"twas the Day before Opening Day

 and Covid19 took 5 Nats away

ESPN reports that the Washington Nationals had a player test positive and 4 others who had contact with the one who tested positive quarantined.

This news is on the eve of Opening Day / Opening week.

It is one reason I came to HATE weekly lineups.  You have no control when MLB shuts down a team.  Your roster is set.  You are stuck.

At least with a daily lineup, you can make adjustments - you lose one day or maybe 2 depending on how flexible your roster is.

I think I have a single league that uses weekly lineups.  I didn't realize it before I signed up.

In the real world you wouldn't be stuck with players who couldn't play.  It would be nice IF weekly lineup leagues would make an exception for injuries or illnesses like Covid.  

Anyway - beware as you set your lineups for the first day / week.

They haven't released WHO the 5 players are so check the NATS starting lineup before setting your own.  

Opening Day - tomorrow and already snags in the system.

 So April 1 is tomorrow; and it's not just April's Fool day but also MLB Opening Day.

Are you ready?

I'm not.

I'm ready for the season to begin but my MLB Fantasy Teams are not yet ready.

It's NOT my fault.

For some reason (unknown to me), some injured players are not yet designated as IR so I have been unable to place them on the IR and choose a replacement from the waiver wire.

NYY Luke Voit will start the season on the IR yet in my Yahoo League he is simply shown as DTD

The same is true of NYM SP Carlos Carrasco who is expected to miss maybe 6 weeks because of an injured hamstring.  While I have Voit in a single league and it is a Roto, I have Carrasco in several leagues and they are HTH.

That means I will lose some value right off the bat (nice idiom) because I won't have a replacement for some players until after the season begins.  That's life.

Updated 7 pm CT  

Voit has finally been placed on IR; a waiver claim was made for Trevor Rogers (SP MIA) since TOR SP Robbie Ray was placed on the IR by Toronto for his bruised elbow (he fell at home and bruised it; not baseball related).  I also made a claim for Maikel Franco to make up some power loss from Voit being on the IR.

As of my last check, CArrasco still hasn't been placed on the IR in my leagues.

Also Adalberto Mondesi - SS KC has been placed on the IR to begin the season.  I have high hopes of a breakout season from Mondesi - hopefully injuries won't be a recurring theme with him this season.

Caught Napping - CBS Sports Draft

CBS Sports 10 Team HTH Points League - predraft 

In about an hour my HTH Points League draft will begin.  Yesterday I went into the CBS Sports to make adjustments to my Predraft List - This past week has had news both good and bad and I did a mock draft so I wanted to make some adjustments.  OOPS.

CBS Sports apparently closes the predraft list 24 hours ahead of your draft.  I now know I will be drafting 10th out of 10 teams so I will have picks 10,11, 30,31, 50, 51, 70, 71, 90, 91, 110, 111, 130, 131, 150, 151, 170,171, 190,191, 210,211, and 230 - final pick of the draft.

During the Mock Draft I discovered that CBS does NOT show all position Eligibility for a player on the draft list.  They show what they project the player's main position to be.  To discover what positions a player is eligible - multi-positional eligibility, one needs to check the players bio - a slow process.  But now I know one of my favorite Catcher targets in 2021 MLB Fantasy Isiah Kiner-Falefa is NOT eligible at Catcher in CBS leagues.  CBS Sports is using only the truncated 2020 season to determine eligibility.

In a Point leagues like today's Draft, I love drafting Starting Pitchers who have Relief Pitcher Eligibility.  A Starting Pitcher, expecially a good one, will pile up more points than the Elite Closers much less a Closer who is just so so.  Unfortunately, since CBS Sports is only using 2020 as the source, few pitchers qualify as both Starting Pitcher and Relief Pitcher to start 2021 in CBS Sports leagues.

If you are planning to draft on the CBS Sports platform, those players are:

Freddy Peralta - SP, RP Milwaukee

Jose Quintana - SP, RP LA Angels

Michael Lorenzen, SP, RP OF Cincinnati Reds

Tejone Antone  SP, RP Cincinnati Reds

A.J. Puk  Oakland As

Austin Gomber  Colorado Rockies

That all I could find of potential Starting Pitchers who qualify.  Currently it appears Cincinnati will start Lorenzen in the Rotation BUT Antone as a long Relief pitcher so Lorenzen in the one you want to target to be on your roster as a Starting Pitcher in a RP position.

I hope to draft 3 of the above pitchers today - Peralta, Quintana and Puk.  Depending on how the draft goes, I may draft Lorenzen or Gomber.  Remember this is a Points league so Innings Pitched matters.

