In fantasy baseball, a lot of players will play the "Name Game", and wonder why they are at the bottom of the standings. What exactly is the name game? It's the fantasy baseball equivalent of drafting Johnny Manziel ahead of Jadeveon Clowney, or Kobe Bryant ahead of Stephen Curry. It's all about the name to some, but in fantasy baseball, it's all about the numbers. Let's take a look at some common mistakes that the name game can cause. Call it: Player A vs. Player B.
Player A: 129.2 innings pitched, 126 strikeouts, seven wins and 10 losses, 2.85 ERA and 1.18 WHIP
Player B: 125.1 innings pitched, 96 strikeouts, ten wins and six losses, 3.45 ERA and 1.13 WHIP
Who would you rather have? I'd take player A since he has more strikeouts, a lower ERA and a slightly higher WHIP.
Who would you rather have between Tyson Ross and Jered Weaver? The name game says Weaver, the numbers say Ross.
Player A: .282 batting average, 45 runs scored, eight home runs, 41 runs batted in and 15 stolen bases
Player B: .273 batting average, 51 runs scored, seven home runs, 28 runs batted in and 17 stolen bases
Who would you rather have? Player A has definitely had the better season, with a higher average, one more home run, 13 more runs batted in and just two fewer stolen bases and six fewer runs scored.
Who would you rather have between Jose Reyes and Alexei Ramirez? The numbers win again, as Reyes is Player B.
Player A: .322 batting average, 63 runs scored, 15 home runs, 63 runs batted in, and 10 stolen bases.
Player B: .324 batting average, 57 runs scored, 17 home runs, 61 runs batted in, and 15 stolen bases.
These numbers are close, right? Who would you rather have? Probably Player B. The name game is right this time, as Player B is Andrew McCutchen. But who is Player A? Mike Trout? Carlos Gomez?
Would you believe it if Player A was Michael Brantley? It's true, so be sure to check the numbers. Brantley is one of the best overall players in fantasy baseball this year.
Player A: .301 batting average, 54 runs scored, 16 home runs, 54 runs batted in and four stolen bases.
Player B: .290 batting average, 57 runs scored, 19 home runs, 53 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases.
This is also close, but you'd much rather have Player B because of the different in stolen bases, right?
Who would you rather have between Adam Jones or Todd Frazier? That's what I thought. Be sure to take a look at the numbers, because so far this season, Frazier is better than Jones.
The name game gives you: Weaver, Reyes, McCutchen, and Adam Jones. What a squad, right?
The numbers give you: Ross, Ramirez, McCutchen (or Brantley) and Frazier. What sounds like a better team? The latter one sounds like a bunch of second tier players, when in actuality those four are miles ahead of the previous four in fantasy baseball this year. Avoid the name game to win your league.