The Draft: Part III

Moving right along. Here you can view: Part I, Part II.

This year we played with 8, with even further expanded rosters. I was 3rd pick for 29 rounds of bliss. Our league is 5x5 Roto, but instead of the conventional AVG, we play OBP (I suggest you all do the same), and an innings cap of 1650. (1650 works out to about 6 SPs and 5 RPs for the season).

Out positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, LF, CF, RF, OF, OF, Util, Util, SP, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL.

Round 11

1. Adam Wainwright (StL - SP) Storm VIII/S…

2. Adam Jones (Bal - CF) Clip Show

3. Michael Cuddyer (Col - 1B,2B,RF) Shooting Blanks

4. Drew Storen (Was - RP) DrunkDrafter

5. Dee Gordon (LAD - SS) Game Recogni…

6. Buster Posey (SF - C) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Aramis Ramirez (Mil - 3B) Girls Don’t …

8. Shin-Soo Choo (Cle - RF) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Cuddyer. Every year I make a pick in my real draft that I never made in any mock draft, Cuddyer was it this year. Moving to COL will do wonders for his value and I have my MI spot done. I had to do it.

Hero (Best) Pick: Wainwright. That’s who I was hoping for and almost took him with my previous pick. I think he returns to Ace level. Gordon would have probably been it if this was AVG. It looks like he’s going to lead the league in SBs.

Villain (Worst) Pick: Adam Jones. I am not a believer and especially not in OBP. Choo should have been taken.

Round 12

1. Matt Moore (TB - RP) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Derek Jeter (NYY - SS) Girls Don’t …

3. Heath Bell (Mia - RP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Brett Gardner (NYY - LF,CF) Game Recogni…

5. Mat Latos (Cin - SP) DrunkDrafter

6. Yu Darvish (Tex - SP) Shooting Blanks

7. Freddie Freeman (Atl - 1B) Clip Show

8. Ichiro Suzuki (Sea - RF) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: Yu Darvish. I debated taking him last round when Wainwright was gone. It was a no brainer for me.

Hero Pick: Yu Darvish. I would have liked Gardner for myself, but I think Darvish is going to be an Ace. Getting him after his draft ranking should be a steal.

Villain Pick: Jeter. I think he will be serviceable, but at this spot he will have to be better than last year. I would have rather waited a few rounds for others.

Round 13

1. Jose Valverde (Det - RP) Storm VIII/S…

2. Josh Johnson (Mia - SP) Clip Show

3. J.J. Putz (Ari - RP) Shooting Blanks

4. Alexei Ramirez (CWS - SS) DrunkDrafter

5. Kendrys Morales (LAA - 1B,RF) Game Recogni…

6. Ryan Howard (Phi - 1B) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Carlos Beltran (StL - RF) Girls Don’t …

8. Drew Stubbs (Cin - CF) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: JJ Putz. Wanted another elite closer with more uncertainties than usual this year, took the best available.

Hero Pick: Putz/Valverde. Closers (even first tier) have a hard time producing their draft value. Either of these guys should and are pretty safe in the year of Closer Chaos. Beltran is nice too, I was hoping for him at 14.

Villain Pick: Alexi Ramirez. I don’t think he deserved a similar draft pick last year, and not enough to keep it. Would have much rather had Aybar or even Bonafacio later.

Round 14

1. Shane Victorino (Phi - CF) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Joel Hanrahan (Pit - RP) Girls Don’t …

3. Joe Nathan (Tex - RP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Andre Ethier (LAD - RF) Game Recogni…

5. Brian Wilson (SF - RP) DrunkDrafter

6. Jordan Walden (LAA - RP) Shooting Blanks

7. Jemile Weeks (Oak - 2B) Clip Show

8. Billy Butler (KC - 1B) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: Walden. Angels should win some games this year and I’m at the forefront. I remember reading somewhere that he should be this year’s JJ Putz, I’ll agree with that.

Hero Pick: Victorino. I would like to say Walden/Wilson similar to last round, but Victorino should have gone earlier. The Flyin Hawaiian is safe for under 10th round value even without Howard/Utley.

