), and saves (1) while picking up three wins. Sean Manaea, Andrew Heaney, and Osvaldo Bido pitched well on his bench.

Knowing the final outcome of players gives me the insight to put shine on winning pickups during the year. Olson had a second closer issue; his team already ranked below par in this category. Edwin Uceta earned two wins and one save from 8/18 to 8/27 while pitching 12.2 shutout innings in August with 18 strikeouts. He flew under the radar for most game managers due to his below-par stats at AAA (5.77 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 47 strikeouts, and no saves over 34.1 innings). Other than one bad outing (three runs, four hits, and a home run over one-third of an inning) in September, Uceta (3.86 ERA and 1.39 WHIP) delivered four saves over the final four weeks of this season. Olson also now had two relieving options in the Rays bullpen.

Cooper Criswell lined up for double starts the following lineup period for the Red Sox but rarely pitched more than five innings in a game (four times over his 26 appearances). Dropping Hunter Greene had to be painful, but open bench spots are more critical down the stretch in fantasy leagues than carrying injured players.

Drew Romo was the catcher of the week play (3-for-15 with an RBI and eight strikeouts before adding him), who was a recent call-up with success at AAA (.297 with 51 runs, 14 home runs, 60 RBIs, and three steals over 343 at-bats). The Rockies had seven games at home the following week. Olson added Charlie Blackmon (2-for-18 with one run the previous week) for the same reason.

Week 23

After losing some sleep the previous lineup period, Olson’s offense bounced back in a big way in Week 23 (.271/52/18/53/9) while regaining his edge in at-bats (328). His investment in two Rockie players (Drew Romo and Charlie Blackmon) went 9-for-31 (.290 with six runs, one home run, eight RBIs, and one stolen base). Joe Adell hit .268 over his last 42 games (19/6/23/5). Willy Adames, Shohei Ohtani, and Randy Arozarena combined to hit .300 with 18 runs, eight home runs, 18 RBIs, and four steals. Adley Rutschman (.202/14/2/12) has been a liability over 119 at-bats since the All-Star break.

Other than saves (1), Olson’s pitching staff bounced back in a big way in this scoring period (2.11 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, five wins, and 66 strikeouts over 64.0 innings). He missed out on a bounce-back start (no runs over five innings with nine strikeouts) by Jeffrey Springs, and Edwin Uceta (no runs over 2.1 innings with a win and five strikeouts) shined on his bench. Sean Manaea, Aaron Nola, Blake Snell, and Nathan Eovaldi allowed a combined six runs over 40.2 innings with four wins and 49 strikeouts.

Heading into September, Olson had $31 of his free agent budget ($1,000) remaining. He dumped his two players from Colorado and shopped again in the A’s starting rotation for another arm (J.T. Ginn). Victor Caratini went 5-for-16 with three runs and one RBI before he added him. Jake Fraley returned from the injured list on (9/1 – the day of this waiver period) after spending 10 days on the injured list (right knee issue).

Week 24

With the final MLB game a month away, Olson’s team delivered a below-par offensive week (.224/36/9/30/13) while failing to reach the 300 at-bat mark. Willy Adames and Shohei Ohtani had the most offensive production (eight runs, four home runs, eight RBIs, and six steals). Whit Merrifield only had four at-bats, making Jake Fraley (.286 with three runs and three steals) a better option for him this scoring period, but he was sitting on his bench.

His coin flip for saves in Tampa landed on Manuel Rodriguez, but Edwin Uceta (no runs over 2.1 innings with a save and six strikeouts) would have been the better option. His team pitched well (3.38 ERA and 1.04 WHIP), leading to an impressive 72 strikeouts over his 58.2 innings. On the downside, he picked up only two wins and two saves for the week. Olson had two wins on his bench. Surprisingly, Olson rolled out two A’s starters (facing SEA and DET at home). They rewarded him with 19 strikeouts but some negative stats in ERA and WHIP. Gerrit Cole and Andrew Heaney combined to allow four runs over 23.0 innings with 32 strikeouts and two wins. Blake Snell struggled in the first inning (42 pitches) vs. the Diamondbacks, leading to an early shower on September 5th

With $26 left in his free agent holster, Olson placed a $10 bet on Luke Weaver in the free agent market. He earned his first save of the season on September 6th, with a dull showing (two runs, two hits, and a home run over one inning) in his other appearances for the week. The winning move to acquire Weaver may have been the stats to push to first overall down the stretch of the 2024 baseball season. Over his final seven games, he tossed 10.0 shutout innings with three wins, three saves, and 22 strikeouts.

