How do we get Taylor Swift into fantasy baseball? Your 2024 ILX Fantasy Thread! (also, there is an opening for a new manger!)

guns of buxton, prospective keepers...

bobby witt jr
esteury ruiz
luis arraez
jazz chisholm
pablo lopez

probable keepers for probable second-to-last finisher "the weimer republic"

hunter brown
josh jung
jeremy pena
devin williams
alexis diaz

i remember this time last year i was wondering if i had a curse on my pitchers; and then the Alek Manoah debacle did not help that feeling. RIP to him after one year of being a keeper.
so here's this years likely picks for (the soon to be renamed) Newcombes On de Blok:

Gunnar Henderson (22)
Shane McClanahan (26)
Jesus Luzardo (26)
Ozzie Albies (27)
Bryan Reynolds (29)

likely keepers for Giolito Shuffle (also due for a name change - i almost talked myself into keeping Giolito and hoping he could at least be playable in Boston but then remembered he's about to age out of keeper status anyways)

Adley Rutschmann (26)
Emmanual Clase (26)
Luis Robert (26)
Ke’Bryan Hayes (27)
TJ Friedl (28)

I’m already having second thoughts about McClanahan, since he’ll be out for most of the season. I don’t have the best options tho, aside from hoping Manoah can return to form (but holy shit his 2023 was a disaster). Munoz is the only non disaster option, but kind of a waste using a pick on a reliever.

i will be jettisoning jeremy pena back into the universe and keeping sal frelick instead.

Ok. I’ll probably remember this one since I had frelick on my short list to target later in the draft

my picks for Send Nootbaar. feel like Lawlar has a high ceiling for stupid puns.

Jordan Lawlar 21
Logan Gilbert 26
Austin Riley 26
Ian Happ 29
Josh Hader 29

Ohtani Dancer in My Hand:

Michael Harris II (23)
(Future Red Sox Superstar) Triston Casas (24)
Bo Bichette (26)
Logan Webb (27)
Shohei Ohtani (batter) (29)

Def playing the long game, drafting Lawlar last year!

giolito injury news has made this lineup for giolito shuffle a lock:

Adley Rutschmann (26)
Emmanual Clase (26)
Luis Robert (26)
Ke’Bryan Hayes (27)
TJ Friedl (28)

have we forgotten about the opening series in Korea on March 20th? seems like we might want to conduct the draft earlier.

i had, yes. ugh. the sunday 17th is not doable for me. would have to be Sat 16th, or in the evening Mon/Tuesday. i don't want to push it too far up incase someone doesn't see the date change in time.

looking at the probable starters, Yamamoto and Glasnow(?) vs Darvish and Musgrove probably? I'd feel bad about anyone missing a start with one of their SP keepers, but that doesn't look likely. for the hitters it's not so bad to miss two games out of 162, but maybe some LA/SD owners can weigh in on preference

Literally any weekday evening works way better for me than the proposed draft day in the OP.

looks like i can make the games count retroactively (tho i cannot find how to do this in my commish tools right now):
https://ca.help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6317.html

xpost. noted.

Also I'm still finalizing my last 2 keepers. Need to monitor some spring training data before I make that call tho...

i'm completely ok with the 16th, it would just feel weird to me to conduct the draft with a couple of games already in the can, even if we can retroactively count the stats. idk how much it matters to anyone else obv.

This happened before (maybe when I was commish?) and there was a mid-tier player who went off in an exhib game played internationally played before the draft and they ended up going a couple rounds earlier than anticipated. Seeing as this is rotisserie (ie, not points or H2H), I don't think those games are enough to move the needle.

I’m fine with the retroactive stats solution, but if it gets moved my preference is Saturday > Monday > Tuesday. I’m pretty open that week.

lets see if this works...

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JPSW77D

i only just now noticed the spelling mistake in the thread title

(and now do you finally get my youtube ref?)

also more importantly are you replacing 2B with another offensive stat?

as much as i would like to, nothing else looks all that great to use in it's place; and i'd like to keep the amount of stats the way they are for balance between pitching and hitting

What was the argument for 2Bs instead of XBHs? Overvalues HRs but undervalues 3Bs?

Or a negative OFF stat? Ks is a nice equalizer.

(I think I used GIDPs one year as well lol)

more or less. i think a few people thought home runs were just too overpowered with xbh

xpost

GIDP was kiboshed because it punished cleanup type hitters with lead foots hitting a head of them

Yeah my rationale was that guys who hit with runners on get more RBI chances so GIDPs a nice way to balance that out for guys who play on weaker teams who do not have the luxury of RBI opps.

