Closing Time: Forget vacuum values, get what you need
If you’re a regular visitor to this space, you know “numbers, not names” is the unofficial baseline of the column. The path to roto glory is all about getting the numbers to go where you want, getting the puzzle to sway in the proper direction.
And once the season gets into the second half, especially the dog days of August, we need to think categorically more than ever.
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I’m not the type of player to get hung up on how a trade looks on the marquee at any time, but that’s especially true now. Work the categories. Get what you need. Don’t sweat the vacuum values.
As you peruse your current roto standings, be on the lookout for outliers – teams that are isolated in a specific category, far removed from other teams. This doesn’t always mean first or last in the category: sometimes a team will be in fourth for steals, say, but with little upside to gain points and little downside to lose points. When an opponent is in this position, he is likely to give you something for less than the usual market cost. And when you are in the position, the angle flips: you no longer have to necessarily demand full market return, as the loss of that category might not hurt you much, if at all.
Sure, get all you can, but be willing to accept far less than vacuum value if it still works in your favor.
Also keep in mind that the enemy of your opponent is your friend. Sometimes you’ll be able to make a trade that hurts another contender in the standings. Again, we’re working the category puzzle here. The season has personality to it; forget trying to look good on the front page, just get the agate type flowing in the direction necessary.
You might see some funky deals go down as the Yahoo trading deadline approaches in many leagues. Don't take them at face value. It's likely the teams involved are letting the unique context drive their decisions. Cheers to that.
• Sticking with the idea that context is everything, it’s a good time to kick the tires on the San Diego offense. The Padres are just 20th in runs, of course, but that’s just about meaningless as they settle into Colorado for a three-game series at Coors.
Yangveris Solarte probably fits on one of your rosters, somewhere. He’s hitting .316 over the last month with 16 runs, and he qualifies at three infield spots. He’s been slotted first or second for most of the second half, and you can snag him for nothing in 81 percent of Yahoo leagues.
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It also might be time to open your mind you Jedd Gyorko, the swing-and-miss infielder. He’ll be facing a pair of left-handers in this series, and his career OPS jumps 128 points in the platoon advantage. Jaygee awaits your call in 87 percent of Yahoo.
I realize Will Venable has personally let down most of the fantasy community at some point over the last two years, and the lefty-heavy slate is a buzzkill for him. But let’s at least recognize he’s running liberally – five steals over the last couple of weeks. His ownership tag rests at two percent.
Make The Chicken happy. Find a Friar for the weekend.
