Whitestone’s Waiver Watch: NFBC Main Event (9/9)

Home Stretch

MLB Counter = 89% of the season complete

There are now three weeks left in the season (and we’ve played almost 90% based on games played), so as 2024 winds down, let’s continue our lightning view of the 57 Main Event leagues and see which fantasy owners are in the driver’s seat for a league title.

To be clear, this is an update on the second group (last week we did the first group) of 14 Main Event leagues (about a quarter of the total) listed on the NFBC site, focusing on fantasy managers who have a chance to win the league as of Friday, September 6. In each league, there are likely unlisted teams that have a chance to finish second or third, but these charts are only focused on first place. Therefore, I’ve just listed teams either in the top three places or within 10 points of the leader, in an effort to see which fantasy managers have a shot to win the league title and achieve Main Event glory!

There are five designations listed below:

• GROUP ONE – IT’S OVER (20 POINT OR MORE LEAD) – 2 leagues
• GROUP TWO – IT’S PROBABLY OVER (LEAD OF 12.0-19.5) – 3 leagues
• GROUP THREE – A GOOD CUSHION (LEAD OF 8.0-11.5) – 1 league
• GROUP FOUR – WORK TO DO (LEAD OF 4.0-7.5) – 4 leagues
• GROUP FIVE – DOGFIGHT (LEAD OF 3.5 OR LESS) – 4 leagues

Group One – Designation: It’s Over

Shark Bite – 23.5-Point Lead

Clark Olson is just dangerous – let’s leave it at that. This is his (as of Friday) team ranked #2 overall in the Main Event, and he’s got a big 23.5-point lead that I’m saying is too much for his league competitors to overcome. Lindy Hinkelman is a decorated player, and David Mirza has shown some good skills, but this league is over.

Tony Award Winner – 20.0-Point Lead

So Tony D has a Tony Award (according to him), but more importantly he has a 20-point lead over outstanding competition. Stephen Jupinka is just an excellent player and Richard Zito, well, he’s really a star in his own right (although he admits he has not won a Tony). But Mr. DiVincenzo got loose from them and is now in cruise mode for the league title. In addition, this team is ranked #4 overall, so there’s lots of intrigue there. Will Tony win the Best Actor Award or be more in a Supporting role? Time will tell.

Group Two – Designation: It’s Probably Over

Irish Eyes Are Smiling – 16.0-Point Lead

Michael O’Brien says he hails from Dublin, but didn’t mention whether this was in Ireland or Ohio. In any case, his Irish roots apparently run deep, as he has four-leaf clovers planted all over his yard. In addition, Michael’s Main Event team was ranked #15 overall as of Friday and he’s built up an impressive 16.0-point lead on his league mates. Greg Smith and Joe Green are battling it out for second place and have had fine seasons in League 1518, but it doesn’t seem likely that they can catch the Irishman. 

Bang The Drum Slowly – 14.0-Point Lead

Griffin Benger, star drummer for several rock bands far and wide, has rolled his way into a sizable lead in League 1521. Not only that, but as of Friday he had vaulted into seventh place overall with this squad. In doing so, Griffin has outdistanced both Carter Gill and 2021 Main Event Overall Champ Phil Dussault, no small accomplishment. Griffin still has to close this deal, but a 14.0-point lead with a little over three weeks to go looks pretty safe. 

Sullivan Square – 12.0-Point Lead

Sullivan Square is a famous location in Charlestown, Massachusetts, located on the MBTA Transit System on the Orange Line. Now Sullivan Square and its station are generally accepted to be named for James Sullivan, an early 19th-century Governor of Massachusetts and first president of the Middlesex Canal Company, but Andrew texted me to inform me that it is really named after him because he is a famous person and rode on the Orange Line once in 2014. In any case, Andrew led two excellent fantasy managers – Bill Gaffney and Bryan Fitzgerald – by 12.0 points on Friday, making him an odds-on favorite to win League 1520. His planned celebration? A ride on the MBTA Orange Line of course…

Group Three – Designation: A Good Cushion

The Kid Ben Tidd – 8.0-Point Lead

The Kid has made quite a name for himself. He’s already finished high in the Main Event overall standings in the recent past, he writes for a popular fantasy site, appears on a regular podcast and now he’s looking to put away a Main Event title in 2024. This one is not really salted away, though, as Markus Sultan and Joe Green are within striking distance. But it’s a reasonably good cushion with three weeks to go, even though I’m not agreeing with Ben that a victory means that someone will write a Ballad of Benny the Kid.

