As fantasy baseball's head-to-head playoffs and the final month of a grueling six-month rotisserie format begin in September, you'll need to remain determined and pay close attention to all of the statistics.
Most importantly, there is no room for emotion.
The excitement over the new rookies needs to be tempered, as well as any feelings about certain veteran players.
If a player doesn't perform as expected, he has to go. There is no time for hope, regardless of name, reputation or past achievements.
Parting ways with veteran players can be a tough thing for fantasy managers to do.
We tend to hold on to the past, longing for the days when our players did something big for us.
Get a group of fantasy baseball managers in a room and ask them to name players from 10 years ago.
Remember when Ben Revere stole 49 bases to lead his team to the championship?
Or when Adrian Gonzalez led the league in RBIs and was a deciding factor for you down the stretch?
It's a funny game, but it's also a very dangerous one.
Paul Goldschmidt has been a mainstay on fantasy championship teams for many years.
Remember those two seasons in 2015-2016 when he combined for 57 home runs and 53 stolen bases?
Those were great years.
But how do we feel about his batting average of .236 with just 20 home runs and eight stolen bases this season?
Plus, what about the mere seven homers and 17 RBIs he produced in the second half of the season?
Goldschmidt was a great player, but his time in fantasy is over.
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August was a miserable month for many of the veterans, and they will need to start cleaning up the roster and make some hard cuts.
How else are you going to add players like Roman Anthony, Matt Shaw and Quinn Matthews?
Forget about emotions.
Forget the names, just take a hard look at the numbers and think about what you need most.
If Luis Robert is on your team and you don't need speed, how is his .217 batting average and two home runs going to help you? Bye.
How long were you going to put Josh Jung on the IL after he hit .232 this month with just two home runs? Bye-bye.
Randy Arozarena? Auf Wiedersehen!
Christopher Morrell? Good night.
Become the real-life General Manager you need to be to win championships.
Take all emotion out of your decision making and just focus on the numbers.
With one month left, they will be your only reliable help.
Howard Bender is Fantasy Alarm Follow him on X Translator Tune in to the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” weekdays from 6-8pm on the SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Channel. Visit FantasyAlarm.com We bring you all the fantasy baseball news and advice.
