The 2024 edition of The Process is now available!
This year’s edition is different in a few ways.
First, only the appendix will have updated material. Our lives have become extremely busy and we were spending so much time making trivial updates to the main part of the book that it was costing us time to work on new research.
There is no need to purchase the full 2024 edition if you have already read the 2023 edition of the book. There is no new information in the body of the full version. Anything new, including new research and all the SGP data will be in the appendix that is over 100 pages long.
You only need to purchase the appendix edition to get all this new information. The 2024 Full Edition comes with the core of the 2023 book along with the new appendix.
Second, Tanner was unable to contribute any of his own research this year because of personal reasons. He did contribute by offering ideas for research and editing all the new material.
To make up for the gap left by Tanner, several people have stepped forward to provide new studies and commentary this season, including Phil Dussault, Steve Weimer, Rob Silver, Dylan White, and Vlad Sedler. We were blown away by the amount of ideas and research this group contributed.
The new appendix includes:
- A retrospective review of our work to project the effects of the MLB rule changes heading into the 2023 season.
- An in-depth attempt at trying to find a magic formula to project ideal FAAB bids. The study looked at league spending patterns and research to determine how many stats are drafted versus how many must be accumulated off the waiver wire.
- A total of 15 new research studies performed by Jeff Zimmerman, Phil Dussault, Steve Weimer, and Dylan White. Topics range from NFBC strategy, draft strategy, identifying breakout minor league talent, FAAB strategy, and understanding how much managers can improve rate statistics during the season.
We will continue to offer two editions this year, so our readers can choose the version that is right for them. Information on the Full 2024 and the Appendix 2024 Editions is below. We want to be very transparent about what you can expect from these options.
We are working to offer a printed version of the Appendix Edition on Amazon. Stay tuned for more information.
– Tanner and Jeff
2024 Appendix Edition PDF ($14.99)
This version does not include the full text. If you’ve never purchased The Process and want the entire book, you need to purchase the Full Edition. If you have previously read the core book and are only looking for the 100 pages of new appendix material, this is for you!
For $14.99, the PDF of the Appendix Edition includes 112 pages of information to help prepare for the 2024 season. Not having to manually calculate standings gain points for the main NFBC league formats, OBP leagues, or AL and NL-only leagues is worth the price of this alone.
In addition to the SGP, this season’s appendix includes:
- A retrospective review of our work to project the effects of the MLB rule changes heading into the 2023 season.
- An in-depth attempt at trying to find a magic formula to project ideal FAAB bids. The study looked at league spending patterns and research to determine how many stats are drafted versus how many must be accumulated off the waiver wire.
The book includes the following new research studies:
- Results of two start pitcher projections using Rotowire’s grades (Zimmerman).
- How hitters and pitchers performed after going to Driveline (Zimmerman).
- When is the best time to draft a draft-and-hold league (Zimmerman).
- How to use Vlad Sedler’s FAAB projections to predict winning FAAB bids (Sedler and Zimmerman).
- How to spot AAA breakouts and project their rotisserie value with new StatCast info (White).
- What AAA StatCast numbers lead to MLB success (Zimmerman).
- How does drafting “your guys” work out versus drafting ADP values (Dussault).
- An analysis on large NFBC Main Event FAAB bids (Dussault).
- An analysis on NFBC Main Event drops (Dussault).
- Studying if certain player types are better for Online Championship leagues (12-teamers) versus the Main Event (15-team leagues) (Dussault).
- A comparison of league results for NFBC Main Event managers who drafted online versus live (Dussault).
- A breakdown of NFBC’s new Gladiator format, including the winning team characteristics (Dussault).
- A look at how much a team can make up in rate stats over the course of the season (Weimer).
- An analysis of where in drafts Saves sources come from (Weimer).
- Bench pitcher-hitter splits on winning teams (Zimmerman).
Click here for the complete table of contents. The appendix also includes the following invaluable data tables to reference during draft preparation and in season:
- Jeff Zimmerman’s powerful pERA metric for MLB and AAA
- Starting pitcher opponent quality tables
- Updated standings gain points (SGP) for the 2023 season
- Average final league standings data for a variety of league types to help you determine your category goals
Click here to purchase the Appendix Only 2024 Edition in a PDF e-book format for $14.99.
Full 2024 Edition PDF ($19.99)
The full edition contains the same core of the book that’s been around since 2019 but with no updates except those provided in the appendix. The full edition of The Process e-book contains 395 details pages on how to run a fantasy baseball team, including the complete 100+ page appendix discussed above. Some of the highlights are:
- Detailed analysis of how to use industry projections and when they should be modified.
- How to use valuation systems to turn projections into rankings and dollar values.
- Take advantage of industry biases and norms to pull as much value out of a draft and auction.
- Groundbreaking studies on when breakouts happen, how past performance predicts future success, when valuable free agents appear, and behavioral analysis of the best NFBC teams, with all aspects analyzed and presented so owners can take advantage of this information.
- Pages of hints and secrets to accumulate standing gains during the season.
- Discussion of specific in-season tools utilized by the authors.
