I'm currently in a league using the 1980 Dwayne Murphy as my centerfielder. His RRF is 3.40, but in the league he is at 2.29. Another manager has the 2001 Luis Gonzalez in CF. His RRF is 1.84, but in the league it's 2.92.

...a player's SIM range factor is pretty much a function of where you play him...

I looked at how FP and RRF affect performance for middle infielders here. Basically, until you hit D-- range, it has little effect.

In the OF very high RRF can net you quite a few + plays, but FP shouldn't be overlooked. For example, when factoring in errors, '84 Kirby Puckett is nearly as good a fielder as '73 Billy North, despite the .12 difference in RRF.

What I find frustrating about the impact of range is when A+ range fielders have poor plays or very few good plays!

I've had A+ rangers with 0 good plays in an entire season before. Once, Mark Grace '92, with the highest rated 1B range in WIS, had just 1 good play for the season. (Grace did hit very well that season, so I wasn't disappointed that I drafted him.)

Although I continue to draft high range SS, I have found with my teams that range comes into play more often (more good plays and more poor plays) in the outfield than in the infield.

After I thought about it I went back and looked.....Murphy has 5 + plays and 0 - plays and Gonzalez has 0 + plays and 3 - plays.

I'll never underestimate range, I can't even imagine drafting a team without at least 2 A,A+ OF.

I just recently had an A's team with '80 Henderson LF (12+), '80 Dwayne Murphy CF (20+) and '73 North RF (45+!!!).

That team came back from an awful start in a really tough division to finally win the division in the last 5 games of a three team pennant race with 96W.