Neowin Fantasy Baseball Season 2009

By Veedems
in The Sporting Arena

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Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

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I had some time issues yesterday. I did get online for the 2nd to 8th rounds or so. Within those two rounds, I did pick two second basemen. My problem is that the autodraft picked two more in the middle rounds so now I have four second basemen (or 5 if you include a shortstop with dual eligibility but in reality I'll always use him in the #6 position).

Oh yeah, and my Outfielder quality drops to nothing rather quickly. So I really need to move a 2B for an OF but I'm prepared to start the season this way because my 2B-men seem to have relatively have projections (so they weren't bad picks).

  • 1 month later...
Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

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At the risk of seeming like (more of) a blithering idiot, I just picked up another second baseman.

For those counting at home, that's 6 second basemen. That also means that at least 3 have to ride the pine on any given night.

Clearly, I need to make a trade. I need starting pitchers and outfielders. I may consider a closer.

Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

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lol six second basemen? You have a fetish?

Well, I am hoping that the latest one will gain 3B eligibility. He's 1/10th of the way there. I could use a second 3B.

Still, my problem of the original five 2B still exists. I read this about Emilio Bonifacio and pounced:

His eligibility as a second baseman in many fantasy leagues along with his opportunity to lead off in a potent Florida lineup make him worth considering as a pickup in nearly all formats. If Bonifacio went overlooked in your draft or auction, he won't be long for the free agent pool.

Besides, my original problem was created when I drafted the first few rounds manually and then left it to autodraft. It didn't seem to take my manual picks into account when its logic of who to pick came up. The autodraft immediately added a 3rd second baseman and then later, a fourth. We don't need to consider my 5th 2B as a second baseman because he also has SS eligibility (which is where I plan to use him). But it still is a bit of a problem because it adds more competition for the combined 2B/SS slot.

Edited by Fred Derf
Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

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The autodraft just picked the highest ranked available player whenever it came up. Not much strategy behind it.

The Yahoo hockey (and probably baseball) autodraft works a little nicer. They try to round out your team a bit more.

I have one trade offer pending and I'm offering quite a bit of an average draft pick advantage.

Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

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Cole Hamels is working on a 15 ERA and a 2.67 WHIP. My starting pitching situation could not be worse. I am last in ERA and last in WHIP. I am in the bottom half of the other pitching categories too. It's quite sad.

The only thing stopping me from utter (fantasy) despair is the fact that baseball has such a long season.

Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

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Haha. My horrible pitching luck has started to change.

I'm up 11 fantasy points for today alone.

Cole Hamels and Tim Lincecum are good pitchers but, so far, they have failed to help me in any way. Thanks to Chad Billingsley, I have a low era, low whip 11 strike out performance that has done a fair bit to restore my pitching equilibrium.

2B Polanco has started to give me decent numbers and he is available. Of course I would consider keeping him if I didn't have 5 other second basement to try and fit in. Alexei Ramirez has been a disappointment but based on his draft position, and the fact that he will soon gain SS eligibility, I'm not prepared to sell him at what may be his lowest point of the season.

Incidentally, I picked up yet another second baseman in Scutero but since I plan to use him at 3B then it doesn't really count. My other 3Bman (A. Gordon) is injured.

Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

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Okay, it's not official because the day isn't done and it is a measly 0.5 point advantage but (while it lasts)...

RK	TEAM		BATTERS		PITCHERS		TOTAL
PTS	POINTS
CHG
R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG		K	W	SV	ERA	WHIP	
1	Fred's Diamond Dragons		10	9.5	10	10	6		9	5.5	4	5	4		73	+10

Woohoo, +10 for the day!

Also, as you probably know, I traded Polanco for Conor Jackson. He has yet to offer me any benefit but it does solve my 2B problem. Two of my other second basemen have gained eligibility in other positions (SS and 3B) so I am now somewhat rounded out, position wise.

  • 2 weeks later...
Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

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Yeah, Conor Jackson is dragging me into the negatives and I have him benched. I don't want to give up on him quite yet because he had a mid-range ADP value. His ownership rate is falling rapidly. You're probably in a similar boat.

  • 5 months later...
Grand Master

Fred Derf Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
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Well, that about wraps it up for fantasy baseball. I dumped all of my starters to try and steal and save or a relief win but it didn't work out. We could have had a mult-iway tie for wins and saves but I ended up one down on both of them. It's somewhat surprising that after such a long season that some of the categories ended up with only a one point separation in them.

[Thread Unpinned]

Grand Master

Veedems Veteran

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It was a race at the end, but I lost any chance when I went over the damn 200 inning limit for pitching.

If Yahoo! continues to offer free live stats (as they are with Football), I'll be putting the league back there, next year, and am considering reverting back to head to head, though I still like rotisserie more.

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