Why I Never Draft Starting Pitchers Early

Right now, my fantasy baseball team is in first place for all five pitching categories. Out of the ten pitchers on they roster today, only three were drafted and that includes only one starting pitcher: Ted Lilly.

I was able to pick up Justin Verlander, Ricky Nolasco, Scott Downs, Huston Street, Michael Wuertz and Dan Meyer via free agency. Verlander and possibly Street should be the only surprises here (luck based off of owners with itchy trigger fingers).

This is why I try never to use early round draft picks for starting pitching.

From 2008 Cy Young Winner to Early Round Draft Pick in 2009?

The news that Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee won the Cy Young awards for the AL and NL respectively brings a nice finish for fantasy baseball managers lucky enough to draft either of these players.

(Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press)

In Yahoo fantasy baseball drafts, Lincecum probably went in rounds 8 or 9 and Lee may have gone somewhere around the 15th round.  In one of my leagues, Lee wasn’t even drafted.

So does that mean fantasy baseball managers should push these guys up to elite status in their 2009 fantasy baseball draft?  Not so fast.  Let’s take a look at some of the historical data supporting this argument.

The Ultimate 2008 Fantasy Baseball Draft

Based off of Yahoo Sports’ average draft positions, imagine if this was the fantasy baseball team drafted at the beginning of the 2008 MLB season.  Assume a standard 5×5 rotisserie scoring system.

2 Baseball Injuries That Never Seem To Go Away

There are injuries that cost a player the entire season. There are injuries that make the casual baseball fan laugh in amusement.

Ryan Zimmerman (Photo: The Canadian Press)

And then there are injuries that end up lingering through the season, never seeming to heal and always impairing the performance a fantasy manager hopes for.

• For hitters, it’s a shoulder injury.
• For pitchers, the elbow is the culprit.