Fantasy Baseball Help Thread

[crewfan13]

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place for something like this, but I figured I'd make a thread about fantasy baseball so we can discuss if anyone has anything they want advice on aka player A vs Player B or if they should make a trade and all that fun stuff.

Maybe it won't drum up a whole lot of conversations, but I figured its worth a shot. Plus I need some advice for my league too.

[crewfan13]

So here's my dilemma. I'm in a 12 person league. Every year (basically for the past 4 years) my buddy has been trying to turn this league into a keeper league. The league is an auction draft, but typically we never get the same 12 guys back, usually only 8-10 and have to replace the other 2-4, so we haven't had to worry about keepers too much. This year, it finally looks like we'll have the same 12 guys, so we're going with the keeper. Its a typical 5x5 league, and you have to keep between 5-8 players for $3 more than their previous draft value (undrafted free agents default to $5 draft value so you can keep them for $8). I've eliminated my obvious non keepers, but here's a list of the rest of my options. Also note, the league cap is $260, and the best players typically go for well above their projected value.

Pujols-$52
Kipnis-$7
Fowler-$5
Michael Saunders-$8
Bruce-$21
Votto-$50
Wei-Yen Chen-$8
Tyler Skaggs-$8
Tom Willhelmsen-$8
Niese-$5
Dan Straily-$8
Danny Hultzen-$8
Dylan Bundy-$8
Will Middlebrooks-$8
Longoria-$42

Also, the max you can keep a player for is 3 years and I realize my options aren't very good options.

[Dcup]

So here's my dilemma. I'm in a 12 person league. Every year (basically for the past 4 years) my buddy has been trying to turn this league into a keeper league. The league is an auction draft, but typically we never get the same 12 guys back, usually only 8-10 and have to replace the other 2-4, so we haven't had to worry about keepers too much. This year, it finally looks like we'll have the same 12 guys, so we're going with the keeper. Its a typical 5x5 league, and you have to keep between 5-8 players for $3 more than their previous draft value (undrafted free agents default to $5 draft value so you can keep them for $8). I've eliminated my obvious non keepers, but here's a list of the rest of my options. Also note, the league cap is $260, and the best players typically go for well above their projected value.

Pujols-$52
Kipnis-$7
Fowler-$5
Michael Saunders-$8
Bruce-$21
Votto-$50
Wei-Yen Chen-$8
Tyler Skaggs-$8
Tom Willhelmsen-$8
Niese-$5
Dan Straily-$8
Danny Hultzen-$8
Dylan Bundy-$8
Will Middlebrooks-$8
Longoria-$42

Also, the max you can keep a player for is 3 years and I realize my options aren't very good options.

No way I spend $52 on Pujols when you can get guys like Allen Craig or Paul Goldschmidt who will put up similar number IMO.

I would definitely keep Kipnis as 2B is a ridiculous position to get production out of. It seems to be a revolving door every year for me, except Kipnis is one of my keepers. Jay Bruce is a good keep at $21 I think, if you can withstand the K's. Although, I think he'll have a better approach at the plate this year and could be an MVP sleeper. Middelbrooks more than Kipnis...even at 3B? I like him, but don't think he will do much more than .280 15 HR 60 RBI.

Bundy would by high on my list, but I tend to keep at least one prospect every year. In fact, I watch them closely at the end of each season so I can pick one or two up and see how spring training goes.

If you keep 5, I would go:

Kipnis
Bruce
Longoria
Bundy
Votto

I play in a standard head to head league. We play with somewhat advanced stats such as OPS, OBP, WHIP, K/9 just to name a few. I know they're not sabermetrics but it gets you closer to legitimate stats to base your team around.

We keep 6 in our league. Here's who I got this year. I finished 8th out of 12 last year, so obviously take what I say with a grain of salt.

Braun
McCutchen
Gallardo
Kipnis
R. Zimmerman
Aroldis Chapman

I wanted to keep 9, so I had to give up guys like Allen Craig, Freddie Freeman, Paul Goldschmidt, Brett Lawrie, Jake Peavy, Mike Minor, Brett Anderson, Rafael Soriano and Matt Harvey.

