Ask Nash: How Valuable is Stephen Strasburg?

Nash —  September 7, 2012 — 2 Comments

Stephen Strasburg

Nash I’m in a 5×5 head to head keeper league where I am set to make the playoffs.  I currently have Stephen Strasburg and I’m wondering how flexible I should be in dropping him and risk losing him for next year?

We get 5 keepers in a snake style draft and the rest of my roster is as follows:

C- Matt Wieters
1B- Prince Fielder
2B- Robinson Cano
3B- Pablo Sandoval
SS- Jimmy Rollins
LF- Alex Gordon
CF- Curtis Granderson
RF- Nelson Cruz
UTL- Billy Butler

Bench- Mike Aviles, Chris Davis

P- Felix Hernandez
P- Stephen Strasburg
P- R.A. Dickey
P- Tom Wilhelmsen
RP- Rafael Betancourt
RP- Jason Motte

Bench- Tommy Milone, Ryan Vogelsong, Wandy Rodriguez

As of right now I think I’d keep Prince, Cano, Granderson, Felix and Strasburg

Thoughts?

Jeff

Jeff,

Personally I would never recommend keeping two pitchers unless your league has more pitching categories, double-digit keepers, or if the pitchers are both top-tier and you don’t have great hitters.

Strasburg is a VERY good pitcher, and probably a top-tier pitcher especially next year if he has his innings cap lifted.

That said, given your situation I would keep a fourth hitter over Starasburg, most likely Wieters. He really came on strong this year and is carving out a spot as a top-five catcher, and that is nothing to scoff at. Having a thin position like catcher taken care of pre-draft is a really good place to be in and you will be able to more easily replace Strasburg in the sixth round and beyond than you can Wieters.

Now in some leagues that have quality starts as a category then I MIGHT keep Strasburg as well as Felix however it is still tough for me.

Now I wouldn’t automatically drop Strasburg in favor of another arm because I would prefer to have him around to maybe trade to someone else for a better fifth keeper. Perhaps you can trade Wieters and Strasburg for Buster Posey or maybe Carlos Santana. An upgrade at catcher would be awesome, but maybe a pipe dream.

If you can work around dropping Strasburg you should in fact do so!  However no reason to keep him and end up losing a round of playoffs in which you needed to stream in a pitcher or two.

The Strasburg situation has been an interesting one to anticipate at the end of the season because he is a such a talent. Just chalk this dilema up to an embarassment of riches.

Good luck sir!

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Nash

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Nash is an avid sports fan who hails from the East Bay Area and now lives in the great Midwest. Nash has been playing fantasy sports for years, his favorite being fantasy baseball. Probably because it remains the only fantasy sport in which he has not won a league championship...yet.
  • http://fantasybaseballcrackerjacks.com Clave

    Man, I don’t know about this. I’m just not feeling it.

    Jeff didn’t mention if 5 keepers means you forfeit your top five draft pcks or the round in which you drafted the player. I think you were right in assuming the first five drafts picks.

    That said, I don’t think there is any way in heck I’d take Weiters in the the 5th round next year. That would put him somewhere in the top 50 players and I can’t see that.

    I could see taking Strasburg in the top 50 and I’d even give the edge to Panda over Weiters. I do like your advice about trading Weiters.

    It’s hard, though, to answer a keeper question just far out, which is exactly why Jeff was getting a second opinion, I suppose.

    I’d just be stoked with the keepers Jeff had mentioned, feeling confident that with the two young arms I was keeping that I could draft best available hitters the next 6-7 rounds or so and have myself a winner of a team.

  • Nash

    Yeah, I never asked what Jeff would sacrifice to have 5 keepers, I usually do. However I just prefer to lock up a position like catcher. I do not think Weiters is a top 50 guy either but the argument can be that past round 5 catchers is MUCH weaker than out field so it might be wise to reach for a decent catcher. I think I easily take Weiters in round 6, don’t you?