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Buddy Smith

Homestead Grays: Taming the Beast

League Context:


6x6 10 Team Dynasty Roto

R, HR, RBI, SB, AVG, OPS

W, QS, K, H+SV2, ERA, WHIP

Daily FAAB ($250)

Daily Lineups


The history, as I know it:


This league has been going on for twenty years in a number of forms. It started as a keeper, and slowy transitioned to a dynasty over the years. The commissioner runs a tight ship. Things are well managed. He hounds people to keep their line ups full, and will fill them on his own when pressed. He is highly concerned with equity and fairness. He removes owners who make homophobic and racist comments. The commissioner does a great job of maintaining the playing field.


He also has a fucking monster of a team. More on that later.


The owners are widely diverse in fantasy experience and involvement. Some make daily moves and go to minor league games, others are brand new to fantasy baseball.


There is an extremely active trading owner, who is in 40% of the trades that happen each year. He likes to buy pitching. He expects to compete every single year and will leverage the future for win now pieces. The league is shallow enough and he is knowledgeable enough for his strategy to be effective, but he is so active that it colors my play in the league. I know that there will be an active market for breakout starting pitching, which can be converted for oher team needs.


There are two managers who have very deep pitching knowledge, but seem inexperienced at game play.


There are a cluster of teams who seem to be “regular” fans. They follow a team. They know the stars. Some know the top prospects. Their minor league systems are static. I can trade with these teams in the late spring and early summer for positional and categorical needs.


There is a team who is finishing up their first season, and has a lot to learn.


And then there is The Beast.


C Elias Diaz

1B Matt Olson

2B Trea Turner

3B Nolan Areanado

SS Wander Franco

MI JP Crawford

CI Kris Bryant

OF Randy Arozerana

OF Mike Trout

OF Ronald Acuna

OF Starling Marte

UT Eloy Jimenez

UT Brandon Marsh

UT Ian Happ / Lane Thomas / Jarred Kelenic


P Max Scherzer

P Lance Lynn

P Joe Musgrove

P Zac Gallen

P Freddy Peralta

P Dylan Cease

P Ranger Suarez

P Josh Hader

P Liam Hendricks

P Jordan Romano


To counter that attack, we are working with


C MJ Melendez

1B Pete Alonso

2B Jose Altuve

3B Austin Riley

SS Bo Bichette

CI Alex Bregman

MI Trevor Story

OF Mitch Haniger

OF Cedric Mullins

OF Michael Conforto

OF Kike Hernandez

UT Max Muncy

UT Jorge Polanco

UT Nelson Cruz


Bench Assets:

Ke’Bryan Hayes

Luis Urias (MIL)

Kyle Lewis

Lamonte Wade


Close Farm Pieces

Bobby Witt Jr.

Josh Jung

Oswald Peraza

Mark Vientos

Jose Barrero


P Corbin Burns

P Lucas Giolito

P Shane McClanahan

P Nathan Eovaldi

P John Means

P Jameson Taillon

P Giovanny Gallegos

P Jake McGee

P Devin Williams


Extra Arms

Aaron Ashby

Nestor Cortes

Cristian Javier

Edward Cabrera

Wade Miley


Last year I volumed my way into second place by rotating guys through the minor leagues and expanding the roster. I couldn’t match elite for elite talent, so I did what I could – play a lot of guys. Daily moves and roosters made this possible. I ended up with 150 more games played than most teams. As one would guess, I ran away with the counting stats, but had average BA and OPS figures, which cost me the championship. The good news is that second place pays pretty well.


My outfield is slow afoot, which could be improved. I don’t have the horses to hang with the Beast’s pitching staff. I could use a big piece there. I could try to trade Peraza to a Yankee fan for an arm. I could also try to trade Josh Jung for an arm. I have Brennan Davis and Luis Matos, who could bring back an arm. I have Gabriel Moreno, who is generating plenty of hype as well. I could also move Melendez for the same reason.


This league is dead for transactions and conversations right now, so there isn’t much to do but wait and wonder. It gets very active in May, as teams adjust.

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