Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
After months of making cheat sheets and studying various magazines, the first week of the fantasy baseball season is officially here. Opening Day is one of the most exciting days, and while it ends the grueling off-season, it often hazes the judgment of fantasy owners.
For instance, the Los Angeles Dodgers recently announced that SP Clayton Kershaw would not make his stateside opener due to a soar back. He will be re-evaluated next week in LA and this leaves his availability for the start of the season in question. In weekly leagues, Kershaw will now be a questionable start, because it is uncertain if he will even start a game in Week 1. Fantasy owners should study the health, and availability, of each pitcher on their roster before the first week officially starts.
Additionally, it is important to study position battles. Several teams have had players battle all spring for a starting spot, and in every matchup, there must be a loser. Make sure the guy in your lineup in Week 1 is the player that won the starting spot.
Another noticeable trend in the opening week of the fantasy season is that there won’t be many two-start pitchers. Most teams have yet to pick their full five-man rotation and some have even decided to add a sixth man into the rotation to start the year. The lack of two-start pitchers can be maddening during the first week of the season and will certainly take away a couple starts from some aces this week.
So while sitting down to plug in your Week 1 lineup, make sure to remember these important tricks. It may only be the first week of the season, but every week (and win) counts when the fantasy playoffs come rolling around.
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
