"Pitcher Perfect" gameplan - does it work?

[Cornbread Maxwell]

I wouldn't draft starters at all in a league that size until the middle rounds. Starters are too volatile even when you consider someone like RJ (see 2003).

If anything, I would try to grab a top 10 player from each position your league is required to start. Mix in a starting pitcher or two along the way then get more towards the end.

so - you use the one bad yr he had in 10 years as an example of SPs being volatile?

To answer your question, DaQ - draft the best SP and hitter available with your back to back picks - sounds like the perfect compromise.

[DaQ]

To answer your question, DaQ - draft the best SP and hitter available with your back to back picks - sounds like the perfect compromise.

Sounds reasonable. But after that, should I favor pitching a little bit? My second round pick is getting released at the end of the year (contract rules) and again, my next pick after 15th overall is 42nd overall .

[unclepaulie]

You have to take some hitters or you will be finding yourself without any of the big guns. The key IMO to a good draft consists of a balanced attack of both good offense and good pitching.

[Ender]

Last year I had an amazing pitching staff to start the year. Johnson, Schmidt, Sheets, Oswalt, vazquez(before he blew up) were my big 5 starters and they were a lot better than the opposition. You know what, I still lost key pitching stats every week. Pitching is way too random on a weekly basis to depend on. I always prefer a hitting first pitching second approach.

[Yoda]

I wouldn't draft starters at all in a league that size until the middle rounds. Starters are too volatile even when you consider someone like RJ (see 2003).

If anything, I would try to grab a top 10 player from each position your league is required to start. Mix in a starting pitcher or two along the way then get more towards the end.

so - you use the one bad yr he had in 10 years as an example of SPs being volatile?

It was jsut an example to show that SPs in general are tougher to predict. There are a lot of turnovers on the top 10 list from SPs year to year than there are for hitters. I actually made the mistake of drafting Mark Prior in a 15 team league (Rotoman Regular's League) and got away with it b/c I traded him before the season began. I won't make the same mistake again this year.

[Yoda]

Last year I had an amazing pitching staff to start the year. Johnson, Schmidt, Sheets, Oswalt, vazquez(before he blew up) were my big 5 starters and they were a lot better than the opposition. You know what, I still lost key pitching stats every week. Pitching is way too random on a weekly basis to depend on. I always prefer a hitting first pitching second approach.

Yep. That is another reason for not going all SPs in H2H.

[CubsFan7724]

No matter what, go hitters early. Because pitchers have so much turnover, and that good ones can be found on the wire easier than hitters, it isn't a good idea to build around pitchers. But do try and get one stud.

[AKhomebrewer]

It's a dangerous ploy ... I'm also in a 14-team league, and the guy in your position tried the exact thing last year when he took Pedro 14th and Wood coming back with the next pick.

Whoops.

Now, if he'd taken RJ/Santana (who were both still available) instead, life would have been much different ... but that's the risk with grabbing pitchers that early.

I'd probaby go with one stud SP and best hitter on the board with those two picks.

[LBJackal]

I wouldn't draft an SP with either of those picks. Yeah, if RJ is there it's hard to pass him up but I can't see him lasting until the 14th pick. As long as I can get Prior and Zam calibre SP's in the third round, I'm not taking an SP before that. With 14 teams and you're 3rd rounder not coming until pick 42, you could probably only get Zam and another ace such as Peavy or Hudson, or somebody like that. Usually those SP's wouldn't last that long, but if you think none will be taken in the first 13 picks, then chances are those guys will last unless people start a run in the second round.

So my advice: unless RJ is there, go with the 2 best hitters. You never know who the people ahead of you will take, and maybe guys like Manny or Crawford will slip that far.

[TB13]

Learn from my example. I play in a HTH, Dynasty league where the amount of keepers increases every year by one. Last year, I thought that I was set. I was coming off a championship year, led by my pitching staff. My keepers were Tejada, Prior, Halladay, Oswalt & Hudson. Then to top it off I drafted Pinero fairly early. I thought I was set. The ultimate pitching staff. Then, one by one, my entire staff proceeded to the DL. My first half of the year was sunk. Oh, I managed to be competitive, but having most of my keepers spend tons of time on the DL hurt.
Luckily I drafted very well. Enough to where this year I am keeping very good batters. This year we keep 6. Prior is the lone pitcher that I kept. Oswalt & Hudson are getting thrown into the open draft.