OTW 240 - Respect Your Elders; Drafting Players 35 & Older

Adam Howe and Kevin Hasting break down fantasy-relevant MLB veterans who will be 35 or older in 2026, discussing why age-based discounts often go too far in drafts. Position by position, they evaluate starters, relievers, and hitters who still provide stable volume, category juice, or late-draft value—especially in NFBC-style formats. The episode emphasizes trusting skills, roles, and projections over age bias while building balanced fantasy rosters. 0:00–6:30 — Episode Setup & Draft Philosophy Why veteran players are often overdocked due to age Can you build a competitive roster leaning heavily on 35+ players? Format considerations (NFBC, draft-and-hold, redraft) Setting criteria: age 35+ entering 2026 season 6:30–32:00 — Veteran Starting Pitchers Core discussion around innings, risk, and projection value Players discussed: Chris Sale, Jacob deGrom. Cole Ragans, Hunter Greene, Max Fried, Brian Woo, Merrill Kelly, Matthew Boyd, Kyle Hendricks (historical comp), Seth Lugo, Yusei Kikuchi, Shota Imanaga Sugano Key themes: Sale and deGrom as high-impact SP1/SP2 options despite capped innings Trusting elite ratios over raw innings totals Backfilling innings rather than chasing 200-IP arms early “Old and boring” starters stabilizing WHIP and ERA late 32:00–48:00 — Veteran Relievers & Closers Evaluating save security vs ADP cost Players discussed: Aroldis Chapman, Raisel Iglesias, Kenley Jansen, Robert Suarez, David Bednar, Josh Hader, Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, Emilio Pagán, Sean Armstrong Key themes: Iglesias vs Chapman at cost Concerns about Chapman’s WHIP and role volatility Jansen as a discount saves source Drafting proven closers over speculative youth 48:00–1:05:00 — Infield Veterans (2B, 3B, MI) Why some aging infielders still matter Players discussed: Marcus Semien, José Altuve, Gleyber Torres, Jorge Polanco, Matt McLain, Nolan Arenado, Max Muncy, Josh Bell, Mauricio Dubón, Miguel Rojas, Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto Key themes: No true veteran fallback at shortstop Semien as a volume-driven safety net at 2B Arenado as a last-round corner infielder target OBP vs AVG format differences for Muncy 1:05:00–1:25:00 — Veteran Outfielders & DHs Discounted power and lineup context Players discussed: George Springer, Giancarlo Stanton, Randy Arozarena, Seiya Suzuki, Oneil Cruz, Michael Harris II, Tommy Pham, Aaron Judge (contextual) Key themes: Springer as a mispriced leadoff hitter Stanton’s power vs inconsistent playing time Using veterans as category specialists Streaming vs drafting fragile bats 1:25:00–1:40:00 — Draft Strategy Wrap-Up Age bias creating consistent market inefficiencies Knowing when to push veterans above ADP Format-driven aggressiveness Trusting projections and roles over narrative 1:40:00–1:45:00 — Closing Thoughts Spring training and draft season approach Position and category previews coming soon Final endorsement of balanced veteran usage Hosts: Adam Howe | Kevin Hasting Subscribe: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | YouTube | RSS Join: PL+ | PL Pro Proud member of the Pitcher List Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.