Over the past few weeks, I’ve been running through my favorite draft strategies (see: Pocket Rockets Strategy and the Marmol Strategy). The series continues today as I walk fantasy owners through what I call the Bichette Strategy. It is named after the total masher, Dante Bichette, who was the best hitter on one of the best offensive teams in baseball history. His 1995 pace would have had him hit 47 homers and 150 RBIs with 16 steals and a .340 batting average if not for the strike. If that is any indication, this strategy focuses on a scorch-earth offense. The reverse is also true, however, just like that Rockies’ team. Since we won’t be drafting a single pitcher until the entire lineup is filled, our ERA and WHIP will be plenty high. Even still, we should be able to finish first or second in each of the other three pitching categories.

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This strategy requires a lot of care, as you’ll be streaming starting pitchers every day of the season in order to pile up wins and K’s without spending any draft capital on starting pitchers. It is an ugly way to win, but if your league allows for it, you’ll coast to a title. Don’t worry about reaching for elite closers either since their ratios won’t have any impact on the final standings. You’ll be so far behind 11th place in ERA and WHIP that even Edwin Diaz, Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman couldn’t help you catch them. Instead, focus on the ratio-troubled closers who have no competition for saves. Or better yet, target contending teams who have closer battles and get both of their options. By doing this, you are guaranteed to get a load of save opportunities for a fraction of the cost. Since you don’t have to draft any starting pitchers, you’ll have plenty of room on your roster to stash eight of these guys until we know who the four closers actually are.

If you do end up grabbing a starter or three, your best investment is to get high-upside pieces from the late rounds. They won’t get in the way of your unstoppable offense, but there is a chance they turn into this year’s Blake Snell, Trevor Bauer, Patrick Corbin, Mike Clevinger or Walker Buehler.

What are the main goals of the Bichette Strategy?

• Punt ERA and WHIP
• Dominate the other eight categories
• Stream two to four starters every single day
• Fill out your entire offense before drafting any pitchers
• Grab 8 relievers late who are in closer battles from 4 playoff contending teams
• If you draft any starter, go with late-round high upside types
• Don’t hesitate to draft and stash top-tier hitters
• Release the relievers who win their closer battles for streaming SPs

When should I use the Bichette Strategy?

I am, as always, all about using Pocket Rockets or the Marmol Strategy. In many cases, however, league settings don’t allow for the Marmol cheat code. Likewise, keeper leagues and draft position can often times make Pocket Rockets a reach. If you can’t use the Marmol and won’t be able to enter the season with four of the top 16 starting pitchers, you can shift your focus to the Bichette Strategy which is every bit as much of a guarantee, but more difficult to carry out because you’ll need to make hundreds of transactions in the season and that isn’t an exaggeration.

There are leagues, of course, that have a limit on how many pickups you can make in a season or during a week. Obviously, the Bichette Strategy is impossible to execute in those leagues. Likewise, weekly lineup leagues don’t work either. If your league adds categories to the standard 5×5, quality starts or anything offensive make the Bichette Strategy more attainable. Strikeouts per 9 or any other ratio categories do the opposite, however. If you have more specific questions about how it fits your league, don’t hesitate to shoot me a Tweet @BobbyFantasyPro.

If Pocket Rockets, the Marmol Strategy or the Bichette Strategy don’t seem to fit into your league settings, worry not, I’ve got one more rolling out next week called the Moneyball Method. Like the others, it succeeds by punting two categories and mopping the floor with your competition in the other eight. Be sure to check in next Wednesday for an explanation if you haven’t drafted yet.

Who should I target?

Relievers in closing battles from contending teams

1. Jordan Hicks/Andrew Miller
2. Brandon Morrow/Pedro Strop
3. Matt Barnes/Ryan Brasier
4. Trevor May/Blake Parker
5. Arodys Vizcaino/A.J. Minter

Late starters with major upside

1. Ross Stripling
2. Carlos Martinez
3. Yu Darvish
4. Tyler Glasnow
5. Shane Bieber
6. Nick Pivetta
7. Alex Reyes
8. Forrest Whitley
9. Chris Paddack
10. Jesus Luzardo
11. Hyun-Jin Ryu
12. Freddy Peralta

Now, I’ll show you how the standings would ideally look if you properly execute this strategy. Afterward, I’ll provide a sample roster that I created using a 12-team roto league in Draft Wizard.

I drafted from the 12 spot to show that even without any truly elite hitters, you can build a five-category offensive juggernaut if you spend your first 14 picks on hitters. As you can see, from that point forward, I added eight relievers which should equal four closers with 150 save opportunities between them because of the teams they play for. Sprinkled in between them all were three high-upside starting pitchers. Most likely, I’d give them three weeks to breakout, then sell them for further offensive upgrades since their ratios won’t do me any favors. Here are the players that put me so far above the rest of the competition in my mock draft:

• 1.12 Ronald Acuna (OF)
• 2.1 Jose Altuve (2B)
• 3.12 Whit Merrifield (MI)
• 4.1 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3B)
• 5.12 J.T. Realmuto (C)
• 6.1 Joey Votto (1B)
• 7.12 Justin Upton (OF)
• 8.1 Tommy Pham (OF)
• 9.12 Matt Olson (CI)
• 10.1 Wil Myers (OF)
• 11.12 Victor Robles (OF)
• 12.1 Eloy Jimenez (OF)
• 13.12 Shohei Ohtani (UTL)
• 14.1 Paul DeJong (SS)
• 15.12 Carlos Martinez (SP)
• 16.1 Jordan Hicks (RP)
• 17.12 Andrew Miller (RP)
• 18.1 Brandon Morrow (RP)
• 19.12 Trevor May (RP)
• 20.1 Ryan Brasier (RP)
• 21.12 Pedro Strop (RP)
• 22.1 Matt Barnes (RP)
• 23.12 Jesus Luzardo (SP)
• 24.1 Forrest Whitley (SP)
• 25.12 Blake Parker (RP)

Thanks for reading and good luck!

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