Ah, let the games begin! We are fresh off our live draft and the teams are set. We will be keeping our fans in the loop about the fantasy league every Monday morning during our season. In the event you are not familiar with the Yahoo fantasy league format, I will do my best to explain. The picture above are the two divisions with 5 teams randomly assigned to each.
The picture above is the match up for each week. We are playing in a Head to Head format, which means each week two teams will compete against each other in particular stats categories. The team with the better stats in a particular category at the end of the week wins that category and the team with the most categories won at the end of the week wins the contest. Every Monday, you will know about the standings and any major trades that go through. Our season wont start for a weeks but in the meantime, lets get you familiar with the great teams participating in our first annual Fantasy League!
Which team had the best draft/worst draft? Do you see any good potential trades? Who do you think will win it all? Whatever those answers that you come to, this will be a highly competitive and fun year for our first annual Fantasy League(courtesy of Yahoo). Lets play ball and as always LGM!
70 comments
stickguy
3/22/2010-8:17am at 8:17 am (UTC -4)
what a surprise. TRS has Kendry Morales and Randy Wolf!
You should have done an NL only league. Makes it more challenging to put together a team. An AL/NL league with only 10 teams is way too easy.
trs86
3/22/2010-8:19am at 8:19 am (UTC -4)
I was dang giddy getting Morales when I did.
dirtysanchez
3/22/2010-1:58pm at 1:58 pm (UTC -4)
I disagree only because i think with the amount of teams we have, everyone will have a high quality team and make it that much more competitive due to the strengths of the players on them…and i played on an NL only draft last year and i hated it lol
prismo
3/22/2010-8:20am at 8:20 am (UTC -4)
Pitching:
-Like Ceetar, TRS, and DND’s the most.
-SaltyGary’s has strong potential though. Some question marks in there, but if even half of them have the years they’re capable of, Gary’s up near the top. Strasburg may be wasting a roster spot though. I think the Nats will leave him in the minors at least a month, giving them extra years with him before he hits Free Agency. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s not called up until the All-Star break or later.
Hitting:
-I think Ceetar’s could be very mediocre, but also has a lot of potential. If some of those guys play to their potential, it’s a strong lineup.
-I’m having trouble picking my favorite lineups though. There are just too many hitters on each team to get a good grip on them as a whole.
Looks like a pretty balanced league overall. I didn’t see any team and think “Oh god, what a moron!” which is usually a good sign.
ceetar
3/22/2010-8:57am at 8:57 am (UTC -4)
Not bad considering I missed the draft.
saltygary
3/22/2010-9:07am at 9:07 am (UTC -4)
Oh my Pitching is going to be crushing too bad some of my offense will be mediocre.
Yea I figured Strasbourg would at least just go to AAA. I’m sure as soon as in injury pops up I will need that roster spot.
And no love for my team on the front page, every one must be terrified and they don’t want to show the other users how feeble they are compared to me.
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-9:11am at 9:11 am (UTC -4)
That’s ok, we can play the darkhorse/underdog cards, a la Mets, circa 2010.
trs86
3/22/2010-9:15am at 9:15 am (UTC -4)
What do you mean no love for you? You are on the top row.
saltygary
3/22/2010-9:21am at 9:21 am (UTC -4)
My lineup? I only see five teams…
saltygary
3/22/2010-9:22am at 9:22 am (UTC -4)
It’s a firefox issue. I don’t see any of the indented teams but in IE they comes up.
trs86
3/22/2010-9:23am at 9:23 am (UTC -4)
I am using firefox and they appear.
Could be screen resolution. This thing gets crazy with wide pics.
saltygary
3/22/2010-9:26am at 9:26 am (UTC -4)
Could be my video card on my work computer fried this week so I am down to one monitor and less resolution on a 19″ wide screen.
