Fantasy baseball and the AL Central playoff
Those who refuse to let go of this 2009 fantasy baseball season won’t have to just yet. The Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers will clash in a one-game playoff Tuesday afternoon to determine the AL Central champ.
Guess what? Those stats will help determine many fantasy championships.
This has come much to the chagrin of this author, who as of Sunday’s completed slate was holding a slim lead in our host expert league, the K-BAD.
I'm counting on you, C-Grand....
Now, I’ll be counting on the Tigers’ Curtis Granderson – and possibly others (more on this in a bit) – while trying to hold my slim advantage for second place in runs scored, which is vital in allowing me to chug this league’s Yoo-Hoo.
In the Fantasy Sports Trade Association experts challenge, in which I entered Sunday losing on a tiebreaker for the championship, I’ll have Minny’s Jason Kubel and Orlando Cabrera going Tuesday in a league where I’m out of FAAB dollars.
Before you do anything else: Pick up as many members of each tiebreaker team as possible – in descending order of playing likelihood, obviously – including the starting arms: Rick Porcello for the Tigs, and Scott Baker for the Twinkies. Make sure to check that there aren’t any studs available that may have been dropped in the catch-up fray when your opponents were streaming stats.
It wouldn’t hurt to add bench and role players, as their one at-bat or one pinch-running appearance could help. Potential under-the-radar helpers include Detroit’s Ryan Raburn, Clete Thomas (may see time since they’re facing a righty) and Adam Everett. The Twins’ Alexi Casilla and Carlos Gomez may see some baserunning time. Relievers like Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain and Brandon Lyon could come in handy here, too.
Now, just because you’re picking up the 163-gamers doesn’t mean you should necessarily play them. Examine your needs and tailor your strategy appropriately. If you’re scared of losing points in batting average, for example, then you may want to hold off. I face this dilemma in the K-BAD.
If you need to catch up in counting categories, though, and aren’t concerned about your ratio movement, fire away. I’m letting it all hang out in the FSWA Industry Insiders League, where I’m fighting for third- and possibly second-place respectability.
Are you trying to block someone else from gaining stats on you? That’s fine. Just tuck your recent pickups on the bench and wait it out.
If you have any last-minute questions, you can find me on Twitter and KFFL.com’s Facebook page. As I decide whether to play Gomez, Casilla and Thomas, I’ll be rooting for a 1-0 contest with more real-life excitement than fantasy drama.
