For most of you, been there, read this shizz already, but there’s Razzball newbies (Razzbabies?) that need some coddling occasionally. If you know PEDS, skip ahead into the comments and discuss my mustache. So, there’s a BRAN (Balanced Roster After Nine) Drafting Strategy by Rudy “The Fro Knows” Gamble. He’s also touched upon some fantasy baseball drafting tips. It’s a year or so old, but it’s timeless so when you read it don’t bother looking at the clock. There’s also a LIMA Plan (Low Investment Mound Aces) by Ron Shandler. There’s been a ZIMA Plan by Matthew Berry; it involves a lot of stumbling around and the hiccups. There’s been a Punt One Category draft strategy. There’s been a Punt Two Categories draft strategy, which was conceived by a leaguemate of Punt One Category who just couldn’t stand being upstaged. And there’s the Forget When Your Draft Is So Your Team Is Autodrafted strategy. I love when my leaguemates use that one. Then there’s my fantasy baseball draft strategy, Performance Enhancing Draft Strategy or PEDS.
PEDS has five basic steps. If you follow these steps, you will place near the top in all of your leagues. No plan is foolproof because, unfortunately, they still have to play the games, but PEDS puts you in the best position possible to win coming out of your draft. Okay, onto the steps:
1. Never draft a pitcher with your first two picks.
No Verlander. No Halladay. No Kershaw. You abstain! They’re fantastic. I love them all. I’d smoke a stogie with Leyland while massaging Verlander’s scalp with EVOO, but I wouldn’t draft him. These starters give you the value of a 1st or 2nd rounder. They do. I said it. The problem is the loss of one of your 1st two hitters is really difficult to bounce back from. You, son, are putting yourself in a hole. A hole? Yes, you are. The absence of Longoria or Votto or whoever is too great.
2. Never take a closer in the first tier.
This is a tough one for some people. I’m going to be you for a brief moment. Me as you, “Hey, everyone’s starting to take closers in the fifth round. There goes Kimbrel, Storen, Axford… Wait, I have to take a closer with my next pick! And why am I not wearing pants?! For the Lord’s sake, why don’t I have pants on?!” See what happened there? You done got swept up. You did. You got swept up in a closer run. Ignore everyone who takes closers. You don’t need a top tier one. Stick to your own game plan. Grab some schmohawks later that will get saves because, as we all know, SAGNOF.
3. Have your offense squared away before the final rounds and never take an offensive bench player unless it’s a flyer with massive potential (like Bryce Harper, for instance).
This rule has been slightly adjusted from previous years. Let’s call it the Bryce Harper Effect Or Is It Affect? The BHEOIIA is telling you it’s okay to grab a hitter for your bench if he has boat-tons of potential and could end up being worth a lot more than his draft value. This addendum could’ve also been called the Mike Trout Effect Or Is It Affect or MTEOIIA. As for grabbing a guy like Ty Wigginton for your bench? Blech. I know, you owned Ty Wigginton last year and you guys got along thick as thieves. Awesome! Send him a postcard. You’re not going to hold onto these late round offense guys anyway. You’re going to get to the first week of the season and you’re going to wonder why you have Ty Wigginton on your bench when there’s a hot hitting Josh Willingham on waivers. Instead of an offensive bench player, grab a middle reliever who seems like he has a good chance of taking over for the incumbent closer. Or grab a starter. (Note: This rule is for 14 team leagues and shallower. If you’re in a 15 team league or deeper, offensive bench players can come in handy when there’s nothing, but scraps on waivers.)
4. When deep into a position, take a flyer on upside.
Nobody in the history of fantasy baseball has ever won a league by playing it safe in the late rounds. In 1995, I tried drafting Mike Greenwell as my fifth outfielder; just didn’t work. A darn fine year by Klesko wasted! You play it safe in the early rounds. You take solid contributors early. You take flyers late. You’re looking at either Carlos Lee or John Mayberry, who do you choose? Brian Roberts or Jose Altuve? Valerie Harper or Sandy Duncan? You get the picture.
5. When in doubt, draft your third, fourth and fifth starters from NL teams.
Self-explanatory. No DH, pitchers hitting, weaker offenses. They bunt in the NL! Does this mean I don’t want Morrow? No, I’m saying when in doubt. Marcum or Morrow? I’m taking Marcum. Chacin or Derek Holland? I’m going Chacin. Doug Fister or Ervin Santana? Ah, trick question. But I’d go Fister. And I hardly knew her!
