By Chad in DC
Cappo, League 16
Believe it or not, Mafia, there’s only about 40 days left in the 2008 MLB regular season. So, if you’re fortunate enough to find yourself still competing for first place in your league, I implore you to put away those fantasy football mags and focus (with intensity akin to Michael Phelps in the closing seconds of his 100 meter butterfly race) on the fantasy baseball championship that is yours for the taking.
By Keith Wire
League 8
This is not the mid-season piece that I had envisioned, back in April, after my nine different drafts. I was fairly certain that I would be pontificating, as humbly as possible, about the insurmountable leads I had built in at least five of my nine leagues.
Rob in GR
League 9
Saves.
They are a necessary evil in fantasy baseball. You have three basic options when it comes to approaching saves:
1). You can pay big for one or two top closers, pray they don’t get hurt (sorry JJ Putz owners), and hope that you can make up the lack of offense later in the draft
2). You can punt saves all together (something of which I’m not a fan)
3). You can be somewhere in between.
Today, I’m going to focus on the third of these choices and give you some sleeper options for the second half.
By Greg Mann
Cappo, League 5
Many times winning a fantasy baseball league depends on quick decisions.
Be the first to pick up a Ryan Braun when he is called up from the minors. Be the first to pick up Ryan Franklin when Jason Isringhausen is yanked from the closer role. Be the first to pick up a player who is starting a hot streak. Be the first to make an offer to an owner with players on the trading block.
But there are also times when patience can be a key to winning, and while that sounds like an obvious statement, sometimes it’s hard to practice patience in a game that often requires urgency.
Rob in GR
League 9
As I’m sure most of our fellow FBM league members are, I’m very competitive; I don’t usually do something unless I think it can help me to win.
In this series of articles, I’ll be outlining some of the methods I use in my leagues and sharing some tips that’ll help you to win - something I’ve done more times than not.
By Butters in D.C.
League 14
League 16
I had the pleasure of walking around my favorite city in the country recently, New York City. Specifically, I was in Manhattan, in Times Square, going to get my favorite cookie from the Roxy Deli. I started out at the bottom of Times Square, around 42nd and Broadway, and made my way to the Roxy, which is located at about 47th and Broadway.
Sounds simple right? Well, to navigate my way up those few short blocks, I had to maneuver my way around a street band, between vendors selling roasted nuts that always smell way better than they taste, and through the crush of humanity walking straight for me at every corner.
How does all of this relate to fantasy baseball you ask? Well, I saw it as a metaphor for all of the obstacles we face as fantasy GMs. The street band, the food vendor, and the mass of people each represent an obstacle in the fantasy baseball world. Follow along, and I’ll tell you what they are and how to avoid them.
By Chad in DC
Cappo, League 16
One of the most interesting fantasy baseball strategies is commonly known as “punting”. For the sake of this article, I’ll define punting as making no effort to compete in a given category, or categories, in order to maximize points in all remaining categories.
You probably could tell from the title, I never have and never will go into a 5×5 fantasy baseball league with the intention of punting. Now let me tell you why.
By The Godfather
League 1
As I sit here today and reflect on my teams, one thought keeps going through my head: “Slow down, it’s April!” I have to remind myself of that fact daily, if not hourly. It’s easy to get nervous three weeks into the season. Is my guy hurt? Can I wait on my player to heat up? Can I pass up this ‘diamond in the rough’ on the waiver wire? Maneuvering this minefield is what separates the “so-called” men from the boys.
By Greg Mann
Cappo, League 5
What do the following statements have in common?
MLB.com Headline: Fukudome outshines Ichiro
ESPN broadcaster: “Pedroia may be just 5′9″, but his (offensive) numbers could go sky high.”
ESPN analyst: “Yes, I do think the Cubs will win their first World Series in 100 years.”
ESPN broadcaster: “Mickey Lolich was the last Detroit lefty to win 20 games in a season, but (Kenny) Rogers and (Dontrelle) Willis have a good chance of doing it this year.”
The answer is that all of these statements have been made within the last month. Yes, even though the season hadn’t even started yet, people in the media were speculating … again … about possibilities and probabilities.
Of course, that IS their job; but if you want to own a winning fantasy team, you have to decide which hype to believe and which hype to ignore.
By Ken Balderston
League 14
League 15
Now that draft season is upon us, it’s a perfect time to release the second part of my series on the effects of age on fantasy players: Closers.
Players who are over the age of 35 are known to regress statistically, but to what extent? How much should you realistically expect a player to regress based on his age? More »