Punting- A Two Sport Star

[DOUGHBOYS]

Since it's football season, let's talk about punting. Punting is something that most do not enjoy, either on the football field or in our game of fantasy baseball.
In fact though, unless we draft a pristine team, we all punt categories.
All of our teams have a weakness. That weakness is just not showing itself till the season begins.
We didn't 'punt' these weaknesses. They became category drags through injury or bad performance. This is the reason we will go into a season thinking we'll be strong in power, only to see the pitching carry the day. Or vice versa.

Punting is KNOWINGLY giving up on one category. There are several ways to punt.
Punting a category during a draft, then trying to recover during FAAB in that category is a form of punting.
Also called 'Punt and Recover.'
This strategy enables a drafter to draft 30 players for nine categories, then drop those that are underperforming or injured for hopeful Closers.
This strategy has virtually replaced the all out punting of a category.

Punting a category all together was the most popular way to punt. We all know about that.
This leaves us with a possible 136 of 150 instead of a hopeful 150 of 150.
The thought being that the two extra players picked, instead of Closers, will make a team stronger in those nine other categories.
Some, are really good at doing this.
The Thelan Bros. of the NFBC were especially good at this. Even in the Main Event.
I believe one year, they took a zero for the Saves category, while still finishing first in their league and a top 10 Overall.

In the Draft Championship format, the 'fading punt' is preferred by some. This involves, mostly, the Saves category.
We are drafting right now, yet do not have a clue in who will be the Closer on some teams.
Milwaukee traded KRod.
Tampa is trying to trade Boxberger and McGee.
The Braves situation is ever changing.
The Padres traded Kimbrel.
The Phillies are possibly moving Giles.
The A's could do anything.
Not to mention future trades that will jumble bullpens.
Etc, etc, etc
The point is that some drafters do not want to chance drafting a Boxberger, McGee, or even a chancy Doolittle or Perkins with a high draft pick.
So, they fade the category.
They may pick one Closer who is secure with his job, then not touch the category again till later in the draft.
The one Closer keeps the drafter 'in the pack' in the Saves category.
He hopes that later in the draft he will hit on a bullpen guy who becomes a Closer for his team.

Sometimes, we paint ourselves in a corner and will punt a category without even thinking about it before a draft.
Right now, I am in the 29th round of a draft without a real Closer.
I didn't intend for that to happen. I saw more opportunity with other players than I did for the Saves category.
So, I have Drew Storen. Period.
So, I am doing the fading punt strategy. I will take some possible Closers late in the draft.

Although Saves is the predominant punted category there are others.
Some will draft just three or four reliable starting pitchers, then dominant relievers. The thought being that more hitters can be drafted while leading the ERA, WHIP, and Saves category.
Stolen bases are sometimes punted. Batting average too. But most of the time, they become 'punt and recovers'.
In a Diamond League one year, that's $10,000 folks, a team decided to punt power.
Drafting lots of batting average, leadoff, and speed types.
This left them free to draft tons of pitching, while waiting on their hitters later.
It didn't work.
They didn't take into account that leadoff hitters still don't score as much as power hitters. So in effect, they were punting hr's and rbi, while nearly punting runs.
A $10,000 experiment gone wrong.
In a KJ League, John Pausma and Mark Srebro teamed up to punt offense.
They drafted all pitchers and mostly japanese hitters.
The thinking was that they would punt four offensive categories while shutting down their hitters completely after obtaining an early insurmountable batting average.
This gave them 19 points on offense, while trying to get a 75 in pitching.
This was in the salary league in which a 'Manager of the Year' is rewarded for having the most category points in spending the least amount of money.
It didn't work, but it was a viable strategy.

Some NFBC'ers frown on punting. Saying that 'it is not in the spirit of the game'.
The spirit of the game is to win. If a drafter feels that punting gives a team the best chance of winning, go for it.
In the end, I do believe it is a tougher row to hoe.
The Thelan Bros. showed me that it can be done on a continuous basis, but as far as I know, they are the only ones to master it consistently in an Overall contest.
Jim Stanard was a master at punting in private and stand alone leagues. He had NFBC'ers pulling their hair out.
Since, Greg and the NFBC have increased the innings pitched minimum, making it a lot more difficult on Jim to punt the Wins and K's categories.

Punting is still looked down on by most NFBC'ers. And, there are less drafters totally punting a category.
But, in different forms, it remains a strategy for our game.

[Gekko]

In a KJ League, John Pausma and Mark Srebro teamed up to punt offense.
They drafted all pitchers and mostly japanese hitters.
The thinking was that they would punt four offensive categories while shutting down their hitters completely after obtaining an early insurmountable batting average.
This gave them 19 points on offense, while trying to get a 75 in pitching.
This was in the salary league in which a 'Manager of the Year' is rewarded for having the most category points in spending the least amount of money.
It didn't work, but it was a viable strategy.

You're right, it didn't work.

{BUT IT SHOULD HAVE}