I also remember a year where we drafted after Opening Day in Japan one of those years, and it didn't really make a difference? But I'm fine with moving up the draft by a week.

sorry i've been not as attentive as i should be! i am in full on winging it mode, but i need to get my list of keepers. also i submitted to surveymonkey (bow down to the one you serve) for the draft dates, i'll do my best to make whichever date so i don't get autodrafted!

we're at 9 answers so far and it's weirdly very interesting lol

baseball fans, tell me what to do. i am faced with an agonizing choice for my 27+ keepers.

one of them is cody bellinger, who is definitely going to be MVP in 2024, chance of regression = 0.0000000001%
the other? JACK FLAHERTY OR AMED ROSARIO
goddammit

on the other side, i will obviously keep Eury Perez. then, i must pick 2 of francisco alvarez, lars nootbaar, hunter greene, and everybody's favorite little big guy who runs fast, alejandro kirk. i'm going with lars nootbaar just because i like to root for the home team, and i've seen him do some very athletic things so i believer in his potential. so
FRANCISCO ALVAREZ OR HUNTER GREENE

speaking from experience, get off of Jack Flaherty's wild ride asap

I’m smelling a comeback player of the year award for amed rosario!

smell the rosarios!

formerly A Moon-Shaped Pujols, now obviously:

Honey Nut Chouri◎s
20 CHOURIO
26 LODOLO
26 HOERNER
29 AROZARENA
29 HELSLEY

ok - 11 respondents. think it's safe to call this one...

9 vs 2 in terms of picking a new date.
Most preferred date was a tie between the Sat 16th and Tues 18th; and a tie between Tues 18th and the OG date for what most people found workable.
Highest rage score, after the "none" option: Sat 16th.

So looks like our new date will be Tuesday the 18th starting at 7:30 est. apologies to the two managers that had that date as their least favourite option.

I will change the league setting shortly; and anyone with outstanding picks, please get them in my mid week next week.
i should prolly get a mod to edit the initial post as well.

Tues the 19th?

FFS. yes. Tuesday the 19th. sorry about that.

trying to do too much this morning.

apologies to the two managers that had that date as their least favourite option.

if i finish in last again this season i'm going to blame it on this!! ;) ;)

no worries, and there's a chance i could join for at least part of it (aka do the draft in the background of a band practice lol)

could always do a little pre-ranking (esp if there are young guys you'd like to target) and then join in part way to fix whatever mess the auto draft left you with.

i was the other person who ranked that at as my least favorite option but it's OK, should still be able to join

appreciate all efforts made to accommodate the rescheduled draft

good news - looks like Votto No Get Enemy will live on under the stewardship of clemenza! i think this might be his first foray into fantasy nerdball?

That spreadsheet looks like hieroglyphics to me, but I'll tentatively give it go. No guarantee I'll last. Thanks for the invitation.

baseball fans, tell me what to do. i am faced with an agonizing choice for my 27+ keepers.

one of them is cody bellinger, who is definitely going to be MVP in 2024, chance of regression = 0.0000000001%
the other? JACK FLAHERTY OR AMED ROSARIO
goddammit

on the other side, i will obviously keep Eury Perez. then, i must pick 2 of francisco alvarez, lars nootbaar, hunter greene, and everybody's favorite little big guy who runs fast, alejandro kirk. i'm going with lars nootbaar just because i like to root for the home team, and i've seen him do some very athletic things so i believer in his potential. so
FRANCISCO ALVAREZ OR HUNTER GREENE

EURY PEREZ
HUNTER GREENE
FRANCISO ALVAREZ
AMED "MVP" ROSARIO
CODY BELLINGER

both Sale and Judge performing well post-trade for their new teams as well!

I think there's a chance that Royce Lewis winds up being pretty damn valuable the rest of the season, so it could be an even swap, but I like him more long-term as a great star keeper than I do him remaining off the IL this year and being fully reliable.

Welcome aboard, Royce Lewis! (3-5, double, HR.)

Curious who is leading the league in SP pulled after 5.2IP <4.50ERA starts... ffs.

the problem with having 4 excellent SP lining up the same day is one of those days I'll forget abt my lineups ʕノ•ᴥ•ʔノ ︵ ┻━┻

i should say lining up the day ALL SEASON bahh

same* day, lol nvm

Mr. jqhiggins,

I sent you an intriguing trade proposal...

