Fantasy Sports Baseball

Fantasy Baseball Home Stretch – Optimize Your Team For the Win
By Alex A. Woods

As fantasy baseball season begins to wrap up, those that play in rotisserie style leagues all know that September is the championship month. At this point the trade deadline has passed and teams are locked in. Managers without a realistic chance of winning have probably stopped actively managing their teams. For those teams still in the mix, there are a number of actions you can take as a manager to maximize your chances of success.

1. Make sure you use all pitching innings. This one is huge one and a no brainer. Not using all your pitching innings is like leaving money on the table.

2. Identify categories where your team has a realistic chance of gaining ground and focus on them. Make waiver wire moves that will help you. For example, if you see that your team falls in tight band in the HR category with a few other teams, go out and pick up a player with some power and try to move up in that category. It seems that steals, and saves are the easiest categories to make a quick move in while BA, ERA, and WHIP are tough to make an impact on at this point in the season.

3. Following the same thinking as rule #2 – identify categories to punt. Are you so behind in saves that there is no way you can catch the league leader? Then trade/cut your closers and uses those roster slots to focus on categories where you actually have a chance to make up some ground.

4. Try to use all games for your positional players. Most leagues have a maximum games played at each position. Most people fall behind, particularly at the catcher position. If you can begin streaming players and maximizing your games played it can give you a small edge that can in some cases buy you the extra point that winds up being the difference between winning and losing.

5. Don’t be afraid to cut slumping stars. At this point you have given your guys the entire season to perform. If someone has not come through, do not be afraid to cut a big name to try to fill games. I just cut Big Papi Ortiz for this very reason.

In summary, following these 5 simple rules are not required to win, but can increase your chances of championship glory. The rules are laid out in order of importance so if you only implement a few of them make sure you start at the top of the list and work your way down. Good luck to those of you with a shot to win, and for those of you who are out of it, be sure to study up for football.

For more fantasy baseball news check out BleacherCreatureRotoTalk.com
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Fantasy Baseball Strategy – Ideal Categories to Target For a Late Season Rotisserie League Push
By Alex A. Woods

This article will explore which categories fantasy baseball owners should target to make a September push in rotisserie leagues. Of course, all league standings are different and the standings within the various categories largely dictate which categories to target, but we believe there are certain categories that are easier to make a gain in during the later half of the season. The standard rotisserie league is a 5×5 league with the following categories: runs, RBIs, HR, Steals, AVG, W, Saves, K’s, ERA and WHIP. Essentially there are two main subsets of categories, those based on average and those based on sum.

Categories Based on Average: AVG ERA WHIP
Categories Based on Sum: Runs RBIs HRs Steals Wins Saves K’s

Obviously the categories based on average are tougher to move up in later in the season when the damage has largely been done. However, it is worth taking a look at the category spread in your league as you may have a shot if you are 1-4 percentage points away for the next closest person. Moving up in the average based categories requires you to clean house of all your problem children and really focus on that category.

The categories based on sum are another story. Here you really have a good shot at being able to gain some ground off waiver wire pickups and roster optimization. K’s are probably the easiest category to gain ground in because all you really have to do is stream pitchers.

Next would be steals. There are most likely a number of one dimensional players on your waiver wire who do nothing but steal bases that can help you quickly advance in that category.

Saves are a category that are also easy to make a move on if you can pick up a closer due to a recent injury or make a trade. Once you actually gain a closer it is not so hard to gain ground, the tough thing is obtaining player who get saves.

Next we would bucket together RBIs and Runs. You can probably target a few players on waivers that hit high in the lineup (runs) or in the middle of the lineup (RBIs) to help you in those categories.

Lastly, HRs and Wins are the toughest of the sum-based categories to advance with. While you can play match-ups to try to move up in wins, there are still a number of variables that go into getting a win that need to go right in order to actually get the win. The same goes for HRs, while there are probably some players on waivers who hit bombs, they occur far less frequently than say a run or RBI and are therefore tough to predict.

read more at BleacherCreatureRotoTalk.com Fantasy Baseball

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Evaluating Fantasy Baseball Trades and Player Pickups With VORP
By Alex A. Woods

Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) is a sabermetric statistic made popular Baseball Prospectus. Essentially what VORP does is compare the value a batter or pitcher contributes to his team verses the contributions of an average player at the same position. This average player is referred to as the replacement player.

