Will my team remain in first? WHIR---GUARENTEED

[CrawfordFan13]

After 81 moves (lol), I feel my team can stay in its current first place spot. I normally pick up a starter every day since the rules are setup so you are allowed so that certainly helps. There are some gems in the free agent pool that I may pick up. This is a 10 team league. Each stat is head-to-head on ESPN.com. Points are scored for hitters: AVG, HR, RBI, SB, and R. For Pitchers: WHIP, K, SV, ERA, and W.

Current Record: 71-31-8
This Week So Far: 7-2-1

Team:
C- Brian McCann
1B- Jorge Cantu (3B)
2B- Mark DeRosa (3B, OF)
3B- Mike Lowell
SS- Michael Young
2B/SS- Cristian Guzman
1B/3B- Justin Morneau
OF- Carl Crawford
OF- Curtis Granderson
OF- Jay Bruce
OF- Juan Pierre
OF- Jacoby Ellsbury
UTIL- Jose Guillen

Bench:
C, OF- Ryan Doumit

DL:
1B- Albert Pujols

P- Brandon Webb
P- Roy Halladay
P- James Shields
P- Edinson Volquez
P- Other starter changes every day, for instance, I have Jair Jurrjens today.
P- Joe Nathan
P- Bobby Jenks
P- Trevor Hoffman
P- B.J. Ryan
P- Troy Percival
P- George Sherrill

2 pitchers go on the bench each day, normally starters unless I have 4+ starting in a day (yet to happen).

Free Agents- Let me know if I should pick up any of them before someone else (pretty active league). These are the FA's who are currently owned by 90+% of all leagues, but not mine.

Hitters:
Jason Giambi
Mike Jacobs
Joey Votto
Mark Reynolds
Brad Hawpe
Stephen Drew

Pitchers:
Salomon Torres
Joe Borowski
Ryan Franklin
Brian Fuentes
Justin Duchscherer
Joba Chamberlain
Brandon Morrow
Mike Gonzalez
Gavin Floyd
John Danks

I can almost guarentee this team will not get good reviews, there are a few question marks in my hitters and most people do not like the closer strategy, but just wondering what everyone does in fact think now that we're almost halfway through the season.

WHIR!!!!!!

Thanks,
Jimmy

[shoelessjoetara]

How many teams are in your league? Lowell is a huge upgrade over Rolen in my opinion. Your team is very balanced and would give any team fits. I would look at picking up Volquez permanetly. His is unbelievable. I think that your team will stay in first place and may overtake 1st overall if your guys continue to produce. Please help me out

viewtopic.php?t=347920

[CrawfordFan13]

How many teams are in your league? Lowell is a huge upgrade over Rolen in my opinion. Your team is very balanced and would give any team fits. I would look at picking up Volquez permanetly. His is unbelievable. I think that your team will stay in first place and may overtake 1st overall if your guys continue to produce. Please help me out

viewtopic.php?t=347920

Thanks for the help! There are 10 teams in my league, so that's why my team isn't loaded with all-stars.

Thanks again. And I will think about picking up Volquez permanently, but I don't know who to drop, I like having all my relievers, and right now this week I'm currently tied in Saves, so it's not like even with 4 closers my team is a guarenteed lock.

[kailromanoff]

I would drop Guzman for S. Drew. Guzman will abslutely not match Drew for the next 4 months. I also suggest getting Volquez for good. Maybe drop DeRosa, I know its nice to have the position flexibility, but Volquez is too valuable. If you don't want to do that I'd just stop shuffling starters, or drop Murphy as a last resort. Team looks very deep, not flashy but deep enough to compete all year.

[CrawfordFan13]

I would drop Guzman for S. Drew. Guzman will abslutely not match Drew for the next 4 months. I also suggest getting Volquez for good. Maybe drop DeRosa, I know its nice to have the position flexibility, but Volquez is too valuable. If you don't want to do that I'd just stop shuffling starters, or drop Murphy as a last resort. Team looks very deep, not flashy but deep enough to compete all year.

Thanks a lot, I was going to keep Guzman until he gets cold (if he does) and then possibly pick up Drew. But it wasn't 1 hour after I made this thread that Stephen Drew was picked up by someone else who dropped Erick Aybar because he's on the DL, so looks like I'll stick with Guzman.

But I will take your advice, dropping Murphy for Volquez is a solid idea, if any of my batters get injured and DeRosa can't replace them, I'll just drop Volquez again.

Thanks!

[CrawfordFan13]

Anyone else? Really would appreciate help, I'd like to win a fantasy baseball league for once, been playing for 3 years with no luck... but I've won football and I know my baseball players better than football (not much better, but I do).

[slink]

First, I am shocked that there are so many closers available in the free agent pool. With that said, I use the same reliever strategy that you use. I try to cram as many closers on my team as possible and it seems to be working very well for me this season as well.

With Drew picked up, I would look at Cabrera to replace Guzman or Lopez. I think Cabrera will outproduce Guzman but see if you can ride Guzman out before he cools off.

Secondly, I would try a package deal where you move out one of your relievers and some one like Justin Upton and try to grab an upgrade in the OF or at 2B because 2B looks like your biggest hole. You can easily replace one of your relievers with some one like Fuentes, Torres or Franklin (in that order).

Please help in return:
viewtopic.php?t=349449

[GOGOGADGETFLOW]

You should pick yourself up Jay Bruce and Clayton Kershaw if u want. Your team is very good and should be able to keep you in 1st.

rate my team?
viewtopic.php?t=349347

[espnsportsfan]

i would grab bruce if still available and keep an eye on kouzmanoff

[thejusman1]

I'm on the Jay Bruce bandwagon as well, but make sure you'd actually play him everyday. I would try and ship out a few of your bench players in a 2-1 deal to try and get a dominant, or at least very good SP, which would open up space to simply add Bruce without having to drop one of your bench players outright. That being said, I don't know how long Bruce will even remain an FA in your league right now, so if you want to drop somebody, I'd drop either Rowand or Pierre. (I don't like Rowand, he'll cool off a lot, and Pierre was untalented enough to be considered a fourth outfielder to start the season, bats for a good average I guess but has no power numbers, and that Dodgers lineup is having a very hard time scoring runs.

Help on mine? http://www.fantasybaseballcafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=349326