So the title is a bit of a superlative. What was I gonna say, “The Mostly Kinda Good Fantasy Baseball Team?” You’ll get over your scoffing, I have faith in you. This is the best 2016 fantasy baseball team that I can put together when drafting from my top 100 for 2016 fantasy baseball and top 500 for 2016 fantasy baseball. Honestly, I could draft another 25 teams from those lists, and they’d all be different, but equally terrific… Well, one of the twenty-five would only be sorta terrific, but it would be really hard to tell which one that is. If I took Carlos Correa in the 1st round, everything after would change. If I took Arenado in the 1st round, everything after would change. I’ve previously gone over my 2016 fantasy baseball draft prep for the first few rounds and pitchers pairings. For this exercise, I’m taking Mike Trout first, because, well, I have him first overall. Until pick 100, I’m taking one guy somewhere in every fifteen picks. It would be nice if I was in a league where someone drafted Arrieta and Kershaw in the first two rounds and I was able to take Anthony Rizzo in the 2nd round (which is possible), but since Trout and him are in my first 10 picks, according to the rules I’ve set up for myself, I can’t take them both. Then, as we all know, once you get into the 100s, there’s wide gaps between ADP and where players are actually taken. People tend to look at team need over value. So for this exercise, once I get to pick #101, I’m going to pick two players every twenty picks. Finally, because there is so much latitude in the last 300, I gave myself free reign to fill up my team. Throughout the draft, I also gave myself the ability to reach to a lower draft pick, but not reach forward. Or reach around, if you’re feeling frisky. It should still be my ideal team… Or not. Let’s see, shall we? Bee tee dubya, this team is 5×5, one catcher, 5 OFs, MI, CI, 1 UT, 9 P, 3 bench, just like the Razzball Commenter Leagues (Go sign up or start a league). Anyway, here’s the best 2016 fantasy baseball team:
C: Travis d’Arnaud (227)
1B: Miguel Cabrera (17)
2B: Rougned Odor (61)
SS: Jonathan Villar (306)
3B: Evan Longoria (83)
MI: Ketel Marte (184)
CI: Mark Trumbo (149)
OF: Mike Trout (1)
OF: Gregory Polanco (32)
OF: Delino DeShields (103)
OF: Stephen Piscotty (148)
OF: Michael Conforto (182)
UTIL: Adam Duvall (288)
P: Gerrit Cole (46)
P: Michael Pineda (115)
P: Mark Melancon (122)
P: Lance McCullers (131)
P: Jonathan Papelbon (161)
P: Drew Smyly (169)
P: Jason Hammel (201)
P: Brad Ziegler (215)
P: Vincent Velasquez (265)
Bench: Jumbo Diaz (261)
Bench: Jeremy Jeffress (273)
Bench: Darren O’Day (295)
SO, THIS TEAM IS BETTER THAN BEYONCE MAKING THE MOVES ON YOU WHILE SAYING, “DON’T WORRY, HOVA DOESN’T NEED TO KNOW,” BUT IS THERE ANY CHANCE YOU CAN DRAFT THIS EXACT TEAM?
No. No. Sorry, I don’t mean to be short with you. Let me say that again: Noooooooooooo. As I said in the opening, this is an exercise to give you an idea of a team I wouldn’t kick out of bed. With this exercise, I don’t look at ADP, so it’s nice that I want Miggy at 17th overall or Conforto at 182nd overall, but if Miggy gets drafted 10th overall on average and Conforto goes around 150th overall, then I have no chance for either of them. I tried to be as fair as possible with my rankings vs. ADP, so most of these guys could and should be available. For every Miggy that might not be available, Polanco or DeShields or Trumbo or Duvall or Ketel or Longoria could be drafted way after I have them ranked. What this team should show in broad strokes — Did you get aroused when you read broad strokes? Gross! — this team shows how I build a team. Names change, but early on I’m looking at the corner spots, then I focus on outfield, while sprinkling in a pitcher here and there. I completely wait on relievers, taking one around 115-130 overall, then another between 150-200, then whenever I can after the top 200. I try to fill Utility with an upside bat in the very late rounds, knowing that I could drop him before the season even starts. Finally, I just grab a middle reliever or potential closer with the final picks, knowing I can drop them too. If you think you’re holding the last pick all year, you are milkshaken. Stupid, delicious typos!