Why is VORP better than using standard traditional rankings which are based on accumulated statistics? When looking at the Yahoo rating you will miss out on a player that has hit a recent hot streak. Furthermore, the VORP calculation takes into account position scarcity as well as home field effects. For example, a player with a lot of home runs playing in Yankee stadium this year will have a slightly discounted rating since the average player is hitting an above average amount of home runs at the new Yankee stadium.

Another way of defining VORP for batters is the number of runs a player contributes vs a replacement player off the waiver wire. VORP for batters can be calculated using the formula below. Essentially the number of runs a player has generated (normalized for ballpark factors) is subtracted from how many runs the player would have generated if he was an average replacement player. However, in order to allow for realistic player to player comparisons it is necessary to normalize a players statistics for ballpark effects before calculating VORP. Obviously, it is harder to hit in pitchers parks like San Diego and San Francisco than in hitters ballparks such as Coors Field and the new Yankee stadium. The last part of the equation also requires clarification. After calculating how many runs would be generated by the average replacement player, the number is scaled by a factor called % of league average. Since the level of talent in the major leagues is far from a normal distribution, the assumption is made that the replacement players statistics should fall below the real league average. For most positions the replacements players statistics are assumed to be 80% of average. However, for thin positions like the catcher position the replacement players numbers are further scaled down using a % of league average factor of 75%.

BATTER VORP = Players Runs** – [((Leagues Avg Runs / out )* (# of player outs**)) * % of league average]

A simple way to think about VORP for pitchers is the number of runs that pitcher prevents as opposed to a random pitcher taken off the waiver wire. Interesting to note is that rather than use ERA the creators of VORP have decided to measure a pitchers contribution by how many runs are allowed while he is on the hill (Avg Runs) regardless of who is at fault. Another thing to note for the PITCHER VORP calculation is that starting pitchers and relief pitchers are treated differently. This is to account for the fact that most relief pitchers will have a significantly lower Runs Average than a starting pitcher. Also, similar to BATTER VORP the calculation of a pitchers Runs Average per nine innings must be normalized to account for ballpark effects.

VORP = ((Repl. Level – RAvg)/9)*Innings Pitched
For starting pitchers, Repl. Level = 1.37 * League RA – 0.66
For relief pitchers, Repl. Level = 1.70 * League RA – 2.27

In summary VORP is a useful statistic for comparing players and can also be used to evaluate trades. The great thing is that by normalizing for ballpark effects and position scarcity the metric is a good measurement to compare players across multiple positions. To find out more about VORP as well up to date player VORP calculations check out the Baseball Prospectus.

For more fantasy baseball news check out BleacherCreatureRotoTalk.com Fantasy Baseball

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Fantasy Baseball 2009 – Fantasy Focus – Dan Haren
By David L. Rogers

The 2009 season is a month old and so far Dan Haren can be described as being one thing so far: unlucky. Haren has been fantastic in his first five starts this year but has received very little run support from the overall punchless Arizona Diamondbacks. Haren will have a tough time winning the Cy Young award this season due to some steep competition in the National League (Santana, Gallardo, Lincecum, Billingsley) and from a reduced win total from lack of offense.

Haren has been a stand out fantasy option since the 2007 season with the Oakland Athletics. He went 15-9 with a tiny ERA of 3.07 through 222 innings pitched. He accumulated 192 strikeouts that season where he truly emerged as a rock-solid pitcher to have on your fantasy team.

Haren moved from Oakland to Arizona where he has been a touch better. In ‘08 he went 16-8, with 206 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.33 through 216 innings. He was apart of the intimidating one-two punch at the top of the Dbacks starting rotation with Brandon Webb.