If you follow these five simple steps, I guarantee you will be in the top three in your league battling for your championship. PEDS is so easy, it should be illegal. You’re welcome.
Just thought you should know that my friend and I just started The Randy Choate Fantasy Baseball League, where one of the many fun (read: obscure) rules is that if you don’t respond to a trade proposal within 7 days, you have to drop a player and pick up Randy Choate and keep him on your roster for at least 8 weeks.
1) We almost went with Burke Badenhop.
2) We almost went with Brad Hand.
3)
4) The Marlins middle relievers are arguably hilarious.
5) When you respond with ‘Ha!’ I’ll feel gratified, so thanks in advance.
@Random Collmenter, That’s awesome, and Choate sounds like choad. Friend of mine has a poison pill draft. Your opponent gets to choose one player for your team that you must roster the whole year. For instance, you have a normal team trying to win then you have Cesar Izturis at 3rd.
@Grey, holy shit, LOVE that. that’s hilarious.
league-mate offered his Kemp (rd. 1 pick) for my Prince (rd. 1) and Matt Moore (rd. 22). This would free up my lineup as I also own Miggy, Beltre, and Hosmer (so my 1B, 3B, CI, and Utility slot are always filled, leaving no roster flexibility).
Would u consider this? Hate to lose Moore but would be nice to free up the roster space.
@Random Collmenter, Kemp for Prince should be all you have to do. Maybe a tad more, but not Moore more.
What do you generally consider the ‘final rounds’ as per No.3? 20-22 in a standard 12-team roto draft?
@Steve, Yeah, final three works.
Most the guys in my 20 team 5×5 league hold off on taking pitchers in the early going. I have the 5th and 35th pick in rounds one and two. It’s very possible that I will have to choose from the likes of Konerko, Uggla, Cruz, Hosmer… If that’s the case, should I not go with the best available and take Lincecum or F-Her? If Pence, Bruce or Zimmerman are around I’d take one of them, but if I’m choosing between Konerko value and Lincecum value, I just have to buck the good advice and take a starter. Do you disagree, Grey?
@Giant JJ, I don’t disagree about BAO, I’d want the BAO hitters though.
I love the Valerie/Hogan Family reference…..Wasn’t the dad on that show the same guy who was Dylan’s dad on Beverly Hills 90210????……..Anyway, would You trade Pinera(23rd rounder) and Putz(8th rounder) for Pedroia(2nd rounder)??……They were all kept from last year.
@Curt, If getting pedroia costs you a 2nd, I wouldn’t. Keepers are about relative value. Double down on kipnis.
@Curt, Thanks! Was it the same guy? I’d want Pineda.
At first glance this seemed like very sound logic. Then I realized that Grey recently posted that he has never watched Breaking Bad, therefore he can not be trusted.
@Bada Bing, Touche
Nice idea about drafting middling relievers in the later rounds or starters rather than some schmohawk hitter to warm your bench (I admit ive drafted Wiggy late many times then cut him soon after). Hopefully you strike gold with one or two pitchers and are then able to trade em away, but the question is how long do you hold onto them for. Would you drop any on a mon/thurs to pick up more bats?
@TheNewGuy, Once the season starts you do what you have to do. Injuries, rotation shifts, you cant predict these things. But, you never know who ends up with a closer job, better to have a guy in one of your P slots giving you some value in your starter off days and could end up getting saves.
@TheNewGuy, in my league its 10×10, and grey says draft no extra bats, well im drafting extra bats, its daily line ups and im trying to accumulate hitting stats…. If i can get 50 more AB’s than my oppenent i’ll have an advantage, obviously they need to be quality AB’s, but you get the point. We also have a 32 inning MIN for pitching, so yes I need to get 32 at least, and i’ll take some flyers on arms late, but i’m not going crazy….
You gotta remember razzball is geared towards roto. Adjust accordingly to your league.
@TheNewGuy, Thanks, agree with Pandas.
Hey I have an auction keeper league question. What side of the following trade do you prefer? Strasburg ($6) and Freeman ($3) for Andrus ($20), Bumgarner ($7) and Hamels ($15)? Thanks in advance!
