2016 Fantasy Draft Team Recaps – D3West & D3TennisBro

So, I took the weekend off and decided not to post any of the team recaps or anything I promised, which I guess you should be kind of used to by now.  Sorry, was spending time with some important peeps and trying to plan out what happy hour I was going to meet D3Central at later this week. It’s the important stuff in life, people. Anyways, we’re back with the 2016 Fantasy Draft Team Recaps with two of your favorite people, D3West and D3TennisBro.  The Bro is a newcomer on the blog team, and he has decided to go outside of just tweeting and bring his skills to the blogging world.  Let’s see how he does going up against possibly the most senile of writers, D3West.  When all is said and done, I will post the team by team lineups and projections for starting lineups.  Only one more article after this!

“Blue Mountain State”

Manager: D3TennisBro

Coach: Andrew Girard

Ast Coach: Chris Goodwin

Projected Singles Lineup:

1. CJ Krimbill, Case Western
2. Glenn Hull, CMS
3. Peter Leung, Chicago
4. Kunal Wadwani, CMU
5. Taylor Hunt, Redlands
6. Jordan Sadowsky, Williams

Projected Doubles Lineup:

1. CJ Krimbill / Michael Treis
2. Sam Geier/ Glenn Hull
3. Max Liu / Jordan Sadowsky

Projected Backups:

1. Sam Geier, Kenyon
2. Michael Treis, Whitewater
3. Nick Fiaschetti, Kenyon
4. Dhuruvv Yadav, Wesleyan
5. Lucas Pickering, Skidmore
6. Max Liu, Chicago

Team Analysis: As I alluded to throughout the round-by-round analysis, I wanted to draft a team full of guys that know how to win, and I think this squad is just that. To put it bluntly, this lineup is good. Really, really good. I genuinely believe that it has the potential to take down any of the other guys’ teams in head-to-head battles, because as West said, “this team doesn’t really have weaknesses.” Let’s take a look at why:

Doubles: Though singles is viewed by most as being the more flashy and enticing side of tennis, the fact remains that great teams go up in dubs, so I needed to draft a team that would do just that. My obvious strengths are at #1 & #3, but I think my #2 pairing has the potential to beat anybody when they’re on. Having the Krimbill/Treis combo up top is is just so solid. Both have massive serves and buttery volleys, but it’s their return games that set them apart. I really see both of these guys as two of the most complete and consistent doubles players in the country, and in a #1 doubles landscape that is absolutely stacked, consistency is key. So in looking at the other teams at #1, I wouldn’t say the CJ/Batman combo a lock for the point, but they’re as close as you’re gunna get. At #3 the Liu/Sadowsky combo is damn near unbeatable. All bias aside, the San Diego boys are probably my favorite team in the draft (though ASwizzle’s Tsai/Gray squad is nasty). That leaves my guys Pillow Hands and The Ichthyologist at #2. Admittedly, this is my weakest team, but the thought of them playing together was just too good to pass up. Geier has proven he can be a monster on the doubles court, this we know. Unfortunately Hull has struggled a bit in the two-man game, but I think the solidity of my #1 and #3 spots gave me some room to throw together a #2 team whose potential success is predicated more on talent than results. This #2 pairing could beat anyone if both guys are on, and with the all-but-guaranteed points at 1&3 I think going up 2-1 in most matches is pretty realistic.

Singles: Despite going into the draft worrying more about doubles, I somehow ended up with a singles powerhouse. Every team needs a rock, and the Thad Castle (minus the craziness) of this Mountain Goats squad is my guy CJ Krimbill. The value of having someone at the #1 spot that you know is going to be an almost-automatic point cannot be overstated, and CJ is a machine at the top of the lineup. Hull at 2 is a potential question mark just because he hasn’t played this high in the lineup yet, but he’s still one of the more talented singles guys in the nation, and I expect his talent to win out in most every match. And while having that much talent at the top 2 spots is amazing, the real strength of this singles lineup is at 3 & 4. Leung and Wadwani make the middle of this lineup downright filthy. I really don’t see them both losing on the same day. Ever. Hunt at 5 may be another question mark, but when he regains that 2013-12-match-tear form he’ll be one of the best 5’s in the country, and Sadowsky could be a scary 6 if he continues to develop.