Prior to the ‘09 season, Haren’s immense value was recognized, and his name traveled well up the draft boards. He was viewed as one of the best pitchers to have this season due to his very low ERA and big strikeout rate. The only major question was whether he could go another 200 inning season after pitching over 200 the past four seasons straight. Thus far he has given no doubt that he is perfectly fine and still in dominant form.

Through five starts, he is 2-3 with a miniscule ERA of 1.54 and 36 strikeouts through 35 innings pitched. He has been unfortunate to lose three starts for he has pitched lights out but seen little support by his teammates at the plate. He very easily could be 5-0 and be the early leader for Cy Young. His luck aside, Haren is an incredible pitcher, and with the loss of Brandon Webb early in the year, it is crucial to the Dbacks that Haren remain as effective as he has been.

Looking ahead: Haren should have another amazing year. He will likely not win over 15 games thanks to his lackluster run support, but his ERA and strikeouts will be among the best in the league.

Find your fantasy football draft, fantasy football rankings, and fantasy baseball leagues at Fanball.

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How to Win Fantasy Baseball Leagues and Fantasy Baseball Games
By Deep Raj

From the days of keeping track of baseball stats with nothing more than pencil, paper and USA Today, fantasy baseball games have exploded to become the national pastime of choice for fantasy aficionados. As a whole, fantasy sports are a $1.65 billion industry as of 2006 according to STATS, Inc with fantasy baseball a good chunk of that. The growth of the internet has led to numerous innovative takes on fantasy baseball such as fantasy simulation baseball leagues, including Baseball among others.

It is not uncommon to find fantasy managers who actively participate in multiple fantasy baseball leagues every season. For example, they may have one Yahoo AL league, one CBS Sports line league and a couple of Baseball fantasy baseball simulation leagues.

The following tips are tried and true pieces of advice that have helped the writers win multiple fantasy baseball league championships in the toughest of leagues.

1. Know the rules inside and out

Each fantasy baseball league has its own rules and settings. Not knowing how points are accrued is obviously not good. Carefully review how many positions you’re allowed to have active as that will dictate part of your draft strategy. For example, if your fantasy baseball league requires 2 catchers you may wish to target star catchers much earlier. If you are in an AL only fantasy baseball league with 12 teams that requires 5 outfielders, you will need to fill up on quality outfielders sooner rather than later.

Another thing to look out for is limitations on waiver or trade transactions. I once lost a fantasy baseball simulation league that had a 35 maximum limit on transactions which I hit with 2 critical weeks to go. Some weekly fantasy baseball leagues may require you to set your lineup for the upcoming week ahead of time. If that’s the case, transactions and trades need to be done in advance looking ahead 2 weeks or so.

2. Prepare for the draft…

Knowledge is gold. Knowing before the fantasy baseball draft roughly who you’ll be targeting and who you want to avoid will prevent too much scrambling through fantasy baseball magazines and fantasy baseball web sites during the draft (if it is live). Also have a general strategy. Are you looking to win strikeout categories by drafting pitching first and foremost? Will you dominate steals and grab those studs early?

Make sure to use Rotowire.com and check the latest fantasy baseball news on the player you’re about to pick. There are very few feelings worse than just finding out the player you picked is out for 6 months or the entire season.

Review offseason moves that might impact your target picks. Is the hitter going to a more hitter-friendly ballpark or vice versa? Is there a position shift imminent that might give him more flexibility?

3. …But don’t give up if you had a bad draft

Too many fantasy baseball managers get discouraged if they had a bad draft. Hey, it happens. Maybe you just messed up your picks. Maybe you weren’t available during the live draft and the system autopicked a mediocre team for you. One thing is certain. If you give up before the season has even started, you will lose. However, if you pick yourself up, work the waivers and trades, you put yourself in a position to make the playoffs where anything can happen.

4. Focus on hitters first, pitchers second

This secret is controversial in the sense that there are many who may disagree with this philosophy, so take it with a grain of salt. Generally speaking, the performance of pitchers fluctuates greatly while hitters are more consistent. This leads me to avoid overpaying for pitchers -starters or relievers-by targeting stud hitters early on who have a better chance of giving me a strong return for my pick. Build around a core of solid hitters, then target consistent pitchers or up-and-comers for a rotation and bullpen with consistency and upside.

