How important is it?

matt25112 · Post by **matt25112** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 9:28 am

To not stumble out the gates...This is my first year in a big contest like this ... I know it is meaningless in a single league but I feel like starting slow in a big contest is rough even being the first week.

Drafted a nice lineup that can't do a damn thing

Drafted an awful pitching rotation with a sub 2 era

McSwagger · Post by **McSwagger** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 9:37 am

Patience. No one has been given a check for $100K after Week 1. It's a 6-month season. Week 1 is meaningless except for the emotions of seeing a slow start.

kgrady · Post by **kgrady** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 9:50 am

Originally posted by matt25112:

To not stumble out the gates...This is my first year in a big contest like this ... I know it is meaningless in a single league but I feel like starting slow in a big contest is rough even being the first week.

Drafted a nice lineup that can't do a damn thing

Drafted an awful pitching rotation with a sub 2 era

A bad first week is discouraging, but not that big a deal. You don't want it going much beyond that however. I have gotten off to absolutely dreadful starts in the main event in each of the past three years. Not just a bad first week, but a bad first month. I must be the worst team in the entire NFBC over the last 3 Aprils combined. My seasons were all effectively over by May 1st, although I continued to scrape, claw and pray my way up to middle of the pack finishes. I'm holding my customary last place position here in the middle of week one. It's great (for everyone else) that there are some constants in this ever changing world of ours!

Kevin

matt25112 · Post by **matt25112** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 10:51 am

Well that makes me feel a little better...Really liking CJ Wilson b/c I already have Feliz as possible insurance and getting outbid doesn't make me feel better after today though

jdoggmms · Post by **jdoggmms** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 1:43 pm

a bad start is not a big deal and can be overcome. i was in dead last after 5 weeks last year and i believe in the bottom 20 teams overall. i ended up winning my league handily and finishing 32nd overall. Now if only i had taken Pujols instead of Reyes with my #2 pick...Obviously, it's much better to get off to a hot start, but i wouldn't get overly discouraged, especially if you have a roster full of notorious slow-starters

SluggoJD · Post by **SluggoJD** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:27 pm

Hi Matt,

It's important to remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and there's always a vulture out there waiting for someone to lose patience quickly, swoop in, and grab a good FA.

I believe it was 2 year ago - the guy who won the NFBC was in dead last (or 2nd to last) after 2 weeks.

So hang in there, get used to lots of bad days, and hope you have enough good ones to compensate!

John

[ April 08, 2010, 09:28 PM: Message edited by: SluggoJD ]

Hawk · Post by **Hawk** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:58 pm

To me, the first couple of weeks are about looking for productive FA's that might fill a need, rather than rating my players performances and add/dropping based on that.

It's one thing to make a FA move as a tweak after week one. It's quite another to waive a talented player off to a 2 for 20 slow start.

I mean, seriously, after all the prep work required for this league are you seriously going to drop a guy like Hunter Pence because he started out 0 for 12 or something? If that happens in the middle of July you'll never even notice it.

In the beginning weeks, don't overreact. Look for FA bargains / talent that might be able to help you.

sportsbettingman · Post by **sportsbettingman** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:07 pm

As someone who dropped Brett Anderson (main event) after his slow start...don't give up on talented players simply because of a bad start. I also dropped Big Papi (home league) RIGHT before he went off.

Bench 'em...but keep them unless forced by injuries to drop them.

It double hurts...because you took the crappy stats of the player, drop him, and your opponent picks him up and gets the good stats that you don't.

Better polish up that crystal ball!

[ April 08, 2010, 10:16 PM: Message edited by: sportsbettingman ]

Glenneration X · Post by **Glenneration X** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:14 pm

Originally posted by matt25112:

To not stumble out the gates...This is my first year in a big contest like this ... I know it is meaningless in a single league but I feel like starting slow in a big contest is rough even being the first week.

Drafted a nice lineup that can't do a damn thing

Drafted an awful pitching rotation with a sub 2 era

For my team currently in first place in its league, this is very important.

For my team currently in the lower half of its league, it's completely meaningless.

From personal experience last year, I was around 380 of 390 overall towards the end of May.

I had moved up to about 16 overall towards the end of August (before sinking some in September).

Bobby Jurney was 389 of 390 after two weeks the year he won it all.

A bad start can be overcome, it's a long season.

A fast start just makes it a whole lot easier.

Glenn

matt25112 · Post by **matt25112** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:00 am

389 out of 390 to first must have been a fun season for that guys...shredding his way through the standings week by week. Yea I know enough not give up on players...What does everyone think of my slow starting offense in a double play:

C-Shoppach

C-Martin

1b-D. Lee

2b-Zobrist

SS-Hanley

3b-Reynolds

CI-Helton

MI-O. Cabrera

OF-Sizemore

OF-Ichiro

OF-Quentin

OF-Bruce

OF-Hart/Venable/Need Free Agent

U-Atkins

If Ichiro does fall off like many do expect he will kill me...not only will I not get the value out of him I drafted, I also will not off set Reynold,Bruce,Sizemore bad avg's...Hanley can't do it himself.

Dyv · Post by **Dyv** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 12:08 pm

I'd say you're weak at 1b, corner, Util, MI and #4 and #5 OF - I see a lot of power problems for you.

Paul Gromek · Post by **Paul Gromek** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 12:44 pm

Originally posted by matt25112:

389 out of 390 to first must have been a fun season for that guys...shredding his way through the standings week by week. Yea I know enough not give up on players...What does everyone think of my slow starting offense in a double play:

C-Shoppach

C-Martin

1b-D. Lee

2b-Zobrist

SS-Hanley

3b-Reynolds

CI-Helton

MI-O. Cabrera

OF-Sizemore

OF-Ichiro

OF-Quentin

OF-Bruce

OF-Hart/Venable/Need Free Agent

U-Atkins

If Ichiro does fall off like many do expect he will kill me...not only will I not get the value out of him I drafted, I also will not off set Reynold,Bruce,Sizemore bad avg's...Hanley can't do it himself. 3 or 4 games doesn't even qualify as a slow start yet IMO. I see no reason why Ichiro won't hit .315-.320 again. Stay patient with your studs but get on the waiver wire for upgrades to Hart and Atkins.

KJ Duke · Post by **KJ Duke** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 12:47 pm

I'd be concerned with the Bruce-Hart combo.

sportsbettingman · Post by **sportsbettingman** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 1:56 pm

Like an announcer pointed out today...

After five games of 162 is comparable to being in the first quarter of the first game of the NFL season.

NO WORRIES, MATE!