What stragegy do you use in our league...no free agents.

[jickes]

Our home town league has been around since the begining and has changed very little. Mostly due to some owners still in the dark ages without computers.... Anyway it is an auction draft, 4X4 except our WHIP is actually (BB+H-K)/IP which greatly increases the value of strikeout pitchers. We draft 9 pitchers, 6 starters and 3 relievers and the usual roto offense. The problem is, we draft a 10 person bench at the end of the draft and we DO NOT ALLOW ANY FREE AGENT PICKUPS during the season. The only time you can put a bench player in is when your starter goes on the DL or is sent to the minors. (or dies which actually happend a few years ago) Anyway, it is my experience that you must have stud pitchers to win the league due to the fact that you cannot pickup the hot pitcher durring the season and you cannot replace a pitcher even if he is killing you during the season.

Just looking for some advice, Does this make hitters and pitchers equal..... thanks in advance

[Cooner]

i think not, but it does make some guys extremely valuable (namely the stud pitchers). I wouldn't take just any pitcher higher than normal, but the Sheets, Ollie Perez's, and expecially Schmidts (AKA young, solid K pitchers) higher than normal.

That said, I would definitely try to grab a Figgins/Cuddyer type who has many positions eligible, trying to get a backup hitter for most positions in as few picks as possible. That would allow most of my bench to be pitchers, allowing me to rotate a bit more when necessary.

edit; oops, missed the part about bench players not being allowed to play except injury. Then ignore my post, grab the top backup for every spot. That's obnoxious.

[TheYanks04]

Simply means you need to draft your bench so that you have backup coverage a all positions and have at least a couple of extra pitchers around. Snd it would greatly de-value all bench players obviously. Why spend o a guy you can't start barring injury?

That said, I think the rule of freezing the lineup and not allowing you to use the bench unless someone is hurt is ridiculous and I would not play in such a league. What does it prove if you start Contreras in 04 and can't pull him if he blows? Isn't that the a function of a reserve bench in addition to injury replacement for any team (real or fantasy)?

[agchris02]

Simply means you need to draft your bench so that you have backup coverage a all positions and have at least a couple of extra pitchers around. Snd it would greatly de-value all bench players obviously. Why spend o a guy you can't start barring injury?

That said, I think the rule of freezing the lineup and not allowing you to use the bench unless someone is hurt is ridiculous and I would not play in such a league. What does it prove if you start Contreras in 04 and can't pull him if he blows? Isn't that the a function of a reserve bench in addition to injury replacement for any team (real or fantasy)?

I agree, Ive never even heard of a frozen bench....thats horrible

[jickes]

It is odd but that is the way it is. I am looking for a stragegy for this format. Every league has different formats, this one makes the draft very important. If you draft a bad team your year will be bad. It does cut down on a team drafting a not so great team but picking up all the good free agents during the year and finishing well. Which I like.

[TheYanks04]

Wh? frankly it is pretty boring imo. I do not like streaming in leagues, but this is its antithesis...no movement. It is like playing a season on auto-pilot. Why bother? Outside of DL reports/replacements, there is nothing to do. You have a 1 day auction and can pretty much call it in from then. To each his own, but that is not very entertaining to me and since luck is a factor in any league, I do not think it proves much.

[SouthBronxBombers]

Out of idle curiosity, does your league only allow trading of players position for position? Can you make 3-2 trades?

I agree with the others, I don't see the enjoyment in this league. It's a crapshoot, and requires no real skill, just pure luck. Anybody can just pick the top player available to them at each position, it is the drafting of the reserves and knowing when to use them that makes or breaks a season.

[jickes]

there are no trades allowed. It is luck as is everything....but it is more than just taking the best player availible to you at the draft. Like I said before the draft is so much more important than any other league. That said if it was my only league I agree it would not be very exciting. But it is nice to have a league you do not have to worry about very often. I still check the players everyday and there is a lot of pride involved since it is amoung friends and has been together for about 16 years now.
It is very rewarding when you win and look back at the team you drafted in April and they are the same 23 players in your starting lineup in September.
Just my opinion but I do like it....along with 2 other drafts that are regular leagues.