Most players base their
entire season on the Fantasy Baseball Draft. Your team does
not live and die with the draft, but you do need to build
a solid foundation for your team. Here are 10 quick tips to
improve your draft.
1. When conducting your Fantasy
Baseball Draft the best advice is to play it safe. Don’t
try to out smart yourself, draft a balance of pitching and
offense.
2. Look at positions that
are thin, like 2B for example, and make sure you get yours.
3. Draft a “sure thing”
veteran starting pitcher.
4. Draft a veteran big bat.
Beware of players with only 1 good season, although some may
pay big a proven is more of a sure thing.
5. After filling those needs
as soon as possible, use player rankings and team needs to
guide the remaining of your Fantasy Baseball Draft.
6. Save gambles for middle
and late rounds. Let some one else take the big gamble early.
7. Go into the draft with a
small draft plan and some sleepers. Then throw away your plan.
The most important thing during the draft is to ADAPT! Notice
what positions are and are not being drafted. Can you hold
off on drafting your first basemen because everyone has already
drafted one? Was there a run on starting pitchers? You better
get one, even if it is a slightly over-priced player. Go with
the flow of the draft and you will do better than sticking
to a plan.
8. If you are new to drafting
and your league offers an auto-draft option, use it. This
will give you a safely drafted team.
9. Check your point system.
Seems obvious and it is. Most point systems are a basic system,
some high points and some low, but they generally are equal
in proportion. Sometimes there are point strengths and weaknesses,
if there is one find it and exploit it.
10. One last tip for the draft
may be the most important. Draft dominate closers. They do
not grow on trees. They score big and use few innings. In
most Fantasy Baseball leagues closers are valuable and can’t
really be replaced. They will get you more than just saves
in their usual inning of pitching. They have low ERA's, great
WHIP's and a high strikeout ratio. Draft enough closers to
try to fill all P-slots and RP-slots. Consider a closer who
qualifies as a starting pitcher and stick him in the SP-slot
to gain an extra closer.
2008 Draft Strengths
If you examine the 2008 Mock Draft and Player
Rankings you will see that the strengths of the draft are
the following positions: Starting Pitching, Third
Base, First Base & Shortstop. Starting
Pitching has never seen so many good young pitchers
pop up in fantasy baseball as did in 2007. The lesson in 2007
was after you draft your #1 pitcher, back off. Don't waste
high picks on #2 or #3 pitchers. In 2008 pitchers from Justin
Verlander to Adam Wainwright to Hiroki Kuroda, who can all
be top-notch starters can be picked late in the draft. In
addition, like in 2006 and 2007, many new pitchers could be
available to pick-up via free agency. Wait until the late
rounds for most and feel comfortable that you will be able
to fill you 3rd, 4th & 5th slots with free agents if necessary.
DON'T OVERDRAFT STARTING PITCHING! The same can be said for
Third Base. As our mock draft shows, youngsters
Mark Reynolds and Josh Fields did not get drafted in 12 rounds
and veterans Mike Lowell & Adrián Béltre
are among the veterans to go undrafted through 12 rounds.
If you don't get a stud, wait till the end to snag one of
these or similar bargain third basemens. First Base
also is loaded in 2008. This doesn't mean don't draft one
with your second pick, it means if you don't, relax, plenty
will be available. Third base and first base are great spots
to fill your utility needs. Therefore, after the studs are
gone, wait until the late rounds for starting pitching, third
basemen & first basemen. Shortstop has
a trio of studs with Reyes, Ramirez & Rollins who are
worthy of top ten picks then there is a group of you shortstops
who can be All Stars. The rule if you do not get one of the
big three, be patient and fill other needs until a bargain
appears. A player like Derek Jeter, who is overrated in fantasy
ball, shouldn't be drafted until rounds 6-8. You can get a
shortstop like Édgar Rentería, who had a great
2007 and now plays for the Tigers, late in the draft or even
a player like Rafael Furcal at the end of the draft.
2008 Draft Weaknesses
As it has been for years, Second Base
is still a weakness of the 2008 draft. In addition,
Closers & Outfield are also thin. Chase
Utley is the only stud second basemen which
makes him very valuable. Cano, B.J. Upton and Phillips look
to join him, but must take a step up and prove themselves.
Closers are always in demand do to their
high points - low inning usage (More in points leagues than
roto leagues, but both). This year is no exception. To insure
building the necessary strong bullpen, you may need to draft
closers higher than their rankings. Watch for closer runs!
You want to start them, not end or miss out on them. Free
agency will provide some closers, but very rarely does it
provide studs. Outfielders are plentiful,
but they need to be when you need 3 and sometimes 6 or 7 with
reserves, additional slots & utility needs. Thus, be sure
to get a stud or a couple of All Stars to give you a good
foundation in the outfield. Their are plenty of bargains and
free agents are sure to arise, but with so many needed throughout
your league, they will go fast. BULID A STRONG OUTFIELD THROUGH
THE DRAFT!
|
