Each and every week fantasy owners are faced with the task of setting their lineups for the upcoming week. Diligent owners focus on a number of factors such as the health of their players, number of games, opponents, game locations, and multiple start pitchers. The most difficult decisions often involve the health of one of your stars. The decision is easy when the player goes on the disabled list or there is an indication that the player will go on the disabled list prior to the team’s next game. But what do you do when your star misses some games over the weekend and their status for the upcoming week is filled with uncertainty?

In the past two weeks, two such cases have occurred in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Tampa League 2 among the first and second place teams. One has already played out, while the results of the other will be determined this week.

When Carl Crawford misses several games and going into Monday is listed as doubtful, what is an owner to do? Such a dilemma was facing the second place team last week. They made the decision to reserve Carl Crawford, only to see him appear as a pinch runner late in the game on Monday. Crawford stole a base, scored the game tying run, then hit the game winning home run. Crawford played the remainder of the week and ended up with 13 hits in 22 at bats, three home runs, six RBI, three stolen bases, and eight runs scored. There is just no way to know how injured a player really is or what affect the injury will have once the player returns.

When Gary Sheffield misses several games with a bad shoulder and is unlikely to play on Monday (but there is indication that he will play later in the week), what is an owner to do? That dilemma faced the first place team this week (which just happens to be me). And now I fully appreciate what the second place team went through with Crawford last week. I feel as though I have to bench Sheffield this week – while hoping that he does return and does well as I need him for the rest of the season. With a healthy Geoff Jenkins as an option (six games this week in Colorado and Houston) I cannot risk having a zero from Gary Sheffield (either a zero for not playing or a zero because he came back but could not produce).

You can weigh all the options and evaluate the data, but in the end the decision to bench a semi-injured superstar is purely a gut-feel decision.