5. Don’t go nuts on rookies

Rookies in fantasy baseball are like penny stocks. You might find the occasional winner but the vast majority won’t give you the returns you need over a long season. Unlike fantasy football and basketball where rookies can make an immediate impact for their managers, the jump from the minors to the majors is much more difficult for baseball players. Add to that the uncertainty of a guaranteed job with the possibility of being sent back down, and all signs point to letting other managers take the risk on rookies.

6. Regular participation is half the battle

By the time the All-Star break rolls around, it is likely that one third of your fantasy baseball league’s managers have either given up or lost interest. That means if you simply pay attention and remain an active manager, you can gain an advantage over one third of the league. One hundred and sixty two games is a marathon, so don’t give up. Be persistent.

7. Work the waiver wires

Successful fantasy baseball managers are those who have waiver savvy. They grab dropped players whose managers gave up on too quickly. They pick up set up men on the team when its closer goes down with an injury. They nab the unknown players who inevitably emerge to be a fantasy force every season. One word of advice: if you are in a league which has waiver priority (like Yahoo), don’t waste it early. Save your priority for a shot at league crossovers who get traded mid-season.

8. Don’t give up on players too quickly

April is always the most interesting month. Impatient managers may get antsy and start jettisoning star players who get off to a slow start. Don’t be too hasty to give up on a player with a strong track record of success. Conversely, watch the waiver wires for gems that get dropped.

9. Follow baseball news regularly

Make it a point to subscribe to a quality fantasy baseball news site such as Rotowire.com. Visit it a few times a day and read up on the latest breaking fantasy baseball news. Just like investing in stocks, understanding the whole picture will help you assess your fantasy baseball team’s potential as the season progresses. Knowing which particular closer is struggling and may lose his job enables you to go after the setup man who may soon step into their shoes.

10. Stay active on trades

Keep up to date on what other teams’ needs are and see if you can work out win-win trades. Pay particular attention to star players who are off to tough starts and make a pitch to try and nab them on the cheap.

11. Manage to win

This may sound obvious, but it is worth reiterating. Understand what you need to do to win. If you’re playing a simulation league such as Baseball, you’ll need to avoid focusing on stats such as RBI or wins which don’t matter in their simulation algorithm. If you’re in a weekly points fantasy baseball league, stay on top of what categories you need to carry and win the week. For example, if you’re way ahead on strikeouts but behind on wins, you will need to look for starters who are likely to get you wins.

Following these eleven tips can give you a leg up on your competition and lead you to fantasy baseball glory.

Enjoyed this report? You’ll likely enjoy Baseball, the only daily predictive simulation fantasy baseball game on the market today. Unlike any other fantasy baseball game, Baseball is the ultimate simulation baseball fantasy challenge for experts and novices alike.

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5 Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategies
By Christopher Hufnagel

Every fantasy manager has his or her own fantasy baseball draft strategy. Which ones work, which ones don’t? The biggest mistake fantasy owners can make is not having a strategy. For every draft that you do as a fantasy baseball manager you need to have a strategy, and stick with it. So with out further ado here are five strategies that I have used to win countless championships.

The balanced team or “average Joes” strategy: This is where you only draft players that contribute in all five categories. You don’t try to outright win any specific category, but at the same time you don’t give up on any either. Through the first 10 rounds you should draft the best stat contributors at each position. You want batter that contributes in all 5 categories, not just home runs and RBI’s. Once you hit the 10th round you need to look at your current situation and see where you have major holes. Once all holes are filled in you can continue drafting players that will contribute in as many categories possible.

Highest Rated Player Strategy: Lets face it, anyone that plays fantasy baseball knows whom the studs. This strategy means exactly what it sounds like, you always draft the highest rated player, without paying much attention to position or categories, if they are ranked high, you draft them. In order for this draft strategy to work your league needs to be incredibly active, and needs to allow trades because in order for you too fill positions you are weak in you will be trading. Because you always drafted the highest rated player you will have some extra studs at each position, use this to your advantage to get the reaming positions you still need.

