Whether you play fantasy baseball, football or fishing, the fluctuation of players' salaries can be dealt with in one of two ways.
What does this mean to a fantasy manager and how should he deal with it? First, he can either jump on the rising player's bandwagon and hope the hot streak continues, possibly giving the owner value in the long run; or he can snatch up the stumbling player and hope he turns it around, something that will definitely give the owner future value. Of course, in either scenario the player could tank and bring the fantasy manager's team down the drain with them.
Decisions such as which players to pick up and when are what make league champions. Check out the list of anglers with salary fluctuations heading into the Lewisville E-50:
Each list contains the names of professional anglers any fantasy manager would want on their team. However, correctly figuring which anglers are fishing above themselves, which are fishing right about where they should be and which are plugging along poorly but should be fishing better is where the successful manager will separate himself from the rest of the pack.
Rising
From the list of anglers whose salaries are rising, there are three anglers that should jump out at you as those who are on the verge of potentially breaking out:
Get on the bandwagon
Rick Clunn: With a fourth-place finish on Dardanelle, Clunn is right where he normally is at the top of tournament leader boards. Hs 10.5 salary was bumped by 0.2 after his good showing in Arkansas but he's still a steal considering the man is possibly the Greatest Angler to ever compete on the BASS circuit. Clunn is a threat to win any tournament he enters and picking him up as he gets hot could pull your team through the remaining tournaments and Classic.
Gary Klein: While he's struggling to make the Classic, his fifth-place finish on Dardanelle clearly shows that he's not packing it in.With Lewisville next on the E-50 schedule, Klein could once again break into the top six. His home in Weatherford, Texas, is a mere three hours from the DWF impoundment and while he probably hasn't fished the popular catfish lake, his knowledge of north Texas waters will pay dividends. With a 10.1 salary, he's middle-of-the-road price-wise, however, jumping on the Klein bandwagon is advisable for those looking for a sleeper who could power through the remaining tournaments including the Classic in Pittsburgh.
David Fritts: Having just missed the Super Six on Dardanelle by one spot, the crankbait master should shine on Lewisville. With plenty of docks, stumps and rocky shoreline to bounce a diving bait off of, look for Fritts (and his 7.6) salary to power through the standings and continue to bring heavy weights to the podium for the rest of season.
Leave 'em in the free agent pool
Aaron Martens: Yeah, he's the #1 angler in fantasy fishing. Yeah, his salary is only 12.9. Yeah, he took third at Dardanelle. There are lots of reasons to like Martens, but the truth of the matter is: he's fishing above himself. Sure, he could continue to do so and go right on to win the Classic. However, with a great season to this point, a 12.9 (and rising) salary and being one of the most popular picks in fantasy fishing, now is a great time to dump or at least not pick Martens. He's fishing above himself and by selecing him to a roster the fantasy manager sets himself up for maximum risk and minimal reward.
Michael Iaconelli: He's a Classic champ and he came in second on Dardanelle. However, with a salary that rose to a whoppin' 16 points he's too big of a financial risk for most owners. If you honestly feel that Ike will continue what he started in Arkansas, consider passing him up for the Lewisville tournament and wait for his salary to drop. While 15.8 is still a pretty chunk of change, it's a littler better spent when the next two lakes are in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania locations where the New Jersey native should have an edge.
Davy Hite: While Hite is a great angler, his win at Dardenelle was the summit of his season. With a 0.3 bump, Hite is sitting at a 14.3 salary often spendy for an angler whose last win was in 2001. However, he is one of those guys that always challenges (10 top-20 finishes in the last two years), so he could continue to score a fanatsy team marginal points. Give him a more serious look when the Classic rolls around, though the guy seems to always show up for the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing.
Falling
Even though these anglers suffered at Dardanelle, their cheaper salaries make them attractive to the penny-wise manager. Plus, a drop in performance is just a bump in the road for these pros, they'll undoubtedly make reabound and the fantasy manager who picked them up on the cheap will look like a genius.
Grab 'em now
Kevin VanDam: The E-50s have been dominated by either KVD or Mark Davis. If you don't have KVD on your roster currently, seriously consider grabbing him. His 16.4 salary is the most expensive in fantasy fishing, but look on the bright side it's 0.1 lower than it was for Dardanelle.
Jay Yelas: A drop of 0.2 in salary puts Yelas at 9.1 a very attractive price for a former Classic champ hailing from Texas. His recent success is a bit of a concern: Yelas has averaged two top-10 finishes a year for the last five years. He already has two top-10 finishes (7th at Smith Lake and 9th at Toho) this year, so his performance may actually slide; but with an attractive salary and Lewisville up next, the East Texan is worth the gamble for fantasy mangers.
Mark Davis: All a 0.2 drop in salary (11.5) for Davis means is that more fantasy anglers have the opportunity to squeeze him in under the salaray cap. Whether they do or not is another story. Davis has averaged three top-10 finishes a year for the last five years. He has only one so far in 2005. That means he should be making a big run. Grab the man and hang onto him! Stash him on your roster and ride his point-producing wake right on through the Classic.
Edwin Evers: He's ranked #2 in fantasy fishing. He has two top-5 finishes this year and he's coming off a spectacular '04. The way he's fished for the last two seasons, anything can happen. His 15.2 salary hits a cap-conscious manager big time, but a 0.2 drop helps a little.
Kelly Jordon: A decrease of 0.2 in salary still leaves Jordon with a 13.4 salary mighty spendy for a guy that only has one top-20 finish this year. However, that one finish was a third place on Alabama's Smith Lake. If Jordon is going to be a fantasy factor this year, it's going to have to be on Lewisville. Grab him and hope he challenges for the top spot. If does, you look smart for picking the man after a 42nd placing on Dardanelle; if he doesn't, ditch him and his inflated 13-plus salary and go for another angler such as Timmy Horton.
Let 'em drop
Tommy Biffle: With a 14.1 salary, Biffle is too much of a gamble for managers even taking into account the 0.1 drop in price. Biffle has already match his output for '04, so don't think he's going to make a run any time soon.
Jim Bitter: With an 8.0 salary, Bitter looks like an attractive addition to a fantasy roster. However, it's the wrong time of year for the Fruitland, Florida, native. He's an early season specialist. Leave 'em in the free agent pool because his salary will get cheaper and cheaper and for good reason.
Gearald Swindle: Swindle has two top-20 finishes to go with two top-10 finishes, but compared to last year's AoY campaign he's missing something. His 14.7 salary makes him a handicap for the remaining tournaments. While he might garner some interest on Lewisville, he'd have to be considered a long shot when the last E-50 of the year and the Classic head north. This 'Bama boy will most likely see his salary continue to head south for the next three tournaments.