Monday, August 29, 2016

Do targets matter more than receptions in the NFL?

One of the most electrifying and coveted positions to play in the National Football league is Wide Receiver and it’s pretty simple why.  These guys aren’t allowed to be touched without the ball after five years and are constantly on the highlight reel for hauling in memorable touchdowns.  From an accountability standpoint, receivers are rarely at fault because usually it is either a poorly thrown ball or better yet just good old fashion defense.  For fantasy football analysis, receivers are always held to a gold standard expecting to reel in any ball in sight.  In reality that’s not always possible so we will break down the value between receptions and targets.

Targets and receptions only differ with the end result similar to a field goal attempt and a field goal made.  Targets are balls that are thrown in the area of the receiver but not are not completed; a reception is simply when the receiver cleanly makes a catch and controls possession.  Granted different types of receivers will have different ratios when comparing receptions and targets.  Possession receivers and those who run shorter routes are going to have a higher conversion rate for balls that target them; compared to the deep ball threats that only going to be a catching a few of those electrifying spirals but boy are they worth when they do!  Now you should be asking yourself:  Is this gonna effect my NFL fantasy picks?  That depends on just how savvy a player you want to be.  Granted there is no formula that will optimize your lineup to have the best conversion rates for their targets.  Conversely, targets should be looked at with a grain of salt.  Reason being if a player is consistently high in targets and only bringing in 50-70% of them; it shows the player’s lack of ability to create separation to easily possess these throws.  At the same time,having a guy that is always catching 4-6 balls a game w/ 100% conversion on their targets shows that the player has limited opportunity thus a very limited ceiling on the maximum amount of points they can attain.  Daily fantasy football picks can be darn near impossible to try and match up every receiver with their respective stat line compared to the defense's NFL fantasy ranking.  Fortunately there’s plenty of resources out there to divulge into to be able to stack and spread your odds out in the most desirable way.

Monday, August 22, 2016

To outsource or not to outsource: The big question for hedge funds

In the United States and all over the world, the prevailing economic climate has made the investment and securities industry more complicated than it ever was. Hedge funds firms, in particular, face immense pressures in terms of performance, as well as transparency and accountability amid a highly volatile climate.

Outsourcing has emerged as a viable solution for many firms dealing with such pressures. But it is worth noting that the idea is always first met with a few apprehensions: Would it not simply bloat the operational costs? How hard would it be to find an outsourcing partner that meets our firm’s needs? How can an outsider understand our asset management goals as a company?

Over time, however, more asset managers are seeing the value of outsourcing, and how it can be truly optimized for meeting the demands of hedge fund management in this day and age,

Through outsourcing, asset managers are able to drive costs down in the long-term. While it requires initial capital outlay, the investment eventually pays off as it eliminates the costs of recruiting and retaining employees, as well as setting up the infrastructure, to accommodate the tasks in-house.

Through outsourcing providers, these asset managers gain access to a pool of professionals as well as innovations that could otherwise take years and millions of dollars to put together on their own. Their level of specialization allows these providers to devote time towards the development of technologies that are tailorfitted to their clients’ needs. As a result, with outsourcing, a firm only pays for the products and services that the company actually needs and uses, and need not spend on so much overhead cost.

By delegating select functions to outsourcing partners, hedge fund managers are able to offer increased focus on core functions. They can dedicate more time and attention towards developing strategies for fund growth, and finding opportunities in emerging markets. That is, with the support of middle and back office, which will provide them with pertinent data properly sourced and warehoused, accounting services, as well as compliance management. At a time when the industry very closely scrutinizes hedge funds, outsourcing companies can offer much-needed support in terms of creating and filing reports, conducting compliance audits on a regular basis.

To make the most of outsourcing services, the key is to find firms with scalable and flexible solutions, a team of qualified professionals, and thorough understanding of the demands of today’s market.