Some tips for Fantasy Baseball

With baseball season around the corner, many of you are getting ready to draft your teams. There are a few things to keep in mind while drafting that can make a difference in your season. The first thing is that stolen bases are a rare commodity in fantasy baseball. While one good base stealer can help you win that category here and there, if you have the chance to draft a couple guys who can steal bases week in and week out, you can secure that category permanently. There are so few guys capable of stealing enough bases to make a difference, that if you can grab 2-3 of them, that category is set. A lot of these base stealers however, do little other than steal bases. Many of them are leadoff hitters and hit for average, some close to .300, but most will not give you power or RBI’s. They may help in the runs scored category, but that is entirely dependent on their team. If their team has a weak lineup, then they really do become more specialized. This is where your drafting strategy comes into play.  Part of your drafting strategy should be to grab a top producing 2^nd baseman or a top shortstop. These are two of the worst positions in terms of production. The statistical fall off from a top tier middle infielder to a middle tier middle infielder is much bigger than those of the corner infielders and outfielders. There are so few middle infielders capable of producing huge numbers that if you can take one of them, your team will always have an advantage. A Tulowitzki or Robinson Cano type player can make your team a championship contender. You must grab one of these top middle infielders in the draft. Now if you grab Robinson Cano you can wait until later to grab a middle or even lower tier shortstop. A player like Dee Gordon grabbed lower in the draft could prove to be a great pickup due to his high batting average and his base stealing capability. He also has the potential to score many runs due to Ethier and Kemp hitting close behind him.

                Deciding when to take pitchers can be very difficult. I would recommend taking a top tier closer early in the draft. The problem with the closer position is that when you get to the lower tier closers, they have the potential to lose their closing position. A closer like Sergio Santos, Kyle Farnsworth, or Javy Guerra may start out as the closer, but has a chance of losing his position. At that point they lose all worth because they are not big strike out guys, and now are not getting you saves. Someone like Rivera is an established closer and you know he will not lose his spot. Even Marmol with his high era has a use if he loses his closer spot due to his high strike out numbers. This is why it is important to take a closer when you see the opportunity earlier in the draft rather than later. Starting pitchers are a different story. Personally I like to take 1-2 top pitchers early in the draft to at least give myself some peace of mind. Even with one great pitcher and a few middle or upper middle tier pitchers, you pitching rotation can be very solid. Last season my only true ace was Gallardo. After him I had guys like Romero, Anibal Sanchez, Ervin Santana, and Jaime Garcia. While these are not top tier pitchers they still got the job done and I was able to draft many of the hitter I wanted first without worrying about pitching. I also had Bucholz and Brett Anderson, but both of these guys I was able to draft in the middle and both ended up injured and I still ended up with the title. While these are not top tier pitchers they still got the job done and I was able to draft many of the hitter I wanted first without worrying about pitching. Picking pitchers changing teams is also very risky. A fly ball pitcher switching from a pitchers park to Coors, could spell trouble. A pitcher changing from the NL to the AL could also have problems due to the DH rule. Picking established pitchers, staying on their same team, with no history of health problems is usually the best way to go. All other pitchers can be held off until later in the draft, where a risky pick won’t hurt you as much.

                Always keep your eye on the waiver wire. Last year I picked up Freddy Freeman, Brandon Beachy, Eric Hosmer, Mark Trumbo and countless other players that led me to my title. If a rookie is playing well late into the season, don’t be hesitant to jump on his bandwagon. They may go through a slump, but that’s just how baseball works. The end result could lead you to the top. There is nothing worse than an unproductive player ruining your stats and taking up space. Don’t jump too fast, but don’t wait too long. I know that it is a vague statement but if you followed a player all year, or had him on your team for multiple years, you know better than anyone if he is worth keeping. Trust yourself and good luck.