2009 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit

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.

2009 Draft Strengths

If you examine the 2009 Mock Draft and Player Rankings you will see that the strengths of the draft are the following positions: Starting Pitching, First Base and to a lesser extent, Catcher.

Starting Pitching continues to be an area both difficult to predict and plentiful in free agency. The lesson in 2007 and 2008 was after you draft your #1 pitcher, back off. Don't waste high picks on #2 or #3 pitchers. In 2008 pitchers like Tim Lincecum were mid-round draft picks and other pitcher like Chad Billingsley and Edinson Vólquez as well as countless other good fantasy 3rd and 4th starters were found later in the draft or in free agency. Wait until the mid and late rounds for drafting 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!

First Base is loaded coming into 2009. From the rise of Mark Teixeira, to the underrated play of Adrián González, to newbies Kevin Youkilis, Chris Davis, Joey Votto, Conor Jackson and Pablo Sandoval there are plenty of top-notch first basemens to go around. With a veteran like Derrek Lee ranked at 15, the last thing you should worry about is drafting a first basemen. If the stud comes your way, go ahead and draft away, but just know there are plenty of strong options in 2009.

Catchers are always a fantasy headache, mostly because the position is generally so thin, but in 2009 the position has a very solid bunch. Geovany Soto strengthens the position with his 2008 debut just as Russell Martin, Joe Mauer and Brian McCann have done in recent years. This year youngsters include: Matt Wieters, Chris Iannetta, Jesús Flores and possibly even Pablo Sandoval (If he qualifies). The new infusion of blood makes the catcher spot the strongest it has been in a long time. Add that to the the inconsistencies of offensive play at the catcher position and it is simply better to wait until later in the draft and grab a bargain.

2009 Draft Weaknesses

Shortstop is weak because of the huge drop off after studs Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes. The next shortstop ranked is Jimmy Rollins, who is a capable of having a big year, but his 2007 NL MVP was an exception and he will likely never do anything like that again. The good news is there are several solid fantasy shortstops, many who could breakout out like Alexei Ramírez, Troy Tulowitzki or shortstops who can take another step like JJ Hardy, Stephen Drew or Jhonny Peralta.

Outfield continues to be weak just because of the shear number that it will take to fill your roster. Add to that former #1 outfielder, Matt Holliday, moving from fantasy friendly Colorado to Oakland and some shine has left the position at the top. New studs like Josh Hamilton and Jason Bay, as well as youngsters like Hunter Pence, Jacoby Ellsbury and Jay Bruce give the position hope for 2009, but be sure to grab some outfielders early or you will be stuck with raking the free agent wires all season.

Second Base As it has been for years, second base is still a weakness of the 2009 draft, but just a moderate one. The rise of Ian Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia has given it some strength to go along with Chase Utley and Brandon Phillips. With that said, Kinsler has yet to have a healthy season, Pedoria's fantasy numbers are not as good as you think for an AL MVP and Phiilips had a down year in 2008.

Closers We always must mention Closers. Many philosophies say to stay away from them and work the free agent wires. We couldn't disagree more. There is some sense to the philosophy because of there volatility, but that is actually the reason to make sure you get at least one stud. Rarely does a veteran stud falter. Francisco Rodriguez, Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon and a few others are sure-things and must be given the proper draft respect. The fourth-round is a solid spot to nab one. Start the run on them, don't finish it. Closers provide great k-ratios, low ERA's, low whips and of course can win the saves category if you build a strong bullpen. Don't overdraft, because you will be able to get new ones in free agency.