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

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