As I’ve switched over the sites from the old RotoBuzz.com to the all new Fantasy Baseball Buzz, I’ve noticed that there are some older articles that offer fantasy baseball draft strategies and thoughts on the game that have yet to be brought over here. Sometimes I take for granted that everyone reading already knows what they’re doing, and basic instructional articles for the fantasy rookies left left behind. But rather than wait until it’s too late for you, I figured I’d just re-publish a couple of them with some current modifications (if necessary). So forgive me if you’ve seen this before, but if you haven’t, enjoy…
If you’ve already drafted, then I suppose you can disregard this post for now, unless of course you bit it so badly that you want to get a jump on next year. I just wanted to talk for a bit about drafting strategies. You need to make sure you walk into your draft with a plan. Having the knowledge is great, but if you don’t have a strategy to properly implement that knowledge, then you could find yourself in a bit of trouble. You need to know exactly who you want, how you’re going to get them, and, if you miss out, what your contingency plan will be. You need to make sure that you don’t stray from the plan too much, but that you aren’t unwilling to bend a little and make some in-draft strategy adjustments. It’s a tricky thing, this drafting process, but having a successful one will set the tone for your entire season.
First off, let me start this by saying that I understand that this might be mundane to the fantasy heads that live and die by this game. If so, then you can go back to articles like 5 Guys on My Fantasy Radar or The Rookie Report. But for those just starting out or for those that have recently started and still need to learn some things (the fantasy nOObs, if you will), this should be a helpful tool for you as you get ready to walk into the most exciting day of the fantasy season.
Your ultimate goal, come the end of your draft, is to have a properly balanced team. You want power, speed, quality starters, and quality relievers. Sure, you can bulk up in one area and neglect another, but then you’re forcing yourself into needing trades or free agents to win. If you’re in a keeper league, then assess your strengths and use the draft to build up on your weaknesses. If you’re starting from scratch, once you have your top guys, use the rest of your time to fill up your shortcomings. When it comes to this game, balance is the key. If you make it your priority and incorporate that into your strategy, your draft should be a successful venture, no matter what style it is.
Now I’m sure there are some leagues out there with some sort of new and crazy draft style, but for the sake of this article, let’s just stick to the basics. There are two types of drafts — the snake-style and the auction. They are the most commonly used in fantasy baseball and other types of drafts are really just some sort of deviation of one or the other. Each one, I suppose, has their plusses and minuses, although if you ask me, I much prefer the auction.
Snake-style drafts are pretty simple and straight-forward. If you’re new at this, then here’s the quick sum-up: for the sake of the article, let’s use a 12 team league for example — teams are put in an order, the picks are done 1 through 12 for the first round and then come back around 12 through 1 for the second round. This usually goes on for a total of 24 or 25 rounds, depending on your roster requirements.
Simple, right? Definitely. Your first 4 or 5 picks should be all about taking the best available player on the board, followed by using the middle round picks to fill in your gaps, leaving the late rounds for your hunches and sleepers. You should have depth charts and cheat sheets to help outline all of this. If not, then allow me to recommend the cheat sheets here at The Fantasy Baseball Buzz.
But what I don’t like about snake drafts is that, to me, your opponents are picking your team more than you are. Sure, you’ve got rankings and lists of guys you want, but there’s really nothing you can do when you’re sitting with the 9th pick and watching the first 8 names come off the board. Then you choose the best available guy and get to watch 6 more picks go by. After you make your second round selection, then you’ve got another 16 picks to go before you get to choose again. That’s a lot of players you don’t even have the option to go after.
Then there’s the problems with “player runs”. What that is, is when two or three guys in a row start pulling from one position sending the other owners into a mini-panic and sudden need to fill that position. More often than not, it usually happens with catchers and closers, but really it could happen with any position. When it does, it can throw off your whole game.
Obviously, it’s easy to say don’t get caught up in the run, but when you’re watching a thin position get sucked dry, it’s not so easy to let it go. You’ve got 2 choices…join the run or find another thin position that still has top options and get your fix there. I, personally, don’t like to get caught up in the run. If there’s a run on closers and the middle infield still has great options, then go there. You might miss out on the top 5 or 6 closers, but there are 30 major league teams, and plenty more options to choose from later. Will they be the best? Nope. But they’ll suffice as you assemble a juggernaut squad everywhere else.
Now I’m not saying don’t join the run. Sometimes you have to. When the top 10 starters are flying off the board, you’re going to have to react and make sure you’re not left without a top tier guy. Sure, you can build a pitching staff without an ace, but if you don’t have to, then don’t. Especially if your in a small league. Like I said, be firm with your strategy but be willing to bend if necessary.
That’s pretty much it with snake drafts. They’re easy and very straightforward. You spend a lot of time waiting and you’re fending off a lot of frustration as the guy who picks before you inevitably takes your guy with his pick.
Now auctions, to me, are plenty more exciting and definitely more difficult. You need to have the same basic knowledge, the depth chats and the cheat sheets, but you also now have to work within a budget. Standard for most leagues is a cap somewhere around $250 or $260, and it never seems to be enough. Which is why it is imperative that you formulate a strategy before walking in.
If you’re drafting in an auction format, you need to first set up a budget for how much you’re going to spend, not just on individual players, but how much you’re going to spend on batting vs. pitching. A good rule of thumb is to split your money between the two. I prefer to use 65% of my money on hitting with 35% going towards pitching. You can obviously go your own way, but that split seems to work well for me.
