I'll be playing in a 14-team h2h with 14 categories: R, HR, RBI, SB, AVG, OBP, XBH, W, K, ERA, WHIP, SV, HLD, K/BB.

Last year I thought I was being a freaking genius by focusing on players with high OBP and XBH potential, and ignoring those who underperform in one or both of those categories, but I ended up with possibly the worst team in the history of fantasy baseball (Dunn, Heyward, Choo, Figgins, blah blah blah).

This year I am tempted to just ignore the additional offensive categories in the hope that drafting based on 5 categories will address OBP and XBH anyway. Good idea, great idea, bad idea? Or maybe mostly ignore them, but be sure to grab a couple high OBP guys? Factoring in OBP reduces the value of a lot of players that I would otherwise target, such as Rios, Kendrick, Bourjos, Lind, Phillips, Hill, etc.

Good idea... Just get the best players available but lower guys that actually hurt OBP a little... Maybe two rounds or so...

How much of a bounce would you give set up MRs, considering that it's a holds league? Last year I think I just drafted one or two in the last rounds, but also nabbed more than two closers (and picked up others during the year, since only a few of the managers are really active). Baseballmonster projects MRs like Romo and Adams to be in the 40s or 50s, and obviously picking them then would be asinine, but should I draft them as if a save is the same as a hold, ie, in the 150-250 level (I don't draft closers any higher than the 11th or 12th rd)?

I'd draft MRs in the late 100's... Around 175ish for the top ones...

Drafted:

C- Ruiz (350)
1B- Berkman (76)
2B- Pedroia (20)
3B- Sandoval (37)
SS- Jeter (177)
IF- Reynolds (160)
OF- Braun (9)
OF- Bruce (48)
OF- Boesch (205)
OF- Delmon Young (289)
UTIL- Ortiz (132)
BN- Gamel (272)

SP- Haren (65)
SP- Zimmermann (104)
RP- Moore (93)
RP- Luebke (149)
RP- League (188)
RP- Francisco (216)
P- Latos (121)
P- Minor (244)
P- Niese (317)
BN- Adams (233)
BN-Jim Johnson (261)
BN- Addison Reed (300)
BN- Myers (328)
BN- Peavy (345)

or, perhaps more understandable, I drafted:

Braun (9)
Pedroia (20)
Sandoval (37)
Bruce (48)
Haren (65)
Berkman (76)
Moore (93)
Zimmermann (104)
Latos (121)
Ortiz (132)
Luebke (149)
Reynolds (160)
Jeter (177)
League (188)
Boesch (205)
Francisco (216)
Adams (233)
Minor (244)
Jim Johnson (261)
Gamel (272)
Delmon Young (289)
Addison Reed (300)
Niese (317)
Myers (328)
Peavy (345)
Ruiz (350)

Punted SB, because XBH and OBP really favor power batters, but there's still a decent amount of speed on the wire- Altuve, Bourgeois, Davis, Campana, Pierre, Schafer, Torres, and if any of the latter 6 start off strong (or, as the case may be, get a starting job), I'll pick them up.

Still good pitching available as well- Peacock, Iwakuma, Greg Holland, Hughes.

Drafted Ortiz and Jeter so that I can watch Sportscenter and actually care.

Seems it's time to make a move already- Soria has a sore elbow- drop Gamel for Holland?

Yeah, lose Gamel for Holland...



Really enjoy your pitching and your outfield... Your infield and Ortiz are okay, but not my favorite guys... Did I mention how much I like your pitching? Team could be fine, you baaically need a repeat of last year for your infield...

I agree, the IF is not very pretty, but the other areas are good. I feel like I backed into such and IF through two things: 1. The addition of OBP and XBH; and, 2. Drafting Braun at 9. I obviously could not turn down Braun at 9.

Ideally, I would have picked Braun, and then some combo of a 1B and a 3B, but it just wasn't in the cards, because I would have had to draft Teixeira at 20 in the 2nd or Konerko in the 3rd at 37, neither of which I was willing to do. I guess the Q is which is better: Braun, Konerko and Sandoval or Braun, Pedrioa and Sandoval; my guess is that you would take the former, but I like Pedrioa in this league- he's one of few 2B w/ a decent OBP (Kinsler was 2nd to him last year, by over 30 points).

I'm not thrilled to own Jeter two years in a row, but he's at least good for some runs, and at pick 177, the only attractive SS left either had OBP issues (Desmond) or had OBP issues and were just last round flyers (Cozart, Escobar).

Anyhow, did I mention that I like my pitching? No wait, you did. I do as well, though. Great K/BB numbers, K's generally, nice WHIPs, and Moore and Luebke are two of the few SP with RP eligibility, so I have flexibility when I am matched up against teams with much better RP. And I managed to draft 4 closers (assuming Johnson beats out Gregg).

It's embarrassing how much time I put into this league. Stupid h2h. The winner will probably be the team that drafted Beltran in the 5th, Yadier in the 9th, Carlos Lee in the 10th, Bryce Harper in the 12th, Grady Sizemore in the 16th, Joba in the 21st, and finished it off with Abreu, Harang, Derrek Lee and Bryan LaHair. HOW CAN I NOT WIN THIS LEAGUE???

Yeah, H2H can be frustrating...

According to Yahoo,

Leagues that use the Weekly lineup deadline will have two lineups deadlines for Week 1. The first weekly deadline will be on March 27th at 11:59 PM PT. This will cover the Japan games. The second weekly lineup deadline will be on April 1st at 11:59 PM PT. This will cover games played from April 2nd through April 8th.

Should I drop Ruiz and Wood for Brandon Allen and Fautino De los Santos just to get a leg up on the first week? Or possibly grab Vargas or Braden, who should start game 2? I do not expect that my opponent will realize that there will be two lineup deadlines, and has no A's or M's.

If I dropped Ruiz, I could probably pick him back up (drafted him in the last round), or I could pick up Lucroy, Ramon Hernandez, Buck, Mesoraco, Hundley, or Pierzynski.