Villain Pick: Jemeile Weeks. I like him okay, but Richie Weeks was still on the board (and will be). Even if you are worried about injury prone Weeks, you would be better off with half the season Richie and a scrub.

Round 15

1. Andrew Bailey (Bos - RP) Storm VIII/S…

2. Sergio Santos (Tor - RP) Clip Show

3. Nick Swisher (NYY - 1B,RF) Shooting Blanks

4. Emilio Bonifacio (Mia - 3B,SS,LF,CF,RF) DrunkDrafter

5. Adam Dunn (CWS - 1B) Game Recogni…

6. Paul Goldschmidt (Ari - 1B) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Coco Crisp (Oak - CF) Girls Don’t …

8. Daniel Hudson (Ari - SP) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Nick Swisher. This is probably my pick of the draft for OBP. He is the OBP gem. You can bank on the 61 he turned in for value last year at least.

Hero Pick: Swisher. OBP stud, read above. Dunn should also be good there. Until this year he was a 3rd round draft pick, but you all know what happened. I was planning on reaching for Dunn in the next few rounds, but got beat to the punch.

Villain Pick: Crisp, I guess. Solid round throughout. Maybe Santos. Could end up being Dunn.

The Draft: Part II

Last week was the draft for my main fantasy baseball league. Composed of my brothers and friends, I’ve been playing for (wow) six years now, although some of them have been playing fantasy since before it was online. I can’t believe people would do that either.

This year we played with 8, with even further expanded rosters. I was 3rd pick for 29 rounds of bliss. Our league is 5x5 Roto, but instead of the conventional AVG, we play OBP (I suggest you all do the same), and an innings cap of 1650. (1650 works out to about 6 SPs and 5 RPs for the season).

Out positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, LF, CF, RF, OF, OF, Util, Util, SP, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL.

Below are the results for the next five picks of the draft along with my analysis. You can view Part I. Just like any other draft it was unpredictable for the most part regardless of how many mock drafts you have done. Here we go:

Round 5

1. Paul Konerko (CWS - 1B) Storm VIII/S…

2. Carlos Santana (Cle - C,1B) Clip Show

3. Matt Holliday (StL - LF) Shooting Blanks

4. Josh Hamilton (Tex - LF,CF) DrunkDrafter

5. Hunter Pence (Phi - RF) Toyko Rose o…

6. Pablo Sandoval (SF - 1B,3B) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Cole Hamels (Phi - SP) Girls Don’t …

8. Ryan Zimmerman (Was - 3B) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Holliday. If you play OBP Holliday is a name that you know. I didn’t really want to have another OF already (even though we play 5), but I feel very good about him playing value. Even with El Hombre gone, I am a lot happier taking him in front of Hamilton and Pence.

Hero Pick: Cole Hamels. Again I like my pick, but Hamels has the potential to beat the Felix, pick I made a full round earlier. Hamels is also the default winner. The OF picks are okay. Paul, Carlos, and Sandy were early. Zimm I like this late, but he has had his injury problems.

Villain Pick: Sandoval. I don’t like Konk or Santana either, but I am not a Sandoval fan. Sandy is injury risk, has terrible OBP, and might not hit in the heart of a weaker lineup. Sandy has to be passed on, especially with Zimm still there.

Round 6

1. Dan Uggla (Atl - 2B) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Alex Rodriguez (NYY - 3B) Girls Don’t …

3. Dan Haren (LAA - SP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Brett Lawrie (Tor - 3B) Toyko Rose o…

5. Zack Greinke (Mil - SP) DrunkDrafter

6. David Price (TB - SP) Shooting Blanks

7. Elvis Andrus (Tex - SS) Clip Show

8. Ben Zobrist (TB - 2B,RF) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: David Price. I think he has a chance at the AL Cy Young and I got him late. Would have preferred Haren, but am happy. I also think that Price is the end of 2nd tier of SPs, so was happy I have two at this time.

Hero Pick: Zobrist. There are a couple picks I like this round, but Zobrist is my favorite. I thought about taking Zo even though I already had a 2B since his OBP is awesome and he is good bet for 90-20-90-20.

