Fantasy titles ARE often won on draft day. For example my premier league saw our winner last year go tape to tape by recognizing an undervaluing of arms in our early drafting and used the first 4 rounds (picking from the 5 spot in a 15 team H2H league) to run off a staff containing Kershaw, Scherzer and Wainwright and nabbing V Mart in round 4 to have the top scoring player in each of the first 4 rounds. Drop the mic. Season over.
But many fantasy experts are quick to note that drafts ARE NOT won or lost in the first few weeks of the season. In no sport is this more true than in baseball whose season is far more marathon than sprint.
No, baseball drafts are not USUALLY won in the first few weeks. 162 games is a beast. 550 at bats a slog. 200 innings is monster and seasoned drafters know that. Then why the ‘usually’ ? I say usually because often the first few deals of a season are done from the frustration slow starts inspire.
The draft is Christmas. We get a new roster of man toys, and if playing with them is wrong, then none of us want to be right. Then opening day we take the protective plastic off our new toys and see what we really got. No other time of the season is full of such hope. No other time of the season do we examine more closely. Every team is fully invested and looking for a distraction from winter and the first few weeks every at bat is scrutinized – every pitch is rated and ranked and every player lives under a microscope.
Well, news flash, not many of us look our best under a microscope. Sorry amoebas but it’s true. And under a microscope sometimes the player you drafted in the 10th who hit 2 HR’s the first week can get you a 5th rounder who is 0 for April.
A good draft is great – but the first few weeks is the time to double down on a solid draft and parlay some good picks with a fast start for some great players who stumble out of the gate.
11 bats to dangle :
Player AB R H 1B 2B 3B HR RBI BB KO FPTS
|
Adrian Gonzalez 1B | LAD |
44 |
13 |
23 |
10 |
8 |
0 |
5 |
14 |
6 |
3 |
72.50 |
|
|
Lorenzo Cain CF | KC |
43 |
11 |
18 |
12 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
11 |
5 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
49.50 |
|
|
|
Nelson Cruz RF | SEA |
42 |
7 |
14 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
9 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
47.00 |
|
|
|
Devon Travis 2B |TOR |
45 |
9 |
16 |
9 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
12 |
2 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
46.00 |
|
|
|
Salvador Perez C | KC |
46 |
7 |
17 |
11 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
11 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
43.50 |
|
|
|
Matt Kemp CF | SD |
50 |
8 |
17 |
11 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
9 |
2 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
42.50 |
|
|
|
Justin Upton RF | SD |
46 |
10 |
15 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
4 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
42.00 |
|
|
|
Matt Carpenter 3B | STL |
42 |
9 |
16 |
8 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
42.00 |
|
|
|
Dee Gordon 2B | MIA |
50 |
7 |
20 |
15 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
9 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
42.00 |
|
|
|
Ender Inciarte LF | ARI |
47 |
11 |
17 |
12 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
40.00 |
|
|
|
Alex Rodriguez 3B | NYY |
35 |
8 |
11 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
11 |
7 |
15 |
0 |
0 |
40.00 |
|
Now there are players in the top 25 whose names obviously are not here like Trout, Goldschmidt and Miggy. There are others in the top 25 who I believe are as good as there early numbers like Votto, Donaldson, JD Martinez and Arenado. Then there are those who should be shopped. Not given away – but shopped to owners of the following players who are growing weary of these stars 0 fer Aprils.
Obviously all these players can do what they’ve done – because they’re doing it. The question is not can they – but how likely is it that they are to continue doing it. This is your chance to turn all this silver into some tarnished gold.
10 bats to target :
| PLAYER | AB | R | H | 1B | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | KO | FPTS |
|---|
| Devin Mesoraco C | CIN | 21 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2.00 |
| Brandon Belt 1B | SF | 33 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 4.50 |
| Ryan Braun RF | MIL | 38 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 4.00 |
| Evan Gattis C | HOU | 42 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 3.00 |
| Michael Brantley LF | CLE | 20 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6.50 |
| Jonathan Lucroy C | MIL | 42 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 8.00 |
| Manny Machado 3B | BAL | 42 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 12.00 |
| Victor Martinez 1B | DET | 29 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 13.50 |
| Alex Gordon LF | KC | 28 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 14.00 |
| Shin-Soo Choo CF | TEX | 33 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 14.00 |
Stay tuned for which arms are playing the part of the tortoise and which arms are playing the hare out of the gate.