I'll admit, I was a little surprised. After 18 years of fantasy football, I was expecting a little more fanfare and chatter as the league got underway last week. But then I remembered something: baseball is a game of patience and endurance.
It wasn't completely silent around the league. No. There were a few that I heard from and many of their comments shared a common theme; games take much longer in fantasy baseball.
And, they do. In football, the majority of the action happens on a single day. Owners strategize and manipulate their rosters all week to see the fruits of their labors culminate on Sunday. Baseball, however, requires patience as your success - or failure - is realized in tiny increments every day until the end of the week. If you're on the losing end of a matchup, it can feel like death by a thousand cuts.
For those with years of experience in football, but new to baseball, the toughest part was watching one of your starters injure themselves in the 3rd inning on Opening Day and land on IL. Or, a starter that you paid a small fortune to draft just isn't performing. Or, when your starting C is scheduled for a day off on the 3rd game of the season after not starting in the 2nd game because he didn't feel well?
Oh, I got calls in those scenarios: "Is there anything I can do to get him out of there? You're telling me that I have to just leave him there and take 0 points for the rest of the week?"
Yup.
I believe I heard collective glee from some of those owners on Monday morning when they were able to get those injured and under-performing players out of their starting lineup for week 2. And, for some, like You're Killin' Me Smalls, that hopefulness was short lived when two of their SPs landed on IL by the second day of the new week.
All this is to say that baseball requires patience. There's a very long season ahead of us and injured players will return, slumping players will find their groove, and yes, red-hot players will slow down. Your best bet is to ignore the pitch clock and keep trucking along.
BATTING CHAMPION & CY YOUNG CHALLENGES
You're gonna have to wait a little longer for these to update. The database where these contests draw their data from are more complex than any other I've managed. Much more data is required and, since this is only a side contest, I'm going to push off the initial update another week or two. Plus, I don't want to bother entering stats for some player who blew up in week 1 but is shipped back down to the Gwinnett Stripers after week 2.
POWER RANKINGS
As expected, there were some significant changes to our Power Rankings after the first week. But if you're thinking you should be #1 after lighting up the boards in week 1, you're wrong. Just like any sports rankings, rising and falling happen gradually. So teams that impressed me this week - Akes & Pain, Prepas, and Ringworm - all moved up at least 3 positions on the chart. And vice-versa, teams that appear to have some work to do - Whitmer, Monstahs, and Smalls - fell at least 3 spots. The rest of you probably landed somewhere in the middle, moving up or down 1 or 2 positions in the rankings.
ALL-STAR LINEUP CHALLENGE
The results for the first week of this contest are in and the Mermen posted a 590-point week to claim the early lead. Sitting 25 and 26 points behind them are the Poke Bananas and the Tots. Dylan Cease is featured on all three rosters and did not disappoint. But at first glance, RP Emmanuel Clase already looks like a difference maker for the Mermen, outscoring the Bananas and the Tots RPs combined.
WAIVERS & LINEUPS
I'm still not 100% satisfied with the waiver system/schedule and I also have some clarifications that I need to make to the rules regarding injured players. But, I don't have the time to delve into those in this post. You'll just have to wait.
You should note that the rules clarifications regarding injured players are pretty straightforward and simple. And before any changes are made to the waiver system, owners will be consulted and given an opportunity to participate in the decision process.
And finally, I'll ask you for your patience one last time. Unfortunately, grandma Commish moved on to the Field of Dreams on Easter Sunday and I've been very busy managing all the heartbroken staff around the offices, not to mention all of the travel plans and arrangements to get ready for her Hall of Fame induction ceremony next week.
I will do my best to keep posts coming but even when I don't, the league challenges and contests will continue to be regularly updated on the site.
Good luck in week 2!
-- Commish
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