A 50-game MLB season would create many fantasy issues

By Howard Bender, Fantasy Alarm

Another week has passed and Major League Baseball has yet to move any closer toward resolving its issues and setting up a plan for the 2020 season. Given the lack of hope for a resolution, fantasy baseball commissioners are going to have to make numerous adjustments in the wake of a potential cancellation.

In a re-draft league, a season cancellation makes your decision easy. If they opt for a 50-game season, it becomes a matter of whether or not you even want to play. If you haven’t drafted yet, you still can squeeze one in, though it is highly suggested you avoid all head-to-head formats. Typically, head-to-head playoffs are one-sixth of the total games played in a season. What are you going to do, base your playoffs on eight games? Stick to the rotisserie format, and if this is your first time playing this style, you just may realize how much better it is for fantasy baseball.

For leagues that already have drafted, it is more complicated. If you drafted before the shutdown, you should demand a new one. Strategies for a 50-game season are dramatically different than those for a 162-game season. If you drafted with the knowledge of a truncated season, you can leave things as is. Nevertheless, it is again recommended you convert from any head-to-head format and try your hand at rotisserie.

The trickier part for commissioners comes in the form of keeper and dynasty leagues. These leagues usually involve contracts, and those who have premier players for only a limited time are likely to get a raw deal similar to what the Dodgers may be headed towards with Mookie Betts, who becomes a free agent after the 2020 season. Does an owner who traded for one year of Mike Trout, who may not even play even in a truncated season, just lose out?

There is also the question of minor league rosters in dynasty. We are being told that, with no minor league season, each MLB team will be grated a 50-player pool from which to use during the year. Managers will be mixing and matching more than ever in a sprint to the playoffs, and that could start the clock for a number of players. Dynasty owners will be forced to use players they were hoping to stash away for another season.

No decisions should be made until the owners and players can come together on a plan for the 2020 season, but you need to prepare yourself for worst-case scenarios. Talk to your leaguemates as everyone will be impacted, though not all on the same level. Communication is key to save your fantasy league.

Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at Fantasy-Alarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 5-7 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball advice.