Villain Pick: Uggla. I don’t hate a 2B with Thor like power, but he is a slow starter which is hard to take as a fantasy owner and likely not the pick Zobrist will be.

Round 7

1. Michael Bourn (Atl - CF) Storm VIII/S…

2. Stephen Strasburg (Was - SP) Clip Show

3. Kevin Youkilis (Bos - 1B,3B) Shooting Blanks

4. Eric Hosmer (KC - 1B) DrunkDrafter

5. Jay Bruce (Cin - RF) Toyko Rose o…

6. Michael Young (Tex - 1B,2B,3B) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Craig Kimbrel (Atl - RP) Girls Don’t …

8. Starlin Castro (ChC - SS) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Youk. My favorite nickname I’ve heard is from ESPN, The Greek God of Walks. In previous years Youkilis went as high as the 2nd round. He has been hurt in last few years, but I’ll take the risk at 7. The 3B is great too until Miggy has it. Even in an off year last year, his OBP was 0.116 better than his average (tied for 4th best).

Hero Pick: Youk. Although the injury risk is there, I took the only player that can finish in the 2nd round. I would like Stras if he didn’t have the innings cap.

Villain Pick: Castro. I am not a Hosmer fan (at least not for 2012), especially with some good 1Bs still to come, but Castro was taken too early (even though he wasn’t reached for). Castro like many of my least favorites does not put up a good OBP compared to his AVG. He finished 98 last year for OBP, and I don’t know how much he is going to improve in a weak lineup.

Round 8

1. David Wright (NYM - 3B) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Brandon Phillips (Cin - 2B) Girls Don’t …

3. Howie Kendrick (LAA - 1B,2B,LF) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Yovani Gallardo (Mil - SP) Toyko Rose o…

5. Nelson Cruz (Tex - LF,RF) DrunkDrafter

6. B.J. Upton (TB - CF) Shooting Blanks

7. Matt Cain (SF - SP) Clip Show

8. Jon Lester (Bos - SP) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: BJ Upton. I do my homework to find the OBP steals like Upton. I needed a bag guy to anchor me and one that hits 20+ HRs is awesome. Since the draft it looks like he might start on the DL, so I’m not quite as excited, but still content.

Hero Pick: Wright. I was very happy to get my SBs with Upton even if he’s on the DL, but Wright has 1st round upside and should not have still been there. The team that drafted him loaded up way too much on CIs, even before the Wright pick, but with the value there I can’t blame him.

Villain Pick: Kendrick. I don’t think it’s a bad pick, just worse than the others. I think he will play at value here, but that is because of improvement. You are not benefitting in value.

Round 9

1. Madison Bumgarner (SF - SP) Storm VIII/S…

2. Mariano Rivera (NYY - RP) Clip Show

3. Lance Berkman (StL - 1B,LF,RF) Shooting Blanks

4. C.J. Wilson (LAA - SP) DrunkDrafter

5. Jimmy Rollins (Phi - SS) Toyko Rose o…

6. Jonathan Papelbon (Phi - RP) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. James Shields (TB - SP) Girls Don’t …

8. Ian Kennedy (Ari - SP) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Lance Berkman. Everyone thought he was done last year and he wasn’t. Big Puma has always been a OBP stud. Last year he finished 22 in our settings. Picking him reminds me of Konerko being taken, except I took him a few rounds and I think there is more upside.

Hero Pick: Berkman. I think both Bumgarner and Wilson will be great value pick here, but I think Berkman is going to come close again and I’ll have a 3rd/4th rounder.

Villain Pick: Rollins. I like pick, but the others more. Rollins is just about at his value last year, and you have to imagine a regression with some age and more so without Utley and Howard for a while.

Round 10

1. Asdrubal Cabrera (Cle - SS) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Alex Gordon (KC - LF) Girls Don’t …

3. Gio Gonzalez (Was - SP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Michael Morse (Was - 1B,LF) Toyko Rose o…

5. Brian McCann (Atl - C) DrunkDrafter

6. John Axford (Mil - RP) Shooting Blanks

7. Desmond Jennings (TB - LF,CF) Clip Show

8. David Ortiz (Bos - Util) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: John Axford. I was excited to get a top tier closer a round or too later than the others. Especially with all the injuries to closers already this year, I’m excited to have one of the elite.

