I’m Scott Peak and This Is How I Play

Eric Dickens

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 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

Scott Peak

Your Twitter handle

SP: @scott_peak

Your location (city/state)

SP: San Mateo, CA

Current day job

SP: Neurologist/Neuro-oncologist

Current fantasy job(s)

SP: Senior Writer at Dynasty League Football

One word that best describes how you play fantasy football

SP: Intense

Who is your favorite (non-current) NFL player? Why?

SP: Dan Fouts. I grew up in San Diego and have been a Chargers fan dating back the the days of Air Coryell. I watched Fouts in the Freezer Bowl when Air Coryell was grounded against the Bengals on one of the coldest days in NFL history. Fouts had frostbite and icicles on his beard at the end of the game. Other than the New England Patriots debacle in the playoffs of 2006, this was the hardest loss for me to take. I always respected Fouts for his talent, toughness, grit and competitiveness. Great leader.

Current mobile device

SP: iPhone 6S

Current computer

SP: iMac and MacBook Air

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?

SP: I started playing fantasy football about eight years ago. My first experience was in a work redraft league. A friend of mine Pete Benavides from work told me about dynasty and got me into my first dynasty league. Pete recommended Dynasty League Football and I started reading their content. Like many readers, I started posting comments on articles and in their forum. Ken Kelly sent me an e-mail and we started chatting. As a physician, I was interested in player injuries, and I offered to write about them for DLF. The Dynasty Doctor was born.

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

SP: I’ve never understood sending low-ball trade offers. Most of the time, owners get offended by low-ball offers and a deal will never materialize. Even worse, it can damage the reputation of an owner, and adversely impact future deals. There is a huge supply of content online, and nearly all fantasy players have a good gauge of value for players. If a lopsided deal goes down, usually that creates emotional discord among other owners, and takes the fun out of the league.

The best trades help both sides, but one side a bit more, and that’s how winning teams are built. I think it’s a huge time-saver to send a fair offer, negotiate a deal that works for both sides and let time determine the winner. Offers should only be sent that have a realistic chance of succeeding, otherwise it’s just a waste of time. As an example, last year I traded Alshon Jeffery+2nd for Mike Evans. It seemed fair at the time, but I think Evans is the better half of that deal now. It wasn’t as clear a year ago.

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

SP: Trades and working the waiver wire. I’m aggressive in making deals. Sometimes I get burned but I’ve been happy with most of the trades I’ve completed. Research and data analysis of players is important, but an owner can’t be afraid to go with instinct. I’ve found it helpful to identify players who the fantasy community doesn’t like and seize the moment as a buy or sell opportunity. For example, last year I sold Thomas Rawls and CJ Anderson in nearly all my leagues. Josh Gordon a few years ago as well. I felt the market was overheated for those players, and took the chance to cash in on their value.

Identifying players who are over or undervalued and acquiring them before the tide turns is key. Opinions can change overnight on a player. Don’t be afraid to go against prevailing opinion on a player if you think it’s time to sell (or buy) them. The waiver wire is another important resource to build a team. I tend to bid aggressively early in the year, before the wire gets picked apart. Make it a habit to scour the waiver wire when it’s first-come-first-serve (FCFS) and pick up free players who can gain value. I acquired players like Thomas Rawls, John Brown and Dak Prescott for free on FCFS and it’s a nice boost to a team.

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

SP: I’m in seven dynasty leagues. It’s hard to pick one, as I like them all. My favorite leagues are my first dynasty league, Get Your Dynasty On, run by Ryan Forbes, Kitchen Sink 1 run by Ryan McDowell and Capitalist Pigs/#SFB480 run by Scott Fish. Ryan Forbes gave me my first shot at dynasty and is a great commissioner. Ryan McDowell is one of the best and nicest commissioners in fantasy sports, and Kitchen Sink is such a fun league. Super-flex, PPR, devy players, contracts, TE premium, it has it all. Scott Fish, commissioner/creator of Capitalist Pigs/#SFB480, is incredible. Such a wonderful person, nice, smart, creative and builds the craziest leagues that challenge our skills as fantasy players.

How would you describe your fantasy football philosophy?

SP: I trust my instincts and am relentless in finding ways to improve my teams. It doesn’t always work out, whether it be injuries, suspensions or changes in coaching/philosophy that undermines player production. I’m not afraid to make changes if I think it will improve my team. I also won’t complete a deal unless I’m certain the value exchange and fit for my team makes sense. Dynasty players can’t carry the same roster for years. Things change in the NFL, and in dynasty we have to be ahead of the news. I also won’t be shy about trading picks for proven talent. One of the most undervalued concepts in dynasty is how overvalued picks are, and the low success rates with picks. It doesn’t matter how experienced or smart an owner may be, there are too many unpredictable events that change player values, seemingly overnight. Rookies are extremely volatile assets. I’d rather have proven production over the hope of it in most situations.

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

SP: I’d say my strengths are making trades and mining the waiver wire. But since I covered that, I’ll say one of my worst skills is picking my starting line-up. I’m a firm believer that rankings are inaccurate and taking chances is necessary for success. Forecasting player production on a weekly basis is risky and notoriously inaccurate. Still, it’s frustrating to watch a player with a bad match-up score huge on my bench, or a great player completely flop in my starting line-up. Fantasy sports can drive us all crazy, mainly because of poor predictability and unforeseen events that implode logical plans.