Group Four – Designation: Work to Do 

Department Store Sale – 6.5-Point Lead

Bill Macey owns one of the biggest department stores in New York City. I’ll let you figure out which one, but more importantly he’s winning a Main Event league and as of Friday was ranked 12th overall in the Main Event contest. So life is easy for Bill, right? Well, Steven Puntenney is just 6 points back and has a comeback on his mind (which is funny because for some reason his favorite football play is the punt). In any case, Steven thinks he just needs to pick up a couple of points per week and he’ll be right there, and I have to agree with him.

Mitchell Plans to Get Rich-Ell – 6.0-Point Lead

Alan Mitchell has had an excellent year, with a first and a second place in the Main Event as of today. This is his first-place team (48th overall as of Friday), and he is currently leading a player who has four cashing positions in the Main Event – Kyle Brinkmann. Alan led by only 6 points as of Friday, so he’ll have to earn this victory – and Justin Aspite is lurking just 8 points out to make things just a little more complicated. This could be a bit tight.

The One True King – 5.5-Point Lead

Brandon King tells everyone that with royalty comes privilege. And this season it appears that privilege is going to come with a Main Event title. But this lead is none too safe, so Brandon will have to climb down off his throne for three weeks to stay on top of the competition. James Gabal is an experienced player and knows what he is doing, and he lurks just 5.5 points behind. Graham Dawick believes he can make a run as well, but 16 points looks to be too much for him to finish first. For me, it’s either King or Gabal in this league, with the regal one holding a firm upper hand.

Dan the Man – 5.5-Point Lead

League 1487 has four teams within 9 points of the lead, so this really is up for grabs. Dan Thompson has a small edge of 5.5 points as of Friday, but I expect one of Brian Magnani (who is a magnanimous fellow), Matthew Crane (who works for a construction company) and Mike Ballschmiede (who runs a sporting goods store) to make a charge. Dan will have to stay focused or this one could slip away from his grasp.

Group Five – Designation: Dogfight

The Champ Gets a Test – 2.0-Point Lead

Four dogfights remain out of the 14 leagues we’re reviewing this week. League #1519 is a two-man race between our 2022 overall champ Robert Cramutola, whose name is all over the Main Event league standings with two firsts and two seconds, and upstart Kansas City Royals fan Kevin Hasting, who tells me he has a never-say-die attitude. One surge could put the other player in a tough situation, but I don’t expect either player to give anything away. I just hope Kevin doesn’t start rostering Royals AA players down the stretch to prove his team loyalty.

Don’t Pause Because a Shark Might Be On Your Tail – 1.5-Point Lead

Here’s a league with two elite fantasy managers battling it out for the title. John Pausma is a legend, and he seemed the odds-on favorite at the beginning of the season, but Clark Olson has had years of outstanding results and 2024 is going to go down in the books as a fantastic campaign for The Shark. It’s a terrific test for two of the best, and John should not slow down, or pause, or he could be looking up at a shark.

Is the Den Dusty Or Do We Need a Compass – 1.0-Point Lead

In League 1516, there are three players elbowing each other for the lead, and as of Friday this league boasted the No. 27 and No. 26 overall teams (Deninno and McComas). Andrew refuses to leave his den, while Dustin is out scouting Single-A players in West Texas. Mark Northan is right there in the thick of things as well, and it’s really difficult to pick out a favorite. Let’s just say this is going down to the final day, and enjoy the finish of this race.

The Shepherd vs. a Movie Company Mogul – 1.0-Point Lead

Finally, we have League 1484, another four-team affair with a humble shepherd watching his flock against the mighty CEO of Warner Brothers. Only half a point separates these two combatants, but they need to stay vigilant because the Bronx Yankee Michael Mager and brave player Joe Bavaro (Brave Bavaro?) are just a little bit behind. This is another fight to the finish, and Adam summed it up in his text to me about his approach, “The only rule is, there are no rules!”

