I’m back with my newest tool at fantasyondraft.com. The Head-to-Head Player Comparison Tool consolidates meaningful data to assist in making sit-or-start decisions.

#Background For years, I’ve searched for a tool with the combination of data I wanted to help me make tough sit-or-start decisions. Most sit-or-start tools rely solely on comparing players in a vacuum by projections or rankings, with some of the better tools utilizing consolidated rankings. While these tools are fun to play around with, I find that they don’t (and can’t) take into consideration all the variables associated with a sit-or-start decision. For instance:

  • Do I need a safe, floor play or a risky, high-upside play?
  • How consistently has this player performed in the last few weeks?
  • How have similar players performed against this opponent?

When knowing all of these variables, I find that my confidence in making a decision is significantly higher than blindly relying on site projections or a boilerplate sit-or-start tool. Furthermore, when decisions don’t pan out, an understanding of these other variables can highlight how out-of-the-norm a bad performance may be, which I find alleviates some of the pain in making the “wrong” choice. Doing this research manually for every sit-or-start decision, however, is quite fatiguing. That’s where this tool comes into play.

#Tool Overview When comparing players with the Head-to-Head Player Comparison Tool, 3 key sections are available to explore:

  • Basic Player Details - the standard information you expect from every sit-or-start tool. Player, team, position, opponent, injury status, projected game stats, and projected fantasy points.
  • Performance Trends - a graphical view of the weekly projections and actual performances of the player. This is a great way to understand the consistency of the player, whether they are a floor play or an upside play, and if they have been over performing or in a slump.
  • Past Performances vs Opponent - a breakdown of all “similar” players who have performances against the opponent of the player you are comparing. Each past performance displays projected fantasy points against actual fantasy points, with a difference that is highlighted to easily show underperformances and overperformances.

The combination of these sections should help you outline and weigh the risks associated with each player you are comparing. Ideally, one player will stand out as the “best” choice, but sometimes, it really can come down to a coin flip. In these cases, at least you have some data to back up the decision to flip a coin.

Additionally, there are options to swap scoring settings, change the definition of a similar player, adjust the performance highlight threshold, and display expanded stats for each past performance.

#What this tool is not:

This tool is not going to magically make decisions for you, and I’m hesitant of any tool that says it truly can.

#What this tool is:

This tool will give you the data you need to form your own decision, making you a better fantasy manager in the process.

#This tool is FREE to use when comparing two offensive players in standard, ppr, or half-ppr scoring.

For those looking to compare individual defensive players (IDP), use custom scoring settings, or compare 3-4 players simultaneously, I have a premium membership that includes all of these features.

Finally, I’m always looking for feedback to improve my tools. If you have an idea for a feature or tool, let me know!