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-9:32am at 9:32 am (UTC -4)
I know i can’t see certain photos at my work. I remember someone mentioning that when they are linked vs. actually attached (or some fancy HTML speak like that) will make a difference if you can see them or not. I could be talking out of non-vocal body parts, but I’ll leave that up to smarter individuals than me.
saltygary
3/22/2010-9:25am at 9:25 am (UTC -4)
In fireox Salty, grave, ceetat, and plantino don’t appear.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/22/2010-9:29am at 9:29 am (UTC -4)
I’m using firefox and i see all
trs86
3/22/2010-9:46am at 9:46 am (UTC -4)
How about now?
saltygary
3/22/2010-10:09am at 10:09 am (UTC -4)
The ones missing are not to the right of the ones I can see and I can only see an inch before it is cut off.
trs86
3/22/2010-10:18am at 10:18 am (UTC -4)
Hmmm, well crap. If I make them any smaller then you won’t be able to read them. Oh well.
trs86
3/22/2010-8:27am at 8:27 am (UTC -4)
I think offensively Dirty is pretty strong.
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-8:49am at 8:49 am (UTC -4)
I’m interested in seeing how the 4 RPs will affect this year. That’s a great deal more than I’m used to. I’m debating on signing off on my posts with a GWSJ (Get Well Soon Jose!). Obviously for the real team, but I have extra incentive now!
saltygary
3/22/2010-9:28am at 9:28 am (UTC -4)
Yea 4 is tough, we should bring it down to 2 next season.
metsfan4decades
3/22/2010-8:51am at 8:51 am (UTC -4)
I was tempted to join this league. It would have been the first time I participated in a fantasy league. However, in light of the fact that I know next to nothing on how these leagues work, and I wasn’t sure I would have the time to dedicate to it, I let it pass. I certainly didn’t want to be the one moron that didn’t know what they were doing, thereby really ‘skewing’ it for everyone else.
So I’ll looking forward to the results weekly – see if I can pick up some good pointers if I ever decide to take the plunge.
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-8:57am at 8:57 am (UTC -4)
Everyone is an expert at the start of the season and then injury usually sorts out the morons quite quickly. I blame TRS for altering the draft if this season goes stinky, for sure!
trs86
3/22/2010-8:58am at 8:58 am (UTC -4)
Thanks, LOL. What did I do?
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-9:02am at 9:02 am (UTC -4)
Hanley over Albert. I was hoping for the 2 spot, just so I wouldn’t be forced with that decision yet still get a good SS in such a weak field. Maybe Pujols will put up .405 AVG / 54 HR / 154 RBI type numbers to compensate.
trs86
3/22/2010-9:04am at 9:04 am (UTC -4)
LOL, hard decision for me but I was thinking the way the rosters were setup and the fact that it’s head to head that I wanted as much production from SS as possible. I think I got two pretty good SS. My thoughts were that Hanley and Morales would produce more that Pujols and a lesser SS.
prismo
3/22/2010-9:06am at 9:06 am (UTC -4)
Wow you were first and took Hanley over Albert?
I do not support that decision. Pujols is a beast and puts up the fantasy stats of two players!
darknova306
3/22/2010-9:11am at 9:11 am (UTC -4)
But SS is an extremely thin position, and 1B is extremely deep, though Pujols outclasses all of them by miles. If you compare them by stats and position depth, it becomes a very tough decision.
prismo
3/22/2010-9:26am at 9:26 am (UTC -4)
What do you mean? I bet Cora hasn’t even been picked up yet!
trs86
3/22/2010-9:14am at 9:14 am (UTC -4)
If it was not a head to head league I most likely would have taken Pujols.
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-9:09am at 9:09 am (UTC -4)
I couldn’t not take Pujols after Hanley was gone, but I was in the same school of thought. There is so many good 1B out there (just apparently not on the METS…
) that Pena or Morales usually falls into the middle rounds.
trs86
3/22/2010-9:13am at 9:13 am (UTC -4)
Even more interesting is that I got both of those guys. LOL. Between Morales, Pena, Cuddyer, and DeRosa I think I got 1B covered.
darknova306
3/22/2010-9:10am at 9:10 am (UTC -4)
I’ve had that same debate with myself re: Pujols vs Hanley. (Un)fortunately, I haven’t had the first draft slot in my two drafts yet.