Hero Pick: Desmond Jennings. Ortiz is always underrated, but Jennings is at a great price here. He is usually taken before pick 50, but it’s hard to exceed expectation there, but here he’s a steal.

Villain Pick: Cabrera. I had him last year and it was a value, but this is a classic example of paying for a career year. Of the group he has the least chance at repeating value.

The Draft: Part I

This week was the draft for my main fantasy baseball league. Composed of my brothers and friends, I’ve been playing for (wow) six years now, although some of them have been playing fantasy since before it was online. I can’t believe people would do that either.

This year we played with 8, with even further expanded rosters. I was 3rd pick for 29 rounds of bliss. Our league is 5x5 Roto, but instead of the conventional AVG, we play OBP (I suggest you all do the same), and an innings cap of 1650. (1650 works out to about 6 SPs and 5 RPs for the season).

Out positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, LF, CF, RF, OF, OF, Util, Util, SP, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL.

Just like any other draft it was unpredictable for the most part regardless of how many mock drafts you have done. Here are the first five rounds:

Round 1

1. Albert Pujols (LAA - 1B) Storm VIII/S…

2. Matt Kemp (LAD - CF) Clip Show

3. Miguel Cabrera (Det - 1B) Shooting Blanks

4. Jose Bautista (Tor - 3B,RF) DrunkDrafter

5. Robinson Cano (NYY - 2B) Toyko Rose o…

6. Troy Tulowitzki (Col - SS) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Adrian Gonzalez (Bos - 1B) Girls Don’t …

8. Joey Votto (Cin - 1B) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Miguel Cabrera. With the 3rd pick I took Miggy and couldn’t be happier. Coming into the draft I thought Miggy would be gone and I was set on Joey Bats since I love to get a strong 3B. Bautista is going to hit more HRs, but you can’t get more consistent than Miggy and since the 3B is coming, it was easy choice for me.

Hero Pick (Best): Miguel Cabrera. I promise I won’t be self-indulgent every round, but my pick of Cabrera the consensus number 1 with position scarce 3B, with the 3rd pick is the best value of the round.

Villain Pick (Worst): Robinson Cano. I just don’t trust Tulo for some reason, but the worst pick is Cano. I think he is incredibly talented and plays 2B, but in an OBP he is not nearly as deadly. He had only a .047 increase from AVG to OBP and I need more from my first pick. For perspective the best last year was Bautista at a .145 increase. If we played AVG I would Cano would have been fine.

Round 2

1. Prince Fielder (Det - 1B) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Jacoby Ellsbury (Bos - CF) Girls Don’t …

3. Justin Verlander (Det - SP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Ryan Braun (Mil - LF) Toyko Rose o…

5. Justin Upton (Ari - RF) DrunkDrafter

6. Dustin Pedroia (Bos - 2B) Shooting Blanks

7. Evan Longoria (TB - 3B) Clip Show

8. Carlos Gonzalez (Col - LF,CF,RF) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: Dustin Pedroia. I took Pedroia, which was the game plan. 2B that finished 16th overall for OBP last year. He is a safe choice was happy to get another scarce position. Last year he was better than J. Upton, but at 2B instead of the outfield.

Hero Pick: Ryan Braun. This is the same owner that took Cano in the first round, redeemed himself with Braun who should have gone in the first round. If you flip his picks, his team looks like it should.

Villain Pick: CarGo. I’m not a huge J. Upton fan, but Carlos worries me too much. He has the chance to be a 1st rounder, but I don’t want to gamble with my 2nd pick. Also with so many OFs I would rather wait.