- Rookie variance study looking at the accuracy of rookie versus non-rookie projections.
- Comparison of the SGP and z-score valuations system that highlights the differences between the two systems for both hitters and pitchers.
- Study comparing the cost to acquire closers and comparable starters via FAAB.
- Study on the extent to which previous fantasy productions levels indicate future success.
- Weekly valuation study analyzing the benefits of valuing players on a weekly basis instead of only on an annual basis.
Click here to purchase the Full 2024 Edition in a PDF e-book format for $19.99.
Appendix Edition Paperback on Amazon ($17.99)
The appendix edition of the book is also available in paperback at Amazon.com for $17.99. Click here to purchase the Appendix Edition paperback on Amazon.
Full Edition Paperback on Amazon ($24.99)
The full edition of the book is also available in paperback at Amazon.com for $24.99. Click here to purchase the Full Edition paperback on Amazon.
What Have Others Said About the Book?
I am one who loves a large variety of baseball content. I listen to a plethora of podcasts. I love BABS. And who does not appreciate Baseball HQ and the Forecaster? And there are so many wonderful websites available for news and content – FanGraphs, Rotowire, Razzball, just to name a few. These and others all play a role in developing our fantasy baseball skills, but none so thoroughly covers the season-long fantasy baseball process like The Process.
~ John Pausma – NFBC Hall of Fame, 2018 NFBC Main Event Champion, 2021 NFBC $50s Champion
My first five seasons playing fantasy baseball have been heavily influenced by Jeff Zimmerman and Tanner Bell and it all culminated into one of the greatest fantasy baseball seasons of all time in 2021 when I won the NFBC Main Event (645 teams), the NFBC Auction Championship (120 teams) and finished second in the NFBC Online Championship (2388 teams). Whether you’re just starting out like I was in 2017 or have been playing for far longer than I have, I think everyone will learn a ton from this book, I know I certainly have and will continue to do so.
~ Phil Dussault – 2021 NFBC Main Event Champion, NFBC Auction Champion, and 2nd Place Finisher in NFBC Online Championship
What lies in these pages is the most thorough tackling of the larger questions of rotisserie baseball that you’ll find anywhere in this world (physical or digital). Jeff and Tanner examine concepts such as cognitive biases and measurement of intrinsic value, they dig into the trick, inexact science of FAAB, and they also introduce new ideas and theories.
~ Clay Link – RotoWire, The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational Champion
After reading The Process, I realize I will never write a book about fantasy baseball because Jeff Zimmerman and Tanner Bell wrote the book I would have written, only way better.
~ Rob Silver – NFBC Main Event Overall Champion
There are two paths towards sustainable fantasy baseball success: 1) You have preternatural talent in scouting/projecting talent or 2) You build, maintain, and refine a winning process to maximize all the little advantages. I employ the latter path. I am not sure whether to be mad at Jeff Zimmerman and Tanner Bell for providing a cheat code to years of learnings/struggles or pleased that they will create smarter fantasy baseballers to better utilize Razzball tools/projections. I will go with the latter to increase the chances they use my blurb.
~ Rudy Gamble – Razzball, Two-time Tout Wars Champion
Most books just tell you how the author won his leagues. What makes Tanner Bell and Jeff Zimmerman’s effort so epic is that it not only shows their work in every step of their own methods, it gives the reader a great sense of how they could innovate further, and how they could build their own league-winning process. This is a must-read for any fantasy baseball lover.
~ Eno Sarris – The Athletic
This is undoubtedly the most comprehensive fantasy baseball guide I have ever come across. Jeff and Tanner are two of the smartest minds in the industry and are part of the few I make sure to read everything from. The pair cuts through the noise and the group-think with just the facts, and lots of ’em! Forget the annual publications that provide player commentary and projections that are already outdated the moment you pick one up. The Process will provide you with long-term value and make you a better fantasy baseball player not just for the upcoming season, but for many seasons to come.
~ Mike Podhorzer – Fangraphs, Projecting X 2.0, Former Tout Wars Champion
The Process is one of the smartest, most comprehensive fantasy baseball books to hit the market in years. If you’re a valuation fanatic like I am, you’ll enjoy and devour every page of this book. The combination of Bell’s valuation expertise and Zimmerman’s real-world auction experience (and multiple victories in Tout Wars) shines through in this tome. The Process is an essential part of any fantasy player’s bookshelf and should be on yours if you’re serious about winning your leagues in 2019.
~ Mike Gianella – Baseball Prospectus, Former Tout Wars and LABR Champion
I’ve suffered through several auctions against Jeff and have enjoyed Tanner’s work for years. There’s statistical analysis, then there’s the statistical analysis that they whisper to the lucky buyers of The Process. Jeff and Tanner present stout scientific research in their fantasy baseball strategy while putting their findings in terms any baseball aficionado can understand. The thorough, measured, logical approach taken in this book is worth a read before you draft your team.
~ Tim Heaney – RotoWire, ESPN, Tout Wars, FSWA Award Winner
Please Click the Button Below to Purchase the Full Edition PDF for $19.99
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