Comments on: Performance Enhancing Draft Strategy

By: xxxTheToadxxx

xxxTheToadxxx — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:05:11 +0000

“Self-explanatory. No DH, pitchers hitting, weaker offenses. They bunt in the NL! SO WHEN CHOOSING BETWEEN GREINKE AND LOWE, GO LOWE. Between Kershaw and Baker, go Kershaw. Instead of chewing gum, chew bacon!”

YIKES!

By: Rudy Gamble

Rudy Gamble — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:02:51 +0000

@Tom: Is that a 10 or 12 team mixed league? It's really weak for 10 team and just weak for 12 team...

By: Grey

Grey — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:12:32 +0000

@Tom: Your front three are fine, but Edwin isn't worth starting right now except in very deep leagues.

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:54:23 +0000

Are F-Hernandez, Wainwright, J. Johnson, E. Jackson decent enough 1-4 to start a season with? I love grabbing one pitcher like Hernandez early and concentrating on bats, but I feel really weak in starting pitching now. It could be worse, but what do you like least: Wainwright as #2, Johnson as a #3 or Jackson being on my team?

By: Colin

Colin — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:05:53 +0000

Good points. But my thinking is the thought of a huge pay day in the winter will trump all that and he’ll end up with decent numbers considering where he will be drafted.

By: Grey

Grey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:31:26 +0000

@Colin: I’d read this:

(http://razzball.com/20-risky-pitchers-for-2009/)

By: Colin

Colin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:24:29 +0000

Grey, I’m looking at Myers to bounce back this year. 35 pounds less and in a contract year could equal a solid season with 15 wins and lots of K’s. Thoughts?

By: Grey

Grey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:15:00 +0000

@Benny: I wouldn't move hitters up. I'd go with what we have here.

By: Benny

Benny — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:43:00 +0000

Thanks Grey

Hitters – R, H, HR, RBI, SB, BB, AVG, SLAM, OFA

Pitchers – W, CG, SHO, SV, K, ERA, WHIP

I was gonna move pitchers up a round (or two) compared to most strategies.

I’m thinking it’ll be a bit easier to find good pitchers in FA than good hitters, but I’m not really sure.

By: Grey

Grey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:34:24 +0000

@Benny: No, your strategy would need to change a bit for the climate of your league. Your hitters are still very valauble, but I have no idea what the other categories are so you need to focus on those categories, as well.

By: Benny

Benny — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:31:36 +0000

One question

I am in a league where we have 9 hitters with 9 stats, and 9 pitchers with 7 stats, should my strategy remain the same as yours? Thanks to anyone for any help

By: Grey

Grey — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:52:40 +0000

@Josh: Cool, good to have you commenting. re: Rounds 2-7 -- Steady offensive performers with little downside. Think Berkman, Carlos Lee, Beltran, Markakis, Rios, Chipper, Kemp, etc. I also like Capps and Fuentes. EDIT: Typo. Word.

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:27:09 +0000

I have just started reading this site recently, great way to pass college lectures!

My biggest question is, if I’m punting catchers, closers, starters till at least the 4th if not all the way to the 8th, am I really going to have enough needs to draft just offense in the first 7 rounds? I’d be happy with Cruz and/or Span in my OF, Davis or Votto in the infield. Plus, with all the muddling middle infielders, I’m not sure I want any middle infielders outside the first 2 rounds. So where should I be looking in rounds 2-7? Best available player or what?

And I don’t think I can resist a second tier closer. Fuentes and Capps are two guys I really want this year.

By: AJ

AJ — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:27:12 +0000

posting made in the keeper section….

By: Grey

Grey — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:02:51 +0000

@AJ: This question should go in the forum. Also, I might be having a stupid problem here, but your wording has me confused. You can trade for Kemp in the 11th and Alexei in the 10th? Then do it.

By: AJ

AJ — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:57:26 +0000

Since there’s no where else to put it, I’m slapping this question right here. Deal. I can keep two players at the round they were drafted at last year. My options are: Bay 7th, Chris Davis 10th (FA’s are 10th automatically), Shields 12th, Connor Jackson 20th. Shields makes the most sense, but I’m torn on another. So I can make a trade for someone like Volquez 10th(FA), Alexei Ramirez 10th (FA), Kemp 11th, Victorino 11th, S Drew 16th, Dye 16th, Doumit 18th, Broxton 23rd or maybe one or two others. But I’d have to lose some draft position to acquire those guys. Example, last year I traded down from the 9th round to the 13th round to keep Rios at the 8th round, and from 14 to 18 to keep Kinsler at 13. Kinsler obviously worked out and I guess Rios was still a value in the 8th. So my question(s) is(are) should I keep Sheilds, and Bay or Davis or should I make a move for somebody else. Love to have your input on the subject….

