Hey guys, what's up. The keeper deadline in my draft was last night. I made a last minute trade where I traded Yovani Gallardo and Kendry Morales for the #4 overall pick and Andre Ethier. My keepers can be seen in the signature. I will be calling up Justin Upton from the minors, so I'll technically have 6 keepers.

With my trade, I will have 3 picks in the first 12 selections. #4, #9, #12. With these 3 picks, I would like to pick up a 1B/CI, SP, and best available player with the #12 (that's the tentative plan if everything breaks right).

Best available position players: Sandoval, Youkilis, Werth, Bay, Carlos Lee, Curtis Granderson

Best available SP: Greinke, Haren, Wainwright, Verlander, Carpenter, Vazquez, Josh Johnson, Nolasco, Cain, Hamels, Ubaldo Jimenez, Wandy Rodriguez

This is the first 12 picks (this is a 10 team league, but 2 teams have 2 1st rounders)

#1 - Crawford, Ichiro, A-Rod, Lester, Victor Martinez
#2 - Ellsbury, Howard, Sizemore, Kinsler, Kemp (also has the #8 pick)
#3 - Santana, Felix, Reynolds, Phillips, Fielder (2 pitchers kept)
#4 - My pick
#5 - Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Beckett, Teixeira, Morneau (3 pitchers kept)
#6 - Braun, Adrian Gonzalez, Votto, Cano, Rollins
#7 - BJ Upton, Lincecum, Aaron Hill, Josh Hamilton, McCann
#8 - Ellsbury, Howard, Sizemore, Kinsler, Kemp (also has the #2 pick)
#9 - My pick
#10 - Tulowitzki, Pujols, Pedroia, Mauer, Longoria
#11 - Same as #10
#12 - My pick

The guy who has #2/8 LOVES Adam Wainwright. He took him last year and he got him in another league that I'm in with him (yahoo auction league for fun). I am positive he will take Wainwright, if he's there, at #8.

#1 I believe is taking Granderson. He has a HUGE mancrush on Granderson and has kept him for years. Just before the keeper deadline yesterday, he inexplicably traded his 1st (#7 overall), 3rd, and 10th rounder for the #1 overall pick and 11th rounder. This was BEFORE he knew who the keepers were and who would be available, leading me to believe he wants to get Granderson back.

#2/8 owned Youkilis last year, so I could see him taking him back and hoping for Wainwright at #8.

I can't imagine #3 takes Youkilis or Sandoval when he has 1B and 3B already filled. He had Verlander last year, so I can see him grabbing Verlander back.

I can't imagine #5 taking a SP given he has 3 aces he's keeping and needs bats.

I don't know what #6 will do. He can go in a lot of different ways.

I don't know what #7 will do, he is a HUGE Yankee fan, so I can see him going Jeter. He has Lincecum as a keeper and Kershaw in his minors, so it's conceivable he goes offense since Upton, Hamilton, and Hill are major question marks.

So guys, do you think the best strategy for me is to go for Youkilis or Sandoval at #4 then go for an arm at #9? The 1B tier gets very ugly after Youkilis/Sandoval (best available would be Derrek Lee, Berkman, Butler, Dunn, Pena) and I have to not only fill 1B, but the CI spot as well.

Sorry for the long post, but there's a lot going on here.

Sandoval and a SP works for me.

So you agree that I should nab the 1B at #4 and then go SP at #9. Even if Greinke or Verlander is there at #4?

There's no way Youkilis or Sandoval lasts to #9 and Sandoval would be a potential keeper for 2011, or even a guy I could trade for picks next offseason.

Yes, I agree.

Thanks Grey...I'm glad you share my viewpoint. I have more ease now.