NFBC Main Event FAAB #25: FAAB

In FAAB #25 on September 8, spending continued to slow as Main Event owners have mostly emptied their FAAB accounts. The top-10 widest acquisitions this week are in the chart below, and Main Event owners (see below) were not divided on where to throw the most FAAB dollars. Trevor Story was the top addition, with a commanding average winning bid of over $22. It may not seem like a lot, but with FAAB accounts almost empty, it is still a high level of commitment. Second was Dodger Landon (who has kind of a knack for pitching) Knack, who got an average winning bid of $7. The number three and four widest additions were closer Luke Weaver (something I didn’t anticipate) and catcher Joey Bart. Outside of the top 10, there were eight winning average bids of $10 or more (with at least five leagues added): Garrett Crochet with an average winning bid of $21 in seven leagues; Lane Thomas $15 in six leagues; Max Scherzer $12 in 18 leagues; Otto Lopez $12 in 6 leagues; Cade Povich and Rhett Lowder both $11 in 15 leagues; Tyler Kinley $11 in 9 and Kyle Manzardo $10 in 12 leagues.

NFBC Main Event – The Never Ending Story

Winning Bids over $100 and $200

I’m also keeping tabs on players attracting the highest individual FAAB bids. In the 25th run on September 8, there were no winning bids over $200, and just one from $100-199. The winning bid over $100 was for Rhys Hoskins, who I am contractually obligated to point out is 4-for-40 since August 27. In any case, that winning bid revises the total of large bids this season to 311 winning bids over $200 and now 799 winning bids between $100 and $199 (Will we get to 800?).

The Wow Bid of the Week: Reese’s Pieces

The highest overall bid in FAAB Week 25 was for (see above) Rhys Hoskins of the Milwaukee Brewers, who was added in just 1 of 57 Main Event leagues This top bid of $120 was the 25th-highest (the lowest of the highest?) Wow bid out of the 25 registered so far and easily beat out the unsuccessful runner-up bid of $21.

The Wow Bids of 2024

• 3/24: Nolan Schanuel $200 (21)
• 3/31: Jason Foley $479 (5)
• 4/7: James McArthur $225 (19)
• 4/14 Brandon Nimmo $578 (3)
• 4/21 Wilyer Abreu $350 (13)
• 4/28 Pete Crow-Armstrong $355 (12)
• 5/5 Christian Scott $677 (Highest)
• 5/12 Taj Bradley $444 (7)
• 519 Reed Garrett $420 (8)
• 5/26 Wyatt Langford $248 (18)
• 6/2 Ben Brown $366 (10)
• 6/9 Blake Snell $360 (11)
• 6/16 Ryne Stanek $261 (17)
• 6/23 Michael Harris $281 (15)
• 6/30 Noelvi Marte $509 (4)
• 7/7 James Wood $462 (6)
• 7/14 Rece Hinds $609 (2)
• 7/21 Jordan Montgomery $189 (23)
• 7/28 Robbie Ray $400 (9)
• 8/4 Devin Williams $320 (14)
• 8/11 Ryan Walker $185 (24)
• 8/18 Zebby Matthews $217 (20)
• 8/25 Matt Waldron $199 (22)
• 9/1 Dylan Crews $271 (16)
• 9/8 Rhys Hoskins $120 (25)

FAAB Summary: Winding Down

In the 25th FAAB week, Main Event owners successfully made 1,276 winning bids (about 9% less than last week), and the spending was certainly propped up by the bids on Trevor Story. After this week, Main Event owners have now spent approximately $917 of their $1,000 allocation, and although this total amount spent remains lower than each of the last three years at the 25-week mark, it is now pretty close to the level spent at this point in the three previous years. This year’s Week 25 had spending of about $9 per team, compared to 2023 ($5), 2022 ($6) and 2021 ($6) levels. Still, considering there are just two FAAB runs left, owners still have more money to spend compared to the past. If you consider the total amount remaining, the average Main Event owner can still theoretically spend about $41 per week over the final two weeks. But remember, each year about $40-50 per team goes unspent due to owners throwing in the towel at the end of the year, so if you assume $50 is unspent, there would be $33 remaining on the average active teams, and that figures out to about $16 per week – that’s a more realistic estimate.