By: Grey

Grey — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:22:47 +0000

@Mike: You don't have the pitchers you need to compete. Offense isn't your problem right now. I don't think dropping any of your bench guys is going to necessarily fix your problems, but drop Choo for Guthrie.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:33:47 +0000

Grey, it’s a standard Yahoo public roto league. C 1b 2b ss 3b OF OF OF Util SP SP RP RP P P P and 5 bench spots…12 team league

My starting hitters are Iannetta Fielder Phillips Reyes Rios Dye Milledge Votto

my starting pitchers are Shields Harden Fuentes Qualls Cain M.Gonzalez R.Johnson

Bench guys equal 4 listed above and Joey Devine

I probably need insurance for both Randy Johnson and Harden, and I wanted to draft Jimenez, Wandy, Guthrie & Parra but I ran out of roster spots.

By: Grey

Grey — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:17:32 +0000

@Exonerated: Get the best player available. Typically, I get a starter in the 5th to 6th rounds, but, as mentioned earlier, I would take Santana in the 3rd round or Peavy in the 4th or 5th, etc.

By: Exonerated

Exonerated — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:54:51 +0000

Grey love the site! As far as drafting strategy in the early rounds do you focus on getting certain positions covered or do you just get the best player available? And what round do you typically draft your first pitcher?

By: Grey

Grey — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:15:36 +0000

@Mike: I don't know the depth of your league, but it sounds very shallow. I would not drop any of those guys. But I also think those other guys (minus De La Rosa) should be owned.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:06:22 +0000

So what you are saying is that I should drop Alex Gordon, Shin-Soo Choo, Rickie Weeks & Fred Lewis and pick up guys like Ubaldo Jimenez, Jeremy Guthrie, Manny Parra, Wandy Rodriguez, Jorge De La Rosa? I’d personally like to keep Gordon for the inevitable Chipper injury, but is that what you’re telling me?

Anyway, I only recently found Razzball but I thoroughly enjoy it.

Thanks

By: Grey

Grey — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:11:47 +0000

@sean: Ha! Thanks for the heads up!

By: sean

sean — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:08:46 +0000

Boof Bonser out for the year…
I really wanted to draft him and finish 9th

By: rhymenoceros

rhymenoceros — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:39:19 +0000

I’ve been using a strategy very similar to this for three years. I’ve yet to finish out of the money in any of the leagues. Statistically and theoretically it just makes sense, at least to me. If all my RCL compadres read this article and apply it aggressively to the draft, March 15 will be a freaking bloodbath.

By: sean

sean — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:41:16 +0000

@baron@grey: i think some flexibility in my approach will probably be best served. i agree with both of you that reaching is necessary and proper at times.

By: Baron Von Vulturewins

Baron Von Vulturewins — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:30:27 +0000

@sean: In this case, you should go in with your own idea of who you can live with. When all the other closers start vanishing -- regardless of round -- you start thinking of picking your guys. Just don't be afraid to leave with some bottom feeders. Also, when people are taking guys like Kerry Wood in the 8th round (!!!), you can be stockpiling useful offensive players.

By: Grey

Grey — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:22:19 +0000

@Ethan Stein: It's fine. You should keep Johan now, but I want Lee and Halladay over Johan.

By: Ethan Stein

Ethan Stein — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:20:29 +0000

About rule 1, in a 5 player keeper league, I have on my roster now through some trades to keep, A-Rod, Rollins, Utley, Hamilton and Johan. The draft has not yet happened and the keeper deadline is next week. I just traded Carlos Lee and Roy Halliday for Santana after trying to do something similar for Jose Reyes or Ramirez (Using rollins instead of Lee) but did work. Smart move? Should I try to move Johan, or since he is not my first 2 picks, its ok?

By: Grey

Grey — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:03:04 +0000

@sean: All rankings are benchmarks. If you know you want a donkey-corn, then when you see others grabbing Broxton, Jenks and Cordero you grab Capps or Devine or Fuentes. If you grab one a round or too earlier, it's not a big deal as long as you leave the draft with three closers.