Offense sells tickets (defense wins championships): This strategy means you completely forget about pitching till the later rounds, probably wont draft a pitcher until the 10th round at the earliest. Hitters play everyday and score on a daily basis. The best starter in the league will only contribute every fifth day. You will not be drafting a pitcher until all 9 hitting positions are filled.

Position Scarcity: This strategy entails the most research on your part. You will need to not only look at rankings overall but also for each position as well. In the opening rounds you will be drafting players at positions that have very few superstars. Some examples of such positions are catcher, shortstop, and closer. Once you have a “superstar” at each of the “scarce” positions you will draft players that fill out the rest of your roster.

Punt Strategy: This is a strategy that is often frowned upon by the fantasy baseball experts. However when used correctly it is a force to be reckoned with. A fantasy manager using this strategy will punt or give up on a scoring category to try and dominate in the other categories. For hitter this is usually steals, pitchers usually give up on saves. This is not a great strategy to begin the draft with, but if you are getting towards the 7th round and you are noticing some categories you are weak in you may want to give up on trying to find some steals and concentrate on more home run hitters and RBI machines.

These are just some of the basic strategies used in fantasy baseball drafts. In the upcoming posts I will be going over ways to use each strategy and how it applies to this years player pool.

For Access to the authors Fantasy Baseball Blog click here: http://fantasybaseball2009.blogspot.com/

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Best Fantasy Baseball Catchers 2009
By Christopher Hufnagel

The catcher position in past seasons has been one that was just filler. For real Baseball teams the defense that a catcher provides is far more important than there offensive value. Since all we care about as fantasy baseball managers is offensive production the catcher spot has usually been a position that is drafted later in the draft. Here are my tier rankings for fantasy baseball catchers in 2009. When looking at this the player predicted stats are formatted as follows: (HR/RBI/R/AVG/SB)

The tier one of catchers is usually drafted in the 4th through 6th rounds. The fantasy managers that draft a catcher in these early rounds are usually managers that are using the position scarcity strategy. It is my suggestion however that even in using this strategy you wait till the 2nd tier of fantasy baseball catchers to begin drafting them. So with out any more of a hold up here are my Fantasy baseball tier rankings for catchers:

Tier 1.

1. Joe Mauer. (12/85/95/.330/5)

Joe lives on the base paths. He has an absolute ridiculous on base percentage. He will help your team with batting average, and score plenty of runs. If you are looking for a catcher that will play almost every day and score a lot of runs Mr. Mauer is your man!

2. Brian McCann. (20/85/60/.290/2)

Look for McCann to take a step back in production. However his numbers will still keep him in the top tier of fantasy baseball catchers. Don’t forget that Brian plays for a falling team and could be traded at any time to a true competitor.

3. Russell Martin. (12/65/85/.280/20)

A catcher with 20 steal potential, that is quite un-heard of. if you are looking for a super speedy team and would like some speed at the catcher position the Russell is the catcher for you. He is the only catcher in this years draft that has 20/20 potential, however i don’t see him increasing his home runs over last year.

That sums is up for tier 1 of fantasy baseball catchers. The only reason that anyone should be drafting these guys is if they are using the position scarcity fantasy baseball strategy.

Tier 2.

4. Victor Martinez. (20/100/80/.295/0)

If he is healthy this year he should hit at least 20 home runs. If you feel the big V-Mart will return back to form and can stay healthy all year then wait till the 1st tier of catcher’s have been taking, wait till around the 7th round and steal him because he will be a bargain that late in the draft.

5. Geovany Soto. (20/80/70/.280/0)

After putting up insane fantasy baseball numbers last year i would expect a small sophomore slump from him. He will still be a great catcher to have on any team, however don’t look for a repeat of last year.

6. Ryan Doumit. (14/70/70/.310/2)

He plays for the pirates… With no one hitting around him his RBI’s could go down.