Round 3

1. Hanley Ramirez (Mia - SS) Storm VIII/S…

2. Jose Reyes (Mia - SS) Clip Show

3. Curtis Granderson (NYY - CF) Shooting Blanks

4. Ian Kinsler (Tex - 2B) DrunkDrafter

5. Clayton Kershaw (LAD - SP) Toyko Rose o…

6. Cliff Lee (Phi - SP) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Roy Halladay (Phi - SP) Girls Don’t …

8. Mark Teixeira (NYY - 1B) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Once again according to plan. It was tough to pass up on pitching, but Granderson finished 3rd overall in OBP leagues last year. No I’m not expecting him to duplicate, but he doesn’t have to get my money’s worth. Great OBP compared to AVG, and even if the power numbers aren’t there again, he’ll be a leader in Runs. Next year, he will be taken in the first round.

Hero Pick: Roy Halladay. Although I thought Curtis would be the pick of the round, but Halladay slipping to the end of the round is the steal. Potential to be the overall number one player. Done.

Villain Pick: Reyes. I am a big fan of HanRam to rebound, but I’m not with Reyes. I’ve been happy to never have gambled on him in previous seasons. Yes, he is a SS, but he’s too much of a risk for a 3rd pick.

Round 4

1. Andrew McCutchen (Pit - CF) Uggies vs Yu…

2. CC Sabathia (NYY - SP) Girls Don’t …

3. Mike Napoli (Tex - C,1B) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Tim Lincecum (SF - SP) Toyko Rose o…

5. Adrian Beltre (Tex - 3B) DrunkDrafter

6. Felix Hernandez (Sea - SP) Shooting Blanks

7. Giancarlo Stanton (Mia - RF) Clip Show

8. Jered Weaver (LAA - SP) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: Felix the Cat. I wanted to get a stud SP and did. My I would have preferred CC for the guaranteed wins. I consider taking Weaver, again for more wins, but you can help but want the consistency of Ks from Felix. Other than Ws he’ll be a stud.

Hero Pick: Beltre. As long as he can stay healthy, he will be a steal. Per games numbers were sick last year. He’s still in a great TEX park and potent lineup. Also 3B talent jumps off a cliff soon.

Villain Pick: Napoli. I’m a Napoli fan, especially in OBP, but he could have been taken next round and should have.

Round 5

1. Paul Konerko (CWS - 1B) Storm VIII/S…

2. Carlos Santana (Cle - C,1B) Clip Show

3. Matt Holliday (StL - LF) Shooting Blanks

4. Josh Hamilton (Tex - LF,CF) DrunkDrafter

5. Hunter Pence (Phi - RF) Toyko Rose o…

6. Pablo Sandoval (SF - 1B,3B) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Cole Hamels (Phi - SP) Girls Don’t …

8. Ryan Zimmerman (Was - 3B) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Holliday. If you play OBP Holliday is a name that you know. I didn’t really want to have another OF already (even though we play 5), but I feel very good about him playing value. Even with El Hombre gone, I am a lot happier taking him in front of Hamilton and Pence.

Hero Pick: Cole Hamels. Again I like my pick, but Hamels has the potential to beat the Felix, pick I made a full round earlier. Hamels is also the default winner. The OF picks are okay. Paul, Carlos, and Sandy were early. Zimm I like this late, but he has had his injury problems.

Villain Pick: Sandoval. I don’t like Konk or Santana either, but I am not a Sandoval fan. Sandy is injury risk, has terrible OBP, and might not hit in the heart of a weaker lineup. Sandy has to be passed on, especially with Zimm still there.

Updated 2012 Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings for OBP

With Spring Training and some injury reports I have updated my rankings for OBP leagues. Time pressed I have not written new descriptions for each player, but mostly go off of what I had last time. Enjoy!

