I know you’ve pictured it a million times in your head. It haunts you. In fact, you’ve even dreamt of it. You’re sitting in front of your computer screen waiting for your draft to begin. The blue glow of the computer screen is fixing your eyes like a bug zapper to a wayward mayfly.
Then it happens.
Exactly thirty minutes before the draft begins, you see that you have drawn the dreaded pick #10. Too late (unless you’re drafting with my father) to grab fantasy studs Pujols, Santana, or Vladimir Guerrero but too early to start reaching for relative new comers like Miguel Cabrera or Ben Sheets. So what do you do? The knee-jerk reaction is to get in the fetal position and cry, curse the sky above and binge on week old chow mien. But don’t be like me. Simon has the perfect solution for you.
Simply build your staff with relief and let the position player’s fall into place.
The Method
Assuming your league follows the standard fantasy format of R, HR, RBI, SB, AVG, W, SV, K, ERA and WHIP you can take a team comprised of mostly fantasy unknowns and turn it into a playoff winner. Remember kids fantasy baseball is a marathon, not a foot race.
If you’re in a competitive league with picks 9, 10 or 11 it’s a good bet the first eight picks will be: (in no particular order)
Albert Pujols
Vladimir Guerrero
Randy Johnson
Johan Santana
Alex Rodriguez
Carlos Beltran
Curt Shilling
Manny Ramirez
*The reason I do not include Barry Bonds is the face he may never play again…but I digress
Most of you fantasy winners out there know that just like a fantasy basketball team with Shawn Marion rarely wins championships, a team with the following players rarely brings a fantasy baseball title home to winners like you.
Todd Helton
Miguel Tejada
Don’t ask me why the list is limited to two…that’s just the way it is.
How To Build
Eric Gagne should be available late in the first round because he is coming off an injury and his velocity has been a question all spring. However, I urge you too take a chance on him because is an absolute warrior when it comes to getting back into playing shape. He is a good pick for 42-49 saves this year and will have a WHIP around (1.0). Another good bet with Gagne is his ERA should be a shade under (2.0), which has immense value.
With your swing around pick (#14, 15, 16) you should be able to snatch up Brad Lidge.
“What? Brad Lidge! This early! Your crazy”
Yes I know. The voice in MY head won’t shut up either. However, consider Lidge to be a steal there in the second round. He is poised to become the next Gagne only with more bite on his ridiculous slider. Like Gagne, Lidge could be counted on for many two and even three inning save situations. He proved his bulldog mentality in last year’s playoffs and is the preferred set up man for himself in the Astros bullpen. He will rack up mid-40’s saves but is even more valuable because he’ll equal starters like Bartolo Colon or Barry Zito in strikeouts but will have a mint ERA under two. And remember last year his WHIP was (.92)
“But Simon…I’ll lose pitching because my relievers won’t throw the necessary amount of innings.”
Not true. Read On.
After your cooked a delicious steak, mashed potatoes, finally called your mother, cleaned out your attic and mowed your lawn…it should be about time your third round draft pick to come around. When it does remember two words. Mariano Rivera.
His line last year: ERA of 1.94 WHIP of 1.08 and 53 saves.
Your bullpen is now stacked to the gills. It isn’t a stretch for Rivera in the third because most players will be gobbling up cookie-cutter position players and starting pitching. You’ll have a guaranteed monopoly on saves, WHIP and ERA. In most leagues the minimum amount of innings pitched per week is seven or eight. You should easily eclipse that because of inning eating Gagne, Lidge and late inning picks.
When the latter part of the draft comes around and your friends are desperate for relievers and backup second basemen, you’ll be sure to entrench your bullpen with Tom Gordon, Shingo Takatsu and/or Juan Rincon. These players will give you the innings you need to compete but are exceptionally stingy when it comes to giving up runs. They all have otherworldly WHIP potential and will keep your staff ERA down.
You might have to mail in wins with this strategy however your staff could conceivably go 3-2 every week with a sprinkling of 4-1’s. That is the sort of consistency that WILL win you leagues.
Check out next article addressing how to draft position players with this pitching staff.