Fantasy Baseball: What to Do with Tim Lincecum and Other Struggling Players

I call it the "Old-Man Game." It is not a disrespectful term. What I'm referring to is the ability of athletes to succeed as their age creeps higher, despite declining physical abilities.

For an athlete to be great, they need to develop their "Old-Man Game" in order to sustain their success. Compare the current model of Kobe Bryant to the 2004 model. Kobe has gone to the "Old-Man Game," but it's still spectacular.

So what does all of this have to do with fantasy baseball?

Simply put, fantasy baseball IS the "Old-Man Game". Fantasy football rewards random plays and last-minute injuries with unexpected (or even undeserved) victories. Fantasy baseball is a grind.

The need to react is a very strong human instinct. When you see a player turn in a bad first two weeks or two starts, it's natural to want to make a move. The only major move that I would be making is trying to acquire some of these struggling players, not letting them go.

Not all struggling players are created equal. Tim Lincecum has struggled mightily in his first two starts and there could be some real issues. Francisco Liriano was dominant in spring training, but has been horrendous in his two starts so far in 2012.

If Lincecum is on my roster, he's not going anywhere. Why should he? He was definitely drafted in the first six rounds and he has a very strong track record. Liriano has shown dominance before, but he's also completely imploded in the past. Not to mention Liriano was drafted in the 15th round or later. If there's a hot free agent, or a two-start pitcher available, I have no problem telling Liriano to hit the bricks.

There are some general operating rules here.

1. Any players I drafted at the end of the my draft (last five-to-ten rounds) are fair game to drop for various free agents.
2. Players I drafted to be starters (Rounds 1-15) should be held for four-to-six weeks in order to more accurately evaluate their value.
3. Cut a pitcher before a hitter.
4. Pick up a hitter before a pitcher.
5. While you shouldn't cut certain players, it is perfectly okay to bench them if they are struggling.

There are players who should be on waiver wires that I'm already seeing. Guys like Alex Gordon, Josh Johnson, John Axford and Drew Stubbs were drafted fairly early in most drafts. It's far too early to give up on them at this point.

In head-to-head leagues, make sure you focus on winning each week. That sounds simple, but that means you might need open bench spots to stream pitchers. Or hold an extra closer. Don't clog your bench up with injured players or prospects (unless you're in a keeper or deep bench league) at the cost of winning this week or next week.

In roto leagues, don't get too carried away in chasing any one category. Stay the course with the players you drafted. But you should monitor the standings. If you have an obvious weakness (home runs, stolen bases, strikeouts, etc.) you should try to address it early on. There's no point in waiting until you're buried in a category.

Just like the actual baseball season, the fantasy baseball season is incredibly long. Any moves you make now can greatly impact the remaining 94 percent of the MLB season. Remember that we are only two weeks into the season. The key right now is to have the best possible overall players on your team, while starting the hottest players (not necessarily the "best" players).

When it comes to players such as the aforementioned Lincecum, should you cut him, or trade him for fifty cents on the dollar? Not a chance. Should you try acquire him via trade FOR fifty cents on the dollar? Absolutely. Should you dial-down your expectations of Lincecum? If you thought he was going to be a top-seven starting pitcher, yes you should.

Could Tim Lincecum only be the third-best fantasy pitcher on the San Francisco Giants this season? Sure. That doesn't mean that Lincecum will have no fantasy value. It just means that you should probably look at him as a No. 2 starting pitcher in fantasy, as opposed to your team ace.

Thanks for reading, if you have anything to add or any questions, please use the comments below. Good luck this season.

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