Total Spent: Main Event Through 25 FAAB Periods

• 2024: $917
• 2023: $948
• 2022: $936
• 2021: $932

FAAB Spending Summary 2024:

Overall Leaderboard: The Great Santini 

Jason Santini and Clark (the Shark) Olson have traded the lead since mid-July, with Clark mainly on top. But this week Jason took his game to a new level, with not one but two teams in front of the Shark. Jason is now threatening to eclipse the 2021 finish of Phil Dussault (who finished first and third that year). Jason wanted everyone to know that his nickname is The Great Santini and he really inspired the 1979 movie (no one remembers back that far, Jason). But this race is certainly not over yet, though, as it could be nip-and-tuck right down to the finish, as Jason has a 45.0 point lead over, um, Jason Santini! (he has a 79.5-point lead over Clark Olson in 3rd). These two competitors are doing some special stuff this season: Clark has four Main Event entries currently ranked 3rd, 24th, 57th and 228th, but The Great Santini also has four Main Event entries and they are 1st, 2nd, 14th and, wait for it, 448th. That last entry was apparently just to make everyone else feel better (he could have placed that one in the top 31 if he’d wanted according to close family friends).

Main Event Leaders in 2024

But surprisingly, these are not the only two fantasy managers in this overall race. My Favorite Martin – Gregg Martin – is in fourth place overall, 274.5 points out of first. And rounding out the top five is our Tony Award Winner Tony DiVincenzo, who three weeks ago was 15th, then 8th and last week 5th (which he held this week).

The fresher Eric Drescher moved up to 6th from 9th, as he recommits to the task after his second break from the NFBC. Drummer Griffin Benger is still on a roll and finds himself in 7th place overall. Tyler (Welcome to the Jungle) Jung drops one spot from 7th to 8th as he plans his next safari, and Todd Hoppe is back from Paris (he entered the triple jump competition of course) and is now 9th (from 10th). Anthony Donisch (who likes a good danish) is still in the top 10 after falling two spots from 8th to 10th this week.

Department Store owner Bill Macey is in 11th place after climbing from 16th; Matthew Dugan (who says his friends call him Doogie) is now 12th; former Overall Main Event Champ Robert Cramutola has surged from 50th three weeks ago and is now 13th (zowie); in 14th is (sigh) Jason Santieu, and The Finnish Flash Jordan Rosenblum resides in 15th overall. 

Brody (the Coyote) John is now in 16th (dropping a bit from 13th); 2015 overall champ and former 2024 leader Glenn Schroter is still solid in 17th; Rotowire favorite James Anderson is 18th; Andrew Deninno is now 19th after working on FAAB solely from his den instead of the living room and Matt Leahy rounds out the top 20 (he was 28th last week). 

Scout Dustin McComas is in 21st; Andrew Kopicz is 22nd; David, um, Robert Beckman is in 23rd; Michael O’Brien is proving his mettle in 24th and Clark The Shark has his second-best team in 25th.

But all 31 of these fantasy managers are in the hunt for sure, and in a big 855-team contest like the Main Event, that’s very impressive, right? Nice job, fellows!

Top 31: Main Event 2024

League of Legends

Here are the 57 Main Event leagues with the current top three in the standings as of Monday morning!

Top Three: 2024 Main Event League Leaders

Shout-Outs

There are some notable fantasy managers who have multiple teams placing in the Main Event at this late stage of the season, and they certainly deserve a shout-out! Leading the way is (of course) Robert Cramutola with two firsts and two seconds. Wow. Not to be outdone, Kyle Brinkmann has one first, two seconds and one third. Jason Santeiu has three first places, which is also outstanding; Tyler Jung has two firsts and a third; Clark the Shark Olson has one first and two seconds; Scott Waggener has one first and two thirds and both Dalton Del Don and Dave Rhydderch have one second and two thirds. Those eight fantasy managers alone have 10 first places, eight seconds and eight thirds. Yikes.

But see below, as there are other fantasy managers with outstanding results. In fact, these 26 stars account for 19 first places (33% of the total) and 62 cashing positions (36%), leaving not much for the rest of the field!

Two firsts; two seconds – Robert Cramutola
One first; two seconds; one third – Kyle Brinkmann
Three firsts – Jason Santeiu
Two firsts; one third – Tyler Jung
One first; two seconds – Clark Olson
One first; two thirds – Scott Waggener
One second; two thirds – Dalton Del Don; Dave Rhydderch
Two firsts – Bradley Libros
One first; one second – Chris Uram; Alan Mitchell
One first; one third – John Pausma; Andrew Sullivan; Matthew Dugan; Griffin Benger; Alan Mitchell
Two Seconds – Abdulaziz Madani; Anthony Palavis
One second; one third – Joe Green; David Miller; Bob Catsiroumpas; Matthew Shepherd; Danny Bronski; Bill Gaffney
Two thirds – Nelson Sousa; Philippe Dussault

Good luck to all the competitors in Week 25!