Fantasy MLB Owners: Don't Give Up on Kevin Youkilis Just Yet

Opening Day has come and gone and the anticipation of first pitch has been replaced by the joy or angst fantasy owners have received from their team's performance over the past few days. If your team currently has a .190 batting average or has a 5.30 ERA to start the season, it is important for every fantasy owner to have one trait: patience.

During the first few weeks of baseball, fantasy expectations are high and many expect instant results out of their team. However, there is no reason to place a higher importance on opening week slump than say one that happens in mid-June. It is important to remember that baseball provides the largest sample sizes of any sport. A six game slump is like a quarterback having a bad half in the first game of the season. Would you trade your quarterback based off one half of football?

For Kevin Youkilis owners this past week has been frustrating (especially if you're a Red Sox fan on top of it). Youkilis currently holds a .105 AVG, 0 HR, and 1 RBI, not exactly tearing the cover off the ball. There is no reason for Youkilis owners to have lower expectations because of this slow start. Owners should still expect a .300 AVG, 25+ HR's, .900 OPS, and RBI totals nearing 100. With Youk recently gaining 3B eligibility, owners should expect him to be in the top 5 performers for third basemen.

As important as patience is when managing your own team, taking advantage of those that have none can make the difference of winning a league. Owners with no patience are constantly in the mind set of "what have you done for me lately?" Some owners are incapable of taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. Always keep track of owners like this and make sure to take advantage when they undervalue one of their own and overvalue yours. If you are able to bring a level minded approach when evaluating performance from your fantasy team you may provide yourself with the advantage it takes to dominate your league.