X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Managing For The Stretch Run

If you've gotten this far into the season and remain firmly in contention, congratulations! The fantasy baseball season is a grind, and maintaining a competitive squad for four and a half months presents a challenge to which many owners can't measure up.

Still, as we approach the playoffs for those of you in head-to-head leagues or the mad dash of the final weeks in rotisserie formats, it's important to note that the endgame often requires a different approach. What makes sense in April doesn't always work in August or September, and failure to adjust could lead to the death of your championship dreams.

How can you avoid such a fate? Let us discuss.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:

 

Crunch Time

As an active owner, you likely feel quite aware of your team's strengths and weaknesses - but even the most involved fantasy players can miss the forest for the trees. Sometimes you're simply too close to the situation to notice certain details. That's what makes team logs and splits one of the most useful tools in the discerning owner's arsenal. It's easy to look at the season-long stats for players on your roster - most platforms default either to this view, or the current day's performances - but what that simple glance won't tell you is how much your squad has actually benefited from those numbers, or when they were accumulated. Say you own one of the dozen players who has already hit 30 or more home runs. You'd feel pretty good about that, right? But if that player has only gone deep twice in the last month - coincidentally, right around when you traded for him - those warm and fuzzies quickly dissipate. His season-long production doesn't reflect the value, or lack thereof, provided to your squad. In this scenario, looking at either your team log or the "last 30 days" split gives you the real story. It may or may not be time to make a move in this hypothetical scenario, but at least the scales have fallen from your eyes.

Another common mistake fantasy owners make is making decisions - whether they be trades or waiver transactions - without considering their team's specific situation. Say you receive a trade offer from a rival who wants to send you Mallex Smith for Patrick Corbin. Sounds ridiculous in a vacuum, right? The kind of deal you'd immediately reject and then snark about to fellow players. But no trade exists in a vacuum, especially not this late in the year. There are plenty of scenarios in which this deal would make sense for you to accept, the most obvious being that you could gain several points in the standings by adding the handful of stolen bases Smith will contribute. Perhaps you're also on pace to exceed your league's inning limit by early September, making Corbin significantly less valuable to you moving forward. The other owner has done what you haven't - he's checked the standings and put together a proposal that reflects them.

By the same token, you shouldn't be afraid to make a move that appears like an obvious loss on the surface if it helps you. The closer we get to the finish line, the more it makes sense to prioritize immediate returns on investment. In a head-to-head league where you're fighting to make the playoffs, your best play could well be to trade or cut an injured player you'd normally hold onto for someone who can help now. Sure, they'll be back in a few weeks if their rehab goes well. But there's no guarantee that the player you're waiting on returns at full strength - and if you don't make the playoffs, it doesn't matter anyway.

Lastly, this is the time of the season for loving to embrace churning the bottom of your roster. Early on, it makes sense to use your bench as more of a stashing ground as we wait to see how things develop. At this point, though, it's all hands on deck. Any player not actively helping your cause is hurting you, and unless you're in a keeper or dynasty league, there's a much lower risk of regret if you toss someone back onto the waiver wire because you're only missing out on a few weeks' worth of production instead of a few months. Whereas I spend much of the year preaching patience and encouraging the long view, the last six weeks or so demands a certain degree of impetuousness. The bottom line is that time is running out, and every day that passes is one fewer day you have to recover from the mistakes that inevitably pile up over a period of several months. And as we draw closer to the season's end, the more drastic these kind of decisions may need to be.

Keep trusting your instincts - just be ready to take decisive action when the moment requires it.

 

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.