@Steve, It’s fair, Hamels…
I always think of this post like the movie Rounders. Grey is giving us the rules so we can make a living. Who will be the Matt Damon who risks it all on a hope and a dream?!?
@mauledbypandas, Great movie, but Matt Damon’s character was a pretty horrible player and would’ve gotten his ass handed to him at a real poker table.
The whole “bluffing Johnny Chan bit with nothin’” was hilarious. Right. You’re gonna bluff a millionaire with your little, itty-bitty stack. Happens all the time, I’m sure.
@JoeC, Not to mention Malkovich’s possibly worst Russian accent of all time! I do think the connection exists to fantasy baseball though. To live as a gambler (holdem or whatever) you have to take calculated risks. Same thing if you want to compete in fantasy baseball every year. Though gamblers don’t have to worry about their cards getting injured.
@mauledbypandas, play conservative/tight in the early rounds, gamble later in the middle to late rounds…. as kenny rogers would say….
@mauledbypandas, I completely agree with you about the connection. If you play tight all night (draft chalk) you’ll probably make the playoffs…but if you want to win your league(pull off a nicely timed bluff with the seven-deuce) you usually need to step out of the box.
@mauledbypandas, “Though gamblers don’t have to worry about their cards getting injured.”
Tell that to Matt Holliday owners!
@Skeptic, Touche
@Grey, Ha!
@mauledbypandas, Being A Rangers fan though, I can’t conjure up any good feelings for the Cards
@mauledbypandas, Ha!
@mauledbypandas, You have to have alligator blood!
Hey Grey,
16-team, H2H-Points Keeper League. We have 23 points to spend on keepers and they also cost us picks, depending on where they were drafted/kept the previous year.
My options:
Justin Upton (2nd/10pts.)
Daniel Hudson (8th/8pts.)
Michael Morse (8th/6pts.)
Brandon Beachy (13th/5pts.)
Cory Luebke (13th/4pts.)
Justin Smoak (13th/4pts.)
Everyone EXCEPT Upton can be kept beyond 2012 with inflation, (i.e. 13th becomes an 8th, 8th becomes a 5th, etc.)
Which package of players do I keep?
(1) Upton, Beachy, Luebke and Smoak (22 total points)
or
(2) Hudson, Morse, Beachy and Luebke (23 total points)
Thanks.
@Commish Cauda, Upton, Beachy, Morse not an option? I’d have to say option 1, but I don’t like it too much
@mauledbypandas, ^Agree
“Doug Fister or Ervin Santana? Ah, trick question. But I’d go Fister. And I hardly knew her!”
Hahahaha thanks for the laughs every morning, Grey!
@Cheese, Thanks!
@Cheese, Quality
My worthless two cents: Package 2 looks to be the better deal, since Smoak is kinda worthless as a baseball player/keeper.
@JoeC, Reply fail. That was meant for Commish Cauda.
@Grey, Do you think Victor Martinez returns to form next year? I own him in a 12-team 2-catcher dynasty league where you can keep players forever without any penalty, etc. I’ve got room in my 23 keepers for him and am thinking about keeping him rather than risk losing him in the draft. Thoughts? Thanks for the great site!!!
@Bill Lumbergh, Thanks! I’d lose him.
so regardless of all other talent, which side would you rather have in dynasty Keeper League
Greinke
or
Holliday/Pedro Alvarez
@chris,
Greinke. Holliday is trending down, Alvarez isn’t relevant even a little bit.
@ChillmanCometh, I realize Holliday trending down, giving up on Alvarez is just tough, although man o man was he awful last year.
@chris, You can’t give up on my man Holliday! He’s gonna be batting 3rd all year with me cleaning up behind him. Out from the shadow of the Pujols he’s gonna rake this year!
“Pop quiz, hotshot[s. It's a 22 round draft for a 12 team otherwise standard 5X5 but with OPS instead of AVG league. You have two keepers. You will keep Kemp (in the 2nd round, 'snitches'). You can either keep Kimbrel in the 14th or Morse in the 19th.] What do you do? What do you do?”
@joeyjoejoejrshabadoo,
Morse in the 19th. He’s getting drafted in the 6th, 7th, same as Kimbrel, but you’ll find closers more comparable to Kimbrel in the 14th than you will power options like Morse in the 19th.
