H2H Gameplay Strategy Discussion

I’ll also add, regarding the “fun”/enjoyment of a 2 SP limit, or the “busting” of the rule…

I challenge anyone to audit their league and find how many matchups (among active teams) would’ve been different if each team was able to start their best 3, 4, 5, however many SP’s on any given day. My assumption is that it wouldn’t really change the league’s results; I’m guessing that most matchups wouldn’t have turned out any differently, and for the ones that did, any W gained would be off-set by an L against a team doing the same thing some other week. Which is to say, adding a 3rd or 4th active SP slot doesn’t fix anything, other than lowering your blood pressure when you realize you need to pick your best two options when you’ve got 3+ going.

A 2 active SP limit both increases the role your lineup decisions play in any given matchup (no differently than if you have two really good 3B and two really good 1B but, with the UTIL slot, can only ever play three) and it also increases the effect your ability to manage your rotation/roster has on your team over time (after all, if your three ACE’s are always starting on the same day, why not trade one for that solid MIF that you really need?).

Which is to say, I believe that this is a more strategic format than if there were 3 or more active SP slots, and I argue that isn’t a weekly strategy focused on lineup-management and matchup-gameplay what a H2H league is all about? Why regress to a ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ style of SP play? How much would it really change anyone’s results if there was a 3rd or 4th pitching slot?