FANTASY, RECONSTRUCTED

Chapter Summaries

Intro – Affogato

RULES

Genesis: The pliability of fantasy sports… Chaos versus control… Breaking all the rules…

Season: 7+ alternatives to full-season leagues… 10 benefits of having multiple shorter seasons… 3 strategies that benefit from shorter seasons… 5 reader brainstorms for different-length seasons… and more

Player pool: 11 brainstorms for using smaller player pools… 3 player pool levers you can adjust to customize your league experience… Strategies for expanding and contracting your league’s player pool… and more

Roster: The seldom-used logical alternative to the typical roster structure… 5+ off-the-cuff ideas for small-roster competitions… 18 brainstorms for non-standard roster structures… 10 reader ideas for alternative position eligibility options… 9 reserve/injury list configurations and the 3 that maximize playability… Ideas to expand your reserve and farm player pools… and more

Scoring: 9 brainstorms for stat category variations… 24 different scoring methods… 3 variations of standard point values… 5 different methods for awarding bonus points… 3 reader brainstorms for awarding bonus cash… How to improve balance across Rotisserie categories… How to fix Rotisserie scoring… Rotisserie football? Yep, it’s real!… 4 different head-to-head models… and more

Draft: The 2 key requirements for evaluating any drafting method… 6 different straight draft methods… 9 brainstorms on straight drafting… 8 methods for conducting an auction… 11 ideas to improve the auction process… 7 reader brainstorms for auction-snake hybrid methods… 4 draft infractions and 6 strategies to address them… 4 ideas for handling the reserve draft… 4 reader ideas on managing the farm draft… 34 ways to fund your prize pool… 20 ways to make Draft Day special… and more

Gameplay: The 4 guard posts that shape your in-season experience… How often should you allow player movement? Here are 8 options, plus 6 reader ideas… 10 strategies to manage free agent acquisition, including 5 FAAB variations… 9 rule enhancements for managing  FAAB… 17 reader ideas for unique FAAB rules… 9 rules that discourage dump deals… 10 methods to handle dump deals… 4 ways to approach veto power… and more

Winning: 12 ways to keep owners engaged all season… 8 ideas for better prize pool allocation… 20 rules to penalize losers and build the prize pool… 10 ways to break ties… 3 ways to conduct a true post-season league… 19 reader brainstorms to celebrate the victors… and more

Continuity: 21 innovative rules for keeper leagues… 12 reader brainstorms on player contracts… 6 ideas on league governance… and more

League Builder Template

GAMES

  • Sample Game Formats
  • BASES
  • Quint-Inning
  • 50 Players
  • Retro-drafting
  • Reimagined Rotisserie
  • 3×3 Rotisserie
  • 2×2 Rotisserie
  • BABL
  • Hybrid NFBC
  • Bottom Tier Fantasy
  • Five-Year Futures
  • Worst Ball
  • One Month
  • Parallel Universes
  • Sixto Draftcano
  • Hard Cap Roto
  • 7Games
  • Rotisserie500
  • Linear Weights
  • Tout Wars
  • XFL
  • The Twelfth Team
  • Pitching Micromanagement
  • A.I. Take 4

Outro – My Playbook

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What the Experts are Saying

“Slyly funny in the manner of the classic baseball autobiographies Ball Four, A Whole Different Ball Game, and You're Missin’ a Great Game, Fantasy Expert is a thorough and thoroughly interesting odyssey through the history of fantasy baseball and the visionary who did so much to popularize and legitimize it.”
Patrick DavittBaseball HQ Radio
“Shandler is unrivaled in his wide-ranging impact on the world of fantasy baseball. How he’s been able to stay one step ahead of everyone has been a mystery to all those who've tried to compete against him—in leagues and in business. In this book, Ron explains how being such a revolutionary thinker always made perfect sense.”
Steve Gardner,USA Today
“Enlightening and informative, this is a delightful historical lesson. You get to see Ron’s personal journey as he stumbled into the industry and eventually became one of the most prominent baseball analysts ever.”
Greg AmbrosiusNational Fantasy Baseball Championship
“I really thought I was going to be mentioned in this book. I'm a Fantasy Sports Hall of Famer and spent a year and a half talking to Ron as a research assistant on Fantasyland. I even work with him at The Athletic. But there was just one occurrence of my name in here: a reference to the Charlotte News and Observer’s defunct site NandO.net. I mean, Joe Sheehan got eight mentions—all about him. And yet, through the tears, I couldn’t stop reading this book. Ron may be known for his innovative and winning numbers strategy, but this book should cement him as one of fantasy’s best writers and memoirists as well.”
Nando diFinoThe Athletic
“Ron’s journey from the prehistoric days of internet-free fantasy baseball to the current days of instant gratification will give you a greater appreciation of the founders and builders and the history of this great game."
Rick WiltonFSWA Hall of Fame
“Two thumbs up…one for his compelling personal story and the other for his interesting and entertaining perspective on the earlier days of fantasy baseball. If I had three thumbs, I’d also point to how humorous it is.”
Larry SchechterAuthor of Winning Fantasy Baseball
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