Twitter has long been an excellent source of instantaneous news and wide-ranging opinions. We ran a series of interviews two years ago to help users new and old get to know some of our favorite tweeters.
Our series is back for 2014. Today we interview Denny Carter, education journalist by day and fantasy football and horror aficionado and writer by night. Get to know him below.
I liked to pretend I was in The Wire. That's right. I said it.
— Denny Carter (@CDCarter13) May 19, 2014
Who Am I?
Name: Denny Carter
Twitter handle: @CDCarter13
Tweeting since: 2010
Number of tweets: 36,600
Follower count: 5,463
Hometown: Beltsville, MD
Day job: Education reporter/editor
Family life: I’m married to the girl I asked out during my senior year in high school. We have a 17-month-old son named Xavier.
Quick bio (who you are, site(s) you represent, etc.): I’m a journalist by training, a horror writer on the side, and a fantasy obsessive who decided to pour his thoughts onto paper one day a couple summers ago. I write for XNSports.com, TheFakeFootball.com, 4for4.com, and I contribute to The New York Times when I want to write about the social and psychological implications of our silly little game, fantasy football.
What is something unique about you that few would know about? I own every single Halloween, Friday The 13th, and Nightmare on Elm Street movie. My parents banned me from watching such relentlessly cheesy and gory horror. Much like Kevin Bacon in “Footloose,” I went wild when I was freed from parental repression and finally had a chance to eat the forbidden slasher movie fruit. The plots are riddled with gaping holes, the acting is beyond horrendous, the special effects are hilariously hackneyed, and I love it all.
What you do for fun during the football offseason: I try to do a couple things to take my mind off of fantasy football once in a while: I hit golf balls at the driving range, and I make fires in my backyard fire pit. Both are meant to relax me and take my mind away from the swirl of numbers and decisions that beat down on us every week. I used to play golf six days a week – in high school and college – so hitting a bucket or three at the range takes me back to a time when my obsessive personality had its teeth sunk firmly into golf.
Favorite NFL team(s): I am NFL team agnostic. I rooted for the Dolphins from about 1991-2007, but I can’t claim to care for the Fins, or any other team, anymore. I don’t really care for football beyond fantasy football – I’ve been upfront about that, though I know a lot of people don’t like to hear it.
Favorite NFL player(s): I’m partial to Jamaal Charles as far as current players go, as JC has helped me win more than a couple fantasy titles since 2009. He’s really a joy to watch. My all-time favorite player, however, is Ricky Williams. Ricky has said that he loves football more than anything, and loathes the NFL. I like that. Ricky was (is) curious, intellectual, admirably aloof, introspective – everything your typical NFL player is not.
Give us your “must follows” on Twitter: This is tough because there are so many. If I had to whittle it down to five, they would be @FantasyDouche, @LateRoundQB, @FF_contrarian, @Pat_Thorman and @BalesFootball.
What do you like most about Twitter? For one, it helps me understand the consensus opinion of a players, matchup, or game. I find that very useful in constructing daily fantasy football lineups. Knowing how most DFS players are leaning is the first step to taking a contrarian approach. I’ve also grown to enjoy Twitter as a hangout, a place to chat about everything and nothing where serious conversations devolve into hilarity and silly exchanges end in serious intellectual disagreements that can be enlightening, if you want it to be.
Years playing fantasy football: Nine.
How many leagues, typically? I’m usually in 4-5 re-draft leagues. Beyond that, I find the experience to be miserable.
Jeff Janis = apocalyptic metrics vs. film showdown
— Denny Carter (@CDCarter13) May 18, 2014
Inside the Guru’s Studio
What is your favorite fantasy word? Equity
What is your least favorite fantasy word? Sleeper (there are no sleepers anymore)
DC Comics or Marvel? I don’t know the difference.
What is your favorite film? The Shining
What is your favorite book? Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72
Cake or ice cream? Ice cream. Chocolate-vanilla swirl, specifically.
Star Wars or Star Trek? I’ll go with Wars since I’ve never seen Trek.
What sound do you hate? My own weeping in the shower after a bad day on the fake gridiron.
What sound do you love? Any sound made by Pink Floyd…
Film or Stats? Stats, and then stats, and then metrics, followed by stats. I’m not a trained film watcher so I don’t claim to take away any important tidbits from actually watching games. I think I might be better at fantasy football if I never watched a snap on Sundays. That’s just a theory though.
Looking at avg height/weight of top-12 WRs. 2011 was the year of the small WR, with Welker, Harvin, Cruz and Steve Smith finishing as WR1s.
— Denny Carter (@CDCarter13) May 14, 2014
Predictions and Advice
Favorite fantasy style or combination of styles of play (Dynasty, Redraft, Auction, Best Ball, Daily, Survivor, etc.): I have to say daily here.
Studs ‘n Duds or Value Based Drafting? I think VBD, in a vacuum, still has a lot of value, though flexibility is key in fantasy drafts. I find this to be especially true in casual leagues, where off-the-wall picks require serious adjustments.
What's the biggest mistake you see fantasy players make? Roster filling: drafting players based on what positions they haven’t yet filled. This is a panic/fear-induced phenomenon, and it’s perfectly natural. It’s also a giant mistake.
How much of fantasy football is skill? How much is luck? It’s tough to break this down by percentage, but I’d say well over half of the game is skill.
Go out on a limb—give a wild prediction about the 2014 season that would shock the world if it happened: Michael Vick thrives in New York, creating great connections with Eric Decker and Stephen Hill.
Super Bowl XLIX Teams and Score: 49ers 27 vs. Colts 21
2014 Fantasy MVP: Johnny Manziel (Yeah, I said it)
2014 Fantasy Most Improved: Mike Williams (Give me all the red zone touchdowns)
2014 Fantasy Bust of the Year: Cordarrelle Patterson (he won’t tank, but he won’t exceed his ADP either)