Hey guys, I have a new 12 team 5x5 roto mixed league starting up next month with family and friends. I've never done a keeper league before so I need some good advice on picks. We get to keep 4 batters and 4 pitchers each year, and I have first pick to start it all off.
I'm thinking of taking Prior. A-rod is a safer short term lock, but he has been around 10 years now....is Prior a better pick for the future?
i;d still take arod, but have u thought about salaries of any kind. Most keeper leagues have a way to get players back in the draft pool. To prevent u from having arod for next-to-nothing for the next 7 years.
Normally I would agree, BUT....I just wonder how long A-Rod can put up these numbers. The guy has to wear down at some point. I kinda get that "major injury around the corner" vibe from him.
Wow. this is the first A-Rod is over the hill post ive ever seen. the kid is 28, i say we put him out to pasture.
players hit their power prime at 28. Alex has remained healthy for most of his career and has shown no signs of slowing down. Barring major injury, A-Rod will be bashing 50HR for another 6 years and 35+ until he is 40. He'll move to 3rd base eventually, but right now he is the # 1 pick no matter what.
If you dont want A-Rod, trade the pick, dont devalue it by taking someone else. Prior is great, but pitchers are always risky. A-Rod is as safe as they get.
Pablo975 wrote:Hey guys, I have a new 12 team 5x5 roto mixed league starting up next month with family and friends. I've never done a keeper league before so I need some good advice on picks. We get to keep 4 batters and 4 pitchers each year, and I have first pick to start it all off.
I'm thinking of taking Prior. A-rod is a safer short term lock, but he has been around 10 years now....is Prior a better pick for the future?
Any other good suggestions or advice?
I think the kiss of death in a keeper format is to look to the future too much. You say that your league is family and friends, so I assume that trading will probably be brisk. Take the best players for next year. Draft for talent, trade for balance and youth.
I think a lot of people new to the keeper format fall into this trap. For every pick the question "but what will this guy do for me in 3 years?" pops into their head. Take this advice, chase it out of there. It is a factor, sure, but not so much that it should be a driving force. Chances are your keeper list in 3 years will look nothing like it does this season. Always play for this year and then trade yourself into position to be set for the following year.
By the way, how did you arrive at that keeper format, 4 and 4? And have you considered keeper year limits? That can add to the strategy a great deal, and increase the edge for the smart player.
Eternal vigilance is the price of integrity.
Tribe-Fan
Minor League Mentor
Posts: 376
Joined: 1 Nov 2003
Bases this season: 0
Home Cafe: Baseball
Location: Born in Cleveland, so they are my team. Mine.
T-Lef: I don't think A-Rod is over the hill, but I figure eventually the guy has to get hurt and/or start slipping. Not even he is superhuman.
TribeFan: Thanks for the advice. I was concerned that maybe I was planning ahead too much. Good to know that many fall into that trap and that I can now avoid it. We decided on 4 and 4 so that everyone could keep a solid core of players, but not exactly have the same team every year. We decided that we all liked the concept of having permanent keepers. We liked being tied to their careers.
All said, I think I'll take A-Rod 1st as suggested, then aim for Prior via a dumb owner picking someone else or via trade later.
Thanks for the good posts guys, Any other keeper pitfalls to avoid?
Cafe Home
Fantasy Football
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Hockey
by Pablo975 » Sun Feb 01, 2004 1:22 am 