1. Miguel Cabrera

2. Jose Bautista

3. Albert Pujols

4. Matt Kemp

5. Adrian Gonzalez

6. Joey Votto

7. Troy Tulowitzki

8. Ryan Braun

9. Prince Fielder

10. Jacoby Ellsbury

11. Robinson Cano

12. Dustin Pedroia

13. Curtis Granderson

14. Justin Verlander

15. Clayton Kershaw

16. Roy Halladay

17. Hanley Ramirez

18. Justin Upton

19. Cliff Lee

20. Ian Kinsler

21. Carlos Gonzalez

22. Evan Longoria

23. Mark Teixeira

24. Jose Reyes

25. Andrew McCutchen

26. CC Sabathia

27. Tim Lincecum

28. Felix Hernandez

29. Jered Weaver

30. Adrian Beltre

31. Cole Hamels

32. Giancarlo Stanton

33. David Wright

34. Ryan Zimmerman

35. Matt Holliday

36. Josh Hamilton

37. Hunter Pence

38. Dan Haren

39. Kevin Youkilis

40. Ben Zobrist

41. Dan Uggla

42. David Price

43. Brett Lawrie

44. Jay Bruce

45. Paul Konerko

46. Alex Rodriguez

47. Mike Napoli

48. Nelson Cruz

49. Desmond Jennings

50. Zack Greinke

51. Elvis Andrus

52. Craig Kimbrel

53. Carlos Santana

54. Brandon Phillips

55. Matt Cain

56. Jon Lester

57. B.J. Upton

58. Michael Bourn

59. Jonathan Papelbon

60. Mariano Rivera

61. John Axford

62. Lance Berkman

63. Stephen Strasburg

64. C.J. Wilson

65. Adam Wainwright

66. Yu Darvish

67. James Shields

68. Madison Bumgarner

69. Michael Young

70. Starlin Castro

71. Michael Morse

72. Shin-Soo Choo

73. Shane Victorino

74. Pablo Sandoval

75. Yovani Gallardo

76. Michael Cuddyer

77. Howie Kendrick

78. Alex Gordon

79. Jason Heyward

80. Jimmy Rollins

81. Asdrubal Cabrera

82. Ian Kennedy

83. Matt Moore

84. Heath Bell

85. Carlos Beltran

86. Nick Swisher

87. Drew Storen

88. Buster Posey

89. Brett Gardner

90. Rickie Weeks

91. Carl Crawford

92. Aramis Ramirez

93. Brian McCann

94. Mat Latos

95. Josh Johnson

96. Tommy Hanson

97. Drew Stubbs

98. Corey Hart

99. Daniel Hudson

100. Eric Hosmer

101. Ryan Howard

102. Joe Mauer

103. Dee Gordon

104. Matt Wieters

105. Ricky Romero

106. Brandon Beachy

107. Jayson Werth

108. Matt Garza

109. Michael Pineda

110. J.J. Putz

111. Paul Goldschmidt

112. Ichiro Suzuki

113. Alex Avila

114. Miguel Montero

115. Ike Davis

116. Gio Gonzalez

117. Logan Morrison

118. Jose Valverde

119. Andrew Bailey

120. Joel Hanrahan

121. Brian Wilson

122. Chris Carpenter

123. Jordan Walden

124. David Ortiz

125. Josh Beckett

126. Derek Jeter

127. Chris Young

128. Adam Jones

129. Freddie Freeman

130. Cameron Maybin

131. Billy Butler

132. Andre Ethier

133. Dustin Ackley

134. Mark Reynolds

135. Huston Street

136. Carlos Marmol

137. J.J. Hardy

138. Yoenis Cespedes

139. Melky Cabrera

140. Cory Luebke

141. Shaun Marcum

142. Dexter Fowler

143. Brandon Morrow

144. Nick Markakis

145. Jesus Montero

146. Erick Aybar

147. Martin Prado

148. Coco Crisp

149. Jeff Francoeur

150. Jordan Zimmermann

151. Ervin Santana

152. Jason Motte

153. Jason Kipnis

154. Kendrys Morales

155. Lucas Duda

156. Josh Willingham

157. Ubaldo Jimenez

158. Jemile Weeks

159. Adam Lind

160. Anibal Sanchez

161. Alexei Ramirez

162. David Freese

163. Sergio Santos

164. Rafael Betancourt

165. Joe Nathan

166. Alejandro De Aza

167. Yunel Escobar

168. Neil Walker

169. Doug Fister

170. Hiroki Kuroda

171. Johnny Cueto

172. Max Scherzer

173. Jhonny Peralta

174. Austin Jackson

175. Brandon League

176. Kyle Farnsworth

177. Brett Myers

178. Chris Perez

179. Javy Guerra

180. Adam Dunn

181. Emilio Bonifacio

182. Peter Bourjos

183. Torii Hunter

184. Mike Moustakas

185. Jaime Garcia

