Fantasy baseball league for (mostly) new players?

[MPrior]

This thread eventually morphed into a signup for new fantasy baseball players. As of this edit, we have 7 players:

 

MPrior

Cheapseats

Hawkcub

BalsaWoodKeyBoard

Karenmac

Reggiemiller rules

b_wiggy_66

 

You don't have to be new to fantasy baseball to sign up, but realize that at least a couple of us are - so you'll have to be nice.

 

It looks like we'll probably use Yahoo, because it's free. Woohoo!

 

Should we aim for 12 players (that's what they're doing in the mock draft thread)?

 

 

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So I've never done fantasy baseball before - and was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on how to start up.

 

First off, are they pretty much all 5x5 leagues? Cause that's gonna drive me nuts, having to value things like SBs as highly as all that.

 

Secondly, how much day-to-day maintenance do you really have to do? I don't want to get involved in a league and then let everyone down because I don't pay as much attention as I should.

 

And lastly, do I just go to some fantasy site and join some random league, or do I have to assemble one myself? Does anyone want to start a league? If so, go easy on me.

 

Occasionally, I see someone refer to "cost" or "dollar value" or stuff like that. What does that mean? Don't you just draft players? Or do they have dollar values assigned to them? Help me out here.

 

Thanks.

Edited February 12, 2007 by MPrior

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

If it's your first time, I'd join a public yahoo league with an online draft. You won't know the people that you're playing against, but it will get your feet wet. You may not have to check your team every day...some do, some don't. Just don't leave injured players in the line-up.

[BigbadB]

So I've never done fantasy baseball before - and was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on how to start up.

 

First off, are they pretty much all 5x5 leagues? Cause that's gonna drive me nuts, having to value things like SBs as highly as all that.

 

Secondly, how much day-to-day maintenance do you really have to do? I don't want to get involved in a league and then let everyone down because I don't pay as much attention as I should.

 

And lastly, do I just go to some fantasy site and join some random league, or do I have to assemble one myself? Does anyone want to start a league? If so, go easy on me.

 

Occasionally, I see someone refer to "cost" or "dollar value" or stuff like that. What does that mean? Don't you just draft players? Or do they have dollar values assigned to them? Help me out here.

 

Thanks.

 

I don't play in Rotoleagues. I prefer the H2H leagues. That's short for head to head, which is somewhat the same type of thing as regular baseball schedules. Your team gets scheduled against another team from Monday to Sunday. The commissioner of the league generally picks the different categories that score points, such as OBP, AVG, HR, RBI, R, SB and IP, W, ERA, WHIP, SO and saves. Those are all pretty popular scoring categories. At the end of a week, the team with the most points gets 1 win in the standings. Towards the end of the season, they set up playing seeded by position in the standings. It's fun.

 

As far as setting line ups, many H2H leagues allow daily roster and line up changes. But, it also allows you to set line ups days in advance. Basically, on Sunday night, you can set your line up each day for the entire week if you want. It's really nice for those weeks you are on vacation.

 

I disagree with Vance as far as starting out. Check back in this forum in a few more weeks and many of the NSBBers will probably start a private league of just NSBB faithfuls. The public leagues always have a few jerks in there that don't play fantasy baseball the way it should be played. I played in a public league last year and one of the guys made over 400 free agent pickups and drops. Ridiculous. Basically, the guy kept rotating in just about every free agent pitcher who was about to get a start. By default, the guy easily won the wins and strike out categories by having so many guys pitch for him each week. It's legal, but I really despise that type of league play. For the record, that guy ended up losing to my team in the playoffs and I couldn't have been happier.

 

In the Yahoo leagues, there is no dollar amount or team strength restrictions. You draft who you draft. You can do an auto draft or find a league that allows you to actively draft your team.

 

The head to head leagues do have some of the same similarities to Roto, but not to such extent. For example, SB will likely be a scoring category in Roto and in H2H. If you only have 4 offensive scoring categories in h2h, it will be important to get a few guys that can steal bases, because you don't want to start out the week 0-1 in the stolen bases category, as that one point might mean the difference in a win or a loss for the week. You basically have to know what the scoring points are prior to the draft and rank your players based on the scoring categories. Carlos Beltran and Alfonso Soriano are guys with power that steal bases, so they can be beneficial to you in multiple categories. Jose Reyes is really going to be hot property this coming season if his power continues to develop.

 

If I were you, I'd wait and join one of the many leagues that will be forming right here.

[Mark_R]

Roto is really the way to go. Roto rewards the best team all season and doesn't allow for flukes like H2H does.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Roto is really the way to go. Roto rewards the best team all season and doesn't allow for flukes like H2H does.

