Is it possible to punt and still win

[joncarlos]

I think the strategy could work well. I would not have taken Britton, probably wouldn't have taken Street/Clippard, or Lohse/Hendricks/Collmenter. I do like getting 1 stud closer early. But if this is going to work you really need 13-14 of your first 15 picks to be hitters, or something like that. So maybe Street is OK, but hold off on guys like O'Day and Smith (I know they're handcuffs) and leave the holds guys for the very end. I don't think you can punt wins and Ks and win by starting Jordy Mercer at short.

[Moccasin]

I have found this to be true.

I have never seen someone win a league 4x4 or 5x5 when punting a category.

Well, this is a 6x6, and I'm hoping to finish 1st in 5-6 categories (HR, RBI, OPS, Saves, ERA, & WHIP) and 3rd-5th place in 3 more (Runs, Hits, & Holds). This is probably not how experts at this game would play, but I've learned from my past experiences that I'm not good enough to draft every statistic, so I'm trying something different. I'll bring up projected stats again (on yahoo); after this draft was complete, using their projections, I was at 103 roto points, and 2nd place was at 88. I know that stats are unpredictable, but it's something I kind of use as a ruler to where I may finish.

[Moccasin]

I think the strategy could work well. I would not have taken Britton, probably wouldn't have taken Street/Clippard, or Lohse/Hendricks/Collmenter. I do like getting 1 stud closer early. But if this is going to work you really need 13-14 of your first 15 picks to be hitters, or something like that. So maybe Street is OK, but hold off on guys like O'Day and Smith (I know they're handcuffs) and leave the holds guys for the very end. I don't think you can punt wins and Ks and win by starting Jordy Mercer at short.

JC, I considered Elvis Andrus (SS) instead of Britton in rd. 9; should I have gone that route?

Also, I'm banking on O'Day and Smith being daily starters for me, as well as Clippard; I'm hoping they provide enough Holds to keep me competitive in that category, as well as helping out with ERA and WHIP.

[redbroyer]

i don't know enough about strategies to weigh in here, but i would hedge a guess that it's more about the owners and how they react during the draft and season than it's about the league rules or categories. i would also say that it's probably more about the perception of "punting" as others have mentioned.

if the owners adjust to your strategy in a draft, it will probably be harder to continue with said strategy if they are forcing your hand. i think auctions would alleviate this and allow for more flexibility than snakes. i like the idea of using relief pitchers though to solidify one's ERA and WHIP. i would like to test this strategy out in another league, but i've been unable to find another league to participate in this season.

i think it's been said already, but if a person's definition of punting is accepting a "1" in a category, then only one category should be punted. if punting is accepting something in the 4-6 point area, one could probably get away with more.

[Gregg]

Well, this is a 6x6, and I'm hoping to finish 1st in 5-6 categories (HR, RBI, OPS, Saves, ERA, & WHIP) and 3rd-5th place in 3 more (Runs, Hits, & Holds). This is probably not how experts at this game would play, but I've learned from my past experiences that I'm not good enough to draft every statistic, so I'm trying something different. I'll bring up projected stats again (on yahoo); after this draft was complete, using their projections, I was at 103 roto points, and 2nd place was at 88. I know that stats are unpredictable, but it's something I kind of use as a ruler to where I may finish.

I hope you will give us updates on this experiment throughout the year.

I am not rooting against you but do not think you can win with this strategy.

Good luck.

[joncarlos]

JC, I considered Elvis Andrus (SS) instead of Britton in rd. 9; should I have gone that route?

Also, I'm banking on O'Day and Smith being daily starters for me, as well as Clippard; I'm hoping they provide enough Holds to keep me competitive in that category, as well as helping out with ERA and WHIP.

Not sure. I'm not a big Andrus guy especially in a league with OPS. But I probably would have tried to go with a hitter there.

It also depends on how early the elite MRs were going. Do you have an innings cap? It makes a big difference because if the cap is 1300 or 1400 then it's essentially a K/9 league, and you don't want to punt starters because you don't have to.

[joncarlos]

Well, this is a 6x6, and I'm hoping to finish 1st in 5-6 categories (HR, RBI, OPS, Saves, ERA, & WHIP) and 3rd-5th place in 3 more (Runs, Hits, & Holds). This is probably not how experts at this game would play, but I've learned from my past experiences that I'm not good enough to draft every statistic, so I'm trying something different. I'll bring up projected stats again (on yahoo); after this draft was complete, using their projections, I was at 103 roto points, and 2nd place was at 88. I know that stats are unpredictable, but it's something I kind of use as a ruler to where I may finish.

That's a pretty good projection but with 144 points available (12 teams, 12 categories), I think the winner ends up with more than 103 and 2nd certainly ends up with more than 88.

I played in a fairly similar 6x6 league (W, K, ERA, WHIP, S, H) and won it a couple years ago, but that was an innings cap league. I had something like Chapman and Kimbrel (think I traded for one of them) plus a few ridiculous MRs, and I was able to win K/S/H, finish pretty well in ERA/WHIP and got like a 2 or 3 in wins, without any SPs drafted in the first 12 rounds. Offense was AVG/R/RBI/HR/SB/OPS and so I kind of faded steals and I think I ended up with a 3 or 4 there, plus won all the other offensive categories. I basically just drafted 11 hitters in the first 12 rounds. But I was lucky enough to stumble into a 3rd and 4th closer and some elite MRs on the FA list, and I don't think your league will make it that easy for you.