The “win now” mentality has taken over fantasy baseball. This is mainly because of fantasy football. Fantasy managers want their players to perform immediately and forget that this is a six-month marathon. They have the weekly mindset common in fantasy football, and it hinders their decision-making in fantasy baseball. Here are a couple of helpful tips to navigate the long fantasy baseball season.
Waiver-Wire Strategy
We will look to attack the save category on the waiver wire. Injuries, closer by committee and ineffectiveness all are common throughout a season, and fantasy managers need to react. We don’t need to win the saves category, but we don’t want to punt it. If it means picking up a closer to help our team for a couple of weeks, we do it. In some cases, the pitcher may hold on to the job for the remainder of the year.
This is one category that we have to pay attention to throughout the season, as it can make a huge difference in the standings by the end of the year.
Another avenue to exploit on the waiver wire is targeting prospects when they get promoted. Top prospects are more prepared than ever and can impact a fantasy team immediately. Of course there will be struggles, but if they are being promoted, it’s because they will play every day and they have a skill set that will help fantasy managers. Don’t be afraid to add rookies to your roster throughout the season.
During draft season, we try not to draft one-category players, but that mindset changes throughout the year. After a couple of months, fantasy managers know where they are weak and where they are strong. We might target a player just for steals or just for power. It’s a delicate balance. We don’t want to suffer in other categories as a result, but we’re willing to take on the risk during the season.
Dealing With Struggling Players
I try not to put much stock in April stats. We always want our players to succeed, but there are too many other factors that prevent that. The weather is often terrible. Early April features multiple days off and random start times. These aren’t excuses. The reality is major league players love a routine and get the opposite of that early in the season.
A player hitting .200 to start the year looks a lot worse than when a player hits .200 for a two-week stretch in June. Again, we can’t overreact. However, the excuses are gone once we creep closer to May. I always have Memorial Day as the benchmark of when to really decide if it’s time to move on from a player. I’m a big believer in track records. If a veteran player has succeeded throughout his career, it will eventually happen.
If a player is really struggling by the end of May, it’s time to move on. We can’t worry about where that player was drafted or what they did in the past as our team falls in the standings. The early-season excuses are gone. A six-month marathon is quickly turning into a four-month sprint.
Trades
I’m not big into trades. I don’t think it ever ends well. However, many people like doing it. So if you are trading with another team, there is one question you should be asking: Are you getting a player who will help you in a category you are weak in without sacrificing too much in a category you are strong in?
If you are near the bottom of the standings in home runs but high in batting average, I would target only teams in your league that are strong in home runs but weak in batting average. This is as close as you can get to a “win-win” scenario. Fantasy managers can get blinded by what they need, leading them to sacrifice too much of what they have. That hurts them in the end.
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox
Originally published April 16, 2025