Sonic’s MME Pool 18.23
Sonic is a Milly Maker winner and large-field tournament mastermind who focuses on mass-multi-entry play
All Hell
When analyzing my play over the years, I can conclude that my hand-built lineups have outscored my optimizer-created ones by a wide margin. That makes sense to me. Hand building offers a level of control over such “lever-pulling” ventures as applying specific leverage, blending high upside dart throws with solid floor guys, or pairing certain low-owned plays with the chalk.
Having said that, I won’t be hand building much this week. There’s simply too much to manage. Too much information still left up in the air. To keep everything organized, I’ll be building copious groups and rules while keeping all my important decisions on my player allocations fluid.
Are we going to be surprised if we get a Sunday morning report that the Browns want to “keep the engine warm” by playing Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt into the third quarter? Or that the Chiefs value Noah Gray and don’t want to risk losing him in a meaningless game? How about this Jordan Mason situation? Are we getting zero Eli Mitchell or Tyrion Davis-Price?
All hell could break loose this week, so I’ll have to curtail my self-clicking fun until about 90 minutes before lock.
Secondary Core-Relations
We’re always hunting for those high-ceiling combinations to add to our existing game stacks. It’s better to aim at getting four things right instead of trying to hit a nine-way parlay. I’ll lean on a handful of core secondary stacks that will be finessed into lineups whenever feasible.
DJ Chark/Mike Evans
At risk of sounding like a looping TikTok, Mike Evans is someone of which we must take an overweight stance at low ownership, and that feeling is exaggerated on a slate with little certainty and some fragile perceived certainty. The Buccaneers need this win desperately and, regardless of matchup, they’ll be leaning heavily on their narrow pool of talent. I expect to roster plenty of Evans (4.6%), Rachaad White (10%), and Chris Godwin (9.2%).
DJ Chark has well-documented big play ability. Add that he has earned a 22.5% target share over the last two games and Jonathan Mingo’s Week 18 absence and Chark possesses some volume-based floor along with his considerable ceiling.
WHAT IF the Panthers find some offensive spark against the porous Buccaneers pass defense? This could force Baker Mayfield into big play mode where he often looks downfield in Mike Evans’ direction.
I’ll ask Bink Machine to put Chark in 40% of my Evans rosters.
Austin Ekeler/Justyn Ross
“What Should Have Been”
This was supposed to be a big year for Ekeler but team injuries and inefficiency put a damper on his first-round draft status. Heading into free agency, Ekeler should be motivated and there’s no reason to think the Chargers will limit him in favor of these other JAGs they have on the roster. At 3.3%, I’m at least interested in some sprinkles.
Ross was among the most highly touted prospects entering college but injuries and “character issues” have derailed his progress. In games like this, sometimes raw talent finds ways to reveal itself. I’ll take a few swings. Cheap upside at $3000 and 0.3% owned makes for a nice pivot off the potential Christian Kirk chalk.
Deandre Hopkins/Zay Jones
Hopkins has a bunch of reachable incentives and is much revered amongst his teammates and coaching staff. Plenty of reason to believe he will get peppered with opportunities.
Christian Kirk is coming off an injury and is 30% owned at $3000. Potentially a free square play… BUT… Zay Jones is coming off an injury and is 1% owned at $3800. We’ll need news to break our way to commit to this play, but it looks like a GPP swing worthy of exploring on a few rosters.
WHAT IF the Titans push to get Nuk his money and Zay is the cheap Jaguars receiver you needed?
