Flags fly forever, but...

[heyelander]

I know it's still early and a lot can happen but right now in Idle Hands there are 4 teams all lumped together near the top.

97.5
97
96.5 (me)
95

Then there are a few teams in the mid-high 80s as well.

Oh, and there's a team with 153 points at the top.

So my but... is, what about second?
How motivated would you be to go for second? Do I trade away Swanson of Bregman from my minors? A $2 Castellanos? $1 Odubal Herrera?

[DMT]

For me, it would depend on payout.

[TranaGreg]

I know it's still early and a lot can happen but right now in Idle Hands there are 4 teams all lumped together near the top.

97.5
97
96.5 (me)
95

Then there are a few teams in the mid-high 80s as well.

Oh, and there's a team with 153 points at the top.

So my but... is, what about second?
How motivated would you be to go for second? Do I trade away Swanson of Bregman from my minors? A $2 Castellanos? $1 Odubal Herrera?

I'd dump if I were you.

... says the guy with 95 from that group ...

[heyelander]

For me, it would depend on payout.

Nominal. I got $200 for second last year, which was nice, but not earth shattering or anything. Now if ElD was in that group of 4 I'd be motivated to beat him again this year, but his team sucks, so there's that. I would like to beat Slasher who is one slot ahead of me, but at what cost to next year?

[DMT]

Nominal. I got $200 for second last year, which was nice, but not earth shattering or anything. Now if ElD was in that group of 4 I'd be motivated to beat him again this year, but his team sucks, so there's that. I would like to beat Slasher who is one slot ahead of me, but at what cost to next year?

How about 1st? I generally play to win until I am sure that is not a viable option. I wouldn't go crazy to finish 2nd, but if you can make minor moves, it's a lot better than 5th.

[DMT]

Last year, a team flirted with perfection (120) and reached as high as 116 before finishing with 113.5. I finished 2nd with 88. It was pretty clear early on that I wouldn't be able to catch him, but 2nd pays $600. So I made a couple minor deals, trading away a cheap Parra and Duffy, but held on to my top keepers.

[Judge Jude]

as for all-in for 2nd, I agree that the real money comes into play, as well as you're noting that sometimes who you take down for that spot can matter, too.

I suppose someone else may make a decision for you by tossing out their cheap keeps soon.....

I finished with 113.5 out of 120 as well last year. second was 97. I was way back early and then added Cespedes and CarGo at midseason and..... holy crap. turns out I coulda kept 3 or 4 stud farmhands and won. who knew?

[Ken]

1st isn't out of reach since it's so early, but the first place team currently has 153.5 points out of a possible 160. Honestly, this is one of the most dominant performances I've ever seen in fantasy. 1st place is not that far from achieving a perfect score. It's crazy.

I agree with this. A bad rash of injuries and the 1st place team is back within reach.

I'm sitting at 122 in the RJ 15 team mixed league that Byron started, and no one else is over 100. But Doig is sitting at 98.5 and he has just as good of a chance at winning the league as I do. Too early to be giving up in my opinion.

I lost both Reddick and Domingo Santana today to the DL so I'll be coming back to the pack soon, I'm sure.

I understand that 153.5/160 is a lot higher than 122/150, but still, I've seen points totals move 15 points in a day in a league that size. It's too early for a ~2nd place team to give up.

Until it is clear that my team has no way of placing in the money, I play to my outs - figure out what scenarios would lead you on a path to victory and try them out. If that means buying up a few guys who are currently "buy low" and hoping they turn it around, I do that. If it means taking a shot on some minor league players who need to get called up, that's the path I take. At this point in the season there's always a path to potential victory. Figure out what that path is, and put all your resources toward it until it's clear that it's not going to happen.

[chancellor]

To answer Heye's question: I deal Odubel for a need without hesitation. If I get the right deal for one of my minors guys, they go too. I'd deal Castellanos, but it would take a big offer. A really big offer. He's alwAys been considered a high potential hitter, now it looks like he's put it together AND he's cheap. I'd keep a minor leaguer for a later dump deal or to rebuild if you go in the tank

[Fresno Bob]

I'm still willing to trade pitching for hitting in Idle Hands