Last night, I completed my first offical draft of the 2008 fantasy baseball season. It is a mixed 5x5 league. It is called The Fantasy Baseball Writer's League made-up of the following bloggers:
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Brock For Broglio
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Crooked Pitch
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Fantasy Baseball Mafia
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Fantasy Game Day
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Fantasy Hurler
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Razzball
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Rotoauthority
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Rotorob
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Rotonomics
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Seamless Baseball (2)
- Fake Teams
I usually wait until my next picks to decide on a draft strategy i.e. 24/25 with the 1st pick and 36/37 with the last. When Jake peavy was available, I decided on a strategy. I would build a solid starting pitching staff. To that end, I knew I couldn't pick Peavy and sit out 8 rounds on pitchers. I had to grab a couple more in the 6-10th rounds.
To this end, I excuted well as I have a pitching staff anchored by two high-strikeout pitchers, Peavy and Scott Kazmir, along with three starters who are normally the top three on my staff - Chris Young, Tim Lincecum and Yovanni Gallardo. With a 1500 inning maximum, I felt comfortable that I'd be able to maximize my staff's starts.
As a result of taking starting pitchers, I had to settle for less accomplished hitters. Amongst those, I reached somewhat on Brewers' OF Corey Hart. While I feel he can be as good as the Cubs Alfonzo Soriano, I know that isn't a consensus fantasy opinion. Check out the numbers, though, and remember 2008 will be Hart's first season as a full-time starter.
Best pick: SP Chien-Ming Wang or OF Raul Ibanez
Worst pick: C Paul LoDuca. In a two-catcher league, I should have grabbed one of the 15 HR-types a couple rounds earlier.
Sleeper pick: OF Adam Jones. Who is going to get to hit behind Nick Markakis all season?
My team:
- (1) Álex Rodríguez 3B
- (24) B.J. Upton 2B,OF
- (25) Jake Peavy P
- (48) Troy Tulowitzki SS
- (49) Corey Hart OF
- (72) Scott Kazmir P
- (73) Chris Young P
- (96) Rickie Weeks 2B
- (97) Tim Lincecum P
- (120) James Loney 1B
- (121) Yovani Gallardo P
- (144) Michael Bourn OF
- (145) Adam Jones OF
- (168) Chien-Ming Wang P
- (169) Brian Wilson P
- (192) Raúl Ibañez OF
- (193) Justin Upton OF
- (216) C.J. Wilson P
- (217) Lastings Milledge OF
- (240) Cameron Maybin OF
- (241) Jason Giambi 1B
- (264) Paul Lo Duca C
- (265) Carlos Ruiz C
- (288) Wandy Rodríguez P
- (289) Tony Peña P
- (312) Jon Rauch P
C Paul Lo Duca
C Carlos Ruiz
1B James Loney
2B B.J. Upton
SS Troy Tulowitzki
3B Álex Rodríguez
CI Jason Giambi
MI Rickie Weeks
OF Corey Hart
OF Michael Bourn
OF Adam Jones
OF Raúl Ibañez
OF Justin Upton
UT Lastings Milledge
BN Cameron Maybin
P Jake Peavy
P Scott Kazmir
P Chris Young
P Tim Lincecum
P Yovani Gallardo
P Chien-Ming Wang
P Wandy Rodríguez
P Brian Wilson
P CJ Wilson
BN Tony Peña
BN Jon Rauch