Amed Rosario went 4-for-23 with four runs, one home run, three RBIs, and one steal before this waiver period. Valente Bellozo lined up for double starts vs. the Pirates and Nationals on the road. He pitched well on September 4th (no runs over six innings with one strikeout). With Joe Adell landing on the injured list, Olson replaced him with Mickey Moniak, who would likely pick up his at-bats for the Angels. His bat was heating up over the previous 12 days (.314/7/5/11/1 over 35 at-bats).

Week 25

In Week 25, Olson held his ground in home runs (10) and steals (11) while making up a couple of points in batting average (.275). Runs (32) and RBIs (36) fell short of his targets, but I’m sure his team ranked highly in both categories, leading to minimal lost overall league points. Jake Fraley (.348/3/1/1/1) played well, while his two new additions (Mickey Moniak and Amed Rosario) went 4-for-32 (.125) with one run, one home run, and one RBI. The combination of Jose Ramirez, Willy Adames, and Shohei Ohtani delivered 12 runs, four home runs, 14 RBIs, and six steals. Bryan De La Cruz has been a liability since the All-Star break (.221/17/3/19/2 over 172 at-bats), but he remains in Olson’s starting lineup each week.

His starting pitchers didn’t line up correctly in this shortfall pitching period. His only double-starter was Valente Bellozo, who didn’t win a game with only six strikeouts over 10.2 innings. Olson wheeled out three relievers to hopefully make up some ground in saves. Unfortunately, Victor Vodnik's return (three runs over three innings with a win and three strikeouts) didn’t go well, and he continued to ride the wrong Tampa option for saves. Manuel Rodriguez pitched three shutout innings with three strikeouts, but Edwin Uceta earned a save with one disaster showing (three runs and five baserunners over one-third of an inning). Luke Weaker posted a stud week (no runs over 4.2 innings with a win, a save, and 10 strikeouts). Gerrit Cole and Aaron Nola turned into wood ticks, leading to two blowup starts (13 runs over 8.2 innings with nine strikeouts). Olson finished the week with weakness in ERA (4.53) and WHIP (1.21) while missing his target in wins (3), saves (2), and strikeouts (48). His pitching bench was littered with losing outcomes and no wins.

Olson spent $7 of his remaining $12 free-agent dollars to cleanse his dead weight in this free-agent period. Tyler Holton pitched well over his previous 45.1 innings (0.40 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 35 strikeouts, three wins, and seven saves) in the Tigers’ bullpen coming into this waiver period.

He took a swing on Cooper Criswell again after pitching well over his previous three appearances (three runs, 15 baserunners, nine strikeouts, and a win over 14.1 innings). Olson expected him to start the following week, but the Red Sox pitched him twice in relief with poor results (two runs and four baserunners over two innings with three strikeouts).

Jonathan Cannon lined up to face the Angels over his next two starts, but he came into this week with a 4.56 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. His last two outings (four runs and 14 baserunners over 11.0 innings with a win and eight strikeouts) in September did show improvement.

The coin flip back to Whit Merrifield didn’t work out. He missed seven contests over an eight-game stretch in early September, followed by eight more missed days after adding him back to his roster.

Gabriel Moreno returned from the injured list (out five weeks) on the day that this waiver ran. His bat offered some help in batting average, but he struggled to produce counting stats in 2024.

