ASK ROTOMAN
Hey Rotoman:
12-team H2H 5x5 league with 3 keepers. For my third keeper, should I keep Brandon Woodruff in the fourth round or Lance McCullers in the 20th?
“Early or Late”
Dear Early,
The principle in a 12-team league is that you want the most irreplaceable players. They go the earliest in drafts, and you can kind of track their value by looking at auctions. It just so happens that the Tout Wars Head 2 Head auction was yesterday. You can see the results here.
In that auction, 26 players went for more than the $28 that Woodruff went for. So, it looks like Woodruff’s an early third-rounder this year. In NFBC 12-teamers since February 1 he’s gone on average No. 37, which puts him at the start of the fourth round in non-H2H leagues.
I think that’s too low. I would take him in the early third, like the Tout Wars H2H players.
As for McCullers, the Tout Wars touts took him in the reserve rounds. He’s averaging 331 in the non-H2H NFBC 12-teamers. That’s the 27th round.
Freeze Woodruff.
Sincerely,
JOTTINGS
I spent the day updating the Pattonandco.com software, which I use to manage my projections and prices, based on the weekend news.
The biggie was Jose Altuve’s broken thumb, the prognosis for which was spelled across a giant newsticker in Times Square as I strolled from our Tout Wars draft room in the Edison Hotel to Virgil’s BBQ on 44th Street.
Our mission at Virgil’s was to honor our friend Lawr Michaels, who passed away four years ago. Lawr thought the chicken wings at Virgil’s were the best chicken wings anywhere. I’m no expert on wings, but they’re meaty and have a nice bit of hot spice that comes on at the end.
The dressing was creamy and rich, maybe it was ranch. I’m no expert on that, either, and I surely would have preferred blue cheese. But Lawr was right, Virgil’s wings are delicious.
After our lunch, when I got to work, I cut my Altuve price and projection by 33 percent, reflecting that he is expected to miss one-third of the season.
And I bumped up David Hensley’s projection to about 250 at-bats. Hensley might have gotten those anyway, as the Astros backup outfielder, but now, unless Dusty gives the job full-time to Mauricio Dubon, they’re more of a sure thing.
The link to the updated Rotoman Sheet comes after the paywall.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Rotoman's Guide to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.