Interested in your “catcher makes a difference” strategy. Do you take a look each pre-season for battery changes? If so, any chance you post a “Look for improved performance from these SPs this year” (due to new battery mates)???

As it gets later in the draft, you may find some people taking a 4th MI for their UTIL or bench. If you had a very late game play like Freddy Sanchez or Aaron Hill, you might draft him a round or two earlier because of this. The drafters that do this are generally idiots and will drop the guy soon enough. What looks genius on draft day – I’ll get Ty Wiggington for my bench b/c he can play various positions! – looks idealistic a week later when your closer needs backing up.

But this don’t matter anyway cause you covered this in your draft strategy (flex). Sorry again for the spam.

Rudy, In my league I have 4 OF, 2 UTIL, and 4 INF slots, 12 teams. Would you do anything different? I know one thing, I won’t draft a catcher till after the 10th, maybe Doumit or Iannetta. I’m unsure what to do about Infielders though. I definitely don’t want to draft a Derek Jeter in the 4th again this year, lol.

I think Halladay will have lesser value (relative to draft pick) because: 1) coming off a great year, 2) pitches in AL East, and 3) His K rate skyrocketed last year due to a huge increase in cut fastballs. He’s able to throw cutters at 90+ MPH which is a winning formula – see Rivera and Loaiza during his miracle year. Trouble is that it’s really tough to throw cutters this hard. Not sure why but it is. Look at Jim Abbott and Steve Avery who faded early as they lost velocity. I think Halladay will still be good in 2009 but may need revert to the sinking fastball pitcher with average K rates…

The past couple years I would draft Pitching late, and…I’m not pleased with the results, so it’s time for a change for me. The league I’m in consists of 10 active managers and it’s real difficult sometimes to snag the hot FA’s off the wire, I miss out a lot. I could use a top closer in the 5th to break out for the middle of the pack (finished 4-8 place in saves past few years) and that’s even with me picking up a few closers. Same goes for SP. I always find myself trying to trade for a elite SP during the season cause the pitchers I drafted just weren’t good enough to carry my staff. It’d be nice to have 1 or 2 this year. I know there’s risk, just gotta make smart picks…Someone like Halladay. Only time he had probs with the arm was in 2006, had like ulnar nerve irritation or something, from throwing the cutter to much. He’s made the adjustments to avoid injury now. Now that Zaun is gone, Barajas is his catcher and look for the K’s to remain at last years level. Barajas is real good at moving behind the plate and calling pitches. I know this is hard for people to believe a catcher could be responsible for such a thing, but it ‘s what I saw last year. With Zaun it was always pitch to contact BS, but when Barajas caught him the K’s went up.

Rudy, I was curious, what SP’s and RP would you have on your radar in the 3-7 rounds?

Thanks Rudy and Co, . keep up the superb work here at razzball.

Do you have any sample rosters from last season that were drafted using this strategy? My brain says it makes sense, but my heart wants to jump off a train imagining coming out of the draft with, say, Aviles and K. Johnson as my middle infield. I’d love to see some real-world examples of what this strategy can net you.

@cubbies299: If it is an auction-based keeper where you have Gallardo at a crazy cheap price, seems like your reasoning makes sense. If there are only 5 keepers per team, I wouldn’t sweat long-term pitching decisions since most will keep 4-5 hitters…

Should be “… you’re liking… ” obviously.

I’ve seen him falling into the 90s in some ESPN 10-team mocks – they do have him ranked fairly low, though.

I drafted him early 4th last year – and we all know how that turned out.

I don’t have the full average draft position data at my disposal but here are MIs that probably go 10th round or later that I like in no particular order: Weeks, DeRosa, Jose Lopez, Kendrick, Theriot, Ian Stewart, Mark Ellis, Aviles, Khalil Greene, Freddy Sanchez, Placido Polanco. Would I prefer to have the 2nd tier 2B/SS (basically anyone not named Hanley, Reyes, Rollins, or Utley) – totally. But I don’t believe in overpaying for those guys.

@Fman99: That’s the common strategy. But then everyone is drafting pitchers in the later rounds. I prefer to be going against the tide and, thus, you can pounce on bargains either on the high side (say, Papelbon in the 6th/7th round) or low side (taking an Elijah Dukes-type as a late pick).

@Travis: I’d say the 11th round and later in a 10 team draft. 10th round and after for 12 team.

@Martin: A Reyes/Utley 1-2 punch is fantastic. Those would go under the wildcards. With the next 7 picks, I’d focus on power-hitting OFs (near ignoring their speed), try to snag one of the last 1Bs, and get some pitching.

@Frank Rizzo: Thanks. It turned out much better than my strategy that revolved around Hershey’s Syrup, Bosco, and Ovaltine…

And I forget where i put this question but in a league with R, HR, RBI,SB, AVG, OPS, TB what would the top five fantasy baseball rankings be

My league has a CI spot and 2 UTIL in addition to 4 OF so I can just load up on the best hitters in the first 7-8 rounds, almost regardless of position, and then fill in the gaps in the teen rounds.

re: “Last year, Ian Kinsler was the only one out of 10 MIs drafted in Rounds 3-8 that provided above-average value”

Where was Pedroia’s ADP at? Presumably, if he’d been taken in rounds 3 – 8 he would have provided above average value, no?

Which MIs are you targeting late in drafts, after punting through first 10 rounds?