Importance of Bench Hitters in a H2H league?

[JasonSeahorn]

*Note* this is a roster related question BUT I think the discussion could be used to apply to any teams, so I posted it in Leftovers

Ok guys bear with me on this one, I'm not a baseball guy but I want opinions about bench hitters in a H2H league. Are they really important or no? Right now I essentially have no bench hitters (1 guy who is on m y DL). I was thinking that it's better to use those roster spots for a pitcher because they would be contributing more to my weekly stats. My line of thinking is that a hitter on the bench is probably only going to play a game for me 1 or 2 times a week, and he'll get what, 1-2 runs or rbis at the most? He could have a good game with a HR...but I was thinking a pitcher would be more meaningful because they could give me Ks and Wins (or saves if it's a RP), but a good pitcher also affects two "calculation" stats in ERA and WHIP instead of just AVG that a hitter would get. That roster spot used for a pitcher means he has a good chance of starting every week, and if for some reason he doesn't start that week I have more SPs with his roster strategy anyway so I still have a better shot for Wins and Ks. Am I way off on this or do I have the right idea?

My team is posted below if it will help you explain why I may be right or wrong. I think it's a good idea but I am not positive, this is my first year really trying to do fantasy baseball. It's a 10 team league so the WW is decent, not great but not crappy either.

Standard 10-team 5x5 Daily H2H league, I'm near the top of the standings so I'm comfortable about making the playoffs.

C- Posada
1B- Morneau
2B- Kinsler
3B- Wright
SS - Carlos Guillen
OF- Quentin
OF- Votto
OF- Hawpe
Util- Teixiera
Util - Adrian Beltre
Util - Francouer (hoping he turns it around)
DL - Ryan Church

SPs- Bedard, Jonathan Sanchez, Felix Hernandez, John Maine, John Danks, Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum
RPs- Joakim Soria, Briwn Wilson.

Troy Percival is the only available RP who gets saves, the rest of the WW RPs are middle-reliever types.

[Ursa]

Not going to comment on the specifics but in general I don't like carrying bench hitters at all because I usually find they hit their HRs while warming the pine. That said, it's sometimes very difficult to drop a bench guy. I have Mike Jacobs on my bench and I would rather keep him there at the moment than put him on the WW. He isn't very tradeable because 1B is so deep but I still can't bring myself to drop him. He'd be my UTIL if I hadn't picked up Chris Davis.

So, my response is that in general you're right to have a lean batting team and maximize pitching.

[Old_Style]

If I've got a bunch of off days on Monday or Thursday and I find some favorable matchups on the wire, I'll go ahead and pick up a couple bats.
Sometimes those guys wind up sticking on your team and start to out produce your regulars.
I wound up with JD Drew, Aubrey Huff, and JJ Hardy that way.

[kab21]

There are so many different variables to consider.

weekly vs daily lineup changes - you can stream pitchers off your bench with daily lineup changes

roto vs points - in most points leagues your extra pitchers avg positive points but in roto extra pitchers can damage your WHIP and ERA if they are mediocre

depth of league - in a 10 team league you can easily get a solid backup on the WW if a hitter gets injured/sucks, try finding a backup 2B in 20 team league on the WW

H2H vs season - in a H2H league where the only goal is to make the playoffs, I'm more likely to carry a couple of extra hitters early in the season (usually boom or bust types/prospects) since your goal to field the best possible team in the playoffs (assuming you're going to make the playoffs) vs counting every K or W or HR that you can accumulate in a season long roto league

How long it takes to pick up a player from the WW is a factor. I have one league that uses a 2x a week FAAB system and a different one that all players are FA's and can be picked up immediately.

So in my 20 team roto league (with FAAB) with daily changes I carry 2-4 backups on my 7 player bench since it's impossible to find anyone good on the WW (if a hitter became injured). In my 12 team H2H points league I've recently moved from 2 backup hitters to 1 backup hitter and I'll have 0 backup hitters (5 player bench) when the playoffs start.

In your situation you're probably better off with 0 or 1 hitter on your bench especially when the playoffs roll around. I might consider a moderate risk/moderate upside bat that might replace Beltre or Francouer if they don't turn it around.

[bigken117]

Bench hitters can be useful because you can always put a cold player who should be better there, i.e. Chris B Young has been riding my pine the past few days, that was because I had Cust there and he HR'd back to back days from my bench

[Grounded Polo]

Bench hitters can be useful because you can always put a cold player who should be better there, i.e. Chris B Young has been riding my pine the past few days, that was because I had Cust there and he HR'd back to back days from my bench

You can't be doing too well if CBY has only been riding your bench for a few days.

I still keep like 2 or 3 bench hitters on my H2H teams, mainly for stashing guys like Frenchy or Jim Thome when he faces lefties in every year but this one. If you can trust all of your starting hitters, that's great, I can't.

[dclark0699]

I don't like to hold a lot of bench players - I prefer using those spots for good MR who qualify at SP like JP Howell, Taylor Buchholz, Kuo - but sometimes if I can get a guy who will play twice during a week because of off days for my regulars I pick them up. Right now I have McClouth and Chris Young on my bench and I rotate McClouth in when he has a good matchup. Chris Young only plays over BJ Upton if it is the end of the week and I need a HR.

[clevername]

if someone like Taveras is available I'll occasionally add them to put in in the 2nd half of the week/the weekend if my offense has been kind enough to give me nice leads in HR and RBI to try to grab some more steals.

Otherwise, I use my bench spots on pitchers so I can get the awesome combos of guys like T. Buchholz + Kuo.

[moose32]

I'm keeping 2 bench hitters right now. J.Hairston has been a gem. Eligible almost everywhere, makes it easy to sub in if one of my guys gets a day off.

[bigken117]

Bench hitters can be useful because you can always put a cold player who should be better there, i.e. Chris B Young has been riding my pine the past few days, that was because I had Cust there and he HR'd back to back days from my bench

You can't be doing too well if CBY has only been riding your bench for a few days.

Why you sonofa....
18 team H2H, I'm 16.5 games ahead in 1st place. Is that good?