@joeyjoejoejrshabadoo,
Oh, and SAGNOF!
@joeyjoejoejrshabadoo, yep keep morse, closers are a dime a dozen, kimbrel was great last yr, but Morse has more value especially keeping him in the 19th.
Good advice, but it is so basic and well-known at this point that the majority of informed fantasy players have been doing this for years. Ergo, it isn’t guaranteeing you anything, aside from perhaps a guaranteed playoff spot in a ESPN public league.
@MA, Thanks…I think.
@MA,
Just because this is wide spread ‘well-known’ advice, how often have you seen this method practiced throughout and entire draft?
Even smart people who love to compete in fantasy baseball make dumb selections during the draft because they get caught up in a moment. Just make this a mantra before every pick and you’ll probably end up better off than 75% of your leaguemates.
Hey Grey. I asked this question in another thread. I have the 4th pick overall. I’m trying to swap my 4th pick for his 7th. In our ESPN league Votto is 9th on the board and I want him bad and feel I can trade down and still have him there.
What I’m thinking is:
My 4th for his 7th. (my 1st round for his 1st round)
My 93rd for his 79th. (my 8th round for his 7th round)
Do you think it’s worth it for me to give up 3 spots of drafting in the 1st in order to have two 7th rounders, but no 8th round? I will no doubt be able to draft votto at 4, but feel I can cash in right now.
Thanks for all you do
@Sam, I just traded my 5th for 8th in an ESPN league for the exact same reason. I still think Votto is underrated by the average fantasy baseballer.
@mauledbypandas, what did you get in return? I’m having trouble deciding what picks to trade in the later rounds
@Sam, Good kharma I guess. It’s a snake draft 12 teamer and I wanted to be in the 15-17 range, not the 20ish range. Fact is, I would have drafted Votto at 5 anyhow, so no reason not to move down… unless somebody gets him before me which I highly doubt. Me and Votto have a 3 year thing going on here, I can’t quit him!
@mauledbypandas, I see. We’re just trading that first round pick. He’s going to keep the 7th spot for the rest of the draft. So I’m helping him move up 3 spaces in the first round, so I want something else in return later in the draft.
@Sam, Yeah, go for it.
Wondering what your thoughts are on punting closers entirely in the draft? I figure every year teams have a shakedown with their closers, and guys out of the blue like Jordan Walden of last year appear down the line? Not to mention, I’d rather draft more quality hitters than a closer anyways.
@Holmes, I wouldn’t punt anything.
Always stayed away as well, BUT, does Ichiro’s move to hole number three make him a bit more appealing/undervalued? & may it even mark Chone’s return to relevance? Or does it just show how bad the Mariner’s offense will be? Wish that they’d trade Smoak.
@zombie, Ichiro’s undervalued this year, Chone is so undervalued he’s not even valued.
Fifth OF with upside…does that strictly include young up-and-comers or do you consider guys like Vernon Wells and Colby Rasmus as having upside?
@CT Old School, I consider Colby or Vernon having upside.
Grey awesome as usual! the Fister joke was priceless. OK, here’s a sample of PEDS in a mock draft I just finished. I picked 5th in a 12 team snake roto 3OF/2Util (shallow i know). If I end up with a team like this for my real fantasy(oxymoron) team then I’ll be pretty happy…
1. Votto
2. Kinsler
3. McCutchen
4. Andrus
5. Bruce
6. Cain
7. C.J. Wilson
8. Berkman
9. M Reynolds
10. R Romero
11. An Sanchez
12. S Santos
13. Lind
14. K Jansen
15. Ch Perez
16. Arencibia
17. T Hunter
18. S Baker
19. Balfour
20. Minor
21. Clippard
22. S Romo
23. Melancon
*that’s a pretty good team, sure whip could be a trouble spot, but compare it to the guy who picked Verlander in rd 1. His team (mind u he was picking 8th)
1. Verlander
2. Hanley
3. Holliday
4. Braun
5. Lester
6. N. Cruz
7. Howard
8. Montero
9. Gardner
10. H. Bell
11. Freese
12. Hardy
13. Street
14. J. Garcia
15. N. Feliz
16. Kendrys
17. Worley
18. Morneau
19. Danks
20. Belt
21. Pena
22. Robertson
23. Gregg
*solid team but I’d prefer PEDS/my squad. Thoughts?