As the 2024 NFBC Main Event championship hits mid-stretch, Olson delivered a completive week in home runs (13), RBIs (40), and steals (14) while losing some ground in batting average (.232) and runs (37). Shohei Ohtani’s quest to join the 60/60 club in home runs and stolen bases led to a beast week (.500/11/6/177). Nine of his 14 batters hit under .200, and Jeremy Pena (.240/3/0/1/1) and Jake Fraley (.231/1/0/10) weren’t much help. Jose Ramirez (.321/3/2/5/1) was the only other hitter who played well.

Olson gained overall standing points in all five pitching categories in Week 26. His team was led by Blake Snell and Luke Weaver (16.1 combined shutout innings with 31 strikeouts, three wins, and two saves). Sean Manaea had an excellent double-start week (2.57 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, a win, and 12 strikeouts over 14.0 innings), and Gerrit Cole delivered a complete game with a win and seven strikeouts. Olson went with four relievers and five starting pitchers in this scoring period, but he still finished with six wins, four saves, and 76 strikeouts over 60.2 innings while positing an elite ERA (2.37) and WHIP (0.76).

In the final free-agent period, Olson added two relievers in the Red Sox bullpen due to closer Kenley Jansen landing on the injured list. Chris Martin struggled over his first five appearances in September (five runs, eight baserunners, and a home run over five innings with seven strikeouts) while only having two saves on the season. Justin Slaten missed 46 days in July and August with a right elbow issue. He pitched well after returning from the injured list (1.69 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 10.2 innings).

Victor Caratini gets to drive the bus home at C2 for Olson after success over his previous nine games (.290/4/1/6 over 31 at-bats). Pavin Smith had a hit or more in eight of his last nine games (11-for-32 with six runs, one home run, and five RBIs).

Week 27

With the NFBC Main Event championship on the line, Olson posted a winning five-category week despite a low total in at-bats (255). Shohei Ohtani continued his torrid pace at the plate (13-for-25 with six runs, one home run, seven RBIs, and four stolen bases). Nathaniel Lowe (.348/6/3/8) had his best showing of the year. Xavier Edwards and Jose Ramirez combined to hit .488 with 13 runs, two home runs, 13 RBIs, and two steals. His two additions (Victor Caratini and Pavin Smith) each smashed a home run with four runs and five RBIs.

In the final scoring period, Olson pitched four relievers while taking a zero from Blake Snell. His three double-starters (Aaron Nola, Nathan Eovaldi, and Jonathan Cannon) delivered four wins and 36 strikeouts over 36.0 innings. Luke Weaver and Chris Martin picked up two combined vulture wins. Winning four games in any week is a tall task in the NFBC. Olson had 13 wins over the last two weeks, highlighted by his seven victories with a 2.40 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in Week 27. Gerrit Cole was at his best over his final two starts (one run over 15.2 innings with two wins and 12 strikeouts).

Final Team Stats

Olson drafted 11 hitters who stayed on the roster all season. Ten of those batters had over 500 at-bats, but Jonathan India had a 355/178 start/bench split in playing time. These bats combined to hit .256 with 885 runs, 285 home runs, 917 RBIs, and 182 steals. Over the season, Olson rotated in 30 other hitters. They combined for 1,921 at-bats with a .248 batting average, 245 runs, 39 home runs, 189 RBIs, and 73 stolen bases. Xavier Edwards (.335/31/1/22/28 over 197 at-bats) was his top hitter added. Patrick Bailey and Harrison Bader were his 12th and 13th batters in playing time. They combined for 75 runs, 12 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 15 steals over 559 at-bats. Based on this outline, Olson only had to manage about three roster slots via the waiver wire all season. His other 27 bats hit .235 with 139 runs, 26 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases over 1,165 at-bats.

Olson drafted 91.7% of his final home runs (324). His most help on the waiver wire came in the stolen base category (22.0%). He finished with 7,842 at-bats (559 per roster slot), with 82.5% coming via the draft. Olson graded well in drafted stats in runs (83.3%) and RBIs (88.2%). His bench addition lowered his batting average from .256 to .254. He finished with 73 out of 75 league points in the hitting categories (four first and a third-place finish in batting average).