My early rounds will be split between pitching and hitting, alternating.  Batting average is less a concern but you don't want too many Ks by your hitters.  Joey Gallo becomes an option simply due to it being points and he is one of a few true power bats.  A Stolen Base is just a point as in a single or a walk so no need to worry about steals.  They are added value.  

Trouble in Paradise - Injuries in MLB 2021 already

 MLB Injuries impact fantasy teams

A week before the 2021 season starts, White Sox's Eloy Jimenez ruptures a pectoral muscle trying to make a catch in the outfield; a 4 Category start is now out probably for the season.  For those who haven't drafted their fantasy team yet, you need to drop Eloy from your draft list OR take him in the last rounds as an IR stash in case he can return before the end of the season.  A healthy Eloy provides Power with average so HRS, RBIs, Runs and Batting Ave / On-Base Percentage.  He didn't steal bases.

Tampa Bay's elite relief pitcher Nick Anderson suffered a partial tear of his elbow ligament and will be sidelined for months if he is able to heal without surgery (the current plan);

Toronto's Kirby Yates - a Closer - underwent Tommy John Surgery so is out for 2021

For those of us who have already drafted one of these players, it is to the waiver wire we must look for answers.  I have Eloy in one league and I have Nick Anderson in 1 league.  Eloy I chose to drop rather than wait for him to be designated as IR and replace him.  I have no faith in his ability to recover this season and return healthy.   Nick I am waiting for the Fantasy Team to show him as IR and I will place him on IR to see if he can recover - I'm not holding my breath though.

I never drafted Kirby Yates - I wasn't sold that his skills would let him keep the Closer job in Toronto.  Jordon Romano has the skills to take over as Closer though Toronto may use a committee.

Before you replace your injured star, take a look at what your team needs are.  Just because Eloy was a power bat and outfield doesn't mean you should replace him with a power bat or outfielder.  Look to see where your team, minus the player you are replacing, is weakest.  Maybe you need a Starting Pitcher?  Or a player to give you Stolen Bases.  Evaluate your team before you choose a replacement.

Next, evaluate the players on the waiver wire.  Often I will simply look to get the BEST Player Available, regardless of position.  Other times I will seek to fill a hole.  In the case of Nick Anderson, I have enough Relief Pitching without him.  In fact, Diego Castillo may get more save opportunities now since he won't be sharing those with Nick.  So for that league I will either take another Starting Pitcher OR a hitter.  I'm still evaluating until Nick is listed as IR.

In the league with Eloy, I also drafted NY Mets Starting Pitcher Carlos Carrasco who injured his hamstring.  Since he was an early pick as a SP, and not yet designated for IR, I opted to " You have successfully created a waiver claim for Tony Gonsolin dropping Eloy Jiménez"   Whenever the League designates Carlos is eligible for IR, I will replace him - maybe with another arm but maybe with another bat.  

Whether you chose a "safer"  pitcher or hitter off of waivers or take a chance on a younger player with upside, that will depend on the player you lost to injury and the team you have.  With the season starting next week, if you have already drafted and are replacing an early round pick such as Eloy, you may want to "swing for the fences" by choosing an unproven player who has the potential to break out this season OR a former elite player who has fallen such as Ranger's Kris Davis - once a 40 HR threat.  One potential player that may be on your waiver wire still is Rockies OF/2B Garrett Hampson.  In many leagues he went undrafted.  He has 20/30 potential and had a very good spring training.  

Whether tt

Last week of preseason - moving up; moving down

 Moving Up, Moving Down, On the Radar

It's March 23 and opening Day of Major League Baseball is just a week away.

Many Fantasy Teams will be drafting this week.  I have a draft today - 12 Team HTH on Yahoo and another on Saturday - CBS Sports Points League.  And I will do an autodraft at some point this week and maybe a Yahoo Rotisserie League or another Points League.  Drafting is half the fun of playing Fantasy Sports.

For today's league draft I am focusing on Starting pitching and hitting, willing to punt saves.  I want to compare how my teams do (1) Punting wins versus (2) punting saves.  So today I will go for Aces early in the draft wanting High Level Starting Pitchers in the early rounds - 2 out of the first 5 rounds, 1 in the first 2.

Back on Topic - who is moving up, down in MLB based on Spring Preseason?

Moving Up

Shohei Ohtani (LAA) - both as a pitcher and a hitter.  His preseason indicates he may be back to form which means as a pitcher you are getting a potential ace and as a hitter a 20/20   0.280   with 90 Runs, 90 to 100 RBIs candidate.  I'm bullish on Ohtani now.

