2012 recap

My best values/favorites by position

C...many...but I like platoon involving AJ Pier/Montero I would also use Rosario to balance my lineup

1B Fielder(everyone went Moss..I'd snag Prince) Plays 162 and always hit his card +

2B Beckham/Barney...its all about the D ...ive had both hit 15 dingers in a season

SS Reyes...another 162 game player....speed on top of order....decent D is nice when matched with above 2B

3B....I played them all here this year...no real fave

LF This could also be named LF/DH as I used 4 man platoons in these spots...Kubel...Pierre(*perhaps best value in set) Trumbo in a HR park...VS LHP...Viciendo(Kubels mate)..Carerra(Pierres mate)....Canzler

CF Adam Jones...when i missed i go with Gomez or Granderson

RF another platoon/dh spot...Gomes... Beltran both worked well

SP...Loved Medlin despite the $....Wainwright excellent value...Paulino always won for his $...got good use from Cahill and Zambrano

RP....plenty of good sub 2M guys....Cischek...Strop....Marshall..( I had many 40 season saves from a platoon of these guys....Villareal...Jones(6L) Broxton....Rapada..excellent specialists

These are the guys I used the most:

C: either Napoli/Lucroy (expensive) or Saltalamacchia/Castillo (cheaper). Salty had an .830 OPS and 46 HR/600 AB in 3000 ABs. Lucroy had a .900 OPS playing mostly against LH but holding his own against RH.

1B: G. Jones/ Plouffe (or Ransom) platoon. Jones is a monster. I also used Morneau, I.Davis, C.Davis, and I'm using Encarnancion and I love them all.

2B: Hill

SS: Desmond

3B: Alvarez, Chavez, C. Johnson, Francisco v. R paired with Plouffe/Ransom/Carroll and several others.

LF: Kubel. Also loved C Gonzalez and Braun, but Kubel had an .800 OPS and 35 HR/600 AB playing against both sides of the plate. His stats would have been flashier if I had platooned him, but he was often valued LH protection. C.Davis too.

CF: Granderson.

RF: Ruggiano, though I also liked Schierholz, paired with Plouffe or Wells, or Snider. After that, I used Heyward, Choo, Ethier, monsters v R, but weak v L.

DH: Willingham

SP: F Hernandez, Peavy, Fister, Hammel, Parker, Fiers, Paulino (if enough LHBs), Billingsley, and Westbrook. I mentioned Drabek, Floyd, and Pomeranz earlier, but I also got good matchup performances out of Germano, Liriano, Zito, Seddon, Masterson, and more.

RP: Studs: Atchison, Tazawa, W. Lopez.
Solid value: Kontos, Stammen, McClure
cheap closer: Reed, Broxton, Holland
surprise value: Tom Gorzelanny

That is a lot of platoons.

I failed to mention Holland as a closer

I twice had 30 save season @ over 80% rate

At .50, in a hitters park, you can't do much better than Rickie Weeks as your full-time DH, allowing yourself considerably more coin for other players.

For those who love bullpens and super relievers, Aroldis Chapman and Raul Valdes both won Cy Young Awards for me

First year playing online. 10 teams. Averaged 85.1 wins (.525) 3 teams with 91+ wins. 4 teams made semi finals. 2 made finals (one team just starting semis Monday).
favorite cards
Starters: used the Dickey/Peavy 1-2 twice. Both teams made playoffs and both times both pitchers won 20+. also had good success with Greinke and Morrow. Favorite bargain cards: Arroyo, Zito, Gavin Floyd

Closer: Soriano. Holland also good for a cheap one

setup: Fien. Crain also very good for me. Favorite cheapies: Tolleson, Lindblom, Matusz. Brach in a pitchers park

C: Used different guys practically every time. didn't feel like I got my money's worth out of Molina or Montero. Favorite cheaper catcher probably Welington Castillo. The Navarro/Sanchez platoon was pretty good

1B: Ortiz. for cheap platoon combination, Morneau/LaHair with Canzler/Ransom

2B: Hill. Infante was solid if I wanted to go "cheap" at this position

SS: Reyes (Desmond was great as well)

3B: Miggy Cabrera - used twice, league MVP both times!

LF: Had good luck with Braun, Hamilton, Holliday. Pierre/Viciedo was a bust for me

CF: Adam Jones. Also like Brantley. Used Trout once and he was great, but salary is almost prohibitive

RF: Rios. Doesnt' get on base that much, but bat him 5th and he'll knock in 100 every time

utility infielder: Elliot Johnson

Chris Denorfia had a monster Troutesque season helping me win a title.
Nearly won the batting title avg, oba, slg line of .345, .397, .591 at Fenway with 28 dingers.
I figured it was a fluke due to it being a $60m no DH league. in that he faced water downed pitched. Was afraid to use him again because I know it would be a huge letdown.

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/misc/1108151