The Importance of pitching in Fantasy baseball

Every year there is always someone in a fantasy baseball league that goes completely against what all the numbers tell him to do and drafts pitching within the first few rounds. If you have more pitchers than batters after round 5 your team will be bad. The theory behind this is that hitters play almost every day while pitchers pitch every fifth day, so there contribution is not as much. Now I think that this strategy holds true for head to head leagues more than roto leagues. In roto leagues you eventually have to win a few of the pitching categories in order to win your league. However in head to head fantasy baseball you need hitters in order to have a chance. If you want to win your head to head fantasy baseball league it is imperative that you wait until at least the 6th round to draft your first pitcher.

If you are drafting a pitcher in the first two rounds of your fantasy baseball draft you are missing out on five tool players. Even the best pitchers only contribute in 4 of the 5 main pitching categories. Your first two draft picks should be the core of your team. These guys should play every day and should be a serious contributor in all categories. Drafting pitchers too early is a risk that any serious manager should avoid. Having a solid ace is necessary but drafting any pitcher n the first few rounds is a wasted pick.

In roto leagues having a stud pitcher that pitches every 5 days is key. However do not waste your first few picks on one of these guys. Look for candidates that could break out. Look at Lincecum last year. He was drafted usually after the 15th round. He is now going in the 2nd round, sometimes before Santana. There will be another Lincecum this year, who will it be? Also there will be contributors that you will be able to pick up off of waivers. Stay active and make sure you give these waiver wire studs a chance. Cliff Lee and Chad Billingsley are just two examples. Wait till the 5th round to draft your first pitcher in a roto league. However do not force this, if there is no one worth taking that early don’t worry there are plenty of guys that will out produce there draft position, you just have to find them.

Having hitters in fantasy baseball is always more important than having a solid pitching staff. A fantasy baseball pitcher does not contribute ever day. Anyone that you spend a first round pick on should contribute on a daily basis. Make sure to check back later for some of my sleeping pitchers. These guys could be the next Lincecum and could be essential to winning your fantasy baseball league.