Copyright. "The Thought Spigot" http://thethoughtspigot.com/ Where a lot of fantasy baseball players go wrong, is drafting/playing rookies and using the "sentimentality players" (name recognition) rather than going with players with 2-3 years experience, or a player just past his prime. Players like Chris Carpenter (who is a great talent, when healthy, but when comes at a price), Troy Glaus, Tom Glavine, Mike Hampton, Dmitri Young, Jose Guillen, are all sentimental picks, or picks which may have been solid just a year/two ago, but are now players which should be stayed away from, with every fiber of your being. Cameron Mayebin, David Murphy (Texas), Matt LaPorte (Indians) & David Price (D-Rays), are all going to be good to great players, but they are not going to get a chance to contribute (absent injury), until half the season is gone, to maybe even September.
Where the first players are to stay away from at all cost, even as spot starters, there are plenty of options where people will allow you to keep the solid players you have and go get some players to produce (in case of injury, a bad draft, or something else unforseen). Let's just say, you do not take Glavine, Hampton and Guillen, who would be a great substitute and everyday player? How about these three, are still in most leagues Jeremy Guthrie (SP-Orioles Opening Day Starter, threw 200+ innings and under 4.00 ERA), Gil Meche (who is often overlooked for Grienke, but another 200 inning guy, at the end of his prime), and/or Jason Marquis, Braden Looper (two other guys who play for winning teams, will thro 175+ innings and will get you stats). They are not Clemens/Smoltz, in their primes, but they do get enough stats (definitely more, over rookies).
The "Love of Rookies" is something long lived in Fantasy Sports, probably because guys want to "get the next great thing/be the first." However, how many rookies, true rookies, actually come in and make a huge impact, or enough of an impact to validate taking of a spot (for 1/2 a years worth of stats)? No very many, are there, let me keep you from checking. Rookie and players who have less than two full seasons, under their belt, are not worth saving spots for, as a rule, when you can go out and get some good waiver talent. (The only reason to commit to a rookie, this early, is if he is coming out of AAA/AA ball, raised up, rather than kept up, after spring training. Thinking "whole seasons stats" (rather than you loving "your man"/"you wanting to pick up A-Rod/K-Rod, before the A.S. Break), in fantasy sports, you have to get the most points out of each slot. "CoCo Crisp" is the example for the whole year, and why he is.
Crisp lost his slot in Boston, where he was completely uncomfortable (after a couple of shaky plays in the outfield) at Fenway, to the Kansas City Royals. First plus, is Coco does not feel the need to go out and win everyday, he can just go any play. He will be given the green light to steal, bunt and play his outfield, with the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium (a traditional medium size park, without any wall jags/jets out). Most of all, he is going to play every single day in center field, in a park that is rain out friendly (arti-turf), and is not to hot in the summer, but doesn't cost you/him games in the spring and fall.
So, instead of Camerin Maybin, Matt Laporta, and Matt Joyce giving you a 1/2 to 3/4 season, hitting .260'ish, 20-25 HR, 5-10 steals, and noting much else. Crisp will get a team, 500 AB's, .270-.290 Avg., 10 HR's, 55-70 RBI's and 25-30 Steals. It is pretty obvious why a Coco Crisp, David Murphy (once it heats up in Texas, and the ball starts to carry), Ryan Church (if he continues on), Scutaro, Jay Bruce (when everyone drops him). Long term thinking, especially in MLB and NBA, is the only way to look and win, being they have the most games and are more intricate, as a rule.
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Where the first players are to stay away from at all cost, even as spot starters, there are plenty of options where people will allow you to keep the solid players you have and go get some players to produce (in case of injury, a bad draft, or something else unforseen). Let's just say, you do not take Glavine, Hampton and Guillen, who would be a great substitute and everyday player? How about these three, are still in most leagues Jeremy Guthrie (SP-Orioles Opening Day Starter, threw 200+ innings and under 4.00 ERA), Gil Meche (who is often overlooked for Grienke, but another 200 inning guy, at the end of his prime), and/or Jason Marquis, Braden Looper (two other guys who play for winning teams, will thro 175+ innings and will get you stats). They are not Clemens/Smoltz, in their primes, but they do get enough stats (definitely more, over rookies).
The "Love of Rookies" is something long lived in Fantasy Sports, probably because guys want to "get the next great thing/be the first." However, how many rookies, true rookies, actually come in and make a huge impact, or enough of an impact to validate taking of a spot (for 1/2 a years worth of stats)? No very many, are there, let me keep you from checking. Rookie and players who have less than two full seasons, under their belt, are not worth saving spots for, as a rule, when you can go out and get some good waiver talent. (The only reason to commit to a rookie, this early, is if he is coming out of AAA/AA ball, raised up, rather than kept up, after spring training. Thinking "whole seasons stats" (rather than you loving "your man"/"you wanting to pick up A-Rod/K-Rod, before the A.S. Break), in fantasy sports, you have to get the most points out of each slot. "CoCo Crisp" is the example for the whole year, and why he is.
Crisp lost his slot in Boston, where he was completely uncomfortable (after a couple of shaky plays in the outfield) at Fenway, to the Kansas City Royals. First plus, is Coco does not feel the need to go out and win everyday, he can just go any play. He will be given the green light to steal, bunt and play his outfield, with the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium (a traditional medium size park, without any wall jags/jets out). Most of all, he is going to play every single day in center field, in a park that is rain out friendly (arti-turf), and is not to hot in the summer, but doesn't cost you/him games in the spring and fall.
So, instead of Camerin Maybin, Matt Laporta, and Matt Joyce giving you a 1/2 to 3/4 season, hitting .260'ish, 20-25 HR, 5-10 steals, and noting much else. Crisp will get a team, 500 AB's, .270-.290 Avg., 10 HR's, 55-70 RBI's and 25-30 Steals. It is pretty obvious why a Coco Crisp, David Murphy (once it heats up in Texas, and the ball starts to carry), Ryan Church (if he continues on), Scutaro, Jay Bruce (when everyone drops him). Long term thinking, especially in MLB and NBA, is the only way to look and win, being they have the most games and are more intricate, as a rule.