 

It's also mind numbingly boring to not compete against an opponent all year.

[CubColtPacer]

Roto is really the way to go. Roto rewards the best team all season and doesn't allow for flukes like H2H does.

 

It's also mind numbingly boring to not compete against an opponent all year.

 

That's what I was thinking-roto more accurately displays your skill, but head to head is more fun, and for a newbie who might take a month or two to get acclimated head to head is much better, because a new person could make a comeback in a head to head league, while some roto leagues if you don't get out to a good start you're just about finished for the entire year.

[BigbadB]

Roto is really the way to go. Roto rewards the best team all season and doesn't allow for flukes like H2H does.

 

It's also mind numbingly boring to not compete against an opponent all year.

 

That's what I don't like about Roto. I like head to head match ups. It's more realistic to actual baseball in that you build your team, the rest of the leagues build their teams, and you play a full week series against the opponent. Whoever can win the most categories for that week wins. Have a bad week, and you can make up for it next week.

[NCCubFan]

I definitely think head-to-head is more fun, especially if it is in a private league with people you're familiar with (such as from NSBB). I joined a public league this football season just to see what it's like, and it's the first and last time I'll do a public league.

[cheapseats]

I've played fantasy football and basketball, but I've never been in a baseball league before.

 

I'd love to be in a league this year with other newbie NSBBers.

[hawkcub]

I played in public league last year I would not mind getting into a NSBB league this year. Maybe people would actually care about their team.

[MPrior]

So that's three of us! Let's get some more, and we'll make a league (however you do that; I've never done fantasy anything, so it's all pretty new to me).

[Balsa]

Count me in, playing with strangers sucks.

[karenmac]

I'd be up for it - I've played fantasy football and hockey before but never baseball - this league looks like it could be my speed :)

[MPrior]

I'd be up for it - I've played fantasy football and hockey before but never baseball - this league looks like it could be my speed :)

 

That's five!

 

 

 

....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uh, how many do we need?

[karenmac]

our nsbb fantasy hockey league has 8, so not sure if that's the number, or if that can be set by whoever sets things up...

 

*and* I'm not sure that we want to use yahoo, necessarily. It is free. Here's a tour of the CBS Sportsline baseball setup - not sure what this costs, but they're offering $20 off to set up now.

http://baseball.sportsline.com/splash/baseball/spln/mgmt/tour/index

[hawkcub]

IMO using a free one may be best since we are talking about people on a Message Board.

[Balsa]

We should use Yahoo, because it's free, and also you could change the title if you wanted more interest?

[reggiemiller rules]

I am down for getting in the league here.

[ChiCubsFan]

Use yahoo. I typically like 12-16 team leagues. Anything 10 or more should be okay though. The more teams involved, the more shallow the talent pool becomes, and that's what I like. I like having to find sleepers instead of every team having an all star lineup. Good luck, I've been involved in fantasy leagues for awhile and the commissioner of a dynasty baseball league with a lot of NSBBers the past few years. It's fun and adds a little more excitement to non-Cubs baseball games.

[b_wiggy_66]

I would be down for an NSBB Fantasy league. Yahoo would probably be the best way to go.

[MPrior]

Whoops. Edited February 13, 2007 by MPrior

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

for new players, a ten team league might be more fun. There will be lots of players available. I wouldn't have more than 12, esepcially if you are all beginners. 18-20 team leagues can be fun, but they require a lot of work to keep competitive.

[Tracer Bullet]

We should use Yahoo, because it's free, and also you could change the title if you wanted more interest?

 

Done and done.

 

Here's what we've got so far:

 

Participants:

 

MPrior

Cheapseats

Hawkcub

BalsaWoodKeyBoard

Karenmac

Reggiemiller rules

b_wiggy_66

 

How many should we aim for? 12? 15?

 

I assume a league has to have a commissioner. And while I did start this thread, I really don't think I want to do it. If anyone has a hankering to do so, it's available for the taking.

 

I'm all for doing it somewhere where it's free - so if yahoo's the only reasonable option, then yahoo it is. If anyone else knows of a better free one, I'm all for it.

 

I've done fantasy baseball once, so I'd be interested. I've also been a commissioner for about 5 fantasy hoops leagues on Y!, so I'd be happy to be commissioner too. Unless someone else really wants it.

Edited February 12, 2007 by yanrslatr

[ctcf]

In if theres still room.

[Tracer Bullet]

In if theres still room.

 

my 2 cents - if we're going to do this, we should cap it at 10 (which means there'd be 1 more spot open, after CT Cubs Fan).