@JJ, That’s creepy! Your first six are exactly what I am planning in one of my leagues picking in the middle. You could have average problems with that team though, but I like it!
Loving the PEDS. I’ve been harping on this for years and don’t really feel like I’ve gotten an answer yet. If you are going to punt catcher to the last round, as many of us do. Why not just take another half of a closer shituation(speaking of flyers and upside, late)? If your guy ends up being the closer, you reshuffle your roster and/or trade, and pick up the same catcher that you would have drafted in the last round. If he doesn’t end up closing, you still get the same catcher. Speak on it. I mean please speak, son!
@Wake Up, So you’re saying don’t take any catcher? Okay, but in most drafts you have to draft someone to fill the spot, can’t leave it empty.
Is it possible to be a $12 salad and not yet the closer, at the same time(there’s a $5 up-charge for the dressing, do you still want it)?
@Wake Up, Nope
@Grey, even if it is a Kenley Peppercorn Ranch?
@Wake Up, Are you talking about Kenley from Project Runway? Cause I kinda love her…
@Grey, I’m saying that Jansen is becoming a salad and is not even a closer yet…that’s funny…not funny queer, funny haha…
What is a project runway?
@Wake Up, HA! We will never speak of the fact that I confused Kenley Jansen with Kenley from Project Runway.
@Grey, speak of what?
@Wake Up, No idea.
@Grey, I don’t think you need to take a catcher at all in Yahoo, can’t remember if it’s the same at espn.
@Wake Up, When you say catcher, are we still talking about Project Runway? If not, forget I asked.
@Grey, ha!
What the hell is a project runway?
@Wake Up, Seriously, no clue!
Probably more appropriate for your next closer article, or perhaps a post on why SAGNOF is the way to go, but I found a couple of interesting stats today.
Fifteen teams will have a different opening day closer than what they had last year. Of the 30 clubs, less than five will have had the same closer for two consecutive seasons.
@Eddy, There are several closers who are still Closers but have changed teams. Bell, Madson, and Papelbon come to mind but your point is definitely valid. It’s a volatile position and SAGNOF is the best way to approach it.
@Eddy, Yup… From here: http://razzball.com/top-20-closers-for-2012-fantasy-baseball/ Something like the top 3 were garbage from 2011.
I figure a Razzball crowd is as good as any to appreciate this non-baseball humor (winky face).
Now worries, it has the word gag in it but it’s nothing of the sort. And it is safe for work.
http://9gag.com/gag/2825201
@Eddy, Ha!
@Eddy, haha , took me a second..
Which guy do you think would make for a better Keeper…with the caveat that I would pick in the #10-12 range for the first round.
Votto, giving up my first round pick or Elvis Andrus, giving up my 8th round pick?
Normally, I wouldn’t keep a guy ranked in the round that I would give up a pick from, but, I think Votto might be worthwhile if I picked late in the round.
@Maitland, Votto
What’s your PEDS for catchers? What round would you take a catcher this year? I know you avoid top catchers but what about ones that play 1st but still have catcher eligibility?
@Chris, Whoever is the best catcher left in the last few rounds, unless someone has fallen far down earlier in the draft. Like Mauer into the 10th round, etc.
Any chance you’ll share any auction draft advice with us? My league is switching to auction and I’d love to hear some strategies you try to follow. I can find the standard advice all over the web, but do you have any more Grey-specific advice. Thanks!
@Nico, I’ll post my auction advice in the next day or so.
@Nico, I’ve been playing in auction leagues my entire FB life. Way better in my opinion (as you have the opportunity to get every player). My advice is to NEVER over pay for a player. there will be guys going for 50+, and a lot of guys going for 35-45. I tend to stay away from those players. I aim for all players less than $30 (if possible). Granted I’m not going to have any of the big hot shot names on my team. But i also won’t have a bunch of $1 players filling out my roster once i run out of money.
Another thing. Don’t be afraid of the double bid… This is a strategy i learned a few years back. I’ll throw out an example.
you’re bidding on Adam Jones, a player that I would target (because he falls right in that $30 range). It’s down to you and 1 other team. And you’re going back and forth, raising the bid $1 each time. Instead of just increasing the bid $1 on your next turn. Increase it $2. The thought process is this.
