Fantasy Baseball: Keys to Winning

These are the ten most important steps to winning your fantasy baseball league. So many times people think an excellent draft or an excellent trade alone can win you the league, THIS IS NOT THE CASE! The list is in order of importance, for the most part.

1. STAY ACTIVE. 5 minutes of fantasy a day keep last place far far away. You need to stay on top of who is starting and who has off days and you need to follow the free agent pool religously. The teams that win leagues are the teams that find that hidden gem before anyone else does.

2. The Draft. This is the starting point for the whole season. It is the single most important moment and if you don't prepare correctly you are doomed to finish in the bottom half.

3. Know your league. Know the scoring system and roster requirements like the back of your hand. Knowing the other owners favorite teams and tendencies is also a must. Know when you owners come online, eat, drink, sleep and have sex. (note: MLB Front Office does not promote having sex before you are married)

4. Trading. Don't get ripped off and know your stuff. You don't need to make amazing trades to win your league, just know your stuff and don't let other managers rip you off. Know the person you are trading with and who their favorite players are. Also, don't trade just to make a trade. Know what you want and don't trade unless you get it.

5. Sell high and buy low. After the first month if a star player is struggling ask the owner what he wants for him, it may be much less than you would think. On the other hand, if a player is performing much higher than usual, sell him high (Think Chris Shelton). Some perenial slow starters: Aramis Ramirez, Johan Santana.

6. Follow the minor leagues. If a player is about ready to come up, take a chance on him. He may become the next Jered Weaver. Some players to keep an eye on this season: Ryan Sweeney, Alex Gordon (if he doesn't start the year in the majors), Phil Hughes and Homer Bailey (although they may already be owned in your league).

7. Know players stats. If a player has a tendency to go through long slumps and come back better than before after it, bench the player but don't drop him. Know the players past, and not just the previous season.

8. If it ain't broken don't fix it. Too many times people get bored and try to change their team when its not needed. Don't fall prey to boredom, just flip on the TV, kick back and watch some sports center. Chances are there will be a nice segment on whether Pete Rose did or did not -- as there have been for the past 20 years!

9. Follow your team, and everyone else's team. You have to know who you have to beat in order to beat them. Are they speed deprived? How many closers do they have? Could one trade put you over the top? What category do you have to improve in?

10. HAVE FUN. Fantasy Baseball isn't your job, its FOR FUN. If you aren't having fun you will have a higher tendency to miss out on something or someone important.