In a fantasy world where aces create edges and high-volume save closers are in high demand. Olson only had one pitcher (Aaron Nola) who pitched more than 150.0 innings. Blake Snell (five wins over 80.1 innings with a 1.23 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and 114 strikeouts) was the free-agent purchase of the year, and I’m sure he wasn’t dropped in many leagues. His top eight arms combined for 995.0 innings with 69 wins, 1,024 strikeouts, and a 3.08 ERA.

Hunter Greene emerged as an ace (2.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 162 strikeouts over 143.1 innings). Olson had an incredible run early in the year from Ranger Suarez (nine wins with a 2.73 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts over 108.2 innings) before kicking him to the curb. He managed to the winning side of these starters:

· Andrew Heaney – start: 2.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts over 58.0 innings. He pitched 91.0 innings on his bench (4.95 ERA and 1.33 WHIP).

· Erick Fedde – start: five wins with a 2.98 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 99 strikeouts over 111.2 innings. He had a 4.14 ERA on his bench with three wins and a 1.31 WHIP.

· Sean Manaea – start: nine wins with a 3.31 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 131 strikeouts over 130.1 innings. He had three wins on his bench over 51.1 innings with a 3.86 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts.

· Nathan Eovaldi – start: 10 wins with a 3.70 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 119 strikeouts over 126.1 innings. He had a 4.06 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts over 44.1 innings on his bench.

· Jon Gray – start: four wins with a 3.48 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts over 67.1 innings. He allowed 12 runs over 18.0 innings on his bench with 13 strikeouts before being cut due to an injury.

His team finished with 59 saves, and he never chased the category in the free-agent pool. His best out early the year would have been Tyler Yates (he was picked up in late March for $16 and then dropped. Someone added him for $169 on April 14th (runner-up bid of $160). Luke Weaver was a difference-maker when considering his time on his roster and the stats produced (three wins, three saves, and 22 strikeouts over 10.0 innings with no runs allowed).

Olson spent $75 on relief pitches. He won 69 of 75 pitching categories (first in wins, ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts while finishing seventh in saves).

Congrats to Lindy Hinkelman and James Tomony for finishing second and third in this league. Jason Santeiu took the silver and bronze in the overall standings, but I’m sure he felt disappointed that he did not win the main event. His best team finished 77 overall points behind Clark Olson.

Closing Remarks

The nucleus of Olson’s offense stayed healthy all season. He drafted two impact bats (Jose Ramirez and Shohei Ohtani) and found three other players (Josh Naylor, Anthony Santander, and Willy Adames) that delivered career seasons, especially in power. Playing time for the remainder of his roster was a key component. Olson threw some drafts on bats coming off uptick weeks, but his best find was Xavier Edwards. His stolen bases were a bonus in the overall starting but didn’t impact his league standings. Edwards did help improve his team's batting average.

Olson’s final hitting stats, divided by 14 roster slots, came to a .254 batting average with 81 runs, 23 home runs, 79 RBIs, and 18 steals or a net gain of 2.01 league points by FPGscore. His offense earned $251.45 in auction value for a team using a 180/80 split between hitting and pitching.

On the pitching side, the average of his nine starting pitching slots delivered 11 wins, 6.5 saves, and 162 strikeouts with a 3.225 ERA and 1.117 WHIP over 162.1 innings. Their average FPGscore was +2.67, with $123.61 of auction value. In essence, his pitching staff had the equivalent of three workhorse aces (Gerrit Cole/Blake Snell, Hunter Greene/Sean Manaea, and Erick Fedde/Ranger Suarez) based on their combined innings (670.1) and success in ERA and WHIP. The strength of his offense and front-line pitching allowed Olson to finish with mid-tier points in saves and still have enough to win the NFBC overall championship.

A job well done, and a great sense of accomplishment for Olson after chasing an overall title for 20+ years.

Congrats to Lindy Hinkelman and James Tomony for finishing second and third in this league. Jason Santeiu took the silver and bronze in the overall standings, but I’m sure he felt disappointed that he did not win the main event. His best team finished 77 overall points behind Clark Olson.