Backups: On the court, my backups are just really solid should any of the guys in front of them go down. Geier has an ITA title, Treis is a formidable 2, Fiaschetti and his 40-year-old man game are difficult to deal with, Dhruuuuuuuv is an integral part of what is going to be a great Cards team, Pickering is flooded with talent, and Max Liu is just nasty. The only real question mark would be if Hunt were to go down, as Pickering has yet to live up to his potential, but I think the Skidmore product would be a more-than-capable replacement in a pinch. I’d also like to play Liu in lieu (sorry) of Sadowsky, but I don’t think that’s allowed, so unfortunately his singles talent is wasted on my bench. But that aside, the real job of my bench is to get silly hyped. Like Monmouth’s bench hyped. And I think the Fiesch and friends could bring that #BenchMob mentality to push the starters through those tough matches.

Coaching: I won’t lie and say I didn’t choose Girard for his on-point twitter game, because I did. But the Tartan-clad coach’s recruiting prowess and Emory’s Chris “G-Money” Goodwin’s experience from the good ol’ days will make up a tandem that can lead this group to the promise land.

The Formula: So here it is, the formula for the Mountain Goats’ success. It’s really quite simple, but realistically is how I envision most of this squad’s matches going:

Doubles: Go up 2-1 (likely with wins at 1 & 3)

Singles: Win at #1, Win at #2, Win at 3 or 4 and bing-bang-boom, that’s 5 points and a W for the good guys. Wins at 5 & 6 would just be icing on the cake. #PartyAtTheGoatHouse

D3West’s Take: I’m going to start off by saying that I was under the impression that we could only use one singles player from each position for our doubles lineups. At least, that’s what the Headmaster told me, but he’s the kinda guy that won’t permit someone to go to Hogsmeade without a permission slip but uses the Forbidden Forest for detention.

Anywho, this is a pretty solid team here. As far as strengths go: Krimbill is the guy I would’ve picked if I had a higher draft choice, and having him in your lineup is the closest thing to an automatic two points there is in DIII right now. It’s also really hard to see Leung and Wadwani losing a lot of matches in the middle of the singles lineup. Treis was a great pickup for a second #2 singles player because he really is a solid doubles player, and he and Krimbill together really would not lose a lot of matches. Both have stellar return games, which is often the difference between a team that can beat other good teams on the right day, and a doubles team that wins consistnetly. Of course, Liu and Sadowsky is about as nasty a #3 doubles team as you’re gonna get, but this fantasy league is loaded with great #3 teams.

This team doesn’t really have weaknesses so much as it has question marks. I think Hull is going to have a great year at #2, but he’s very much unproven when it comes to winning against the better players. He also didn’t have a fantastic record at #3 doubles last year (and that was with Marino). It’s hard to see how putting him with Geier would make a great #2 doubles team. The other question mark has got to be Hunt at #5. If he plays well, he’ll be fantastic, but you’ve got to worry about injuries and rust with him. It was a bit of a risky pick, but I can’t say I don’t like it. If he did go down, however, the team would be stuck with Pickering at #5, which wouldn’t cut it against the rest of the teams in this league.

When it comes to coaching, I think the Bro did a great job. Girard has never struck me as a great in match coach, but you’re gonna be hard pressed to find someone who does the organizational stuff better. Twitter, recruiting, scheduling? You name it, Girard does a good job (Except maybe Spring Break Cleveland!!!) Making up for Girard’s relative weakness in matches is going to be Goodman, who I’ve always considered to be a tactical genius. His NCAA Championship match victory over Pottish was one of the more bizarre things I’ve ever seen. They averaged approximately 3.4 drop shots per point, and that was the way to beat a guy who would never lose otherwise.

Overall, I would say this team is a bit like a jelly doughnut. The top and the bottom are always going to be good, but the stuff in the middle can be a little bit sketchy.

“The West of Us and the Rest of Us”

Manager – D3West

Coach: Chris Bizot, UT-Tyler

Ast Coach: Chris “Febreeze” Fabrizio, CMS

Projected Singles Lineup:

1. Arthur Fagundes, UT-Tyler
2. Sven Kranz, Chicago
3. Tyler Kratky, Wash U
4. Sachin Raghavan, Williams
5. Chase Savage, Bowdoin
6. Matt Tyer, Trinity TX

Projected Doubles Lineup:

1. Matt Tyer/Jonathan Kim
2. Sirovica/Simonides
3. Chas Mayer/Tyler Kratky

Projected Backups:

1. CJ Antonio, Oglethorpe
2. Jonathan Kim, Pomona
3. Jose McIntyre, UT-Tyler
4. Sirovica, UCSC
5. Chas Mayer, Trinity TX
6. Spencer Simonides, Pomona

Team Analysis:

Strengths: Everywhere? I think pretty much any coach in the country would be thrilled to have this depth of talent to work with in their lineup. The bottom of the lineup is absolutely filthy. Tyer is one of the only “#6” guys who could stand up to the bottom of Chicago’s lineup. Savage is a phenomenal #5 and will probably play higher than that this season, but if he has a down season, Mayer would be one of the best #5 guys in the entire country (though he’ll probably end up playing higher in reality this season, too). Raghavan is an experienced #4 guy and every bit as good as the guys from Amherst and Midd.

