14 Team H2H: Howard, Sizemore, Atkins, Kinsler...

[OneLoveBoomer]

Howdy. This is my yearly league with my college buddies. Here are the settings and my team (drafted 10th position)

Yahoo! H2H, 14 Teams
Scoring:
R, HR, RBI, SB, AVG, OBP, SLG
W, L, SV, K, ERA, WHIP, HR (HR given up, that is)

Batters:
C - Bengie Molina
1B - Ryan Howard
2B - Ian Kinsler
3B - Garrett Atkins
SS - Yunel Escobar
LF - Lastings Milledge
CF - Grady Sizemore
RF - Nick Swisher
UT - Paul Konerko
BN - Michael Bourn
BN - Akinori Iwamura

Pitchers:
SP - Carlos Zambrano
SP - James Shields
SP - John Maine
SP - John Lester
RP - Francisco Rodriguez
RP - Joakim Soria
BN - Jon Garland
BN - Shaun Marcum
BN - Carlos Villanueva


Any comments or suggestions appreciated! Thanks and WHIR.

[doubleplay122000]

that is a great looking team in a 14 man league

howard and atkins will give you great RBI and HR totals with really good BAs (howard's wont be as low as last years)...sizemore and kinsler give you great power/speed combos...swisher is great in leagues using OBP...escobar and milledge are wildcards, but both have shown they can play and should help you out
pitching staff looks really solid, and i expect maine to have a huge year for you

great job...wouldnt be surprised to see you at the top of your league at all

help please
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=329680

[Mugrila]

Looks good, I'm not a fan of Zambrano though, might want to see who you could swap him for (another SP.) Other than that no huge holes, your power #s should offset your slightly low SB totals, and from there it's all about playing the wire. Good luck.

[bigken117]

Given where you most likely got them, I'm a big fan of Milledge, Swisher, Soria, and Lester.

I'd prefer one more closer, as 3 in a 14 team league gives you an advantage, and I would probably drop Iwamura for a speculative play like Howry or Turnbow or someone of that ilk.

Very nice indeed.

[OneLoveBoomer]

Given where you most likely got them, I'm a big fan of Milledge, Swisher, Soria, and Lester.

I'd prefer one more closer, as 3 in a 14 team league gives you an advantage, and I would probably drop Iwamura for a speculative play like Howry or Turnbow or someone of that ilk.

Very nice indeed.

Yeah, I'd be all over the third closer, but our league has 2 RP spots and 4 SP spots ... no 'P' spots. When an SP,RP closer comes along, they're a hot commodity Thanks for the input.

[DevilDriver]

I like your team a lot. It's very well balanced and it's perfect for the league settings. Your starting pitching could use better depth though.I'd check to see who's on the WW.

[The Artful Dodger]

I like your team's balance in power. Like Mugrila, I'm not a fan of Zambrano and so you might think about pairing him up with Konerko for an upgrade in the pitching or hitting. Other than that, not much to knock down on here. I'd scour the FA/WW for any upgrades that can be had over Iwamura or Garland, but you're likely to have drafted the best team possible.

[CubsFan7724]

Really solid. I don't get the Zambrano hate. Yes, he was inconsistent last year, but when he was on in the summer, he was absolutely lights out. Yes, hes going to get shelled some outings and it may hurt you in H2H, but I still think he's a pretty quality pitcher. Great 14-team team. In your position, I'd just wait for the season to start and see what you need.

[Sid Bream's Slide]

Overall, I like the team.
I don't know if I have confidence in Maine and Lester as your 3 and 4, but for a 14 team league you could've done much worse. I'm thinking James Shields will have a HUGE year since I didn't have enough spots to keep him in my keeper league. Last year, Zambrano seemed like he could win or lose you the pitching category in a H2H in any given week... wins and good numbers will come more often than losses, though.

I can't add anything about offense that hasn't been said already except that I LOVE your OF, especially with LF CF and RF.

Again, great team.
Mine's in the sig if you get a chance.

[The Artful Dodger]

Really solid. I don't get the Zambrano hate. Yes, he was inconsistent last year, but when he was on in the summer, he was absolutely lights out. Yes, hes going to get shelled some outings and it may hurt you in H2H, but I still think he's a pretty quality pitcher. Great 14-team team. In your position, I'd just wait for the season to start and see what you need.

It has to do with Zambrano's walk rate spiking up and the toll Dusty Baker has imprinted on Zambrano's arm. He could be a workhorse despite that, but he could be hit and miss with his increased lack of efficiency.