No longer do I have to write intros about how close Opening Day is, but I do have to remind you how recent Opening Day was.  It’s common for fantasy owners to get excited over the emergence of regular season baseball and the unexpected hot and cold starts by various players around the league.

A couple of weeks ago we talked about waiting about 40 days to evaluate your teams, and it’s important to reiterate my point, this time when dealing with the waiver wire.  Often beginning fantasy owners will notice guys like Emilio Bonifacio and pick them up right away, which isn’t necessarily a bad move.

It is a bad move, however, when you drop an established guy, like Bobby Abreu.  A couple of years ago, I was in a league at Sportsline.com and just a week and a half into the season someone dropped Bobby Abreu for a low-caliber player, whom I cannot recall.  What I do recall is that the owner that was on top in the waiver wire process was able to win the league because they picked up Abreu, while still in his prime, because it bolstered his previously shallow outfield.

Moves like the previously mentioned are pretty obvious, and if for some reason, someone were to drop say, Cliff Lee after one bad start, pick him up ASAP. It’s important to stick with your players, and allow them to adjust to the regular season and get into the swing of things. Don't make any huge trades and show patience when negotiating. April is not the time to make and rash moves. Wait until you get further information or see how things are going.

I’m embarrassed to say it, but I won’t hesitate to make myself look like a fool by pointing out an article I wrote a month into the 2008 season about CC Sabathia.  I had Sabathia on one of my decent money teams and I was disgruntled at the fact that Sabathia was lasting only a few innings and would get shelled every time he stepped on the mound. In fact, I suggested that the term “Sabathia” might replace the term “bust” in the fantasy baseball world.  As we all know, Sabathia ended up moving to the Milwaukee Brewers and was able to turn things around and compete for a Cy Young. 

On the other hand, don’t hesitate to drop a player that may have been demoted the minors or lost a positional battle in the spring for a hot player on the rise, but first give your players a chance.

When writing this article, one thing kept coming to mind, and that is the success of Bobby Cox.  One of the things that Cox is glorified for is sticking with his players no matter what they are going through.  Although fantasy baseball doesn’t involve team chemistry or anything close to that, there is definitely a parallel to stick with your guys, especially when they’ve proven themselves in the past.

There is a reason you drafted each and every player, no matter how silly it may be, so stick with your gut for the few weeks, and then decide to make the moves.  In the long run, you’ll really notice the benefits.

 

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Tags: CC Sabathia  Bobby Abreu  Cliff Lee  Emilio Bonifacio  waiver wire  Fantasy Baseball Advice  Kevin Orris  FantasyPros911.com