RotoDerby: Looking For a Power Surge
Rotoderby has a game designed around power. Here's what we're talking about. Directly from the Rotoderby site:
Fantasy Longball (HR) Derby is based on a standard scoring system with a twist; where you are competing against others for the highest Fantasy Points throughout the season based on 3 stats, but weighted towards Home Runs (HRs). It consists of a 10 player starting roster (six infielders, four outfielders) with a Home Run stat cap used to build your team. Rosters are fixed all season and standings reset monthly. Winners are paid every month and at season-end.
Scoring is based on 3 stats as follows:
Home Runs (HRs): 5pts
Runs Batted In (RBIs): 1pt
Strikeouts (Ks): -1pt
Pick your team.
Follow the simple rules.
Last Week Ray Flowers did a great job pointing out three stats to look at in constructing your RotoDerby team. I want to build on that idea. With the home run cap from last season in place, one of the most important factors in setting your lineup is identifying players who should hit significantly more home runs than last season. This week I have found three factors that could lead to a jump in home runs:
- Health
In some ways this is pretty obvious. Brett Lawrie hit 12 home runs in 259 at-bats last season. If he stays healthy and reaches 550 at-bats for the first time in his career he should see a nice jump in home runs. Health also makes a difference in other ways that are not quite so obvious. Brandon Moss and Ryan Braun both struggled in the second half last season. Hip and thumb injuries affected their performance even though they managed to stay on the field. If those injuries are indeed behind them it is reasonable to expect bounce back seasons, especially in the power categories.
- Age
Not every young player is going to develop power as he gets older, but it happens often enough to make it worth exploring. If young prospects like Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado develop a bit more power as they enter their physical prime I doubt anybody would be surprised.
- Home Ballpark
Players who switched from teams with home ballparks that suppress power to home ballparks that reward power can easily see a bump in power production even if their skills stay the same. Travis Snider and Josh Donaldson have an excellent chance to top their 2014 home run totals just by getting out of Oakland and Pittsburgh respectively.