Weekly Draft: Einstein Observations. Discussions Go Here.

[Imran Siddiqui]

No, that means he can ONLY go in the Util slot.

[OzzyKP]

Ok... what's the Util slot?

[snoopy369]

Util ~= DH.

Basically, ANY hitter can go into UTIL; similarly any pitcher can go in P. A few hitters (Travis Hafner, Jim Thome, etc.) are DH-only and can only go into UTIL.

[snoopy369]

I'm going with the "value" picks early on (Reyes at SS, Pedroia at 2B). I remember it backfired on me a few years back when I was left with a lackluster OF. But we'll see what happens.

Assuming Manny shows up, my OF is going to eat your "middle infield" for dinner

[OzzyKP]

Util ~= DH.

Basically, ANY hitter can go into UTIL; similarly any pitcher can go in P. A few hitters (Travis Hafner, Jim Thome, etc.) are DH-only and can only go into UTIL.

So I guess I haven't really thought ahead any further than the draft. I see on the page that the roster positions include:
C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, Util, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL, DL

First of all, what is BN? What do I do with the DL? What exactly is P and how is it different from SP and RP?

Secondly, how do things work on an average week during the season? I pick the strongest player for C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, etc. Then what? How does the scoring work?

[snoopy369]

BN is bench - they don't give you stats but you keep them on your roster.
DL is for players on the actual DL (Yahoo has to change their status to allow DL) - they don't count towards your bench, but they must be really on the DL.
SP and RP are starter or reliever - positions just like 2B and OF. You must play a starter in SP. Sometimes a player is both SP and RP (if they played both positions last year, or after a few starts this year, like for example Aaron Heilman assuming he wins his starting job, he'll always qualify at RP, and additionally at SP once he has a few starts.)

Scoring - you sum up the stats for all players across the week, then you win each stat category or lose it versus whomever you are playing based on whomever has the best stats in that category. You win the week if you have more category wins than your opponent.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Assuming Manny shows up, my OF is going to eat your "middle infield" for dinner

"Assuming"

So I guess I haven't really thought ahead any further than the draft. I see on the page that the roster positions include:
C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, Util, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL, DL

First of all, what is BN? What do I do with the DL? What exactly is P and how is it different from SP and RP?

Secondly, how do things work on an average week during the season? I pick the strongest player for C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, etc. Then what? How does the scoring work?

BN is Bench players.

DL is where you can stash injured players to prevent them from taking up room on your bench.

P is kind of like Util for hitters.

The scoring works based on the catagories we picked. You get one point for having more of whatever catagory we picked than your opponent in Head to Head Games.

[OzzyKP]

BN is bench - they don't give you stats but you keep them on your roster.
DL is for players on the actual DL (Yahoo has to change their status to allow DL) - they don't count towards your bench, but they must be really on the DL.
SP and RP are starter or reliever - positions just like 2B and OF. You must play a starter in SP. Sometimes a player is both SP and RP (if they played both positions last year, or after a few starts this year, like for example Aaron Heilman assuming he wins his starting job, he'll always qualify at RP, and additionally at SP once he has a few starts.)

Scoring - you sum up the stats for all players across the week, then you win each stat category or lose it versus whomever you are playing based on whomever has the best stats in that category. You win the week if you have more category wins than your opponent.

I assume I don't get points for my bench players, right?

And I got SP & RP, I was just wondering about P. Can I put both SP & RP into P slots? Do they get scored? How does that work? Or is it like the bench for pitchers? Or can you put pitchers into a BN slot?

[Imran Siddiqui]

No points for bench.

Yes, you can put both SP and RP into P. P is a Util for Pitchers.

[snoopy369]

BN does work for pitchers as well - you have 6 bench slots for combined P/H category players.

Typically people use 3-4 bench slots for hitters and 2-3 bench slots for pitchers in a 6 bench slot set (to begin with anyway). I typically have 1 RP and 1-2 SP if there are no holds, possibly 2 RP and 1 SP if there are holds as a category, 1 RP being a closer and one a holds guy [if the holds guy is not in my starting 7]. If you are like Imran last year and use lots of 2b/3b/ss players (players that can cover multiple positions) you can be more flexible with your hitter bench spots; if you have only players who can play one spot, you need usually at least a 2B, a 3B, and a SS on the bench (these positions are weaker positions in terms of who's available in FA), and usually an OF or a 1B at UTIL (the better hitting positions). Some people keep a second C on the bench, some don't (some prefer to use the bench for more useful players, C is sort of like TE in football - a position where you have a few good hitters and then mostly crap, so sometimes the #2 C you hold will be roughly equal to the FA C.) Generally think of bench as either 'replacements for injured players' or 'backups for potentially crappy players' (if you take a flier on a risky prospect), for a start; you can start adding in 'flexible starter' who you start when he has a good week, like a Rockies player who you start when he's at home but not when he's away, and such strategic moves later on.

[snoopy369]

By the way, can everyone post how reliable they can be as a person to send picks to? That way people (esp. the newbies) know who to send picks to if they won't be able to be present for their picks.

I am usually here all day during the week, but less reliable on the weekend. So Mon-Fri I'm a good person to send picks to. If your pick is AFTER my yet-not-made pick, put "don't peek" or similar in the PM title so I know not to open the PM until after I've picked (though usually I can figure it out based on the sender's name).

I know Slowwhand usually can check in at lunchtime and after work, and Imran is here frequently during the day, both also good people to send picks to.

[Berzerker]

I'm around enough, plus I cant bapay someone who sent me their list.

[SlowwHand]

I check in even from work, so put me on the "Send list to"...list.

[OzzyKP]

I notice last year's draft went 17 rounds. Were there less players on the roster last year? Will this year go 22 rounds?

[snoopy369]

I suppose it depends. In theory you usually draft all of the bench players as well, but I think last year we ran into a deadline (the season began much earlier last year).