Bid comes to you at $28. If you say $28, then the other guy has the opportunity to say $29, which would then cause you to ultimately pay $30 for the player. (assuming he doesn’t go $31).
Same scenario, it is your turn to bid and the asking price is $28. Instead, you bid $29. Now the bid to the other guy is $30. If he drops, you saved yourself a $1. (which could have HUGE ramifications at the end of your draft).
Kind of hard to explain, hopefully you’re getting what I’m trying to throw out here.
@The Talented Mr. Dope Man, What you’re saying is rather than getting into a bidding war going a dollar bid, just bid $2 and see if you scare the guy off?
@ChillmanCometh, ha… i do my basketball league LIVE auction, its awesome, best thing i’ve ever gotten to be a part of…. 18 teams, i love it.
@ChillmanCometh, not necessarily to try to scare him off. Just trying to mess with the other owners thought process. In the other owners mind.he has a set limit he is planning on going too. I’m hoping that (in the above scenario), the other owner is set on not going above $30. So instead of bidding $29 and giving him the opportunity to bid $30, i bid $30 and would force him to bid $31.
this obviously backfires if the other owner than bids $31, which would cause you to bid $32. However if he does bid $31, and you drop, you just squeezed an extra buck out of him, which will benefit you later in the draft.
e very dollar counts…
DOOPPEEEE
HAHAHAHAHA
“Now I’m worried that dwarf-robbers will break in through my doggie door.”
@The Talented Mr. Dope Man, Hehe
Grey,
I participated in a 12-team mock where I waited through the closer run and ended up with Marmol and Fuentes. Did I wait too long or does that follow the plan?
@Vito, Nah, that’s fine. Little iffy, but SAGNOF…
grey, in what order do you value these SP in a KEEPER league system?
(wins/qS/CG/SHO are valued)
Darvish, Bumgarner, Wainwright, Kennedy, MattMoore, Latos, Dan Hudson
thanks!!!
@the grate one, Bum, Latos, Moore, Hudson, Wainwright…
@Grey, no love for YU = no soup for YOU!
@mauledbypandas, Seen too many Japanese pitchers come here with a lot of fanfare and end up fresh off the bloat.
@Grey, Oh I hear you. I hope he pitches amazingly well for my Rangers, but I doubt he will be on any of my fantasy teams.
@mauledbypandas, by the way, My Big Fat Redneck Vacation is shockingly hilarious. I usually don’t get into reality TV either.
@mauledbypandas, I do like reality TV so I wonder if that means I’ll really like it or not like it.
@Grey, Rednecks in the Hamptons, always drunk. 4-wheelers and fire arms!
@Grey, no faith that waino can come back strong (if not this year, then in future years?)
@the grate one, Sure, in future years, but I’m not drafting him to win a league this year which should always be the goal.
@Grey, good call – dont lose sight of the goal – thanks for keeping me on track.
Someone should get one of these so you can add it to the RCL prize pool (though it may be more appropriate for fantasy razzball):
http://www.raysindex.com/2012/02/the-don-zimmer-zim-bear-will-haunt-your-kids-dreams.html
I’d like to win it so I could use it for years to help raise my kid. As in, “If you don’t stop crying, Zim Bear will be sleeping in your crib tonight.”
@royce!, Oh, c’mon! That’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.
@Grey, I totally agree, and think it would go very well with the Dodgers pennant that I think I shared with you before, and which my wife won’t let me put in the nursery:
http://www.americanmemorabilia.com/pics/31748_01_lg.jpg
@royce!, Ha! This is like Homer watching Maggie. “Maggie, do you want to play with the one eyebrowed baby?”
@Grey, Ha! I’m all, “Maggie, I’m trying to watch TV. Put that moldy old bear down. Moldy?! Old?! I’m gonna get something to eat!”
@Grey, sorry, insert “Zim-” between “old” and “bear”.
@royce!, Hehe
Grey, quick question: Keep two pitchers: Beckett, Hanson, Josh Johnson. 12 team H2H 6 X 6. K/BB is the extra cat. Thanks
@Jamie, Beckett, Hanson… Dealer’s choice though really… Could go with any of them….
