Rebuilding your team
By R. Gregory Scalf
Unfortunately, you can't win your league every year. Web sites such as this one and others on the net have opened the world of information to virtually every player. In the pre-internet days, one could gain an advantage by subscribing to newsletters or heavy reading of all the magazines available. The newsletters were not widely known, and many did not have resources to buy all the magazines nor time to read them. So if you did, you had an advantage and usually did well from year to year.
Today, almost all players have access to tons of info. The result has been leagues more competitive than ever. As a result, top teams trade for players to put them over the top. Others trade for "next year" better known as "dumping." Because of this it is almost impossible to stay on top year in and year out in keeper leagues. So below are some strategies to build for next year, if this isn't your year!
Waiver Wire
Teams that are in the hunt will want to keep full time players in the line-up. So often times they will waive a prospect for a veteran starter. This happens most, two times a year. One is the week after the all-star break as many DL players are activated. The second is in September after roster expansion as owners jockey to get the best line-up possible for the stretch.
Be very active and watch what players become available. This is the prime time to get young players because other owners out of the race are getting focused on their football draft and won't pay attention.
FAAB Dollars
Depending on your league rules, you can use FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget) dollars to get players. Many teams in the race have used up their supply of dollars. Therefore, you may be able to get September call-ups at a low dollar price. In leagues that use waivers and FAAB, a waived player claimed has a salary of ten. Under FAAB, you can pick up a player for as little as one.
It would be worth your while to bid on some young players that may get a chance to play next year. Get them now, before everyone knows who they are and if they have a job because once everyone knows, their price will go up. Snag, or steal them now.
Monopolize a Category
In keeper leagues you always face the fact that you can get closed out of a category after the freeze lists are announced. To counter this possibility, try to acquire players to give you an advantage in one category. That way, you can trade your surplus in a category to make up for any shortfalls. Saves and steals are my favorites to do this with.
Trading
Trade your high priced players you are not going to keep and players in the final year of their contract. I traded Mariano Rivera for Bobby Howry in '99. Would you make this trade? Not on the surface, but when you find out that Rivera went back into the draft the following year and Howry was 10 in his second year it becomes a good deal. It's a good deal because I got Howry for nothing. Rivera is gone at the end of the year and the standings are set without any chances in points likely.
A few years ago I traded Jose Cruz Jr. for the same one dollar Mariano Rivera. I was out of the race looking to pick up players for cheap for the next season. Rivera was the set-up man, but Wetteland was a free agent. I made the trade hoping Wetteland would sign elsewhere. He did and my $1 closer saved 45 games a year. This brings me to my next tip.
Gamble
When trading a player that goes back in the draft, or his value is so high you won't keep him, gamble. My trade for Rivera was a gamble that paid off.
Hold
Finally, hold on to players that possess skills that are hard to come by. Saves and Steals are the hardest to get. So if it looks that there will be a few available at next year's draft, keep the ones you have even if they are overpriced. You can make up for the salary elsewhere. I have a tough decision to make. It is better to have good players at a high price than a bunch of low priced part time or mediocre players.
So there are several ways you can help yourself to bounce back next year. Just remember to start now and not to wait until the spring to get started.
R. Gregory Scalf is a former division I baseball player and associate scout for the Kansas City Royals. He currently is the webmaster at Fantasy Baseball Central and the assistant webmaster at John Mosey's Fantasy baseball Home Page.