186. Clay Buchholz

187. Matt Capps

188. Frank Francisco

189. Jim Johnson

190. Mike Minor

191. Vance Worley

192. Derek Holland

193. Ian Desmond

194. Carlos Pena

195. Ryan Roberts

196. Edwin Encarnacion

197. Brennan Boesch

198. Jason Kubel

199. Jeremy Hellickson

200. J.P. Arencibia

201. Jose Tabata

202. Neftali Feliz

203. Mark Trumbo

204. Geovany Soto

205. Matt Joyce

206. Gaby Sanchez

207. Ryan Dempster

208. Colby Rasmus

209. Mitch Moreland

210. Brandon McCarthy

211. Matt Thornton

212. Grant Balfour

213. Sean Marshall

214. Chase Utley

215. Jhoulys Chacin

216. Russell Martin

217. Brandon Belt

218. Greg Holland

219. Alex Rios

220. Tim Hudson

221. Kelly Johnson

222. Yadier Molina

223. Bud Norris

224. Wandy Rodriguez

225. Justin Masterson

226. Carlos Quentin

227. Chris Heisey

228. Edwin Jackson

229. Stephen Drew

230. Edinson Volquez

231. Carlos Lee

232. Jair Jurrjens

233. Mike Carp

234. J.D. Martinez

235. Alfonso Soriano

236. Erik Bedard

237. Ryan Doumit

238. Chase Headley

239. Colby Lewis

240. Alexi Ogando

241. Angel Pagan

242. Delmon Young

243. Ted Lilly

244. John Danks

245. Chris Sale

246. Rafael Furcal

247. Scott Baker

248. Tim Stauffer

249. Vladimir Guerrero

250. Vinnie Pestano

Best of the Yahoo Forums

As some of you know, since you found me on there, I have been hosting question and answer sessions in the Yahoo Draft and Trade Talk forum.  I want to thank you all for the questions and as a help to others I decided to make a collection of the most helpful and best questions.  If you have any other fantasy questions and I’m not on Yahoo boards, please ask me through Twitter @RotoHero or Tumblr.  Don’t forget to follow me so you can keep up to date with my articles throughout the season.

Do you prefer having more bench hitters or bench pitchers? I can see the validity to both sides, but I generally go with extra pitching to get somewhat of a rotation going within my team. Thoughts?

For H2H I have more pitchers usually (assuming there are limits to add/drops), but for Roto I have more Hitters.

I have more hitters in Roto because I need them for everyday, fill in on an off day or injury. For SP outside of my core 4-6 depending on league size, you can pick up a SP for a spot start usually pretty easily. It's easier to find a pitcher once a week than a fill batter for 6 days.

For a spot start look for who's pitching against the Padres in Petco or whoever else is bad, then drop them after they started. Unless they were amazing you can probably get them again after waivers, if not ride them. There is too much holding time with an extra SP.

Drafted Soria and the former Nunez, now I'm hurting for a closer, who's an unknown that may get a chance to get saves?

Sorry to hear.
Back up to Soria should be Broxton or maybe Holland, I would start there.
OAK is not set in stone Fuentes or Balfour.
I think Jensen for LAD is good even if he doesn't close.
Perez in CLE is weak, so maybe Pestano at some point in time.
Those I think are the best bets.

Do you think Adam Lind can be top 100 player again or do you think his earlier success was just a fluke?

I think that Lind is the player in between his 2009 break out year and last years dud. Toronto has a greatly improved, so the opportunities will be there, but I think 2009 was his max. Definitely still serviceable, but I would rather gamble on Yoenis Céspedes a few picks behind him. Also I play OBP mostly, and Lind does not walk. Move him further down if you do as well.