Hey Grey – i just got a list of my keepers i can pick from for this year and this year only. Gio Gonz or Howie Kendrick? I know kendrick is higher on your list then Gio but I figure I would still ask. 12 team mixed h2h.
@Tom, Kendrick
16 Team H2H Keeper where we keep 5. You can keep anyone forever if you want. I have the 13th pick in the first round. These are my keepers as of right now:
SS – Tulo
OF – Stanton
3B – Lawrie
SP – Lester
RP – Kimbrel
I could possibly swing Lester and my 1st or 2nd round pick for Moore and the 2nd overall pick. Would that be wise? Or should I shoot for me sending a worse pick? Or should I avoid it altogether?
@Wilsonian, or I could maybe swing Moore for an upgrade in the middle rounds and keep him over Kimbrel. What are your thoughts on any of those scenarios?
Thanks!
@Wilsonian, I’d take Moore over Kimbrel…
@Grey, nice. I’m leaning towards that direction. In a deep league like that, where he said a middle round could take him, what would you offer?
@Wilsonian, 6th to 9th…
@Grey, as per usual, many thanks.
@Wilsonian, Hold
@Grey, is that in response to the first comment or both? Sorry, you responded so quick after I posted that that I wasn’t sure if you even saw it.
Grey,
In looking at your top 300 and your rankings, it makes my nether regions tingle thinking about the love for Bautista this year. Best FA pickup ever in 2010 despite your anti-Joey Bats rhetoric through the years. Glad to see you’ve come around.
@Mr2Bits, Cool…
Grey,
Keeper question. In a 10 team 5×5 league that uses OBP and QS. I currently have the 6th pick in the draft, most people in front of me will not have a pick due to their keepers (maybe 3 picks). With that said, would you give up your 1st round to keep Halladay or replace him for Bonafacio with a 24th round pick and try to grab someone else in the first or maybe another player as I know you hate pitchers in the 1st?
Here is my current keepers list.
Roy Halladay – 1st round
Josh Hamilton – 7th round -Keeper
James Shields – 15th Round – Keeper
Kevin Youkilis – 15th round – Keeper
Chris Young – 21st round – Keeper
Jose Bautista – 23rd round – Keeper
Emilio Bonifacio – FA
Lance Berkman – FA – Keeper
Howie Kendrick – FA – Keeper
@Mr2Bits, I don’t know who else would be available in the 1st round…
@Grey,
Thats something I wont know until keepers are submitted by everyone so its a roll of the dice.
Grey,
Just asked the same question to Rudy but would like to hear from both of you:
In a 7×6 league where the offensive categories are:
H, R, HR, RBI, OPS, AVG, and SB how highly would you value high average guys?
Do Sandoval and Mauer types go up a couple rounds to you?
Thanks
@Arod’s Frost, A round for Pablo and 2 rounds for Mauer…
…
Hi Grey. I’m in 14 team keeper league and can keep up to three guys and ill have the 11th pick this year. 5×5 roto Who would you keep I have longoria Tex Hamilton pence Weaver.
@al, Longoria, Tex, Weaver…
@Grey, Sorry, make that Hamilton, Longoria, Weaver…
Also would you target Stanton or Reyes as a keeper
@al, Stanton
I think I ask this every year, but my H2H league counts OBP as well as AVG. You have Mauer at 105, so 8th-9th round.
Does he move up in an OBP league? If so, how far?
@Steve, 7 to 8th round sounds about right…
@Grey, Thanks. I raise my glass of Krug to you (it’s my 10th wedding anniversary).
@Steve, All the best, happy anniversary! Just realized it’s probably wedding season there, huh? Since it’s opposite seasons…
@Grey, Thanks. Yeah – summer’s a pretty popular time for weddings here.
I just trade the 54 pick for Reyes and will keep longoria Reyes and Hamilton. Did I get ripped
@al, Nope, not bad at all.
Grey,
Thanks for this man. I kinda like it. How would you adjust for an auction league?
@Jason P, http://razzball.com/fantasy-baseball-auction-draft-its-one-strategy/
How important (or useful) is looking at pitching order (in rotation) in a standard league that includes wins and losses? like is it better to always draft aces and #2′s? or is it better to draft highly ranked #4′s and #5′s because they might be facing other weaker #4′s and #5′s?
Not important… #1′s face #3′s, #4′s face face #5′s etc…