Sandy Alcantara (MIA) - Sandy has quietly been a superb SP and keeps getting better.  If he pitched for the Dodgers or Boston for example, he'd pick drafted much higher.  In Miami he is overlooked.  Miami has several pitchers worth drafting higher than they have been.  Sandy is slipping between the cracks.

Eduardo Rodriguez - (BOS) Eduardo missed 2020 because of health reasons but it had nothing to do with his arm.  It was Cardio related, if I remember correctly, tied to Covid19.  He seems to be healthy in 2021 and has already been hitting 100+ mph on the radar.  If he can get some run support in Boston, he could surprise in 2021.

Charlie Morton (ATL) - Charlie switched leagues.  I've discounted Charlie some because of his age but once I have 2 quality Starting Pitchers, having Charlie on my team wouldn't be bad.  I passed him in my first drafts but his preseason results has moved him up my draft board.

Domingo German (NYY) - Domingo has been on Fantasy Radars for a couple of years.  He seems to have dropped off this year but he has had a very good preseason.  Certainly worth drafting once you have your Starting Pitching base.

Eugenia Suarez (CIN) - Eugenio makes this list NOT based on his preseason hitting BUT based on the fact the Reds may play him at Shortstop making him eligible at SS and 3B.  I like players who have multi-position eligibility so the position versatility will move him up a little (not a lot).

Andres Gimenez (CLE) - It appears Andres will be the starting shortstop for Cleveland.  In his short Major League Career, Andres has shown the ability to get on base and steal bases.  With regular playing time, he could easily surpass 20 SBs this season.  Where he hits in the lineup (Top?  Bottom?) will determine his value but he is now on my draft board in the later rounds.  If Cleveland hits him at the Top of the order, he will be a steal.

Moving Down - All for Injuries / Injury concerns

Carlos Carrasco (NYM) - 

Nate Pearson (TOR)

Jose Leclerc (TEX)

Kirby Yates (TOR)

Zac Gallen (ARI)

On The Radar

Jonathan India (CIN) - Jonathan may have played his way into the starting job at second base for Cincinnati.  He has the potential to steal bases and score runs with some power (and playing in Cincinnati helps the power).  Don't be surprised if he has a 15 HR season with 15 to 20 SBs.  If he hits at the top of the order, he should score runs, lots of runs.

Bobby Witt, Jr (KC) - He will start the season in the minors but keep him on your watch list.  Don't be surprised if the Royals call him up in June to play 2B.

Tarik Skubal (DET) - He is one of a couple of promising Pitching Prospects for Detroit who saw limited action last season.  This season he is focusing on mixing his pitches more utilizing his offspeed stuff to help his heat.

Sam Hilliard (COL) - Has 4 or 5 tools - just needs playing time and to cut his strike out rate.  Playing in Colorado, he could be a sleeper this season.  Power + Speed.

CBS Sports Fantasy Draft - prep

 Prepping for a CBS Sports HTH Points Draft

CBS get a D on their Fantasy Sports Draft list.  The CBS Sports predraft process is worse, much worse than Yahoo Sports or ESPN.  The process to organize players into an intelligent list predraft is cumbersome and time consuming.  

Players seem to be listed haphazardly - no real system to begin.  Really good players are somewhere way down the list.  Others are not even on the initial list.  

To add the player you must go all the way down to the bottom of the players listed, many whom no one in their right mind will even draft, and then type a name or part of a name, select the player from a list that pops up, click to select the player.  The player now appears as the last player on the long list of players. 

 BUT be careful.  IF you add another player by name, as I did, then that player you just added replaces the player you just previously added - they go off the list.  Great, huh?  You think, ok, add a player, move them up the list, then  add you second player since the last player on the list is moved off the list to make room for your new addition.  

There is just one problem.  The software won't let you move a player you add to the list unless you first save the list, then exit the list, then  re-enter the list.  Now you can move the player.  See how cumbersome that process is?  The initial process is already by far the worst of the three sports sites.  Now players who you want to add have to be added 1 at a time, save the list, exit the list, scroll to the bottom of the list, move the player you just added up the list, then you can add another player to the list.  Slow, frustrating process that makes me wish I had never clicked the Create a team button to begin with.  

I still have 2 prospects to add to my draft list.  Jonathan India, 2B Cincinnati and Bobby Witt, Jr also 2B for KC.  Both appear to have won starting jobs in Spring Training and both have 15/15 potential - 15 homeruns and 15 SBs plus appear to hit well enough to get on base often which means runs scored.

This CBS Sports draft will be Saturday, the 27th - the final weekend before MLB begins.  A Points league is different from ROTO 5x5 or standard HTH leagues.  Also this league is with 10 teams rather than 12 so not as deep.  

