Tight Races Down The Stretch

[Ken]

Coming down to the end, whatcha got?

In my main keeper league (15 team mixed - this one http://forum.rotojunkiefix.com/showt...per#post338492), I was in the lead for the majority of the 1st half. My main competition over the years, Brad, pulled off an 8 for 7 trade with a dumper, near the trade deadline. (Don't get me started, I had just talked to the "dumper" the previous day and he said "I want keepers but I also want to stay competitive this year, so I need both to make a trade").

It's coming down to the wire, I'm in second place down 117 to 118 to Brad.

Runs - I'm 11 away from adding a point, he's 4 up to avoid losing a point
HR - I'm 6 away from adding a point, he's 3 away from losing a point
RBI - I'm 8 away from adding a point, he's 12 away from losing a point
SB - I'm in 1st by 13 points, he's just 3 SB away from adding two points
AVG - we are both at risk of moving down 1
W - I'm 1 away from losing a point, he's 2 away from adding or losing a point
Sv - I'm not starting any RP, but not at risk of losing any points. He's in first, but lost Felipe Vazquez and 1 team is just 1 save behind
ERA - Unlikely to move
WHIP - he's .002 away from gaining a point
Ks - I'm at risk of losing 1 or 2 points, he's stable

It's going to be close, and we are going to be in vegas together next weekend for the finale. Looking forward to it.

What do you guys have?

[Judge Jude]

our pennant race is 105.5 to 103.

leader has moved one SV ahead of the runnerup for the lead in that category.
the runnerup has... the Pirates closer who shall not be named.
that demise also may allow the leader to pass the runnerup in ERA (3.76 to 3.79), which would basically close the deal.

UPDATE: now 105-104 and they are tied again in SV so one more Pirate closer SV and they would be tied.

[umjewman]

I am winning 92.5 to 90.5 in a 10 team NL-only league (in which I was winning by as much as I think 27 points at the end of July).

RBIs right now are: 950 (me), 948, 947 (2nd place), 940.

Wins right now are: 80 (2nd place), 80, 76, 76 (me)

WHIP right now is: 1.1742 (2nd place), 1.1818 (me)

Ks are 1362 (me), 1352 (2nd place)

OBP is .3473 (me) .3458 (2nd place)

Possible movement in saves, ERA, SB, runs and homers, but the others are the closer ones.

[DMT]

After being in first for three months, the defending champ caught fire and now leads 106 to 101.5. It was frustrating because he just kept picking up points from teams that aren't actively competing (he was at 90 just a few weeks ago). It'll take a miracle but I'm pretty much resigned to being runner up.

[TranaGreg]

In my yahoo free agent league I'm in third, 101-96-92 ... 9 points seems like a lot at this point but there are 7 cats where I could easily gain 1-2 points. Everything would have to go just right, but it's close enough that I'm watching MLB Gameday most nights ... including last night keeping an eye on Jack Flaherty (woohoo!!!!) followed by Carlos Martinez (boohoo!!!!!)

[onejayhawk]

It has been a year of blow outs. The only interesting one is H2H--because it's H2H.

[Teenwolf]

I'm 2nd in a 12 tm NL, down 98--95. I've been surging for months, just a question if I have time to catch him.

2nd in saves, 3 back of 1st, so that's a possible 2 pt swing.

3rd in BA, .274-.273-.272. I've closed this gap from the leader at .282 to my .264 6 weeks ago, so I like my odds to get 1-2 pt gain.

ERA is the biggest opportunity, where I'm 5th and the leader is 4th. 2nd to 5th is 3.95--3.97--3.98--3.98. I might need some ERA luck if Saves and BA don't work out.

I have enough categories with a window that I could win, but with a 3 pt deficit, I consider my odds 50/50.

[DMT]

After being in first for three months, the defending champ caught fire and now leads 106 to 101.5. It was frustrating because he just kept picking up points from teams that aren't actively competing (he was at 90 just a few weeks ago). It'll take a miracle but I'm pretty much resigned to being runner up.

