I’m Mike Clay and This Is How I Play

Several years ago I began working remotely for a startup non-profit after spending most of my career in retail and corporate offices. As any quality researcher would do, I immediately began looking into tips and tricks of how to be successful working remotely. I stumbled across an article series by Lifehacker, called “How I Work,” which essentially was a collection of interviews, focusing on best practices, workflows, workspaces, and gadgets used by successful business people.

This new article series is a nod, or rather a direct copy of their idea, from a fantasy football perspective. I’ll seek to interview the most interesting minds in fantasy football, procuring their secrets, routines, bookmarks, and more in an effort to pull back the curtains and provide you with resources and information. I hope you enjoy!

Your name

Mike Clay

Your Twitter handle

MC: @MikeClayNFL

Your location

MC: Cheshire/CT

Current day job

MC: ESPN Fantasy Football Analyst

Current fantasy job(s)

MC: Writing, TV, podcast/radio

One word that best describes how you play

MC: Analytical

Current mobile device

MC: IPhone

Current computer

MC: PC

First of all, tell us a little about how you got your start in fantasy football. How did that evolve to what you’re doing now?

MC: I’ve been a full-on stats/sports-nerd since I was very young so studying football – and eventually converting that to playing fantasy – has been a part of my life since before I can remember. I dabbled in writing about fantasy for a while during high school and college, but finally decided to start my own site back in 2009. At that point, fantasy football analysis wasn’t very advanced, so I made my name by offering a unique/advanced look at the game. My eventual partnership with Pro Football Focus obviously took that level of data and information to a new level.

What’s your best time-saving shortcut or fantasy hack?

MC: Excel formulas and pivot tables. I do most of my labor building my tools in the offseason and simply add the new data and hit refresh during the season. Magic!

What everyday thing are you better at in fantasy football than everyone else? What’s your secret?

MC: We all have our strengths and weaknesses, but for me, I’d say quantifying (and sometimes debunking) narratives as well as the understanding that a player is only as good as he is relative to everyone else. It’s easy to say “he should get a lot of touches and has a good matchup”, but how many touches is “a lot” and how does the ‘good matchup’ impact the player’s projected stats? Also, you often here things like ‘he will face a tough corner this week’ or ‘that tight end blocks too much’ or ‘rookies throw to the tight end more than veterans’. That sounds good and all, but often times it’s inaccurate. Game-charting data helps separate myth from reality.

How many fantasy football leagues do you currently play in? What is your favorite league and why?

MC: 15 (not including best ball). There’s a few I really enjoy, but I’ll give the nod to the Rotoworld staff/invitational dynasty league. I’ve never been in a league with so much trading and movement. It’s 14 teams so our rosters are often littered with “bad”/speculative players. It’s a tough league. Also, my team is pretty good, so maybe I’m a bit biased. Ryan McDowell’s Hyperactive league is a close second here.

How would you describe your fantasy football philosophy?

MC: This probably leans more toward how I operate as an analyst, but in a nutshell, I want to be able to defend everything I say or write. I feel very uncomfortable if I’m asked a question and I don’t have strong, legitimate evidence to support my opinion of a player/situation. That’s all the motivation I need to be the hardest working analyst at the party.

What’s your greatest strength in fantasy football? Startup drafts, mining the waiver wire, making trades, lineup decisions? Weakness?

MC: We’ve all made bad trades, but I think I’ve won many more than I’ve lost. Admittedly, I’m hard to trade with because I want to ensure I’m improving my team, but when I actually do complete a trade, it’s rare that I’m concerned it was a bad move. My weakness is definitely a lack of aggression on waivers. I never bid enough!

What’s your favorite article you’ve ever written? Why?

MC: I like to think I’ve been innovative, so there are a few pieces I’m very proud of, including analyzing snaps before that was even a thing, my annual/series of ‘regression alert’ pieces, the introduction articles to OTD and aDOT, etc. But a more recent one that I think is extremely important is ‘Why you’re way too high on Jeremy Langford’ as well as a complementary piece that examined whether or not YPC and YAC are predictive stats. I think these pieces showed that our “nerdy” stats aren’t any less important than the eye test/scouting. It was overwhelmingly obvious that Langford was not good last year and we quickly saw that come to fruition this season. I’m extremely anxious to continue building a sample of this data to see how it changes our player evaluation.

Who is the best fantasy football owner you’ve ever played with and why?

MC: We’re in many leagues together and I feel like I’ve built a friendly/competitive rivalry with Sigmund Bloom

What’s your current workspace (for fantasy football) like? Coffee shop with laptop and headphones? Home office with a standing desk? Submit an image if possible.

MC: Home office (currently in transition actually) as well as wherever I need to be on campus (TV studios, radio studio, random cubicle to get some writing done, etc.)

Besides your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without and why?

MC: I rarely have time for it these days, but how about my PS4 controller? I always find some time each year for a little Madden, NHL and even NASCAR (please bring NCAA football back, EA!)

What apps, software, or tools can’t you live without?

MC: Excel and mentioning anything else would be disrespectful to how often I use excel.

What is your go-to site for your tough start/sit decisions?

MC: ESPN.com (company man)

If you could only read one website (other than those you contribute at) for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

MC: Rotoworld news blurbs are invaluable

Take a quick peek at your bookmarked sites. What are the top 3-4 sites on the list?

MC: Tweetdeck. ESPN. NFL Transactions. Pro Football Focus

What podcast is currently queued up on your phone?

MC: Fantasy Forecast! (shameless…so shameless)

What are you currently reading? A novel, comic book, website, magazine?

MC: I have a 2 year old and a 3 month old, so MANY children’s books.

What do you listen to while you play? Got a favorite playlist? Maybe a podcast? Or do you prefer silence?

MC: Yes! Spotify has some amazing playlists – Feel Good Indie Rock and Indie Chillout are my go-to lately. Love Sirius XM when driving.

Do you have any superstitions on game day? Wear the same lucky T-Shirt? Always make homemade chili before the games?

MC: I do not now that I’m “working”, but before I was an analyst, I used to get wings from the same place in Kutztown, PA to be delivered right before 1 pm ET.

How do you recharge?

MC: These days, mostly playing with the kids. My wife and I also put a good hour or two late at night into a long list of TV shows we keep up on. Oh, and cooking up Blue Apron three times per week is a fun activity.

What’s your sleep routine like? Are you a night owl or early-riser?

MC: I suppose the former. I usually watch TV (when not working) until 12-12:30 and wake up around 8. So I get some solid Zs!

Fill in the blank: I’d love to see _________ answer these same questions.

MC: Anita Marks

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

MC: Matthew Berry is an inspiration to many people on this planet and I’ve been lucky to know him personally for a long time. He’s gone out of his way to help and advise me since literally the day I met him many years ago. I don’t think I can point to one thing, but I know I wouldn’t be where I am without his guidance, advice, and support. We couldn’t ask for a better person to be the face of and carry the torch for this industry.

Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be interesting to readers and fans?

MC: A majority of my fluid intake is Propel water. Seriously. I have a problem.

The How I Play series asks writers, developers, editors, and fantasy football degenerates to share their secrets, bookmarks, routines, and more. Have someone you want to see featured, or questions you think we should ask? Email Eric Dickens or start a conversation with him on Twitter.