Question re: OPL and Rule 1a

Ottoneu Fantasy Baseball Baseball Rules
1

I have found some adjacent posts but nothing that exactly speaks to this question, so I’m sorry if this has been answered elsewhere.

I know there are debates over how to read and enforce Rule 1a. I want to make sure I have this down, since OPL roster strategy complicates things with respect to RP.

  1. Am I right to assume that the 22 player clause refers to the capability of filling a valid lineup based on eligibility and does not require that a complete valid lineup be set every day (leaving aside what “major-league” means for now)?

  2. If a pitcher is SP/RP eligible, but is currently being used as an SP in MLB games, does that player count toward RP validity for the 22 player clause? Do commissioners differ on this?

  3. A lot of the discussions I’ve found are fairly old. Is there any more consensus on the “major-league” part of the rule or is that just league-by-league? Do people take this to mean players who have debuted? Do they take it to mean players who are active? What about IL? Etc. Etc.

  4. Finally, if there are differing interpretations on these questions, does this give advantage/disadvantage to OPL managers in leagues with differing interpretations on 1, 2, or 3?

Sorry for the confusion, appreciate any advice in advance. Last year’s OPL winner had 0 RP and I’m trying to consider my own strategy without making my commissioner’s job a nightmare.

2

This is going to vary by league. Ideally, you have a conversation about this before the season starts and there’s agreement before the auction.

FWIW, here’s my interpretation:

  1. 22 MLB players who can fill the lineup. Some wiggle room if they’re on the 10/15 day IL; if a guy is on the 60 day IL, then he doesn’t count.

  2. SP should be actual SP, RP should be actual RP. Pitcher designation in Ottoneu is rather meaningless. It should be how they’re most likely to be used.

  3. Active MLB players on the 26 man roster (or 10/15 day IL).

  4. If I were a commish, I’d enforce the rule as the league agreed without regard to what is allowed in other OPL leagues.

But what I’ve described is by no means universal. It really does vary league to league.

3

Thanks for this, it’s super helpful. And I take it this doesn’t mean 22 players in the lineup, but 22 players on the roster who can meet these criteria — I can leave a spot open in the lineup, e.g., even if I have players that could slot in there, right?

4

Yeah, 22 guys on the 26 man roster (or 10/15 day IL) who could fill out the roster if they were in the lineup at the same time in only one lineup slot. Like you can’t have 22 MLB players but rely on Luis Urias to simultaneously cover 2B and 3B or whatever.

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5

I’ve wondered the same thing about RP and OPL.

I justify 0 RP as viable OPL strategy because a pitcher can be placed in any player spot. As long as you have 10 pitchers, you could “fill” each spot.

Granted, it could be argued that they can’t all get points if they are all starters…and that this violates the rule.

I’d then posit that pitchers are measured by IP, not by games or by position. So as long as teams are bound by the IP limit, it seems to me that the spectrum of SP to RP should be up to the individual owner.

Finally, OPL rosters are rather static. I for one did start with only 2 RP and am now attempting to add more now that the OPL roster was frozen.

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