Rotisserie and Head to Head

I'm in two fantasy leagues besides Strat-O-Matic that I care about.

Both are American League only, and both have five keepers from year to year.

One is a seven-team traditional Rotisserie points format, standard 5x5 substituting on base percentage for batting average in addition to runs, runs batted in, home runs, and steals, and adding pitching "holds" to the traditional categories of wins, saves, strikeouts, earned run average, and whip (also called ratio). So it's a 5x6 league, really.

Rosters are c, 1b, 2b, 3b, ss, lf, cf, rf, utility, sp, sp, rp, rp, p, p, p (note that outfield positions are specified lf, cf, and rf, rather than the more usual generic "of," and certain pitching slots have to be filled with players who qualify at starter or reliever specifically).

The other is an eight team head-to-head league, in which I have been less successful over time, and the rosters in this league are both larger and less specific, with c, 1b, 2b, 3b, ss, 1b/3b, 2b/ss, of, of, of, u, u, p, p, p, p, p, p, p, p (extra corner and middle infielder, three generic outfielder, two utility slots, and eight generic pitchers).

With eight teams and bigger rosters, this is a deeper league.

At this point, here are the five keepers I'm anticipating for each league. The first seems pretty cut and dried, but the second is still up in the air.

Harder's Hitters, L.A. Slackers, rotisserie points format with OBP:

1. Carlos Santana, c (check it out...he's certainly close to the top A.L. catcher, along with Victor Martinez and Alex Avila)
2. Miguel Cabrera, 1b (solid production pretty much every year)
3. Ian Kinsler, 2b (an injury risk annually, but great production from a second baseman)
4. Curtis Granderson, cf (great season after choosing not to keep him last year and drafting him in the mid rounds this year)
5. Felix Hernandez, sp (solid season, but not quite on a par with 2010's Cy Young year)

Not making the cut: Nelson Cruz, rf, Shin-Soo Choo, rf, Dustin Ackley, 2b, Gio Gonzalez, sp

Jo-Hari Hitters, Pine Tar and Cold Beer, head-to-head format:

1. Carlos Santana, c (in this league we use batting average, so there is some risk here)
2. Adrian Gonzalez, 1b (finishing last in 2010 gave me the first pick in 2011)
3. Nelson Cruz, of (provides power and speed)
4. Brandon Morrow, p (elite strikeout levels, but is he a keeper?)
5. B.J. Upton, of (good source of steals, and decent power, but when will he put it all together?)

I also have closers Jordan Walden, Neftali Feliz, and Kyle Farnsworth and starter Gio Gonzalez, and hitters Jemile Weeks, Dustin Ackley, and Alexei Ramirez (off year, but at a premium position). Keeping a closer may have merits, as in this league you have to have two or more, it seems, and having to draft that many is a major constraint.

In terms of performance this year, Harder's Hitters are in first place in L.A. Slackers, and have been most days of the season so far.

The Jo-Hari Hitters are currently in second, six games back of the leader, but one of only two teams above .500.

More later.