Walk us through what your week looks like during the season as a fantasy owner. When do you watch games, process waivers, propose trades, etc?

SP: I watch games mostly on Sunday nights, Mondays and Thursdays. During the day on Sundays, I’m spending time with my family. I have a 7 year old son and almost two year old daughter. I work late during the week, and I value spending time with my children on the weekend.

At night, though, I have more time to watch football, and it helps that my son likes it. I also subscribe to NFL Game Pass. On Tuesdays I check the list of available free agents, and decide how much to bid for them. I’m aggressive with bidding, so I’m usually out of money relatively quickly. But I believe the best talent is available early and I don’t want to save my bid dollars for players who may never be useful. I’ll look for potential deals all days of the week. Every day is a good day to trade.

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

SP: My favorite article is my first one, an article I wrote on concussions back in 2013 for Dynasty League Football. As a Neurologist, it is a subject of interest for me, and it was nice to share what I’ve learned in my day job with others. I recall hearing broadcasters talk about special helmets that Wes Welker or Eddie Lacy used to help reduce risk of recurrent concussions, and yet nobody talked about the physics of impact on the brain, and limitations in technology to prevent concussions. It might surprise fans of football that varsity helmets have increased risk of concussions, mainly because they are heavy and increase neck flexion/extension. The NFL has a sordid history in dealing with head injuries, but even Roger Goodell can’t avoid the laws of physics. Hopefully further research and improvements in technology will improve player safety, and I think it will, but football will always be an aggressive, violent sport, and helping players with neurological complications from playing this game should be prioritized. Proper informed consent to players on risk of injury and helping them if they are suffering should be a priority by the NFL.

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

SP: This one is easy. Ryan McDowell. I can’t beat him, no matter how hard I try. I’ve made a ton of trades in Kitchen Sink 1, tried to spend money wisely in auctions, and I’ve built a competitive team. But I still can’t beat him. He’s five steps ahead of me, all the time. The day I win a title in a league with Ryan McDowell, I will retire from fantasy football.

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

SP: Nothing fancy. I have an iMac and a MacBook Air that I use on a desk in our bedroom. As a physician, I have access to medical resources (pubmed, uptodate.com, OVID, etc) that enable me to research the latest updates on injuries. I do have a Keurig coffee maker in my office and it gets a ton of touches on a daily basis.

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

SP: Tools. The most useful tool is my power drill. But higher-power tools like circular saws, miter saws, reciprocal saws, sanders and gas-powered power washers are fun. I want to buy a chainsaw next, if my wife will let me, to help prune some trees in our backyard.

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

SP: Downcast. Apple’s podcast app is terrible and drove me crazy. I found Downcast and it was a beacon of light. Whether it’s downloading podcasts automatically, simple access/search capacity, or fast-forwarding through sponsor announcements (sorry to all hardworking podcasters out there), it makes my podcasting experience so much better.

Twitter is an essential app for any fantasy football players.

Voxer is very cool to promote discussion among fellow owners, friends and colleagues.

WhatsApp is a great way to send free texts as well.

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

SP: Footballguys and 4for4.com. Projections are inaccurate and even the best author can expect to miss on at least 40% or more predictions. I find it best to go with your instinct, but it can help to get input from other analysts.

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?

SP: Realfootballnetwork.com and Twitter. Pat Kirwan and his colleagues do a great job teaching the intricacies of football and applying them to fantasy sports. Twitter allows me to find articles specific to my interests in an easily accessible format.

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

SP: Rotoworld, MyFantasyLeague, Twitter, DLF

What podcast is currently queued up on your phone?

SP: The Bull Rush Podcast

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

SP: The Science of Hitting by Ted Williams

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

SP: Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones and Iron Maiden are staples in my music library, but my favorite band is Metallica. I saw them live last year in San Francisco, the night before the Super Bowl, and they crushed it. Opening with Creeping Death, and playing old school favorites like Seek and Destroy, it was probably best they didn’t play the halftime show. I’m sure all the corporate-types checking their iphones for stock tips and Roger Goodell would’ve ran for the exits.

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

SP: I typically have a feeling of dread and am scared to check my scores. Mostly I spend time working in the garage or playing baseball/basketball/football with my son until the evening when I muster the courage to check my team scores. Then I cry, pound on my desk or tweet all my frustrations about how my teams stunk.

How do you recharge?

SP: Sleep. Exercise. Playing with my kids. Going to work and taking care of patients coping with brain cancer helps to keep me grounded. But I’m still intensely competitive so it’s hard.

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

SP: Night owl for sure. Go to bed around midnight. Get up at 7 AM.

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

SP: Scott Fish

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

SP: In my profession, I help patients with brain cancer, and it’s given me a strong appreciation for life and the importance of living it to the fullest. Appreciate what you have right now. Family. Kids. I’ve seen lives changed in an instant, one day busy at work, the next day in a hospital, waking up from a seizure, and staring at a doctor giving you a year to live. It sounds like a cliché, but believe me, it’s real. We’re fortunate to be alive and healthy.

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

SP: I’m climbing Mount Rainier next year. Hopefully I won’t fall off a cliff like my fantasy football teams.

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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.