More Keeper Questions Answered
Hard to believe, but it’s almost February. Almost all the top free agents have signed. It’s almost prospect season, and it’s almost time for pitchers and catchers to report. All these things add up to a baseball season that is almost here.
Patience.
But patience is a luxury we don’t have these days in fantasy leagues like Ottoneu that have a keeper deadline (January 31st) fast approaching. Auction formats make player valuation even more complex, and now that it’s crunch time, tough decisions need to be made. How comfortable are you hanging onto that $20 Corey Dickerson while the risk of a possible trade out of COL remains a real possibility in February or March? Despite the power and the incoming fences, how does Giancarlo Stanton’s unavoidable injury history influence your decision to keep at $56? How much value, if any, has Zack Greinke really lost moving to Arizona? Is he a $35 starting pitcher? Everybody loves Kyle Schwarber as the next best thing (C and OF!), but where’s the line? $20? $25? $30?
So while the season is almost here, keeper decisions are right in front of us today. It’s time to buckle down and make the tough calls. Brad has already done a great job answering a lot of keeper questions, and just in case you missed the Surplus Calculator you’ll want get familiar with that tool quickly. But today we’ll use these comments as the Ottoneu edition of keeper questions answered (though all keeper questions are welcome), and as a bonus, since the January 31st deadline also serves as a trade deadline in Ottoneu, all your trade questions are welcome too. These decisions often go hand in hand.
So, which player represents your toughest call this week? How are other teams influencing your final roster decisions? What are the consequences of keeping too many players? What role are projections playing in your decision? Is it worth trading for a player that might otherwise be cut by their current owner just for the added security of knowing you won’t have to bid on him in your auction?
Fire away below. Our Ottoneu team (and readers) will help you make these January 31st deadline decisions a little easier.
Trey is a 20+ year fantasy veteran and an early adopter of Ottoneu fantasy sports. He currently administers the Ottoneu community, a network of ~1,200 fantasy baseball and football fans talking sports daily. More resources here: http://community.ottoneu.com
Do you see Travis Shaw getting serious AB’s for Boston this year? If so, what is his upside? Hit really well in limited duty last year and showed power in the minors.
He has MLB talent, but I don’t think 2016 will be good for him with playing time. I like him more in 2017 when Big Papi leaves and DH opens up
I don’t see a ton of AB’s for Shaw in BOS, but even for those he might receive I wouldn’t have high expectations. First base prospects are often disappointing because the bar is so high. Keep him on your radar, but I wouldn’t give up much to acquire him at this point until skill and playing time become more clear.