Tips for a Fantasy Draft

            After such a serious article last time I decided that this time I wanted to talk about something a little more light hearted.  In honor of the First Year Draft for MLB I decided to talk about a draft that I pay attention to, I want to talk about a Fantasy Baseball Draft.  The best way to do this I feel is to just give some good draft pointers that I have learned over the years and through my studies of stats.  So lets take a quick look at my tips for a successful fantasy baseball draft.

            Hint 1: You can’t win your draft in the first round but you can lose it.

What I mean by this is quite simply pick the best player you can in the first round that will give you the best stats possible.  The first round is full of players that are the best stat guys in the game and you want to pick the best one that gives you the best possible chance for consistent stats.  For example guys like Joey Votto, Carlos Gonzalez, Ryan Braun and Robinson Cano just to name a few.  Risky picks like Matt Kemp and Mike Trout can pay off big or become a big bust and kill your team.

            Hint 2: Have a draft day strategy.

Going into the draft with a plan of attack is always a good idea.  For example here are a few I use every draft I’m in: Draft pitchers no earlier than the 5^th-6^th round depending on the pitchers available.  Look for the shallowest position and make sure to have them drafted before you drafted my pitcher.  Find a position and corner the market.  These tips are good ideas for beginner fantasy players and pros alike.

            Hint 3: No plan survives contact with the enemy.

The draft is a battlefield with you and your league mates with everyone trying to out play and draft the best players.  The best example of this is my draft strategy of cornering a position; every league mate may have the same idea so there’s a strong chance you can’t get the position you wanted to corner.

            Hint 4: Go for positions and stats not players.

A common mistake player’s make is to try and gun for a player that they really like before someone else.  The problem is that the player may be a favorite and even draftable in the league but the sometimes they reach for a player. (Reaching for a player means drafting a player before he should be drafted.)

            Hint 5: Don’t Pay for Saves.

Any fans of the Fantasy Focus may hear this a lot on the show but it works.  Closers are a dime a dozen and constantly fall in and out of favor with the manager.  It may be wise to grab a Jim Johnson or Jonathan Papelbon if you can but don’t reach for them since saves can come late in the draft.  Example of this is Jason Grilli who was drafted late in most drafts (somewhere around the 200^th pick) and he’s now one of the top closers in baseball.

            Hint 6: Late Round value/Sleepers

Sleepers are players that may not have made a name for themselves but have the talent to break out.  Guys like Lorenzo Cain, Alex Cobb and Chris Davis were guys that were considered big sleeper picks.  Many of these players can go late in the draft and give a massive boost to your team or could end up doing nothing at all.  Chris Davis is the #2 player on the ESPN Player Rater and I drafted him in the 19^th out of 25 round.  I got some very good value from him indeed.

            Hint 7: Watch the matchups

Pitchers do better in some stadiums and against other teams.  It’s always a smart idea to start a pitcher against the Marlins and Padres for instance because they are weak offenses and have good pitcher stadiums.  Though sometimes those same pitchers are guys that will be hit hard against teams that have a good hitter stadium like in Colorado or going against teams like Texas.  Try to limit the number of pitchers that are called match up pitchers and more pitchers that you can just leave in.  While it is a valid strategy during the season to have spot starters (guys you don’t start every outing but only when the matchups are good) during the draft its best not to have them.

            Hint 7: The most important rule of all.

Have fun, seriously make sure you have fun and draft the team that you want.  While this contradicts some of the ideas I’ve listed but it is more important to have fun with your team and have the players and team you want than playing like a stats counter like me.  Unless your idea of fun is playing for #1 then go for it.

            I hope this helps for players later on next year, I know it’s kind of early to be thinking of next years draft but this way you can look at things during the season that will help during the draft.  Next week I’ll have my Power Rankings and an in depth look at the New York Yankees.  I’m ready for the hate mail to rain in.