Ryan Dempster will start the Cubs’ season and home opener, not Carlos Zambrano. Is there more to Dempster than that and how about Big Z?
Analysis: Opening Day pitchers are often over priced on Auction Day, yet the mercurial and talented Carlos Zambrano is the consensus larger-than-life Cubbies’ Ace. So which one is the better buy and why?
| Zambrano | ERA+ | K |
| 2010 | 131 | 117 |
| 2009 | 118 | 152 |
| 2008 | 118 | 130 |
| Dempster | ||
| 2010 | 113 | 208 |
| 2009 | 122 | 172 |
| 2008 | 155 | 187 |
If strikeouts are one of your league’s categories, then this is a no-brainer. Let’s leave the wins for another day.
In the meantime look for these lines in 2011:
| Hurler | IP | K | ERA | WHIP | FIP |
| Zambrano | 184 | 162 | 3.77 | 1.39 | 3.81 |
| Dempster | 209 | 189 | 3.79 | 1.31 | 3.87 |
Auction Price vs. Projected Stats Value: How much should you budget before inflation, if you’re in a 5 X 5 keeper league? They will probably go for $7 to $12 at auction. Big Z should earn $8 to $10, while Dempster should be worth $10 to $14. In a $260 salary cap rotisserie league at the end of Auction Day a $20 profit = First Division finish and a $40 profit = Contender all season long. If they go for the same price, then buy Dempster.