Obviously I kept no prospects this year, but I couldn't keep Harvey over Gallardo or Chapman. Much too difficult. I never keep a closer either. They're to wishy washy. I wish I could've kept Goldschmidt, Minor and Anderson, but I'll be targeting those guys in the draft.

[Dcup]

Also. I freaking love Willin Rosario, catcher for the Rockies. I really wish I could've kept him, but I'll go for him early in the draft. He could hit 30+ HR's this year (had 28 last year). Great production from the catcher position. Probably won't net you a high BA, but decent OBP and ok OPS.

Small sample size, but could be a steal in most drafts IMO.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pl...osarwi01.shtml

[crewfan13]

I don't mind the idea of keeping Bundy, but I look at it from two directions. For a guy like him who may not/probably won't start the season in the majors, I could probably re-draft him for less than $8. Right now, I'm basically set on Bruce and Kipnis for sure. I'm leaning towards actually keeping Jonathon Niese and Dexter Fowler was well, seeing as they're cheap, and probably just as cheap if not cheaper than I could draft them for (also, they're basically the cheapest keeps on my team, so even if I cut them down the line, I didn't waste much money.)

As far as it goes from there, I'm not sure then. I don't think Longo is worth the money, especially since he's been more susceptible to injuries lately. I'm not sure I can justify that cost, especially since even if I let him go I would think I could re-draft him for less than 42. I'm not sure on Votto and Pujols either. That's more money than I want to spend, and probably just more than they go for. The top players usually go for a fair markukp over their yahoo projected value. Basically, last year the top guys were in the 48-52 range, and this year I think they might be a hair higher because there will be some extra money to spend since teams get to keep guys like Trout, Harper and last year's prospects for less than $10.

[crewfan13]

Also. I freaking love Willin Rosario, catcher for the Rockies. I really wish I could've kept him, but I'll go for him early in the draft. He could hit 30+ HR's this year (had 28 last year). Great production from the catcher position. Probably won't net you a high BA, but decent OBP and ok OPS.

Small sample size, but could be a steal in most drafts IMO.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pl...osarwi01.shtml

I actually think it might be a decent year for catchers. There's not a ton of top super high level talent like there is at other positions like 1B, but I think there's a decent amount of guys in that middle section who will produce alright.

[Dcup]

Is D'Arnaud going to start for the Mets? That's another guy that could rake at the plate. Lucroy is a breakout sleeper himself.

[Brew Crew]

I actually think it might be a decent year for catchers. There's not a ton of top super high level talent like there is at other positions like 1B, but I think there's a decent amount of guys in that middle section who will produce alright.

4 Possible Keepers. Pick 2.

Posey - $12
Starlin Castro - $19

Matt Cain - $19
Gio Gonzalez - $12

[behnke2017]

Is D'Arnaud going to start for the Mets? That's another guy that could rake at the plate. Lucroy is a breakout sleeper himself.

It sounds like he's going to start the season at AAA the last I saw but that could change.

[Dcup]

4 Possible Keepers. Pick 2.

Posey - $12
Starlin Castro - $19

Matt Cain - $19
Gio Gonzalez - $12

Me personally I would go with Starlin Castro and Gio Gonzalez.

[crewfan13]

4 Possible Keepers. Pick 2.

Posey - $12
Starlin Castro - $19

Matt Cain - $19
Gio Gonzalez - $12

For me, I think you're in a pretty decent predicament. I don't think those are outrageous prices for any of those guys. That being said, if I can only keep two, I'd lean towards Gio and Posey. I'm not as high on Posey as many people are and think he's being overvalued, but $12 is a pretty good deal for the best catcher. Like DCup and I talked about earlier here, I think its a fairly deep year for catcher, but Posey for $12 is still a pretty good bargain. I think Cain is a better than Gio, but probably not $7 better (although $19 for Cain is still a pretty decent deal). I like Castro for $19 too, and wouldn't criticize you at all if you kept him for that, but I just think the other two have more value and leave you with more money to spend.

All in all, you have infinitely better options than I do in my league. (at least in my opinion)