The biggest strength is going to be the doubles lineup. It’s difficult to go in depth with this, but all six of those guys have solid to huge serves and great returns. You’ll notice none of my doubles teams feature a #1 singles players, but they would be more than ready to come off the bench if these teams didn’t mesh the way I envision.

Coaching is another huge strength, as Bizot is a guy who really knows how to get the best out of his players. If he were at a school that could draw players like CMU or Emory, he would be winning national championships left and right. Still, he does amazingly well with one of the weakest academic schools in the top 30 (sorry, Tyler) in a location that most high schoolers wouldn’t see as desirable (though I think Tyler is lovely). He’s also a very underrated in-match coach, if that’s possible. Febreeze is an assistant who just knows how to get shit done, though he lacks the flash of some of the former-player coaches on the other teams. You can bet Febreeze would help get my team a phenomenal schedule and would be invaluable strategist in practice.

Weaknesses: When the best double-threat #1 singles players went off the board early, I took my focus away from the top spot, and that will probably end up being my weakest spot, especially after I made the mistake of taking Fagundes so early. Nevertheless, I think it won’t be too hard to find a top 10 #1 guy off the waiver wire if my freshman risk doesn’t pan out. I also don’t exactly have a “lock” type of player at #2, but if Kranz doesn’t have a good season, I’ll feel really good about putting Kim in there. Basically I sacrificed having a lock at the top 2 positions for flexibility at the bottom, which I think was a good choice given the fact that most national championship teams win because their depth.

D3TennisBro’s Take: West has honestly put together a pretty solid squad here. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a weakness, but the top of his lineup singles-wise would likely struggle to consistently win against the rest of the 1s and 2s in the draft. Nothing against Fagundes, who I expect to emerge as a national level 1 in the future, but UT-Tyler’s Brazilian freshman presently just isn’t as good as the rest of the 1’s that got picked up. Sven is another guy I’m just kind of apathetic towards, and I really see him as a rung below the rest of the 2s in the draft (though to be fair, he can compete with anyone when he’s on). Obviously this is something West wasn’t concerned with though, as he went for premier low-lineup guys early. The real strength of this singles lineup is obviously at 5 and 6, where Savage (favorite last name in the nation) and Tyer would be two of the best in the country at those positions. Plus Kratky and Raghavan provide some experience, and solidify a really solid 3/4 combo in the middle of the lineup — that 3-6 gauntlet would not be fun to deal with. I also think West did one of the better jobs of grabbing backups that could step in and ball if the need arose, particularly with Mayer and Kim, and overall put together a solid singles squad.

And am I crazy, or is this doubles lineup not as good as West thinks it is? I’m not sold on a Tyer/Kim combo up top – DII transfer Tyer could be one of the better dubs guys in the country, but Kim making the jump to 1 is iffy for me considering how good the rest of the #1 pairings are. I’m equally skeptical about a Simonides jump to 2, and the Kratky and Mayer combo at #3 would be very solid but might struggle against some of the other pairings at #3.

You may have noticed that I used the word “solid” about a bagillion times, but that’s because West’s squad is just that: solid. Nobody really jumps out at you, but when you start thinking about potential match ups you realize that playing them would be a grind. So in a DIII tennis world where depth wins championships, West’s team is looking like the Mariana Trench, but unfortunately it seems like prioritizing bottom of the lineup guys and potential fill-ins will leave him pointless up top. Hopefully Bizot and Febreeze would be able to work some coaching magic to compensate.

D3AS Conclusion: So, what do y’all think?  Are we gonna go with one of the oldest members of the team or possibly the newest member?  Is the Bro just too over-the-top bro’ey with his team?  Is D3West overestimating his talent?  Let us know in the comments.  I’m talking participation here folks!  Anyways, enough about me.  ASouth, OUT.