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Caleb Williams1 hour ago

Bears Reiterate That Caleb Williams Will Start In Week 11
Mikko Rantanen2 hours ago

Grabs Four Points Against Kings
Aliaksei Protas2 hours ago

Enjoys Multi-Point Outing Versus Maple Leafs
Patrick Kane2 hours ago

Notches Two Points In Overtime Win
Blake Lizotte2 hours ago

Suffers Another Injury
Pyotr Kochetkov2 hours ago

Suffers Injury Versus Utah
Caleb Jones3 hours ago

Hurt On Wednesday
Darcy Kuemper3 hours ago

Exits With Injury Wednesday
LeBron James3 hours ago

Makes History With Third Consecutive Triple-Double
Jaxson Hayes3 hours ago

To Be Re-Evaluated In 1-2 Weeks
Walker Kessler3 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Thursday
P.J. Washington3 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Thursday
Luka Doncic3 hours ago

Expected To Remain In The Lineup Thursday
DeMar DeRozan3 hours ago

Exits Win With Back Problem
Aaron Rodgers4 hours ago

Leaning Toward Return In 2025
Grayson Allen15 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus Kings
D'Angelo Russell16 hours ago

Suiting Up On Wednesday
Bradley Beal16 hours ago

Unavailable Wednesday
DK Metcalf18 hours ago

Puts In Full Practice On Wednesday
Henrik Norlander18 hours ago

Needs Strong Showing At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Michael Kim18 hours ago

Playing Well Down The Stretch
Nick Taylor18 hours ago

Returns To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Jhonattan Vegas18 hours ago

Playing Well Heading To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Matthias Schmid18 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Patrick Rodgers18 hours ago

Heads To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Mackenzie Hughes18 hours ago

Debuts At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Maverick McNealy18 hours ago

Seeking Back-To-Back Top-10 Finishes In Bermuda
Lucas Glover18 hours ago

In A Groove Ahead Of Bermuda Championship
Andrew Putnam18 hours ago

A Player To Watch In Bermuda
PGA18 hours ago

Nico Echavarria In Top Form Heading To Bermuda
Jusuf Nurkic19 hours ago

Back On Wednesday Night
Anfernee Simons19 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Against The Timberwolves
Robert Williams III19 hours ago

Resting In Rematch With Minnesota
Deandre Ayton19 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Andre Drummond19 hours ago

Out Sick On Wednesday
Paul George19 hours ago

Won't Play Versus Cleveland
Joel Embiid19 hours ago

Sitting On Wednesday
Tage Thompson19 hours ago

Labeled As Day-To-Day
Mattias Samuelsson19 hours ago

Out Indefinitely
Gabriel Landeskog19 hours ago

Remains Without A Timeline
Jonas Brodin20 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Thursday
Tank Bigsby20 hours ago

Listed As DNP On Wednesday
Andre Drummond20 hours ago

Listed As Questionable On Wednesday
Tyreek Hill20 hours ago

Misses Wednesday's Practice
Hampus Lindholm20 hours ago

Expected To Miss "Weeks"
Jani Hakanpaa20 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Tee Higgins20 hours ago

Officially Limited On Wednesday
Marcus Smart20 hours ago

Set To Play Wednesday
Seth Jarvis20 hours ago

Set To Miss A Second Consecutive Game
Michael Pittman Jr.20 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Brian Thomas Jr.20 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Josh Jacobs20 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Mike Conley20 hours ago

Resting Wednesday Versus Portland
Kirk Cousins20 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Najee Harris21 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey21 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
George Kittle21 hours ago

Not Practicing On Wednesday
Brian Robinson Jr.21 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
DK Metcalf22 hours ago

To Be Limited In Wednesday's Practice
Sam LaPorta22 hours ago

Misses Practice, Remains Day-To-Day
J.J. McCarthy23 hours ago

Undergoes Second Knee Surgery
Gardner Minshew II23 hours ago

Will Start In Week 11
Tee Higgins24 hours ago

Won't Practice But Bengals Encouraged With His Progress
Isiah Pacheco24 hours ago

Unlikely To Return In Week 11
Younghoe Koo1 day ago

Falcons Sticking With Younghoe Koo As Their Kicker
Nick Hardy1 day ago

Looks To Find Consistency On The Greens In Bermuda
Carson Young1 day ago

Hopes To Carry Recent Form To Bermuda
Brandon Clarke1 day ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Action
Kevin Yu1 day ago