Now 104-103

[Judge Jude]

After being in first for three months, the defending champ caught fire and now leads 106 to 101.5. It was frustrating because he just kept picking up points from teams that aren't actively competing (he was at 90 just a few weeks ago). It'll take a miracle but I'm pretty much resigned to being runner up.

do you have any safeguards on that?

we mandate that every team always have at least 21 truly active players each week (you can sit on a spot or two so that if someone intriguing comes along, you have a shot at getting them without using one of six 'free moves' to dump an active player).

also we went to the "5 money spots, then 6th gets 1st farmhand pick, 7th, gets 2nd..... and 12th gets 7th."

only a few years in, but this year I see owners competing for the 2nd and 4th farm spots to a reasonable degree.

nobody wants to suck, but tougher if there is no tangible benefit to finishing a little better

[DMT]

do you have any safeguards on that?

we mandate that every team always have at least 21 truly active players each week (you can sit on a spot or two so that if someone intriguing comes along, you have a shot at getting them without using one of six 'free moves' to dump an active player).

also we went to the "5 money spots, then 6th gets 1st farmhand pick, 7th, gets 2nd..... and 12th gets 7th."

only a few years in, but this year I see owners competing for the 2nd and 4th farm spots to a reasonable degree.

nobody wants to suck, but tougher if there is no tangible benefit to finishing a little better

Only me calling them out. I've lobbied for year unsuccessfully to implement some sort of incentive structure to keep teams competitive all season but can't get over the hump.

[mjl]

The two leagues I'm competitive in are super close.

10-team AL: I'm up 3.5 after a couple good days in a row, I've mostly been within a point either direction for the last few weeks, but the standings are very volatile.
AVG: I'm mostly locked for first, he can pick up a point with a .0005 increase
HR: 321, 313 (him), 305, 300 (me), 287
RBI: 967, 965 (him), 962, 957 (me), 943
R: I'm three away from picking up a point, so's he
SB: He's four away from picking up a point and five from another, I can't gain any but could lose two if the people behind me get two or three
K: nothing interesting
ERA: He could pick up a point with a 0.03 improvement, I'm unlikely to move
WHIP: we could both lose a point
W: he's in a three-way tie with 70 and someone else has 71, I'm locked in first
SV: he probably can't move, I'm tied in the middle and someone else is one behind us

12-team mixed, fighting for second: in runs, the gap between first and seventh is eight runs.

[Daver]

This is our 30 year anniversary this year. NL 12 teams, 4x4. And it has been a blowout. I have been in first for over 3 months straight now, leading at times by 20 points!!! Currently up by 15.

Tons of close battles for all the other spots though......but first is taken.....:-)

[Teenwolf]

I made a tough call today, benching Velazquez against Cleveland. I'm 1 win behind the team I'm chasing, and I had Velazquez benched in his win last week... but the team I'm chasing has more SP than I do (leader has Strasburg, Syndergaard, Corbin, Hendricks, Musgrove, A. Wood... I have Scherzer, Greinke, Samardzija, Velazquez) I guess I got cold feet on VV blowing up my ERA, and I'm also .03 back of the same team in ERA, so if he starts all 6 of his, and I only start my best 3, i have a better shot overall of taking the ERA pt.

If Velasquez picks up another W, I'll feel pretty dumb though.

[Judge Jude]

one owner tracks who has been in first place each day of the season (for some reason)

current 6th-place team was in 1st March 30-April 12 and April 15-16
current 3rd-place team had May 1
current 2nd-place team had April 13-14, April 17-30 - and May 3-Sept. 24
current 1st-place team has.... TODAY! FIRST DAY IN FIRST PLACE ALL SEASON!

would be a bad beat, but that's the defending champ and the new leader has never won in more than 20 years of trying, so he's the sentimental favorite.

in theory, anyway. I'm in a tight battle for 4th (10% of money), 5th (5%), or 6th (first April farm pick) or possibly even 3rd (15%).

I have the most points to gain or lose against one or both across the categories, but I'm in it for myself. likely will use my last waiver move to add a starting pitcher (and dump Leake, who is done). Wins currently is:

72 - 1st and 3rd place teams
71 - me
70 - 2nd place team

I might be a kingmaker
#oops

[Ken]

I had a terrible day across all leagues yesterday (which doesn't happen often b/c I'm pretty diversified).

So I'm not looking at any of my fantasy sites until tomorrow. I've already set my lineups in all leagues and they are all weekly, so nothing I can do to change it at this point. It's just a watch and see game.