Fantasy Baseball Cafe Forums

by **kab21** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:43 pm

It's only non-traditional compared to current leagues. To me that's not a reason to dismiss it.

It's better in the fact that it's more realistic and involves a much greater understanding of baseball since it is a much, much deeper league. You are required to have significantly more player knowledge since you're choosing to draft Mike Lamb or Brendan Harris, but you're concerned how much playing time they are going to get in MN. There isn't any reason to discuss Lamb or Harris here, but you're drafting/researching guys that wouldn't even be considered in other leagues. This is a very cool part of deeper leagues.

Personally what I don't like is not having a bench at all and not having some form of waiver wire. I would also find the 4x2 format frustrating. But that just changes draft philosophy.

I think the 20+ team dynasty/keeper type leagues are the ultimate if you're willing to put in the time to do the research. Of course it's also difficult to find owners since it's non-traditional. There are plusses and minuses to all leagues. Just have fun doing it.

by **blaseta** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:49 pm

kab21, thanks for the comments. You are bang on when you talk about researching deeper, it is the teams that find players in the later rounds that are successful. It really plays a part in the draft strategy, I think, because the importance of at bats takes a huge jump forward. In fact, virtually every year the team that wins the league is the team that has the most, or close to the most, ABs and IPs. Some may point to this as being about luck, but I argue that it takes skill to find, for example, a 2B that is going to get lots of PT when more than 20 other 2B have been taken.

by **Ender** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 2:13 am

Dont' get me wrong, I hate 12 team leagues and we go deep rosters so i agree that deeper leagues are better. 27 teams is still too many imo, especially when you add in not making in season moves. You are basically making the game about luck.

by **blaseta** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 3:14 pm

Oh, I don't know that it is necessarily more about luck than other formats. I would say that the difference between finishing third and tenth maybe luck, but to get in the top three, or fall to the bottom five is about skill, similar I think to traditional setups. Perhaps the luck component differs in that it plays its biggest roles in injuries, whereby in traditional I'd argue that it plays a big role in saves and waiver wire pickups (i.e. whoever was lucky enough to have the waiver priority when Braun was called up.)