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Welcome back to the newest installment in our series of
interviews aimed at giving readers insight into the minds and backgrounds of
those fantasy writers and pundits who have reached the level of
“expert.” It seems there has been an explosion in the number of
people claiming the title in the last few years, but no one seems to know where
they come from. These interviews aim to change all that, while also giving
aspiring “experts” (such as myself) some advice on both how to break
into the industry and ways to improve your fantasy skills.

 

Our guest this week is Matt Lutovsky, one of the top fantasy
writers for industry leader The Sporting News.

 

In your opinion, what
makes you a fantasy expert? (basically the polite way of asking – why should
people listen to you?)

 

I have good feel for what it takes to be competitive in
fantasy leagues — types of players you want, types to avoid, draft situations,
etc. But more than that, I enjoy digging through stats and trying to prove or
disprove widely held beliefs about players or trends. For instance, I was
confused this year as to why everyone just took for granted that Josh Hamilton
was a first-round pick, but Carlos Quentin was dropping to third or fourth
rounds in a lot of drafts. They’re basically the same player and have about the
same major league track record. Based on per plate appearance numbers, Quentin
was better last year (which a lot of people might not realize). Yet, fewer
people believe in him than Hamilton. Why?

 

I love looking for stuff like that and expounding on it. Sometimes
you start digging through the numbers and find out you’re wrong. So be it, but
you have to look. I take pride in doing that, and I take pride in always
looking ahead and trying to figure out potential issues before they even pop
up. I’m not always right, but I’m always looking.

Continue reading →