RADIO
We're bearing down on the halfway mark of the 2019 season. While there remains plenty of baseball to be played, now is as good a time as any to take stock of your situation.
If you're currently languishing in the standings, or feel like you need to squint really hard to see your roster as a true championship contender, the moment may be right for action. And depending on your circumstances, the decisions might need to be bold.
Read on for some suggestions on how you might attack the problem.
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Playing Catchup
Context Matters
You've heard it before, but that's because it's true. For example, a quick glance at your roster doesn't always tell the whole story. You may have a bunch of players with shiny overall numbers, but if they did most of that damage in early losing efforts or before you acquired them, that obviously won't be reflected in your results. Each of the major fantasy platforms has tools that allow you to view the accumulated stats for your team (and all of your rivals as well), plus each individual player’s production while on your roster.
Not only can you use this information to identify your weak spots and prioritize improving in those areas, you can also learn where your competition is vulnerable and use that knowledge as leverage. Maybe you match up especially well with another team on a potential deal, or multiple contenders have the same need and can be played off one another in trade negotiations. You might even be able to suss out a rival’s waiver or trade targets and snap them up first. And don't be afraid to "lose" a transaction in terms of absolute value if it addresses a glaring need or chips away at someone else's advantage.
Trawl the Waiver Wire
The season's early waiver gems have long since been rostered, but that doesn’t mean you can't find help on the wire. You’ll simply need to work a bit harder to find it. Use splits to discover players who are producing now, but might be buried in the rankings due to slow starts or time missed due to injury. Just be wary of falling into the trap of slicing up an already small sample of games.
Of course, any player who is free to add probably has some sort of shortcoming, but playing matchups or pairing him with a complementary piece can help you mitigate those weaknesses and squeeze the most value possible out of him. If you don't feel like any of your waiver options are long-term plays, just leave a few slots at the back of your roster reserved for streaming players with favorable schedules or on a heater.
Roll the Dice
Are you in a huge hole? Incremental upgrades probably won't save your season in that case, so prepare to take some drastic measures. Inquire after struggling stars whose owners may have soured on their chances of a rebound. Bid aggressively on waiver targets to ensure they land on your roster. Stream like there's no tomorrow - because without some gambles paying off for your fantasy squad, there isn't one.
The further behind the pack you are, the more risks you should take. You’re going to need a lot to go right over the next month or two to get back into the race - and the earlier you take those plunges, the quicker you can begin to climb back into contention.
The Friday Meta is Kyle Bishop's attempt to go beyond the fantasy box score or simple strategic pointers and get at the philosophical and/or behavioral side of the game. It is hopefully not as absurd, pretentious, or absurdly pretentious as that sounds.
