This is more of a general fantasy baseball strategy post (and aimed for Roto more than H2H). This is sort of a continuation of this morning’s roundup. Well… At least the thought process for why I’m writing it is in continuation. Do you start or sit pitchers? There isn’t an easy, broad answer to start every guy, so I understand the trepidation behind starting certain guys. You don’t want Ubaldo sitting on your team’s face right after he ate Mexican food. But you also don’t want to start a guy for all his bad outings and sit him for the great ones. In a lot of cases, Perry Mason, this comes down to over thinking. Listen, even your fearless leader sometimes over thinks his starts and misses a good one. And some guys really are for just matchups. You’re not starting “Fire Chin” Gaudin every time out. (In some leagues, you’re not starting him ever.) So rather than me try and come up with some all encompassing rule that doesn’t really apply in every case, I’m going to show you by what I’ve been doing.
In my twelve team league, I’m currently in first and I have a pitching staff of Papelbon, Broxton, Scherzer, Bedard, Wandy, Wolf, Rodney, Hawkins, Grabow, F-Her, Percival and a DL’d Kazmir. I’ve missed one start on purpose this year. In my infinite wisdom, I sat Wandy at Colorado when he K’d 11 Rockies, gave up 2 earned and walked none. A “strategy” move that was to my detriment. Now you’re thinking, well, you must’ve sat Kazmir all the time. Nope. Unfortunately, I didn’t sit him once. And out of a possible 12 points in WHIP and ERA. I have a 9 and a 10, respectively in each. (BTW, To my detriment, I also spot started Zito a few times and that Royals pitcher that we will never speak of again whose name rhymes with Suckevar. As well as picking up all kinds of junky closers.)
Sober people don’t bet on baseball for one simple reason. In the short term, from start to start, no one really has any idea what anyone’s going to do. In the big picture, it’s another thing. But the big picture only comes to fruition (which is not a Frutazza) if you start your guys so you get their cumulative stats. Now, of course, if you’re in a ten team league, certain matchups become less startable than 12 team leagues. Then certain matchups in 15 team leagues, you wouldn’t dream of in 12 team leagues. So when you ask me in the comments or our fantasy baseball forums about starting a guy, the most important thing is your league depth, friend. Otherwise, I assume 12 team. Okay, so who’s starting Lester next time out? No way!!!