The nice thing, in a way, is the fairly large talent depth at 1B, especially in a mixed league.
Still kicking myself for waiting one extra round for Reyes and again for Bartlett.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/22/2010-9:35am at 9:35 am (UTC -4)
Reyes was taken right before my pick. I had my cursor on the draft button…
Oh btw, who’s the team ‘Smell the Glove’?
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-9:37am at 9:37 am (UTC -4)
That is mine. Spinal Tap references all over the place!
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/22/2010-9:42am at 9:42 am (UTC -4)
So you are the one who took Reyes!
saltygary
3/22/2010-9:12am at 9:12 am (UTC -4)
I would of done the same move. There are far more quality 1b that can be had compared to SS.
stickguy
3/22/2010-8:57am at 8:57 am (UTC -4)
head to head takes a little more time. I never did a baseball one this way, but that’s how my football leagues always work.
But don’t worry about being clueless. The hard part is drafting, which is all about knowing players and understanding the catagories. Once you get past that, it just takes a few minutes a week to set your lineup, and cruise the waiver wire. And some people don’t even bother to do that!
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-9:00am at 9:00 am (UTC -4)
I prefer Head to Head, myself, but this one is an odd one for sure. Never seen it with actual RF/CF/LF postions. Brought a new element to the table.
trs86
3/22/2010-9:03am at 9:03 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, made me really think about drafting guys who could play multiple positions for the bench. Guys like DeRosa and Cuddyer to me became more valuable.
saltygary
3/22/2010-9:31am at 9:31 am (UTC -4)
Yea DeRosa is a great pickup because someone is going to get injured and he plugs a lot of holes for just one roster slot. When Pujols first came up he had 3 position availability. That was amazing.
saltygary
3/22/2010-9:30am at 9:30 am (UTC -4)
Yea I haven’t had to do that in the past as well, but I like it.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/22/2010-9:44am at 9:44 am (UTC -4)
Same here.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/22/2010-9:31am at 9:31 am (UTC -4)
I think my team kicks a-s-s. “Come Get Some!”
saltygary
3/22/2010-9:35am at 9:35 am (UTC -4)
Yea you probably strongest offensively, if you had a first basemen you would be down rite scary.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/22/2010-9:36am at 9:36 am (UTC -4)
Kinda like the Mets lineup? LOL
Kingman 26
3/22/2010-9:40am at 9:40 am (UTC -4)
Wow–Dirty, those are some really nice looking graphics.
Darknova–Great team name!
saltygary
3/22/2010-9:41am at 9:41 am (UTC -4)
My 2 cents…
DND and Shockers have the strongest offense
Me and TRS have the strongest pitching.
Dirty is the most well rounded.
And just like any season these predictions will go right out the window as soon as the bats start swinging and the players get hurt.
Mr North Jersey
3/22/2010-9:45am at 9:45 am (UTC -4)
You guys are funny with some of these team names. Loving the originality
Ceetar’s Pig Bombers
WOW!
ceetar
3/22/2010-10:15am at 10:15 am (UTC -4)
I hate the character limit. I usually stick to something like Ceetar’s Killer Bunnies, but went w ith the first two words I could think of this year.
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-9:51am at 9:51 am (UTC -4)
If I had to rank, I think TRS’s team is tops overall. Best offense is Dirty, TRS and Grave. Best SP is Salty, TRS and Smell. Best RP is Smell, but I’m biased. Having 3 top RPs plus a SP with the RP tag helps for sure. My offense… GET WELL SOON JOSE!
trs86
3/22/2010-9:54am at 9:54 am (UTC -4)
My RP in a league with 4 relief spots is TERRIBLE. I won’t win a save category all year.
saltygary
3/22/2010-10:11am at 10:11 am (UTC -4)
Same here. Besides Paps I got a bunch of dead arms in relief.
ceetar
3/22/2010-10:23am at 10:23 am (UTC -4)
I got into a fight with someone at a draft last night for taking Papelbon instead of Rivera. Safer, surer no-braienr in my opinion.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/22/2010-10:36am at 10:36 am (UTC -4)
I don’t think you can go wrong either way.
