The easiest position to fill position eligibility early is pitching. Many leagues use a IP limit, but some use a GS cap. Whatever the case you can assess your pace and aiming for extra is always a good choice, but this doesn't mean throw as many pitchers as you can add. Always aim for a solid group in your draft and look for free agent adds that can truly help your team. So lets look first at my staff in the RotoSavants league.
Dan Haren
Jake Peavy
James Shields
Mark Buehrle
Derek Lowe
Jair Jurrjens
Andy Pettite
Kenshin Kawakami
Matt Capps
Heath Bell
George Sherrill
So far this group has given me 859.2 IP in a 1250 IP limit league. That puts me on pace for over 1460 IP or 210+ extra IP. That's a little more than 2 starting pitchers by the end of the year. I could even hit my limit by the trading deadline.
My team is currently tops in ERA and WHIP. The other categories are top 5 with saves getting better since trading for Heath Bell. Even if I wasn't leading these categories there is nothing I can do once I hit the innings limit so I need to move someone.
This strategy adds to the value of your team and gives you a clear advantage, but only if you have good pitchers. If I deal Haren for an elite bat, but the rest f the pitchers drag my ERA and WHIP down before my innings are up then it doesn't help. You can't do this with positional players or you would waste a good player while they sit on the bench and play only every 4-5 days.
How many readers overuse pitchers just to have some to deal before the trade deadline?
See that doesn't really make sense to me. I stockpile pitching too, I just don't throw every pitcher out there every day he pitches knowing there are IP limits. Pick and choose favorable matchups, and load up on closers who bring the ERA and WHIP down. You might not come in first in the wins category but it should leave you near the top come seasons end if you picked the matchups right. I've been using that strategy ever since I started playing fantasy baseball over ten years ago and I've finished in first place 8 years out of ten.
ReplyDeleteI don't play the matchups as they often don't play out as you always suspect. Sure the Royals are horrible, but they can still put up enough runs to ruin that start you waited for. I would never suggest starting a poor pitcher just to get innings, but my team currently has 52 wins(tied for 2nd), 3.57 ERA (1st) and a 1.21 WHIP (1st).
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately in Yahoo I can't get my team K/BB, but I assum it is above 3 even though my K/9 is 6.74.
Even if you get a matchup wrong here or there it leaves you open to pick matchups in the final month. Right now I'm trailing 2 guys in wins who will both be north of 30 innings over by seasons end. With 4 closers and a solid middle reliever I've picked up an additional 7 wins from relievers. They play only 2 closers, no relievers, and start everybody every time they pitch. I have more strikeouts but worse ERAs than both, stats which should improve once Lidge and Kazmir stats level off. even a marginal improvement from them will help my team stats considerably. Some pitchers are must starts and some are matchups. Millwood against the royals you start. Millwood against the Angels you sit. It might not work out, but it usually does.
ReplyDeleteWell only being over by 30 innings is nothing close to what I am talking about. I am headed for 200+ IP over the limit. I consider all of my pitchers must starts for now except Pettitte and Kawakami. This gives me the bonus of an extra hitter if I make a deal for 2+ months and still fill my pitching limits with the best pitchers.
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