7. Chris Iannetta. (22/75/60/.265/0)

He plays in the hitter friendly park. However the Rockies offense is well, a bit rocky. they have lost Holiday, however if this guy plays in more than 100 games this year look for him to be a HR factor on your team.

Tier 3.

8. Matt Wieters. (no idea)

How can a guy that has never played in a big league game get this kind of a ranking? He deserves it. The question is no longer if he gets called up, its when. When he does make sure he is on your roster.

9. Jorge Posada. (15/80/85/.280/2)

He is getting old. However he plays for the Yankees. its pretty much a guarantee that every time he comes up to the plate there will be a man on base.

10. Bengie Molina. (18/85/45/.275/0)

His RBI totals last year were insane! look for them to drop back to earth.

Tier 4.

11. Dioner Navarro. (8/60/45/.290/2)

He plays for the Rays. They have a great offense and hitting can be contagious.

12. Mike Napoli. (20/70/50/.245/5)

Can he play an entire season? This guy can hit if the Angels will let him. He is a risk, but the reward is a catcher that could possibly hit 25+ home runs. He is in the 4th tier because of the risk factor.

13. A.J. Pierzynski. (10/55/60/.280/1)

He is getting older and plays Catcher. His numbers will drop. But he will get the job done, her certainly will not hurt you in any category.

14. Pablo Sandoval. (10/75/70/.300/0)

This guy is the next Joe Mauer in the making. He gives you average and RBI’s. If he gets more playing time his numbers should reach some nice heights. He also has 1st and 3rd base eligibility.

15. Ramon Hernandez. (10/ 60/50/.265/0)

These number are terrible, look to get someone else.

With the catcher position being so weak this year it really doesn’t matter who you get, just get someone that you believe will play ever day. That sums up my Tier rankings for Fantasy Catchers. Make sure to check out my other fantasy baseball tier rankings here.

For Access to the authors Fantasy Baseball Blog click here: http://fantasybaseball2009.blogspot.com/

More Fantasy Strategy Information: http://fantasybaseball2009.blogspot.com/search/label/Strategy

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Fantasy Baseball Exploding In Popularity
By Michael Russell

Fantasy baseball has been around for decades. Fantasy baseball was once relegated to die hard stat crunchers who would have to sift through box scores and countless other sources to keep track of their teams. With the rise of the internet, Fantasy Baseball is now available to countless millions around the world and is increasingly becoming a fun hobby for fans of America’s pastime.

There are many different forms of fantasy baseball out there. Though there are normally 2 main types.

Rotiserie, which pits teams in a system of points based on leading offensive and pitching categories, as well as number of teams in the league. For example, a 10 team league would got by a 1 to 10 point system applied to each category. The leader of each category would earn 10pts, 2nd 9pts, 3rd 8pts and so on. All point totals for all categories would them be added together to get the teams point total. The most points on any given day would be the leader, with points potentially changing each day.

Head-To-Head is based on a weekly system where teams compete again based on categories, though unlike Rotiserie, teams only compete against one other team on a weekly basis, following a pre-set schedule. In head-to-head each offensive and pitching stat lead is worth one “win”. At the end of the week, usually Monday to Sunday, whichever team leads the most categories would win the week and their win/loss totals would then be translated into the updated standings.

As mentioned, there are other types of leagues, such as “Keeper leagues”, which are long term leagues which allow owners to protect a certain number of players to carry over into the next season.

Due to the increasing popularity of fantasy baseball, there are now countless sites offering their own versions of this game. Some of the most familiar are offered by ESPN, MLB, Sporting News…but the most popular by far these days is offered up by Yahoo! Yahoo! is officially licensed by Major League Baseball and offers a full slate of fantasy games, from baseball, to football, even car racing and golf. Yahoo! offers the typical fantasy baseball options, Rotiserie and Head-To-Head. They also offer the ability to open your own league, where you can personally invite friends of coleagues to sign up and compete in private leagues. These leads have full draft options, where you are allowed to edit a pre-draft list in the order of your own preferences for those set to the auto draft option. The most fun option for drafting is the live draft option, where league owners can get together and select their teams live.

