Twitter has long been an excellent source of instantaneous news and wide-ranging opinions. We ran a series of interviews two years ago to help users new and old get to know some of our favorite tweeters.
Our series is back for 2014. Today we interview Shawn Siegele of PFF Fantasy, Rotoviz and Money in the Banana Stand. Get to know him below.
Chiefs apparently hoping to play in the rare 2-QB, 1-RB, 1-WR, 1-OW fantasy league.
— Shawn Siegele (@FF_Contrarian) May 11, 2014
Who Am I?
Name: Shawn Siegele
Twitter handle: @ff_contrarian
Tweeting since: August 2013
Number of tweets: 2000
Follower count: 2650
Hometown: Kansas City
Day job: high stakes fantasy football
Family: If you know anyone who’s obsessive about sports, Deadwood, and Russian literature . . .
Quick bio (who you are, site(s) you represent, etc.): My college tennis coach used to make fun of my major and ask if I was going to “open an English shop,” which is kind of what Money in the Banana Stand would be if I had more time after the work I do for RotoViz and Pro Football Focus Fantasy.
What is something unique about you that few would know about? There are few better jobs in the world than coaching D2 tennis – although it doesn’t pay a lot if you’re into that – but I still “retired” at 29 to write the Next Great American novel, which evidently was code for playing a lot of fantasy football. The first book is something of an Eternal Sunshine/1984 hybrid. Look for it in 2027.
What you do for fun during the football offseason: I’m working my way through the @Dexters_Library Top 100 books.
Favorite NFL team(s): Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, and Arizona Cardinals.
Favorite NFL player(s): Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson, Priest Holmes, Jamaal Charles, Larry Fitzgerald
Give us your “must follows” on Twitter: I’m following all of the RotoViz and PFF guys. They’re great and I wouldn’t want to pick between them – obviously anyone who’s serious about fantasy football is following @FantasyDouche and @MikeClayNFL. I also find @ChadParsonsNFL, @BalesFootball, @CDCarter13, @RyanMc23, and @zach_law are pretty indispensable. @BroJackson1 should be a follow for their great stable of sports/culture writers.
What do you like most about Twitter? I like that positive and optimistic memes replicate better than negative ones and that the rational tends to replicate better than the anti-rational.
Years playing fantasy football: 10
How many leagues, typically? 30-50
Keep seeing that the Lions might franchise Brandon Pettigrew. PFF's numbers suggest he is below replacement caliber.
— Shawn Siegele (@FF_Contrarian) February 27, 2014
Inside the Guru’s Studio
What is your favorite fantasy word? Similarity score
What is your least favorite fantasy word? Injury report
DC Comics or Marvel? I’ll go with Marvel since I’m a Tony Stark fan.
What is your favorite film? The Big Lebowski
What is your favorite book? Straight Man. Richard Russo’s funniest book is also easily his best even if he won a Pulitzer for Empire Falls. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, and Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez would also be in the running.
Cake or ice cream? Ice cream cake – this is pretty easy since it’s ice cream with frosting.
Star Wars or Star Trek? Battlestar Galactica
What sound do you hate? Talk radio
What sound do you love? laughter
Film or Stats? I draft based on the metrics, but I love watching football. Through the glory of DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Shortcuts, I’ve seen every play in an NFL game since the start of 2011.
Entering Sunday, Eli's avg pass traveled 46% farther than A. Smith, yet Smith avg 16% more fantasy points per drop back. Checkdowns count.
— Shawn Siegele (@FF_Contrarian) December 16, 2013
Predictions and Advice
Favorite fantasy style or combination of styles of play (Dynasty, Redraft, Auction, Best Ball, Daily, Survivor, etc.): Auction.
Studs ‘n Duds or Value Based Drafting? Studs ‘n Duds. I just take the most exciting player each time I’m on the clock.
What's the biggest mistake you see fantasy players make? Drafting players you don’t want to root for. I think people tend to abandon this as they become more serious about FF, and that kind of defeats the purpose.
How much of fantasy football is skill? How much is luck? If you play a large number of leagues, it’s going to be mostly skill. If you only play a couple a season, that’s probably going to be swamped by luck. Although my sister wins our friends and family league almost every year, so maybe that’s not true.
Go out on a limb—give a wild prediction about the 2014 season that would shock the world if it happened: Despite the more difficult schedule, Jamaal Charles breaks the single season yards from scrimmage record and leads the Chiefs past Denver for the AFC West title.
Super Bowl XLIX Teams and Score: Kansas City Chiefs 41 Detroit Lions 38
2014 Fantasy MVP: Zac Stacy. This is mostly because so many people have picked him as the “bust,” and he’s my guy so I have to stand up for him. Plus, Stacy is a bigger talent than both Lacy and Ball, so he might be able to overcome the Rams’ brutal schedule and the addition of Mason.
2014 Fantasy Most Improved: Geno Smith
2014 Fantasy Bust of the Year: Marshawn Lynch