“PARDON ME, FANTASY MASTER LOTHARIO, BUT DID YOU FORGET TO DRAFT A SHORTSTOP?
Honestly, truthfully, not-lyingly, I’ll likely drop one of my middle infidels by the 2nd week of April, if not all of them. Middle infielders are very fluid. Dropping a middle infielder in the first few weeks after a draft goes hand-in-hand like TP and poops. Just the nature of the beast. Would I love to strike it rich on an MI? Sure, why the effhole not? Last year, I drafted Devon Travis late in a few leagues and that looked like butter with the ER until he was taken to the ER. When I dropped Travis, there were plenty of options to still pick up. There always are. So, I’m taking Villar here, because A) Cheap speed gives me SAGNOF and B) I punted shortstop and C) No C. Notice, I didn’t punt 2nd base. That’s usually my MO. Take a 2nd baseman or shortstop in the top 125 picks. If I had punted 2nd, then I would’ve drafted a shortstop in the top 100 (Lindor, for unstints).
“GREY, YOUR MUSTACHE IS YOGA PANTS ON THAT HOT MOM PICKING UP MY FRIEND FROM DETENTION, BUT WHAT GIVES WITH THE BENCH? NO BENCH BATS?”
First off, welcome to the site. Get comfortable. That doesn’t mean put your feet on the furniture. What’s wrong with you? Why I’m saying welcome is I’ve been saying for years I don’t draft bench bats. If you didn’t know that, you’re new. It’s okay. We were all new once. Shoot, I love that new person smell. Don’t draft bench bats in 12 team and shallower leagues. They’re useless. You’re not going to hold them for longer than a few days after your draft. Now, if you draft a few middle relievers with your last few picks, maybe — just maybe — you’ll luck into a closer getting injured before the preseason. And, if that doesn’t work out, then you can drop the middle relievers without any hesitance. It’s more of a hindrance to have someone like, say, Gerardo Parra on your bench because then this happens, “Oh, it looks like Giles might be hurt, who should I grab? Hmm…Actually, who should I drop? Should I drop Parra? He might hit leadoff if Blackmon is traded and Blackmon in Colorado has never worked because Blackmon can’t ski and– Oh, it’s too late anyway, someone else grabbed Gregerson.” And then Gregerson goes on to save 42 games and win the Rollie Rolaids award. Oh, and in deeper leagues, bench bats are okay (within reason).
GREY, YOU MEAT PUPPET YOU, AREN’T YOU LIGHT ON POWER?
Rudy and I were talking about this the other day. Much has been made about steals being down, but power still dries up quicker than an open bar at an Irish wedding. Number of guys that have power after the 200th pick? You can count them on one hand if you’re Three-Finger Brown: Jay Bruce, Chris Carter and Colby Rasmus. There’s 14 guys that can steal 20 bases in that same general area. So, whether I wanted it or not, Trumbo, Conforto and Longoria are being relied on for some serious power. Yes, that Longoria. I will now go stick my head in the oven and read from The Bell Jar. Oh, and Tom Hagen’s son, Adam Duvall, was also an attempt by me to get very cheap power, but like mentioned earlier, that is a total flyer.
CAN I TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR TEAM AND SEND IT TO MYSELF OVER ELECTRONIC MAIL AND PUT A RED FLAG ON THE EMAIL INDICATING IMPORTANT?
Yes, be my guest. The only thing is you don’t want to get too caught up in trying to replicate my draft because if someone else takes a guy you want, you’re gonna start scrambling and then sweating and then sharting your Underoos. Just build the best team you can and use my example as a guide. For s’s and g’s, go to my top 500 and put your best fantasy baseball team into the comments below.