The fun of fantasy baseball is in tracking your drafted lineup on a day-to-day basis, with the ability to add and drop players to and from the free agency pool(known as waivers) and to also negotiate trades with other members if you choose to do so. Every year there always seems to be an undrafted gem who slips by and grabbing this player before your other leaguemates can be quite satisfying and lead to the success of your team.

If you do not have a lot of people to play with for a custom private league, fear not. Yahoo! offers public access leagues where you can play against other people from around the world. You don’t need to have a lot of other mates to take advantage of this fun pastime.

If you are a baseball fan and have not played fantasy baseball, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Who knows, you may end up hooked like millions of other players around the world who are just waiting for you to join their league.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Baseball

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Fantasy Baseball 2009 – Player Profile – Pablo Sandoval (SF)
By David L. Rogers

Pablo Sandoval is one of the big questions marks going into the 2009 season. The question here is, what should we expect from this man in his first full season with the San Francisco Giants? He tore it up on his limited exposure in 2008, hitting .345 in 145 at bats. Sandoval carries with him into the 2009 season some lofty hopes and expectations from the fantasy owner, eagerly anticipating a .310 average or more over the course of a full season.

To start the year, Sandoval is batting 5th, but this may be a temporary spot. If Sandoval can produce as he did in 2008, he could be a must have in all leagues, especially since he is eligible in most leagues at the catcher position, despite the fact he will mainly be at third base in 2009.

A little about Pablo Sandoval:

- He loves to swing. Whether the ball is inside, outside, or in the dirt, Sandoval seems to take a hack at just about anything and everything. His swing and attitude remind me of Vlad Guerrero, with one main difference: Sandoval seems to always make contact. Whether he can maintain this over the course of an entire season is yet to be seen, but for the mean time he is quite the freak at the plate.

Sandoval is being drafted in most leagues, but an early season trade for him might be smart, for his potential seems immense.

Keep an eye on Sandoval, for he might be one of the most intriguing and interesting stories to follow as the 2009 season pans out.

For more great fantasy football games and fantasy football rankings visit Fanball.com.

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Fantasy Baseball 2009 – Punting a Category
By David L. Rogers

To start off, let me explain what punting a category even is to those of you who are unfamiliar with the term. Punting a category means to not even try to win said category, which most commonly in fantasy baseball involves saves. To punt the saves category, an owner will not even draft a closer and accept losing the category. It seems to be a strategy used much more frequently in roto leagues that are no larger than ten people.

So what is the advantage of intentionally losing a category? The idea is that by skipping drafting a closer, you are able to create a better starting pitching staff and hitting staff while the other managers scurry to find closers. Saves are one of the trickiest categories in fantasy baseball and the closer role is one that can change for teams on a week to week basis. This strategy has to be imposed either prior to drafting or very early in the baseball season. Also, it is a “high risk – high reward” strategy and is one that can sink a team early if done incorrectly.

Basically in order for the punting a category to succeed, the team needs to win or come in second in every other category to help offset the minimal points won in the said category.

For example, say my team is going to punt saves. I am in a 10 team, 5 by 5 mixed league and I choose to not draft any closers and rather stock up on high quality starters and then add some solid middle relieves at the end of the draft. I assemble a stable lineup with a balance of power and speed that I feel will be very competitive across the 5 hitting categories. I have accepted the fact I will only get 1 point from saves and have thus pushed my focus on to wins, Ks, WHIP and ERA. The middle relievers are crucial for it is tough to win the WHIP and ERA category with just starters alone.

The beautiful part about starting the year choosing to skip the saves category is that if you find your team is not hitting as you had hoped or your starters go down with injury, it is not too late to try and make up some ground and start competing in the saves department again. Closers in the MLB fluctuate a great deal and though some are stable in their roles, a huge number of them are not. A team may go through several different players in the closing role over the course of the year, so if you pay attention to the waiver wire and news on injuries and depth charts, it is not hard to collect saves well after draft day. Granted, you will not win the category, but might be able to make some points back to offset the other categories.

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