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An Ownership Leverage Primer For Large-Field Tournaments

Leverage is not contrarianism. Here is the difference in practice.

M. Okafor · Fri Sep 18, 2:05 PM ET · 8 min read

Contrarianism is avoiding popular players. Leverage is accepting popular players when their projection justifies the ownership, and avoiding them when it does not.

The practical test is simple: compare projected ownership to projected share of optimal lineups. A player projected in 22% of lineups who appears in 28% of simulated optimal lineups is under-owned even though he is chalk.

This week, the model flags one popular tight end as correctly owned and one popular running back as meaningfully over-owned relative to his simulated optimal rate.

Use leverage where it is cheap: the third and fourth receiver slots, the flex, and the defence. Those spots move your uniqueness without giving up much projected score.

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Players mentioned

Brock Bowers · TE LV · $6,600
Brian Thomas Jr. · WR JAX · $6,500

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