Weird Unbalanced category league question

[Sour Masher]

The owner of a team in an unbalanced roto league with redundant categories is too busy to fully run the team and has asked me to co-own with him. I am not a fan of the format at all, but it is a free roll--I don't have to pay in but I get half of the winnings. The team isn't great, but at least we have money for the auction.

I have never done a league in this format and I just want to check my assumptions here. It is a 12 team mixed daily h2h league that is 6x7, with OPS the extra hitters cat (yes, stacked on to HRs), and QS and losses are the extra pitching cats (why QS and wins are separate cats and losses is a cat is beyond me).

My thinking is that because it is h2h and there are more pitching stats than hitting stats, and those extra pitching stats are related to starters, that starters should be more valuable in this league. I don't know how to quantify how much, but I'd guess a good bit. Because it is a daily league, streaming is an option. The league caps the number of weekly transactions at 3, but that still seems to allow a lot of streaming.

I think the league set up is kinda dumb, but I am intrigued by it, because it is so unusual I know there are market inefficiencies that can be exploited if I can just figure them out. Any time there is a set up that does not fit the readily available mainstream rankings and player values, I feel like there is a clear edge there for a savvy player.

Would a good strategy in this league be to fill almost all bench spots with SPs, focus on power for hitters (cuz hrs and OPs are both cats), and good sps, while not worrying about paying much for closers, since there are 7 pitching cats, devaluing saves. Or should I see that loss category as an advantage for relievers, since they get loses less, and still value them about the same as in a 5x5?

[virgonomic]

I agree on the following:
- those cats are weird
- SP will increase in value
- RP are less of a liability for losses

I think the increase in value for SP is balanced by the reduction to closers/saves and RP hold similar value as in 5x5.

I'd definitely draft heavier on SP but you need RP to keep ratios in check. I wouldn't punt saves but draft closers/spec guys late due to the volatility.

[joncarlos]

So few pitchers are going to get QS this year. Is it 13 games every week, or one? (Like if you win 8 categories and lose 5, is your record 8-5, or 1-0?)

If it's one every week I would strongly consider loading up on offense and ignoring SP. Get some good MRs and some good closers and you can win all 6 hitting categories, losses, saves, and both ratio categories.

[Sour Masher]

So few pitchers are going to get QS this year. Is it 13 games every week, or one? (Like if you win 8 categories and lose 5, is your record 8-5, or 1-0?)

If it's one every week I would strongly consider loading up on offense and ignoring SP. Get some good MRs and some good closers and you can win all 6 hitting categories, losses, saves, and both ratio categories.

All the cats count toward your record, so it would be 8-5 or 5-8, etc.

[joncarlos]

All the cats count toward your record, so it would be 8-5 or 5-8, etc.

It's a little less appealing to know that you're limiting yourself to 10-3 every week under the best of cases, but if it came to me in the draft, I'd still consider it. The tricky part is that you probably need either Hendriks and another elite ratio closer, or to draft some MRs pretty high, or to get really lucky on late-round MRs.

[Sour Masher]

It's a little less appealing to know that you're limiting yourself to 10-3 every week under the best of cases, but if it came to me in the draft, I'd still consider it. The tricky part is that you probably need either Hendriks and another elite ratio closer, or to draft some MRs pretty high, or to get really lucky on late-round MRs.

I just picked up a cheap Will Smith for Alex Kirilloff. I'm a little worried about him not being the closer, but really, who else are they gonna go with? Him being a lefty maybe hurt him last year, but they are loaded with lefties now, so I figure he has the edge over the righty martin, because of the bullpen make up. I tried to get Hendriks, but the owner would not move him. Will Smith does not have Henriks elite ratios, but we had more prospects than we could keep, so not much of a gamble (though I do like Kirilloff).