It's that time of year again. The leaves are beginning to fall, the air is getting a bit crisper, and almost all fantasy sports talk is turned to the world of fantasy football.
Lost in the shuffle is the fact that September is also time for fanatasy baseball playoffs.
I have always had a problem with the fact that fantasy playoffs (whether it be baseball, football, hockey or just about any sport) are played out in the final weeks of that particular professional league's regular season.
For example, we are determing the fantasy baseball champion at a time when only a dozen of 30 Major League Baseball teams are playing meaningful baseball and when many big-name players (including San Francisco's Barry Bonds and Florida's Miguel Olivo) are being benched to make way for minor league call-ups who need some regular season experience.
Luckily, you can still succeed amid the roller coaster-like changes in the September MLB scene, but you have to stay alert.
Here is CBS Sporstsline's updated position rankings, with a list of players on the rise and on the fall. And here is a great article from Ray Murphy at BaseballHQ.com on stretch run targets - players who have the potential to ignite or deflate in the final weeks of the season.
The bottom line is: pay attention. If you've got a player on the Cincinnati Reds' roster, be aware his team is playing for nothing more than respect. Has the team brought up a minor leaguer recently to take his place?
On the flip side, players on playoff contending teams have a higher potential for a big September because their production will be needed (see: Carlos Delgado for the Mets, Jayson Werth for the Phillies, and Jason Marquis for the Cubs).
Remember, you'll still have three months of fantasy football when this month is over. Make the end of your fantasy baseball season count.
No comments:
Post a Comment