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Ottoneu leagues, available on Fangraphs, are a different beast, and for good reason. Most of the scoring formats are more advanced, there are intense roster requirements and it’s a year-round commitment.
It warrants constant monitoring and tinkering to fully optimize your lineup, and the innings restrictions per roster slot certainly force you to make some shrewd decisions on who to start and who to sit based on matchups. For this reason, depth is critical. It’s easy to get preoccupied with stocking up on prospects (you could fill out your entire 18-man bench with minor leaguers if you wanted) but having reserve starting pitchers and bench bats to slot in on off-days is absolutely necessary.
With that said, here are some recent free agent acquisitions and cuts from our RotoBaller experts league that were noteworthy along with the final bid amount and what these players are going for on average in Ottoneu leagues. One thing to keep in mind is the scoring format. This particular league uses Classic Ottoneu 4x4 scoring, which includes HR, R, OBP and SLG for hitters and K, HR/9, ERA and WHIP for pitchers.
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Recently Completed Transactions (RotoBaller League)
Add - Ryne Stanek (RP, TB) - $1
Average Ottoneu Salary - $1.39, 24.03% owned
I definitely like the add here, as Stanek should be a relative boon in all the major Ottoneu categories. He does represent an interesting wrinkle to the lineup restrictions, however. Teams are deep enough to where it shouldn't ever be an issue of not having space, but Stanek is technically a "starter" since he opens games for the Tampa Bay Rays on their bullpenning days. Even if he throws just one inning (he's never thrown more than two in a single appearance), Stanek must be deployed as a starting pitcher to get credit for his performance. He's certainly done well enough to merit starting, as his ratios are all useful for Ottoneu, particularly his minuscule 0.857 HR/9 and 2.36 ERA.
Add - Lou Trivino (RP, OAK) - $1
Average Ottoneu Salary - $2.29, 80.21% owned
Trivino is one of those guys who wouldn't be of much use in a traditional league, but definitely carries value in the classic Ottoneu format. While he doesn't close out games for the Oakland Athletics, his elite ratios make him incredibly useful in this format. Trivino has thrown 51.2 innings this year, and in those innings has posted a sparkling 0.523 HR/9 in addition to a microscopic 1.22 ERA and 0.948 WHIP. He typically throws an inning or an inning and change, which doesn't seem like a ton on a night-by-night basis. However, if you've got a collection of guys who keep the ball in the yard and runners off the base paths like Trivino, it adds up over time.
Cut - Josh Donaldson (3B, TOR) - $24
Average Ottoneu Salary - $38.03, 95.76% owned
I certainly understand WHY Donaldson was cut--he's still on the disabled list, has no firm timetable to return and nobody knows what the Jays plan to do with him if and when he does return. It is super difficult to just absorb the contract hit though--Donaldson was auctioned for $48 in the original draft this season, so his owner has to keep 50% of that cost on his books for the year. That's a large chunk of dead money sitting there, but it's still better than the entire $48 sitting there dead. Given that other owners can own Donaldson for a starting cost of $24, I wouldn't be shocked to see some interest in adding the 32-year-old for the future.
Cut - Blaine Hardy (RP, DET) - $1
Average Ottoneu Salary - $2.00, 0.71% owned
Sometimes it was a bad idea to add certain players in the first place, and cutting them just makes sense. That's the case here with Hardy--he's not helping in any category, so easy to cut bait and try someone else out.