...

SShasta

thinking about it!

i just noticed Jake Burger and David Fry are on the same team

Ya. It’s too bad Colas isn’t worth an ad.

don't forget Zach Pop

worth a cup of caffeine at least

*** any Non-Keeperable (Crochet, Salvy, Reynaldo...) going for exceptional keepers ***

i missed 2 of the 4 SP tonight: 1W, 5H, 13K:2BB, 2QS

sent you a message via the fantasy chat, francis

Remember every time you drop a player because they've been cold and you have a desperate need elsewhere, that player will immediately go off on a hot streak. #themoreyouknow🌈

lmk if u drop skubal pls

He gave up like 4 runs tonight. Time to drop!

Rebuild mode: activated!

I woke up this morning with Bradish on the IL, Verlander DTD, Ramirez NA (congrats to the new dad).

ugh mookie injured

further to omar’s point I have dropped Sleepy Gleyber Torres so his campaign will surely get back on track

Early on, when I was bouncing around the middle of the standings, I was dutifully moving players back and forth from the bench; I figured as long as a kept on top of that, I'd make out okay. Except for forgetting to check the occasional day--once a week, maybe--I'm still doing that, once or twice without fail, and I slide a little bit more down the standings every day. I'm 11th now, down to 77.5 points--my lowest ever, I think.

Conclusion: my players just aren't that good.

my team weird because i have the worst offense in the league and arguably the best pitching. i’m not competitive yet this year anyway but come on hit a hr once in a while, Chourios

lost harrison to the DL and figured i could stream starters until i got a SP back...
i don't think i've even had streaming SP go so horribly wrong in all my years of fantasy baseball.

remember when i was in first place for like a month? i'm now in 10th place. i think my offensive numbers have actually gotten worse since i traded for judge (not because of judge, obviously).

I have six players on the DL, five of them were Opening Day starters on offense.

I wrote that post, and last night my team put up 12R, 4HR, 12 RBIs. Obviously my words fired up the fantasy troops.

My impressive free-fall continues: 12th-place, with last well within view. I have power (most of it from Ozuna, I think) and nothing else.

Royce Lewis has worked out spectacularly thus far--power from him, too--and it hasn't mattered a bit.

JACK FLAHERTY OR AMED ROSARIO

Jack Flaherty is pitching the best season of his career

Amed Rosario has lacerations after getting hit in the face with a 97 mph fastball yesterday

i'm riding the amed rosario train all the way to mvp city

well my will to try and compete this season has been crushed, i'm open to trade offers too. in particular i've got a couple of excellent closers for anyone chasing saves. looking for keepers in the lower age bracket, since i only have one option there right now. not trading rutschman or ragans but i'd listen to offers on anyone else.

I'm now 12th, a mere 6 points ahead of z_tbd. My collapse has been relentless.

Sent you an offer.

(2 NA)

i was not joking, clemenza - the battle for last place will be a real one, and it will get ugly

it is my honor and duty to be a competitive last place team

i do think there should be some sort of league system where the last place team gets a special bonus in the offseason, like maybe a big cash prize

i am so passionate about winning that i am not only starting Lance Lynn today, but i am also physically traveling to busch stadium to cheer him on from the loge section along the first base line! i am hoping that lance lynn gets PISSED about something!

https://swanboy.com/comic/injuredlist/

lol my team has -3 steals tonight

Done! I have found my way home.

REBUILD MODE CONTINUES:

For anyone looking for <27 keepers, I drafted a 24yo 1B currently in AAA who is currently ranked #54¹, 55², 74³ or 89th⁴ in Fantasy Dynasty/Keeper/Prospect rankings:

Spencer Torkelson (he hit 27 homeruns over Jun-Oct last year in MLB)

He is cockblocked because I have 2 *other* <27yo prospects awaiting my NA list and the other 1B I drafted as insurance has exceeded expectations.

I'm humbly looking for SVH help, eg someone who has earned ~20 SVH so far...?

src:
¹: MrCheatsheet
²: FantasyPros
³: Fantrax
⁴: ImaginaryBrickWall

NEVERMIND, lol NA accepted my trade earlier lol. Kindly disregard.

i have a similar problem - i need some 27-29 keepers for next year! i will try to some research soon and figure out if another team is a good fit for a trade. but...i have a surplus of younger keepers and decent starting pitching, up for grabs

i feel like we are all very trade-y this season