TGFBI DRAFT 2024
The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational 2024 Draft Log
For those lucky enough to be in The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational (TGFBI), draft day is the official start of the season.
What is TGFBI exactly? Well, (directly from the official website) TGFBI is the largest fantasy baseball industry contest in the world with over 400 participants in an overall contest created by Justin Mason. TGFBI brings together some of the industry’s best analysts in a competition designed to bring together and promote the fantasy baseball industry and its participants.
I’ve had the honor of being an original member in 2018 and can’t wait to get the 2024 draft started on 2/26.
TGFBI gives people a great opportunity to compete directly against big time fantasy experts. For example 2023 TGFBI featured the likes of Nick Pollack (Pitcher’s List), Todd Zola (ESPN & TGFBI legend), Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris (The Athletic), Eric Karabell (ESPN), James Ganey (Go Cubs Go Podcast) and so many more fantasy baseball community members (over 400!). Starting 2/26 just look up the #TGFBI hashtag on Twitter and see hundreds of people recapping their drafts.
Here is the actual format for TGFBI (link here):
-15 teams per league, usually around 30 total leagues for over 400 members.
-5x5 roto (R, HR, RBI, SB, AVG & W, K, ERA, WHIP, SV)
-30 man rosters, start 2 C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, CI, MI, 5 OF, 1 UT, 9 P (7 bench spots)
-Weekly lineups for P, bi-weekly for hitters (Mon-Thur then Fri-Sun)
-Weekly Sunday night waivers with $1000 FAAB
-No Trades & No IL spots
-Slow Draft with 4 hour pick clock
The uniqueness of this league’s settings is saves only, 2 catchers, 5 OF, and weekly lineup locks. This really pushes up lockdown closers as there’s 15 teams per league and not many true everyday closers. OF dries up fast, especially with so many platooning OF nowadays. While there’s more OF players on waivers each week, getting 3 rock solid everyday OF somewhat early is huge. Two catchers for the most part isn’t a big deal. For example I got lucky last year drafting Elias Diaz in the final rounds as my #2 catcher. I prefer to grab 1 elite catcher early and have the 2nd catcher be a late round dart throw, or draft 2 catchers low end C1/high end C2 in the mid-late rounds.
Here is my year to year TGFBI stats:
2022 was a banner year as I won my league and finished in the top 5% of participates. Overall I feel like I’ve done pretty well as I’ve been in the top 40% 4/6 years, and even the 2 bad years we’re complete disasters. TGFBI truly has the best of the best, and I love this competition every year.
Side note- This is my 19th Sub Stack post and 1st in the fantasy baseball section. I hope to continue to grow this blog and please consider following my Sub Stack to get all new posts sent directly to your email!
I’ll be using this article to log my 2024 draft. This year I have the 4th overall pick (TEAM WILLIAMS) and lets all keep our fingers crossed that Corbin Carroll falls to 4….
2-25-24: I’ve long tweeted this, but I want to get the term “STOMERS” popularized.
At 4, last season Acuna had 114 (41/73), Witt Jr 79 (30/49), Carroll 79 (25/54), Julio 69 (32/37). Obviously this season Ronald Acuna at 1-1 is a massive advantage, but Witt Jr and Carroll are definitely my targets at 4. This year I’m trying to simplify my draft from a hitters perspective and chase stomers. After this top 4, just 2 other players had over 60 stomers (Ohtani 64 (44/20 but takes up the only UT spot as an UT only) and Francisco Lindor 62 (31/31)). This makes the 4th pick an awesome spot to be in as you get one of the top 4 tier players, then get an earlier 2nd rounder than the 1-3 picks. There’s an argument for Spencer Strider as high as #2 too, but with an ADP of 9.7 I’d be shocked to see him go top 4 in this format. Here is the link for the full NFBC ADP.
The draft begins at 10 AM AZ time 2/26.
1-4 Bobby Witt Jr (SS)
We’re chasing stomers folks. Bobby Witt Jr is my #2 overall player, especially in an AVG league. Witt & Carroll were 2nd in stomers last year with 79, and I went with Witt because you can’t ignore the pre/post Corbin Carroll shoulder injury stats.
My good friend CubbyNole showed me these Carroll splits. Not to say Carroll shouldn’t be a 1st round pick (2nd half was still great, but power numbers sapped), but when my #2 player is there at 4, you gotta set aside your fandom.
2-27 Luis Robert (OF)
STOMERS!! As mentioned above, only 6 players had over 60 stomers last season. Luis Robert had 58 (38/20) in 145 games. Robert finally put up a *nearly* fully healthy season in 2023, and there’s always a chance that he gets traded to a contender midseason (Robert feels like a midseason Braves or Astros trade). With the mix of AVG instead of OBP and elite stomer production, this is exactly how I wanted to start my draft.
3-34 Zac Gallen (SP)
I really wanted an ace in the 3rd round, and lucky for me there were 4 SP’s I LOVE here.
Obviously it’s hard for me to not go Gallen here as he’s 28 and just came off a great season. For me here, Kirby just doesn’t strike out enough guys to be my #1 ace and I think a similar style pitcher in a great ballpark like Logan Webb could still be there later. Pablo Lopez was phenomenal last year but overall Gallen & Gausman have been more durable. Lopez has stayed healthy in Minnesota, but that was not the same in Miami. Zac Gallen just goes deeper into games than Gausman, which results in more wins. The Diamondbacks also have a great defense and Moreno behind the dish which improved their pitching by a lot in 2023. Gallen is 28 and in the prime of career, big workload coming for Gallen.
-@GoldyHappens