How do you decide...

[Hamiltond18]

I'm in my 3rd year of fantasy baseball and of all the fantasy sports I play this is my weakest one. I still consider myself very much a rookie at this.

I'm curious how people decide on a daily basis what player should start over another. The obvious stud players just stay in there but I'm talking about the closer calls, how do you decide who gets the start? As well as when to not start a SP. What sites and info are people using to help them make these lineup calls? I currently have roto world season pass....

I know this post is pretty much a rambling of my thoughts so I hope is makes sense to some and they can help me out! Thanks guys

[bigh0rt]

These are usually pretty easy decisions for me based on how my roster is structured. For starters, I rarely carry more than 1 bench bat, so my lineup is essentially the same each day. My bench bat slots in at his position or UT whenever someone else has a day off or doesn't start, otherwise I roll with the same group. For SP it can be a bit trickier. I look at things like track record vs the specific team they're facing, the general offensive ability of the team they're facing, and I also check Vegas lines to see if they're favored, by how much, what the o/u on Total Runs for the game is, etc. If you're playing H2H, later in the week you also factor in how you're doing in the specific pitching categories (e.g. if you have a nice lead in K and W, you might sit a guy to avoid the possibility of him costing you ERA and WHIP if he gets blown up). It's an interesting dynamic, and you're going to frustrate yourself when you make the 'wrong' choice, but just keep pluggin away and good luck.

[ROC AllStars]

It takes a long string of bad performance for me to bench a player. I'm gererally very comfortable with the team I draft, so that team stays on the field pretty much every day, unless there is a specific need I'm trying to address (usually SB). As for SP, I generally follow a similar pattern. Almost any SP worth owning in fantasy can be dominant on any given day against any given team. I usually have my core five start every game regardless of opponent. When necessary, I'll move in additional SP based on matchup (facing a poor offense, pitching in SD, etc). I've found that the owners who mess too much with their lineups generally over think things and end up with heartburn and a poor stat line. Consistency and confidence are the ways to go, for me at least.