In my last blog, I shifted gears from reality sports to fantasy sports. The sport to be discussed is baseball, where managers roster and manage MLB players online. Scores are determined based on baseball statistics.
Last year, I had one fantasy team and won my league. So, I decided to raise the bar for myself in 2019. I currently have three fantasy teams competing in three different leagues, in St. Louis, Miami and Oakland.
I also play daily fantasy baseball, but today I’m going to discuss season-long fantasy. In ESPN leagues, there are 25 roster spots to fill. You have 13 position players, nine pitchers and three players on the bench.
When I drafted my first team back in January, I was able to roster many of my favorite position players, including Mike Trout. However, my pitchers were not as strong as I would have liked – especially relievers.
On my second team, I felt like I had a better draft. Not only did I get some solid position players, but I also landed top closers Kenley Jansen and Brad Hand. It’s a well-rounded team, and it’s performing the best of the three.
When I drafted my third team, I did something different. A weakness of my team last year, and the other two 2019 teams, is lack of top base thieves. I prefer power hitters, and base stealers are generally not power hitters.
My third team is first in stolen bases, with Mallex Smith (tied for second in the league), Whit Merrifield and Lorenzo Cain (tied for fourth) leading the way. This team is second in runs scored, but seventh in home runs and RBI.
Summing it up, you can’t have everything. When you draft a team, you have a plan to build a certain kind of team. But you won’t get all the players you want. Fortunately, you have a long season and a fluid waiver wire to work.
NEXT: Solving the pitching conundrum.
Doubting Thomas' Fantasy Sports 