While drafting this NFBC 2022 fantasy baseball team, I’m simultaneously deep into writing my 2022 fantasy baseball rankings, which will be released starting around mid-January. (Our Patreon already has the bulk of them; as I finish each ranking, I put it up on there.) Was a fun experiment to see if not having completed rankings would change my drafting. If I haven’t yet decided on whether or not I want a player, would that let me be more open to drafting someone? I’m not sure. My guess was it might’ve. For unstints, if I didn’t want, say, Cody Bellinger again, would I be a big enough dolt to draft him again since I haven’t finished my rankings? Would I be a large enough idiot to actually draft Cody Bellinger again in 2022 if I hadn’t yet finished my research? Would I have an obvious screw loose, potentially appearing like a person who doesn’t have an actual brain, and draft Cody Bellinger again? Would I be a large-scale imbecile that would draft Cody Bellinger again if I simply hadn’t finished researching? Surely, I would not, right? Because I rostered him in multiple leagues last year, so I don’t need something as silly as my own rankings to know Cody Bellinger sucks giant Great Dane balls, right? RIGHT?! Actually, wrong. I’m just that dumb. Anyway, here’s my NFBC draft recap; it’s a 15-team, two-catcher, draft and hold league that goes 50 rounds and has no waivers:
C: Mike Zunino (19)
C: Omar Narvaez (20)
1B: Freddie Freeman (2)
2B: Luis Urias (11)
SS: Wander Franco (3)
3B: Ke’Bryan Hayes (13)
MI: Vidal Brujan (16)
CI: Ryan Mountcastle (5)
OF: Luis Robert (1, 14)
OF: Cody Bellinger (7)
OF: Adolis Garcia (10)
OF: Andrew Vaughn (15)
OF: Brandon Marsh (21)
UTIL: Patrick Wisdom (23)
Bench: Steven Kwan (25), Nick Solak (27), Bryan De La Cruz (29), Dylan Moore (32), Leury Garcia (33), Kyle Farmer (34), Victor Caratini (37), Jace Peterson (38), Ryan Vilade (40), Josh VanMeter (43), Riley Adams (44), Yonathan Daza (46), DJ Stewart (47), Niko Goodrum (49)
P: Freddy Peralta (4)
P: Jose Berrios (6)
P: Sean Manaea (8)
P: Ranger Suarez (9)
P: Noah Syndergaard (12)
P: Tanner Houck (14)
P: Ken Giles (17)
P: Kyle Finnegan (18)
P: Tony Gonsolin (22)
Bench: Nate Pearson (24), Devin Williams (26), Merrill Kelly (28), Richard Rodriguez (30), Tucker Davidson (31), Cody Morris (35), Bryse Wilson (36), A.J. Puk (39), Griffin Canning (41), Logan Allen (42), Deivi Garcia (45), Miguel Yajure (48), Touki Toussaint (50)
DID YOU GET ‘YOUR’ GUYS? DO YOU EVEN HAVE GUYS? WITHOUT READING YOUR RANKINGS YET, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO MAKE OF ANY OF THIS.
As I was saying in the opening–
I SKIPPED THAT.
–I don’t know yet who ‘my’ guys are, Mr. Bolden Al Capps. Some guys are obviously more attractive to me already, and I’m not talking about attractive like Giantbonerlo Stanton. I’ve written sleeper posts already for a few — Andrew Vaughn sleeper, Luis Urias sleeper, Brandon Marsh sleeper, and more are coming. Trust.
TRUST!? WHAT ARE YOU, A 15-YEAR-OLD DOUCHEBAG?
Tough, but fair. You know what’s pretty fascinating (to me at least). People follow ADP like it wasn’t formed by a couple dozen people in October who likely had no idea about anything to do with free agents (of which there’s still more guys without contracts), and just a group of people who are winging it like everyone else. Yet — again with some stank — YET, you do something like draft Steven Kwan in the 25th round and people say stuff like, “Wow, you could’ve waited.” According to what? This janky sample size ADP? Okay, but why? Why is anyone following ADP at this point? Drafted right after Kwan was Brady Singer, Hunter Dozier, Connor Joe, Anthony Bender and Wilmer Flores. Apples and oranges a bit with some of those guys, but can you imagine getting to June and being like, “Damn, I wish I had Wilmer Flores?”
Also, it really makes you question ADP, in general. Think about this: In October, a couple dozen people with obvious gambling addictions decided to start drafting fantasy baseball leagues. (Hey, I’m way better for starting in November!) Then people in November and December follow this janky ADP from October and reenforce it. Then we get to February and people are like, “You took Luis Robert in the 1st? You are seriously handsome but just as dumb.” Why? Because some people said so in October, and that’s been getting reenforced ever since? I don’t know, guys and five girl readers. I’m beginning to question ADP, which feels a bit like questioning God, if I’m being honest. Think about this, when you get to May, are you like, “Wow, I can’t believe I was able to get Syndergaard at 167 overall?” Or are you like, “I have Syndergaard on my team, and I don’t remember in the slightest where I drafted him.” Like a teamster, I’m leaning on the latter.
OKAY, THAT WAS THE MOST BORING DIATRIBE ABOUT ADP I’VE EVER READ, BUT YOU DID MENTION STEVEN KWAN, SO…UH…WHO? IS HE RELATED TO HAPPY KWANZAA?
Kinda surprised how little noise there’s been about Steven Kwan. This might be partially my fault. He’s a rookie, and I didn’t write up a fantasy baseball rookie outlook post for him, like I did for so many others. He came to my attention late, only notified by Baseball America’s Geoff. (Homeboy’s gone from Prospect Ralph to Prospector Ralph to Podcaster Ralph to Podcaster Geoff to Baseball America’s Geoff. If he tries to change to Geoffrey, I’m out.) So, I was told essentially that Happy Steven Kwanzaa is a .300 hitter, who the Guardians protected, so there’s no reason he doesn’t get run this year in the outfield. There might be ten hitters total in the majors who you can project credibly as a .300 hitter, and two are less-than-five-homer, some-steals duds like Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal, and one is no-power and no-speed, Luis Arraez. Kwan’s developing power, has speed and won’t get you laughed at if you project him for a batting title. So, when people are like, “Damn, you could’ve waited to grab Steven Kwan ten rounds later,” it’s like, “Why?” Seriously, who cares? Because there’s some arbitrary ADP assigned to him? Whatever.
YOU SOUND ALMOST AS MAD AS ME. I LIKE THAT. OKAY, SO GIVE ME SOME TAKEAWAYS, OR, BETTER YET, WHY DID YOU TREAT THIS LIKE A 5X4 LEAGUE AND NOT DRAFT SAVES?
There’s a few big advantages to drafting this early. You grab Ryan Mountcastle at 59th overall and people are like, “Hey, Grey, did you hit your head?” Then I release my rankings and show how high I am on Mountcastle and why, and his price goes up. Or, in a more general sense, a bunch of ‘perts start talking about Steven Kwan; the Guardians announce he’s their two-hole hitter and the starting left fielder and his price is going to zoom up. The big disadvantage? I legit have no idea who’s closing for at least ten teams. Is Ken Giles healthy? Is Kyle Finnegan the Nats’ closer? I was happy about getting Richard Rodriguez at pick 449th overall. He’s a free agent, and I’d be shocked if he’s not working someone’s 8th or 9th by April. In general, I think my NFBC team is going to be competitive. Assuming Cody Bellinger doesn’t take my entire team’s players out the night before Opening Day for some drinks and gets them lost in woods for six months.
