PDA

View Full Version : My First Fantasy League - Need help!



Klattsy
03-01-2011, 01:59 AM
Hi All,

I am playing in my first baseball fantasy league for about 10 years.

I have joined a ESPN league that some Australian forum members are running.

It is a Snake Auction style and I am pre-nominating my players as I will not be able to attend the draft.

There is a pre draft ranking system where you can move players up and down the list and then also an AutoPick strategy where you can select a position to draft at each pick (or leave at Best Available where it will select the next available player on your pre draft ranking).

There are 6 teams in the league, 26 players per team. That means 156 players will be drafted, so anyone outside my 156 that I would want I should move in...but what other strategies should I adopt?

Is it wise to put starting pitchers high up the list?

Can anyone recommend a decent free roto website?

Anyone else using the ESPN fantasy league???

Thanks!
Mark.

Mark17
03-01-2011, 09:14 AM
To answer your question, one would need to do an analysis on your scoring system. In other words, what categories are being counted? For example, if there are 12 offensive categories and only 4 pitching categories (wins, ERA, strikeouts, saves or something like that,) then focus on the hitters.

One thing I never do is use a high pick on a closer. Closers are good for only one category: saves. They don't work enough innings to give you much else. You can always pick up servicable closers as the season goes along, and with only 156 players being drafted, there will be plenty available.

It's okay to sacrifice one category if you can make it up elsewhere. For example, if the other guys are all getting a good amount of stolen base players, you might as well forget about that and focus on slow average and power hitters. If you're going to finish last in SB, for instance, you might as well have zero rather than finishing last with 80.

Again though, we'd need to see the scoring system to confirm it works this way.

Also, see where there are a small number of great players at a position. There are tons of great outfielders, so don't worry so much about that, unless you can grab one of the very best. Try to get huge production out of positions that traditionally are weak offensively, like the middle infield and maybe catcher.

Again, focusing on the middle infield, always put a premium on guys who can play more than one position. The flexibility can be a lifesaver when injuries come (and it can make those players great trade-bait for the same reason.)

That's where I'd start the analysis if I was in your shoes. There's also some poker playing. If your buddies have favorite players, they will likely put a premium on them, so don't get caught up in that. Get good players in good situations: RBI guys who have good on-base guys in front of them, or speed guys who play for managers who like to run.

Good luck.

Klattsy
03-01-2011, 06:49 PM
Thanks Mark, all good points. I will post later today about the scoring system. It has been blocked by my work intranet :)

I bumped Mariano up my list thinking I wanted to score him and his saves early but you make a good point about it only being 1 category, I was thinking his ERA could help as well. Now that I think about it, I think there was a note for minimum 10 IP for ERA and WHIP.

So you think I should bump up strong 2B/SS/C up my list to ensure I get them, with the theory that by bumping down OF, I could still score a decent OF at some point...

Good point on the flexability, I bumped Votto up for this reason, might look for some more.

At what point do the "projected" lineups for the season start appearing?

Thanks for your help,
Mark.

Klattsy
03-02-2011, 01:16 AM
To answer your question, one would need to do an analysis on your scoring system. In other words, what categories are being counted? For example, if there are 12 offensive categories and only 4 pitching categories (wins, ERA, strikeouts, saves or something like that,) then focus on the hitters.



This will format poorly but see if you can make it out. There are 24 categories by the look of it, 12 for batters/fielders 12 for pitchers

TEAM BATTERS PITCHERS TOTAL
NAME R HR RBI K SB CS GIDP AVG OBP PO E FPCT GS IP H K CG SO W L SV BS ERA WHIP SCORE
The Presidents (0-0) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0000 .0000 0 0 .0000 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 0.000 0-0-24
Springfield Isotopes (0-0) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0000 .0000 0 0 .0000 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 0.000 0-0-24

If I am in a league that is just drafted in order, with no $$$ at all, then I shouldn't have to worry about sleeper players or boom/hi potential players? Shouldn't I just worry about getting as many of the top players as possible?

Thanks for the help,
Mark.

Mark17
03-02-2011, 09:42 PM
If I am in a league that is just drafted in order, with no $$$ at all, then I shouldn't have to worry about sleeper players or boom/hi potential players? Shouldn't I just worry about getting as many of the top players as possible?

Thanks for the help,
Mark.

As I said before, what I think you want to go for is differentials. What I mean is, suppose there are 6 first basemen who are all pretty similar,one might hit 40 homers, and the worst of them maybe 30. Suppose all other things are equal (and I see fielding has 2 categories too, keep that in mind when drafting sluggers with stone gloves.) But suppose at shortstop, of the 6 best players, the top guy should hit 30 HR and the 6th best might hit 15. That's a bigger difference. 30 + 30 is better than 40 + 15.

It's like fishing, where you want to know where the lake drops off and be on that line. At each position you want to know where the talent suddenly drops off. For positions where the talent is deepest, be patient. Where it is thin, jump all over it. And when in doubt, grab the best starting pitcher available.

Another thing, I would just get the best players and not get overly focused on certain categories. Let that play out as the season goes along, but don't sacrifice any categories totally. Get your closers late, with a 6 team league you will have tons of closers to choose from in the late rounds, and during the season, there are always new guys who become closers. Closers are like kickers in fantasy football, just about every team has a halfway decent one, so nobody takes a kicker with a high pick (besides Al Davis with Janikowski... but I digress.....)

That's my humble advice. Good luck.

Klattsy
03-05-2011, 05:48 PM
What do you think about dropping closers from my "best players" list? With the amount of pitching statistics (from what i can tell it is more that other H2H leagues) should I be bumping some SP up my list?

I'm almost tempted to leave my list at the ESPN rankings and just see what happens!

Mark.

Mark17
03-05-2011, 11:31 PM
I wouldn't waste ANY of your high picks on a closer. Think about it, a closer doesn't go enough innings to affect your ERA that much, or give you many strikeouts. A starter can help you in about 11 categories, a closer basically one.

You are in a 6-team league, that makes a huge difference. There will be a dozen decent closers left at the end, even if the other 5 guys in the league take 2 apiece.

Klattsy
03-06-2011, 09:04 PM
Thanks again Mark. Found out over the weekend that we are now in a KEEPER league!

Bench spots have been expanded to about 20!

So the tactic would be, pick the starting line up and first few bench spots as usual, then when the player pool becomes a bit thin switch over to drafting prospects? There's no use drafting a prospect who will get little game time this year and maybe next over a certain 150 game guy?

Am I over thinking this? Should I just run with the existing player rankings?

Mark.