Fantasy Draft 2017

Another draft in our H2H Points Fantasy Baseball League happened yesterday.  ESPN recap here.  Note that unlike many points leagues we do not penalize batters for striking out.  Otherwise it's a very typical 10 team, AL and NL league.  We limit teams to 10 starts per week with 5 moves a week.  So you probably want 6-7 SP on your team, which puts them at a bit of a premium.  In previous years we allowed 12 starts, so SP were even more at a premium.

For some reason, the standard ESPN draft SW was ranking the players by their rotisserie rankings, not points, which sometimes made picks a bit tricky.  I was constantly switching between sorting by RANK and PTS, in between selecting certain positions.

My picks are noted by round and absolute pick.  I was team 8, so the picks were 1.8, 2.13, etc...  I was sandwiched between the #7 Papas Grande, who seem to really follow the ESPN projections for player's points and therefore think a lot like me, and the #9 Braves Fans, who is another solid GM who, in the past, has gone more heavily into relievers than most.  Team #6, the SF Marauders, is a good friend who works for the Giants and we like sniping each other's players. :-)

1.8  In round one, I would have loved to pick Kershaw, but knew that he wouldn't reach me.  Either one of the top 6 would pick him, if not, the Papas would, as they took him with their first pick last year. I was thinking I'd get Donaldson but Marauders picked him, and, as feared, Papas picked Kershaw.  Normally I'd pick a solid bopper like Goldy but this year went in a different direction, filling a skill position early by picking Machado, who I (and ESPN) rated as a great 3B but also as the top SS, even in a league deep with great SS.

2.13  I rated Kershaw, Scherzer, and MadBum as a big step up from the next level of SP, so it was time to grab one.  Based on durability, and partly to tweak Marauders, picked MadBum.  This triggered a run on SP, as 6 of the 10 picks (starting with mine) were SP: MadBum, Scherzer, Sale, Kluber, Thor, and Cueto.  These were intermixed with a run on some of the many great middle infielders in MLB today: Turner, Correa, Dozier, Carpenter, Seager and a few sluggers: EE, Rizzo, Cruz.

3.28  My pre-draft notes on 1B were "Like Freeman, else be patient".  Somewhat to my surprise, (and due to the run on SP and MI) both Freeman and Votto were still available.  Both good picks, went with Freeman.  Here's hoping that the new Braves park plays well for hitters!

4.33  If I hadn't picked Machado might have picked Story, but time for another top and durable SP: Lester.  Story went to Papas the next pick.

5.48  My outfield needed work, and several OF were "coming up".  (Papas had just picked McCutchen, who was on my radar)  Picked Cespedes in a near coin flip over Stanton.

6.53  Braves Fan took Stanton at #52.  Still concerned about my OF, but, thinking that one of "my guys", Khris Davis, would still be around later, picked an SP with upside - Carlos Martinez.  (strongly considered Carrasco as well).  Papas picked Davis at #53 (we do think alike!) and Mommy Monsters, who were sadly lacking in SP after last year's autodraft, continued her "full speed ahead draft SP" strategy by picking up Carrasco at #57.

7.68  A bunch of relievers were off the board by now, but I tend to wait on RP.  Many top OF were gone too.  Hoping he's got another good year, I picked Jose Bautista.  His high OBP still helps.  Also considered Todd Frazier.  Braves took him at #69.

8.73  Around here the draft gets hard.  There are a lot of good players still available, but you must balance your evaluation, your needs, and what the other GMs have been doing.  I considered Melancon to get a top RP.  Considered Danny Duffy, some "experts" are high on him, but was feeling pretty good at SP.  Maybe should have picked Lucroy, but went with Carlos Santana, a solid hitter who scores really well due to his high OBP.  Papas picked Duffy at #74.

9.88  I was beginning to worry about 3B, but had a few "late guys" in mind, so went another year with Jose Quintana.  Like him a lot, and when he gets traded to a good team he will pick up more wins, right?  I was surprised when Heimlichs picked up Alex Bregman, one of my "late guys", so early at #90.

10.93  He wasn't on my radar at all, but J Up had slipped, and ESPN rated him higher than a guy who was on my radar, Kole Calhoun.  Picked Upton.  Papas picked Calhoun at #94!

11.108  Was now officially worried about 2B (remember, Jason Kipnis is hurt for at least a month) and RP.  Evil Papas had just picked one of "my guys", Edwin Diaz, at 107.  Whatever - DJ LeMahieu is a very good player who plays half his games in wonderful Coors Field.  Feeling got at SS and 2B.

12.113 Herrera and Osuna went #111 and #112.  Picked Cody Allen.  O.K., I have one (hopefully) solid reliever on a great team.

13.128  Drew Smyly, hoping his new-found velocity is for real.  And many of the fantasy blogs are high on him.  And, now that I live by the Puget Sound, wanted a Mariner to root for!

14.133, 15.148  Considered Alex Colome at RP, but I'm not big on him or his team.  Time finally to pick 3B: Justin Turner, then, for good measure, Jake Lamb, who may be a mistake.  :-(  I remember a few experts who touted Lamb.  Not sure if they liked him with mint jelly.

16.153  Matt Shoemaker.  I hate Angels, but he's underrated.

17.168  Lots of beeping leading up to this pick, as several players I had queued up, Schoop, Baez, Granderson and Thames went (some quite early IMO).  Oh - oh, need to do some quick reanalysis.  Considered Carlos Gomez, picked Grichuk.  Gomez went to Braves at #169.

18.173  Holding my nose a bit, picked Tony Watson.  He's pitching poorly in spring training and the "experts" are down on him.  OTOH, I needed a closer and he's been solid for many years.  Matt Moore, one of my "late round SP guys", went at #174 to Papas.

19.188  Needing one more middle infield, picked Marcus Semien.  (Brandon Crawford, another of "my guys", was picked quite early at #119)

20.193  Only two of my "trendy sleeper SP" were left, Paxton and Manaea.  Picked Manaea.  Papas picked Paxton at #194.

21.208.  Do I want Jim Johnson?  Nah, hey, who's around at catcher?  To my surprise, Sal Perez.  Happy enough at catcher now.

22.213, 23.228  Looking back, maybe not my best here.  Max Kepler and Jharel Cotton.  Iffy OF and probably one too many SP.  So, of course, these guys will be stars!  :-)

24.233  Having watched a bunch of iffy relievers go by, grabbed the best of a sorry looking bunch, Brandon Maurer.

25.248, 26.253   Many of the super-utility guys (Zobrist, Baez) had been picked very early IMO.  I needed some utility!  Hoping that he quickly qualifies at 2B, picked Brandon Drury over Gyorko.  Last pick was Nomar Mazara, a classic "high-risk. high-reward" last round pick.