In a points league, you are more concerned with ON-BASE % and Total Bases for hitters - average isn't a concern but high K rate is.  For pitchers, you need innings pitched, Ks and limited walks.  You also want to be aware of Starting Pitchers who qualify as Relief Pitchers.  You start 5 SPs and 2 RPs - if all 7 of those slots are filled with quality starting pitchers you will rack up a lot of points.  This is especially true in leagues with weekly versus daily lineups.  The best Closer will have fewer points than a good starting pitcher.  I didn't say great starting pitcher, just good because you get points for Innings pitched and Ks both of which are limited for closers.  A closer does get 7 points for a save just as any pitcher gets 7 points for a win.

ESPN 5x5 Roto Draft

 ESPN Public League - 5x5 Roto

After filling out my NCAA BAsketball Brackets on ESPN, I decided to join an ESPN Public MLB Fantasy League.  Unlike my experiences on Yahoo, the ESPN Public Leagues don't appear to have the ability for one to  schedule a draft.  You choose to draft and, as soon as enough people join, you draft.

I wasn't even sure about what positions or how many players (they have middle infielder/ corner infielder and 5 OF.  No requied SP / RP just 9 pitchers).  It took about 15 minutes for 12 people to join this draft.  Once you select to join a league, it puts you in a league, you then can leave.  Many people came and went before we had 12 that stayed and formed the league.

Once again I ended up drafting 11 out of 12.  In a way that helped since my last Yahoo draft was from that draft slot also so I knew I drafted 11, 14, 35, 38, 59, 62, etc   which helped me look ahead to players I expected to have available when my turn came and have 5 or 6 queued up.

Since this is a Roto League, there are no areas of stats which one can "punt" and hope to win the league.  My strategy in Roto leagues is to try to be in the top 3 in all categories.  You don't have to win any but need to finish in the top of all to have a chance to win so you need across the board production PLUS a decent batting average - say 0.270 and above.

Pk 11     Jose Ramirez    3B

PK 14    Trevor Bauer    SP

PK 35    L. Castillo        SP

PK 38    A. Mondesi      SS

PK 59    Randy Arozarena  OF

PK 62    Y. Alvarez    U (He may gain OF or 1B eligibility in season)

PK 83    E. Diaz    RP (Closer 1)

PK 86    R. Iglesias  RP  (Closer 2)

PK 107    R. Pressley  RP (Closer 3)

PK 110    M. Moustakas  1B, 2B 

PK 131    Will Smith  Catcher

PK 134     N. Anderson   RP

PK 155    D. Williams  RP

PK 158    D. Moore  2B,  OF

PK 179    K. Gausman   SP

PK 182    C. Taylor  OF, 2B, SS

PK 203    J. Walsh  1B

PK 206    R. Tapia  OF

PK 227    A. Civale  SP

PK 230    Z. Efflin  SP

PK 251    A. Gimenez  SS, 2B, 3B

PK 254    D. Castillo  RP, SP

PK 275   A. Dickerson   OF

PK 278    C. Dickerson   OF

PK 299    H. Kim   2B

PK 303    Ty France  2B

I ended up with a strong mix for pitching and so-so for hitting.  My hitting is strong on SBs and should be strong for runs.  HRs and RBIs?  Those are the question marks.  I need Y. Alvarez to have a healthy season with 30 - 40 HRs which he is capable of providing if he is healthy and Moustakas to rebound and also hit 30+   I think Mondesi could "breakout" this year and hit 20 Hrs to go with 60 SBs and 100 runs - we'll see.  I am more bullish on his non-SB potential than others.  I think he has the tools to hit 0.275 or better and if he does, he will score more runs along with having more SBs than forecast (50).

Gimenez looks to be solidifying his role in Cleveland as the everyday SS so he is another good source of SBS, Runs and potentially upside in HRS and RBIs.  

I just signed up to do a POINTS HTH league on CBS Sports on Saturday March 27.  Points leagues have different values so I am in the process now of organizing my draft list.  Juan Soto will be my #1 listed player in Points leagues with Trout #2.  Cole will be the # 1 Pitcher.  Since a hitter gets a point for walking, OBP is more important than batting average but striking out costs you points so a 250 hitter who strikes out a lot hurts you more than a 250 hitter who simply flies out ot grounds out.  You want hitters who put the ball in play or walk.  A single is worth 1 point, a double 2 points, etc   Pitching - you want innings and quality starts since both give you points along with wins and saves (7 points each) but losses cost points.  I'm still trying to create my draft strategy for the points league.