I am still pondering a pitching-heavy draft strategy for 2008. I know it is risky, but, given most of the fantasy world devalues pitching, I know I can get five or six quality ones. This will allow room for the inevitable injury or two.
In mixed leagues, this seems viable. But what about an NL-Only league? With the pitching pool cut roughly in half, are there enough quality starting pitchers available to withstand the inevitable injury/lack of effectiveness?
Fortunately, the NL LABR draft has posted some of the results prior to the publication of The Leviathan in USA Today. Jonah Keri of ESPN appears to have executed a pitching-heavy strategy, and Doug Dennis of Baseball HQ appears to have tried a low-cost pitching sleeper strategy.
Do the results of either of these strategies look good and, by extension, lend credence to either strategy?
$117 on pitching by Jonah Keri:
- Manny Parra MLW SP 5
- Aaron Heilman NYM RP 5
- Brad Penny LA SP 11
- Barry Zito SF SP 7
- Bronson Arroyo CIN SP 10
- Francisco Cordero CIN RP 20
- Billy Wagner NYM RP 22
- Tom Gordon PHI RP 4
- John Smoltz ATL SP 20
- Derek Lowe LA SP 13
- Shawn Hill WAS SP 6
- Dave Bush MLW SP 6
- Wandy Rodriguez HOU SP 5
- Jason Bergmann WAS SP 5
- Kevin Correia SF SP 2
- Jonathan Sanchez SF SP 3
- Johnny Cueto CIN SP 4
- Chris Carpenter STL SP 2
- Randy Wolf SD SP 6
- Bob Howry CHC RP 7