ceetar
3/22/2010-10:59am at 10:59 am (UTC -4)
Well, holding out hope that age (and/or rumors of HGH testing) catch up with Rivera sooner or later. He’s had shoulder complaints many of the last couple of years.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/22/2010-11:05am at 11:05 am (UTC -4)
But he’s been nothing but great past couple years too. I think he still has 1 good year left in him after which he’ll retire. But given the choice of Papelbon and Rivera for fantasy, I’ll probably go with Papelbon too.
ceetar
3/22/2010-10:23am at 10:23 am (UTC -4)
Btw, cranepoolforum has some AWESOME pictures of some of the new stuff at Citi Field.
http://www.cranepoolforum.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13431&start=0
Also confirms that only the wall in front of the Apple being lowered from 16 to 10’10″ for those that didn’t believe me.
GravediggerHebner
3/22/2010-11:21am at 11:21 am (UTC -4)
I guess I like the fact that no one feels my team is particularly good. No expectations to live up to, tremendous accomplishment if I actually succeed. Win-win!
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-11:23am at 11:23 am (UTC -4)
I thought you have the 3rd best offense, if that counts for anything.
GravediggerHebner
3/22/2010-11:28am at 11:28 am (UTC -4)
If/when I win I will certainly acknowledge your acumen in my trophy acceptance speech!
More seriously, I’ve never played head-to-head before so I have no idea what to expect (and therefore how to plan for it). But I enjoy fantasy baseball very much and I know I will enjoy this season even if it turns out to be nothing more than educational for me.
I was already getting antsy for the regular season to start, now that I’ve had both my fantasy drafts I’m REALLY ready for the season.
ceetar
3/22/2010-11:30am at 11:30 am (UTC -4)
it’s a little different. I always find with a rotisserie style that you can fall behind in a category and lose interest. And it’s about carrying hot guys, where consistant steady players have more value in a head-to-head league.
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-11:44am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, Head to Head is competitive year round. Rotis. leagues tend to pretty much show you how it will play out by mid season it seems.
Plus there is bragging rights for laying the smack down on another player.
GravediggerHebner
3/22/2010-11:31am at 11:31 am (UTC -4)
I will say this:
In planning for the draft, singles doubles and triples were categories and I did deliberately factor in taking guys who might provide lots of doubles and triples, but now those categories are gone. So that’s my “excuse” for sucking, the rules were altered after the fact.
I have no issue with the no hitter/perfect game/grand slam/cycle categories disappearing, they’re impossible (IMO) to plan for. But doubles and triples…
ceetar
3/22/2010-11:36am at 11:36 am (UTC -4)
wait, we nuked categories? why?
GravediggerHebner
3/22/2010-11:37am at 11:37 am (UTC -4)
I don’t know. I noticed in the league lobby there had been changes, they were a surprise to me.
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-11:49am at 11:49 am (UTC -4)
I’m not sure why they got nuked. I’m used to Sportsline, when you are judged on points for the week. 1B = 1. 2B = 2, RBI = 1. Win = 7 pts. K = -.5 for batter, + .5 for Pitcher, etc. etc. At the weeks end, whomever you played that week if your total points for your players is more than your opponents players, you win.
For yahoo, they do categories. If your players have more HR than mine, you get 1 point. If your players have more wins than mine, you get 1 pt., and so forth. With 3B, you could get a point for the week with only getting 1 triple, so I do see the point in limiting those, but then again, I’d prefer to see them in there. No hitter, perfect game… that’s just a waste.
DNDJohan aka kistics
3/22/2010-2:01pm at 2:01 pm (UTC -4)
I think you can do points in Yahoo too.
dirtysanchez
3/22/2010-1:53pm at 1:53 pm (UTC -4)
There is a vote going on now…let me know what you guys think
njstuckintx
3/22/2010-7:46pm at 7:46 pm (UTC -4)
I just put my 2 cents in on the team home page. Let’s get this hashed out so I can go on to be the next Anthony Reyes!