Mastersball Fantasy Forum

So my home league is an AL only, 8 teams, 5x5, 2 catchers and no bench spots. They use roto scoring but with 2 week scoring periods, so every two weeks you start with a fresh new period. We also can only make waiver moves at the end of each period, but can replace injured or demoted guys mid-period.

We are auctioning this weekend and I have it in mind to try a new strategy this year. The league rules require 3 SP, 3 RP, and 3 "P" spots. I have never seen anyone in the league use less than 5 SP for even 1 scoring period. With the trouble finding good consistent SPs (and the associated high prices), particularly due to the no bench provision where I can't avoid bad matchups on upside pitchers that I usually prefer, I'm thinking of buying 6 RP's and only 3 SP at the auction. I feel like the staff would compete strongly in ERA, WHIP and hopefully saves (not sure yet which closers will be kept), and based on past years 7-8 wins often times ends up winning the scoring period in wins so I'd still have a shot at least at the middle of the wins pack. I'm keeping Chris Sale at $33 to anchor the staff, so if I can find 2 solid value SP's on good teams I feel like I could pull this off. K's might be the problem as far as finishing at the top for 2 week periods, but I'm still kicking it around. Maybe 4 SP/5 RP would be better.

Anyone have any thoughts on this strategy? I've been in this league 10 years (its been around 30+) and have never seen anyone try such a thing. It would be fun, anyway.

Thanks for any input!

Sale is wasted in this strategy. It can work, assuming no innings minimum, but Sale is an inefficient use of resources doing this.

So try and trade him before Sunday or just throw him back and go for cheap SP's? The closers will be hard to get, they go pretty high usually, but the middle relievers and cheap starters are usually fairly easy to come by in my experience. (edit - the innings minimum is 700, I think I can get there with the 3 SP/6 RP setup fairly easily).

If I had Sale, I wouldn't try this - but deal him if you're set on it.

I tend to agree, thanks for talking me out of it. Maybe next year when my Sale deal expires. These other owners tend to hardly ever trade, so the chances of a pre-auction trade are slim and none.

Thanks for your time, Todd.