Once you’ve got that established, then you can pick and choose the players you’re going to spend the big bucks on. The key to drafting in an auction is to get the best value for the money you’re spending. We all know that guys like Hanley Ramirez, Albert Pujols and Tim Lincecum are going to cost big bucks. But it’s the guys like Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, or David Freese that have to be quality value picks — guys you get for cheap but have a return value that is much greater by season’s end. Like we’ve always preached, it’s the later rounds and the $1 guys that can really make your season a successful one.
Anyway, to continue, once you’ve set up your budget for hitting and pitching and once you’ve decided who the small handful of top players are that you are seeking, you have to figure out how much you are willing to spend. Is $65 too much to spend on a guy? What about $55? You’re going to have to make some very hard decisions and stick to a specific plan once you do. Personally, I have no problem spending some big bucks on a sure thing that will be one of the top players in the league. Bargain shopping later on in the draft can be so much more rewarding, so grab some key components early and then sit for a while and watch your competition overspend on mediocrity.
Usually, once the auction begins, people will be throwing out names to get you to waste as much money as early as possible. Guys like Pujols and Hanley will be the first thrown out there because they will inspire the biggest bidding wars. Just be careful. If someone like Hanley is a must-have for you, be careful not to get bid up too high. Put a dollar figure on how much you’d be willing to spend on him and don’t deviate by more than a few bucks. If he’s going for more than $5 of what you wanted to spend, I say leave him and grab a different stud. There are still plenty out there.
The key is to stay within your budget. You might really love a guy, but if his price goes too high and it affects the rest of your strategy, you could be slitting your own throat. There’s nothing worse than overspending on a small group of players and have to sit out most of the rest of the draft because you can only fish for $1 guys. I’m not saying don’t deviate, but don’t go crazy. If you spend a few dollars more on a guy than you wanted to, you can make the adjustments. But overspend on too many and you’re toast.
If you do land a big fish early, then it’s my recommendation that you sit back for a bit. Nothing worse than spending $62 on a guy and having to jump right in to another bidding war. You’ll lose your mind, your plans and your money all in one fell swoop. One of the things I like to do is to throw out names of guys you have no interest in. Let other people spend their money. If you have no desire to bid on Manny Ramirez, then toss his name out there. He’ll definitely draw interest and why not let your competition bid up a guy you never wanted in the first place.
Once the first few rounds have gone by and everyone has spent big bucks, then your knowledge goes to work. You’d be surprised as to how many guys can slip through the cracks in an auction. If you play it right and hold back some of your money for the end, you’ll not only be able to get them at a super bargain price, but you’ll still have the last few dollars to grab your sleepers and hidden gems that, hopefully, your competition has overlooked.
The auction can be a battle. Hell, any draft can be all out war. The main thing is to not panic. It’s real easy to get caught up in the excitement, but if you reamin calm and stick to your strategy, then, armed with superior knowledge, no one’s gonna touch you.
If you have any last minute questions, please feel free to comment below or email me at rotobuzzguy@gmail.com. There’s nothing I love more than talking baseball.
Keep checking back for updates as all pitchers and catchers (without visa problems) are in camp and preparing for the 2010 season. As I’ve said before, I’ll be doing updates from both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues, position battle analysis, and of course, will be adjusting the Buzz’ 2010 Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings and Cheat Sheets throughout the next month and a half. I’ll hit you with more fantasy baseball sleepers, rookie reports, bullpen and fantasy baseball closers updates and all the prep work you’ll need for your upcoming fantasy baseball draft. Remember, The Fantasy Baseball Buzz is your number one resource for free fantasy baseball advice, insights, player rankings, strategies and all the tools you’ll need to win your fantasy baseball leagues.
Good luck and I’ll see you all in the money this year!!!
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
A lot of sites give us dollar values for players.. how much higher would you recommend over that price.. 10% 20% ? whats the strategy if u definitely want a stud at a certain position.. Do you wait for others to throw his name out or do it yourself?
I plan to overbid on a SS and 3B because I think its important to get a stud there..
please advise… thankss..
First off, you have to determine just how close the dollar values the sites offer you are to the prices that you pay in your league. If you’ve been doing a league for a while with the same people, then you know most people’s trends. Can you compare the values to the prices people paid last year or the year before? I think the values they give are just a rough guideline, so going a few bucks in either direction is the norm.
I don’t like to put a set percentage on how much I am going to overbid on a player. I usually give myself a cut-off point; that I won’t pay more than $60 for Pujols or Hanley with a $260 cap. Maybe a buck or two higher but that should be it. But again, I have to see the way the bidding is going. If there’s a player I covet….and I mean a stud that I really want, I’ll throw his name out relatively quickly. If there is another player that I like and want to bid on, I don’t want to hedge my bids because I’m saving money for when my stud’s name gets called.
The thing about really going after and spending a ton of money to lock up someone like Pujols or Hanley, is that you have to be sure that you will be successful in the bargain hunting later. You have to be confident in your ability to scout players and know that you can grab this guy for $3 and that guy for $1. So if you’re really big on going after a stud — you said SS and 3B, so I HAVE to assume you mean Hanley and A-Rod (maybe Longoria) — you have to make sure you scout the other positions well enough to get quality bargains late. Investing a big chunk of your money on one guy means that you’re taking several (not just a few) risks at other positions. Be sure your research is thorough.
Thanks for reading!
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