BBL08 PRE-SEASON TIP SHEET
More cash, more contests, and a history-making $150,000 Live Final – Draftstars is definitely putting the BIG in Big Bash this season!
Before you pad up and take guard on the new season we thought we’d help turn that DFS BBL brain back on with a few little pre-season tips for coaches.
Tip #1: Always Warm Up
Even the bloke wearing the 7XL polo fielding in the slips attempts a hammy stretch or two before game time and even a half-assed fantasy pre-game can have an exponential improvement on your coaching. A simple five-minute warm-up might include:
- BOM/betting site for weather/market info
- Twitter for team news (more on this in Tip #2)
- Read The Huddle’s Contest Preview article (there will be one for every single day of the BBL this season!)
- Initial play around with lineup combos to get an idea of prices followed by a pre-selection beverage to calm and clear the mind
Tip #2: Final XI’s and Toss
13-man squads usually appear via twitter approximately 24 hours prior to start of play. The toss occurs roughly 15 mins prior to start of play, this is where the batting orders are finalized and where we know which team bats first. This final 15-20 minutes can be a little hectic for coaches so make sure you are all limbered up prior to getting these final pieces of the coaching puzzle.
Tip #3: Batting Order Info
Knowing who is playing is crucial and of course knowing where they are pencilled in to bat is a great guide, but be mindful that the order is not locked in. Think of that official batting card like an AFL Thursday Teams list or an NRL playing contract – to paraphrase Captain Barbossa they are ‘more like guidelines’. Just be aware that BBL batting orders are fluid particularly positions #3-#7, they can and often do fluctuate depending on game situation.
Tip #4: Pitch and Weather
Knowing whether a pitch is receptive to spin, is a road or whether a game is headed for reduced overs due to rain can have a monumental impact on selection and give you a huge edge on the rest of the field. This information will be touched on in our daily contest preview articles but it is always recommended to do a quick BOM/markets check as well.
Tip #5: Team Selection and Exposure
In the NBA it’s minutes and usage, in AFL it is matchups and positions but in BBL DFS it is all about one word – exposure. A well-rounded BBL fantasy team has solid batting and bowling exposure almost the whole way through both innings. The more balls your team is bowling and facing the better.
Tip #6: Catches win DFS Matches
It may seem like something that no coach can control but fielding prowess is knowledge that can and should be harnessed in BBL DFS. It can often be the difference between winning and the also-rans. Players like Maxwell, Green and Agar to name a few are all expert fielders that are always employed in high-frequency catching positions. The best few fielders on a team will often get a catch per game which helps their DFS floor.
Tip #7: Nailing the Game Script
In most DFS sports there are players that score well regardless of how the game actually plays out. In BBL this is much less the case. If Chris Lynn goes nuts then he could score 150-200pts in one game, but the next game that same player is just as likely to make a single digit score (or even a negative one!). It is seldom the case where you can pick players with safe ‘low floors’ and still cash in BBL. Even high exposure players like Shane Watson who opens the batting and bowls 2-4 overs each game can go for a duck and get smacked for plenty. In a game of very few guarantees, nailing the game script, then selecting accordingly, often goes a very long way to victory.
Tip #8: Avoid Negative Correlation
There are few things worse in BBL DFS than the feeling of having an opening bowler in your team who happens to be bowling to two batsman you also own. It’s almost always a coaching lose/lose. Part of selection is considering not just if but WHEN a bowler will be bowling and who they are likely to be bowling too. If you think early wickets are likely, then you are looking at having exposure to opening bowlers and middle/lower order batsman. If the pitch is a road then having exposure to top 4 batsman and death bowlers is a sound play. It is not always possible to completely avoid this but factoring it into selection is well advised.
Tip #9: Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast
Spin bowlers and slow ‘bowlers’ took a frightening number of wickets and dominated economy rates last season compared to the quicks. Having exposure to a front-line spinner as well as the ‘death’ bowler (bowler who bowls overs 18 and 20) from one or both sides was a sound strategy in BBL07.
Tip #10: Santa Schmanta – it’s Big Bash Time!
Forget the countdown to Christmas, we are T-3 sleeps away from Big Bash liftoff at the Gabba with the Heat v Strikers in the season opener.
In addition to the main games, players have the chance to win a ticket to an aussie first – a massive DFS Live Final in Melbourne with $150,000 in prizes to be won.
Remember to check back in on Wednesday morning for the first of The Huddle’s Contest Preview articles where we will get stuck into much more player-focused info.
BBL, Latest