A Name To Watch At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Marcus Smart1 day ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead Of Wednesday
Connor McDavid1 day ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Four-Point Effort
Neal Pionk1 day ago

Records Three Assists In Historic Win
Linus Ullmark1 day ago

Records First Shutout As Senator
Hampus Lindholm1 day ago

Taken Out By A Lower-Body Injury
Sam Bennett1 day ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Lars Eller1 day ago

Returns To Washington
Shohei Ohtani2 days ago

Among NL Silver Slugger Winners
Aaron Judge2 days ago

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Winners
Dante Fabbro2 days ago

Makes Blue Jackets Debut Tuesday
Wander Franco2 days ago

Now Facing Weapons Charges
Travis d'Arnaud2 days ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Angels
Brendon Todd2 days ago

A Hard Sell At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Greyson Sigg2 days ago

May Surprise In Bermuda
Jacob Bridgeman2 days ago

In For Adventure At Port Royal Golf Course
Mark Hubbard2 days ago

Plays Solid In Bermuda
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Tries To Build Off ZOZO Championship
Daniel Berger2 days ago

Looks To Continue His Consistent Run At Port Royal Golf Course
Justin Lower2 days ago

Looks To Continue His Hot Play At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
2 days ago

Blue Jays, Red Sox To Meet With Juan Soto
Jasson Domínguez3 days ago

Yankees Expect Jasson Dominguez To Have A Big Role In 2025
Carlos Correa3 days ago

Progressing
Carlos Prates3 days ago

Gets Higlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 100
Neil Magny3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 100
Cortavious Romious3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 100
Gaston Bolaños3 days ago

Gaston Bolanos Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Joey Logano3 days ago

Holds On At Phoenix To Win His Third Cup Series Championship
Los Angeles Dodgers3 days ago

Dodgers Considered Favorites For Roki Sasaki
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Falls Short Of The 2024 Cup Series Title At Phoenix
Dusko Todorovic3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 100
Wander Franco3 days ago

Arrested On Monday After Altercation
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Lacks Speed Of Other Championship 4 Contenders But Drives Well
William Byron3 days ago

Finishes Third In Phoenix Race And Championship
Miami Marlins4 days ago

Marlins Hire Clayton McCullough As New Skipper
Mansur Abdul-Malik4 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro4 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson4 days ago

Extends Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert4 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 100
MMA4 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Gets Submission Win In UFC Debut
4 days ago

Rays Have Interest In Juan Soto
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Is A Top DFS Recommendation With Upside For Phoenix
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Is Expected To Compete For The Title At Phoenix
Joey Logano4 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Phoenix
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Could Be A Favorable DFS Option For Phoenix Lineups
Corey Lajoie4 days ago

Corey LaJoie Will Start 20th At Phoenix
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Is A Solid Recommendation For Phoenix DFS Lineups
Erik Jones4 days ago

Will Start 19th At Phoenix This Week
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Will Compete For A Top-10 Finish At Phoenix
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Should DFS Players Fade Ty Gibbs At Phoenix?
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Is Chase Elliott A Solid DFS Pick For Phoenix Lineups?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

The Championship Favorite Despite Qualifying Blunder
William Byron4 days ago

Will Be Strong In Fight For Championship
Austin Cindric4 days ago

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Is Great At Phoenix
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Looking To Go Back-To-Back At Phoenix After Championship Snub
Chase Briscoe4 days ago

Can Be Worth Rostering In Tournaments At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Could Contend At Phoenix
5 days ago

Nick Martinez Expected To Accept Qualifying Offer
MLB5 days ago

Roki Sasaki Will Be Posted, Opens Door For 2025 MLB Debut
Nolan Arenado6 days ago

Could Be On The Trade Block
Zach Neto6 days ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Could Miss Start Of 2025

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP