WHIP Strategy Question

[edee]

Thanks to a lot of cafe help, I am in first in my 5x5 roto 11 team $$ league. Last week I peaked at a 21 point lead, today it is down to 11. I am comfortable in most offensive categories, but pitching is tighter. The first place WHIP is 1.23 , and 6th place is 1.29. I have a solid lead in K's, so I am looking to make up ERA and WHIP points. Am I better off going with only the best matchups, or going with more solid middle relief? Also I am way under the innings limits.

Thanks for the suggestions

Here's my staff

SP Hamels
SP Lackey
SP Bedard
SP Francis
SP Lincecum
RP Accardo
RP Baez
RP Borowski
RP Scot Shields
RP Okajima

[GiantsFan14]

i think hamels(1.13), bedard(1.08), and lincecum(1.23) are must starts almost any time, they all have good whips this year and should help you there...lackey(1.34) i would start against most teams and francis(1.40) i would only start in good match ups

that along with your relievers should keep your whip and ERA down

[SirDunkALot]

I think that unless most of your pitchers get bombed, your WHIP won't rise to 1.29. It's tough for your peripherals to shoot up a lot or go down a lot in one day now.

Play them smart but also be a little conservative. Also depends on your IP.

[Andy1234]

Where are you in WHIP? 6th? or somewhere in the middle?

This late in the year its hard to make a significant move in WHIP, sure middle relivers will help but your not going to get many innings out of them the remainder

Example: (Assuming 1250 IP max and that your on perfect pace to fill it at seasons end, giving you 936 IP right now) :

Current WHIP of 1.29 and 936 IP

You have 314 IP remaining

If you have a 1.00 WHIP for the last 314 Innings you'll finish at 1.22 for the year
If its 1.10, you finish with 1.24
If its 1.20, you finish with 1.27

Just to give you an idea of how well your pitchers have to pitch to make up the ground.

[edee]

thanks for the input

I am currently 4th in WHIP at 1.25. It just seems like I lost ground this week with Francis, Lackey and Shields getting shelled, but I know that things come around.

I will start the good machups with confidence, otherwise I'm wondering if I'm just better off sitting tight, pitching fewer innings and letting the other guys blow up (hopefully) ?

[Rounders]

i think hamels(1.13), bedard(1.08), and lincecum(1.23) are must starts almost any time, they all have good whips this year and should help you there...lackey(1.34) i would start against most teams and francis(1.40) i would only start in good match ups

that along with your relievers should keep your whip and ERA down

I agree for the most part with this. But I'd pitch lackey against anyone, and I'd be cautious on lincecum. And don't play Baez.

[hot4tx]

As far as the strategy goes... it depends on how much room you have to pick up an extra MRP with a good WHIP. If you have enough room to pick 1,2,or 3 of them without hurting yourself else where, it might help pick up a point or two. Also you might look at benching Lackey depending on matchup or picking up a lower-WHIP SP or two.



Here's how the MRPs will affect you:
You said you were behind in IP, so I'll say assuming 883 IP with a 1.25 WHIP so that you're currently on pace for 1180 IP of 1.25 WHIP total, and that MRPs will get at least 20 IP remaining for you.

By picking up a Rafael Betancourt (0.74 WHIP), your WHIP will bump down to 1.242.
Picking up a couple Rafael Betancourt, R Soriano (0.95 WHIP) types, get you WHIP to 1.237.
Picking up three guys - Rafael Betancourt, R Soriano and Heath Bell (1.02) , you could end up with 1220 IP of 1.233, which might be good enough to challenge for first.

MRPs aren't going to drastically change anything, but if you have the room on your roster it could help get a couple extra points.

[WyldStallyn]

i agree with most of whats been said. be careful starting the pitchers like francis. adding some MR who will pitch 4 or 5 innings a week without giving up runs will help to lower your whip and era. its funny, im in the opposite boat. i have a .12 lead in whip and .60 lead in era. itd take some awful outings for me to lose those cats (not likely cause my SP is peavy, webb, bedard, young) but i need to gain k's and W's. but anyway, see if guys like betancourt, marmol, guerrier, etc are available. they should knock your era and whip down enough to gain some points

[edee]

I dropped Francis for Betancourt, to go along with Okajima and Shields for now. Lets see...

Thanks again