My mini-rant about baseball in general is the football mentality that has taken over. Fans want lineup changes after the first series. Fantasy managers want to drop a player after a bad week, yet by the middle of summer they aren’t following their teams as closely.
I love the passion, but hanging on every pitch and having a “win-now” mindset for six months can be exhausting. Fantasy baseball really is about the long game. Those who stay the course are usually rewarded in the end.
Waiver-Wire Strategy
We will look to attack the waiver wire for the “save” category. Injuries, closer-by-committee and ineffectiveness will always occur and fantasy managers need to react. We don’t need to win the saves category, but we will never punt it. If it means picking up a closer for a two-week stretch to help our team, 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. It can make a huge difference in the standings by the end of the year.
We can also target prospects on the waiver wire. Top prospects are more prepared than ever and really 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 carry a skill set that will help fantasy managers. Don’t be afraid to add rookies to your roster throughout the season.
During the 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. In some cases, we may 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 in-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. Teams often play in the cold and rain early in the season. The first couple of weeks also feature more days off than usual and random start times. The reality is that big leaguers 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 quickly turns into a four-month sprint.
Trades
I’m not big into trading, as I don’t think it ever ends well. However, many people like doing it. 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 that 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 and thus sacrifice too much of what they have. It hurts them in the end.
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