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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 Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport. Get to know him below.
Wow. Now Donald Sterling knows how a cartoon character feels after being hit with an anvil. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. #BuhByeDon
— Gary Davenport (@IDPManor) April 29, 2014
Who Am I?
Name: Gary Davenport
Twitter handle: @IDPManor
Tweeting since: 2009
Number of tweets: 13,400
Follower count: 2,565
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Day job: This is it. I write about football for a living.
Family life: I have a family around here somewhere, but I gave up on the life part some time ago. Just no time.
Quick bio (who you are, site(s) you represent, etc.): I’m the IDP Senior Staff Writer at Fantasy Sharks, an NFL and Fantasy Football Analyst at Bleacher Report, a Contributing Author and Associate Editor at Football Diehards and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and Pro Football Writers of America. My IDP article on J.J. Watt, “Watt to Do,” was nominated for Web Article of the Year by the FSWA in 2013. I lost, but still, Vegas was awesome.
What is something unique about you that few would know about? I was once suspended from school for arguing whether “Godzilla” was an acceptable answer to the question “Who is your favorite movie star?” (It was and the teacher was WRONG, but my parents failed to see the humor in the situation even a little bit.)
What you do for fun during the football offseason: There’s an offseason? Since when? Nobody told me!
Favorite NFL team(s): Cleveland Browns (God help me)
Favorite NFL player(s): J.J. Watt, Patrick Willis, Luke Kuechly
Give us your “must follows” on Twitter: Well, I’m and IDP guy, so I gotta include Football Guys’ own @JeneBramel (the gold standard). Some other great IDP follows are @PDWonderland, @JeffRatcliffe, @SteveGalloNFL, @TheIDPGuru, @RossMilesNFL, @IDPwithBEE_DSE, @WaltonSpurlin and @JMcCormickESPN
What do you like most about Twitter? The information and advice you can get from a number of sources at the click of a button.
Years playing fantasy football: 11
How many leagues, typically? Too many (usually around 15)
Auburn RB Tre Mason to STL at No. 75. Zac Stacy's dynasty #FantasyFootball owners just reached for the Pepto.
— Gary Davenport (@IDPManor) May 10, 2014
Inside the Guru’s Studio
What is your favorite fantasy word? Value. Getting it while drafting is what wins fantasy leagues.
What is your least favorite fantasy word? It’s actually two words. Team…defenses.
DC Comics or Marvel? Marvel by a mile.
What is your favorite film? Hard to pin down just one, so I’ll go with the cinematic masterpiece Killer Clowns From Outer Space.
What is your favorite book? Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
Cake or ice cream? Ice cream. Don’t much care for cake.
Star Wars or Star Trek? So long as Jar-Jar Binks isn’t within 12 parsecs of my television, I enjoy both.
What sound do you hate? Anything involving Biebers, Gagas, or the word “Michigan.” (I feel dirty just writing it.)
What sound do you love? A really good heavy metal guitar riff.
Film or Stats? Both. Stats are a big part of fantasy football (obviously), and analytics have come a long way, but football contains so many games within the game that there’s still much to be learned by seeing something with your own eyes.
S Ahmad Dixon to start for DAL? Possibility adds rook's name to long list of "sleeper" #IDP DB. http://t.co/kPqvvuzXVM #FantasyFootball
— Gary Davenport (@IDPManor) May 15, 2014
Predictions and Advice
Favorite fantasy style or combination of styles of play (Dynasty, Redraft, Auction, Best Ball, Daily, Survivor, etc.): So long as it’s got Individual Defensive Players I’m down for whatever.
Studs ‘n Duds or Value Based Drafting?: Both and more. You have to be flexible and willing to change things up on the fly to be successful in fantasy drafts.
What's the biggest mistake you see fantasy players make? “Chasing stats” by over-relying on past performance (especially “career” years) when determining fantasy value. It happens a LOT in IDP leagues.
How much of fantasy football is skill? How much is luck? It takes skill to make the playoffs. Once you get there though, it’s all about getting hot, and that takes a lot of luck.
Go out on a limb—give a wild prediction about the 2014 season that would shock the world if it happened: Jadeveon Clowney will lead the National Football League in sacks as a rookie.
Super Bowl XLIX Teams and Score: Seattle Seahawks 30, New England Patriots 28
2014 Fantasy MVP: Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings (offense), J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans (IDP)…I know, big stretch.
2014 Fantasy Most Improved: Robert Griffin, QB, Washington Redskins (offense), Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, New York Giants (IDP)
2014 Fantasy Bust of the Year: Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos (offense), Justin Tuck, DE, Oakland Raiders (IDP)