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I'm wanting to have 3 starters who are every 3-day guys (SP*), and then my 4th and 5th pitchers are not (SP).

Here is my question. Will HAL go with my top three guys, then #4, then go back to 1-2-3, then use #5?

Or, will he go 1-2-3-4-5 then back to #1?

I believe HAL would probably go back to 1-2-3 even if you put all 5 in rotation. But you can probably be certain of it by just putting the 3 * pitchers in your rotation and then leave 4 and 5 slots blank. Then every 4th day HAL should select whichever one is most rested.

What Valen said is true. The only way to override this is to set your starters for each game, or have the non-* guys at the beginning of the rotation.

Just imagine the fun you'd have putting non-* guys at different spots in the rotation!

The rotation is an order of preference. 1-5. IF 1 is available, 1 will pitch, if not, then 2, If not 2, then 3, and so on through 5.
1,2,3,4,1,2,3,5,1,2,3,4, etc.

I am not sure why you would want to do this. I write that with the full understanding that there is a price advantage in quality to 5 day guys.
The price advantage is about 8 starts worth. So, instead of paying 1 guy 4th starter, 4 day money to make 40 starts, you are instead, paying 2 guys 32 starts, but only using them for 20. Yes, that is 12/32 burned to waste.

If you have matchups that you'd like to exploit, lack of availability will burn you and put you, inevitably, in a bad matchup for your cheap guys.

You can probably find a 4th guy who is as good as two no-start guys, for less money, including the nickle scrub to sit on the bench and keep his hands warm.

all appropriate deference to PotKettleBlack, whose opinion is valuable, but I have run similar combos of non star starters several times with good success. But you need to plan.

If you have a lineup you like and a little spare $, a combo of 6 starters can actually give you some real matchup advantages.

Toward your example above, say you go with 3 different * starters, then perhaps a non star starter (lefty or righty) who is evenly balanced, a non star guy who is 3R and a non guy who is 3L with ALL 3 NON STAR GUYS being SP/RP. Then you can choose amongst the non star guys to match opponents andd the extra guys are your relief help.

It has to work into your budget and style, but I have had this work to my satisfaction.

Thanks to all for the information! Very helpful!

[quote:3cf3c100b4="hackra"]all appropriate deference to PotKettleBlack, whose opinion is valuable, but I have run similar combos of non star starters several times with good success. But you need to plan.

If you have a lineup you like and a little spare $, a combo of 6 starters can actually give you some real matchup advantages.

Toward your example above, say you go with 3 different * starters, then perhaps a non star starter (lefty or righty) who is evenly balanced, a non star guy who is 3R and a non guy who is 3L with ALL 3 NON STAR GUYS being SP/RP. Then you can choose amongst the non star guys to match opponents andd the extra guys are your relief help.

It has to work into your budget and style, but I have had this work to my satisfaction.[/quote:3cf3c100b4]

6 pitchers is a different deal. You can exploit matchups a lot better with 6 or 7 starters than you can with five. I wouldn't do it with my managerial style (I went to the Art Howe School of Management), but if you are a very active manager (i.e. you went to the Tony LaRussa School of Mgmt), yeah, the flexibility gotten from a L/R/E rotation for the 4th slot could make sense. Tough fit for cap at 80, more doable at 100, no reason not to at 140 when you could fill those with 3-6M guys.

On ESPN Classic Fantasy, it was not uncommon to use a 9 man rotation of starters and swingmen with the tenth pitcher being a pure reliever to close. Very effective, but would not work that well here, as you need 3 pure RPs for roster requirements.

Whoever is even more hands off then Art Howe, that would be me! I don't have the time to fool with all of the matchups.

That may suggest I stay with four SP*?

[quote:39005d4d72="Chemosh"]Whoever is even more hands off then Art Howe, that would be me! I don't have the time to fool with all of the matchups.

That may suggest I stay with four SP*?[/quote:39005d4d72]

Yep. If you went to the Art Howe School of Management... you might want to just get 4* or 5 no star guys.

One super common strategy I think is effective is one total stud * pitcher and then four lesser non-* guys with the cheaper non-* guys geared towards playing matchups. It does require more active daily management, but not really tons.

Back when the 1st round of the playoffs were five games, most people thought this style helped in a quick series because your stud could pitch two games, but a ton of teams built this way _made_ the playoffs. So, it must have been a pretty effective season long strategy as well.