Thoughts on a trade

side a: J-up, Starlin castro, Howie Kendrick and Grienke
side B; Bautista, Holliday, Andrus, and Kuroda

 If you are playing OBP league, side B all the way. Assuming you are playing AVG, it feels pretty fair, I would still lean toward Side B.

If you are side A who do you have at 2B, side B who do you have to back up at 3B if you trade Jose.

I am more sold on everyone on B, except Kuroda, but pitching for the Yankees I think he will get enough wins to get 12-15 round value.
Side A looks good, but for me its every player I'm just not quite sold on.

Is Pence a number 1 of option or more of a 2? 10 team roto standard 5x5 league

I guess it is all based on perspective.

I would say that he is not a first tier OF with Joey Bats, Gonz, Braun, Jacoby, etc. but I would say he is in that next OF tier.

That being said, I try not to draft OF early on because you can find lots of OF talent later on. If a 1st tier OF falls to me I will take him, but I hope that I don't take an OF until someone like Pence. So for me he becomes my OF anchor.

Would you drop colby lewis or john danks to pick up liriano?

I'm more excited about Lirano after saying he is past last year's shoulder injury, but I would prefer Lewis and Danks. I would drop Danks first if you want to pull the trigger though.

Would you trade Halladay for Cargo?

Depends on who you have on offense and pitching, but I would rather have Halladay.

Sandoval or Lawrie?

Lawrie for me. I'm not a believer in the Panda. If you play OBP like I do, Lawrie no question.

12-team Roto, 5 x 5, keeper league (keep 10 players), featuring OBP rather than BA.  Draft therefore basically "begins" in round 11. Non-snake draft.  I never protect closers. Very few managers in league do.  Counting from the first pick in the 11th round (due to 10 keepers per manager), I have the Nos. 10, 13, 14 and 22 selections.  League features 3 RP spots so closers dry up around round 5 (15, to be accurate). Need at least 3 closers to rank in the top 3 in that category.

Do I spend two of my first four picks on closers, and lock up two elite closers (Papelbon & Storen, for example) and then wait to pick up a late-round flier like Addison Reed?  Or do I ignore closers until round 4 (14) and bear the risk of a closer run where I wind up with dog poop and Frank Francisco (one in the same?) responsible for saves?

 Glad to see you are playing OBP like I do.

I'm sure they go fast, but I would use my first pick on an elite closer because you need it and they will also provide value better than the 11th round. Then worry about the other ones as need. I'm sure there is an SP or bat at 12 that would be better than paying for Storen.

In a 12 team roto league what round do you take your first starting pitcher in?

The answer is it depends, on position/trends. If people are reaching or they don't line up maybe a round early. I love Kershaw/Hall/Verlander, but I would rather pass on them unless they are sitting there. I like to take my first pitcher at or before Haren/Price.

CC is usually my first pitcher. I love getting the wins and he is a consistent value.

Rough answer 4th round.

12 team roto 5x5 money league, good drafters 1.miggy 2.pujols I have 3rd pick, best option and why?

I happen to have the 3rd pick in my draft too, I'm all about Joey Bats at 3. We've seen two straight great years and he is at 3B which has a big drop off. I like too many OFs late to take Kemp and even though SS is scarce I don't believe Tulo will finish at his draft pick like Bats will.

TEAM A
hamels, pedroia, gordon
TEAM B
castro, zobrist, Brian wilson, Gio gonzalez

Generic stats
Who Wins and WHY? THANK YOU

Keeping this isolated from team depth and needs. I would prefer team A.

I would rather have pedroia to zob and hamels to castro. B wilson and G Gonz I don't like that much more than Gordon and not enough to make up the difference of the other ones.

Hey Roto Hero, where I can I find a list of rankings for only the top 20 20 guys, if I wanted to draft using that type of strategy.

Not sure specifically, but you could go onto BaseballMonster.com and customize league settings for just HR and SB. The projections you have to be a member for, but you could find out who was in the club last year.

Hanley or Reyes

HanRam for sure. Even if I didn't believe HanRam was going to rebound, which I do, I don't have a lot of faith in Reyes. Too many injuries for me. I'll get my bags later at less risk.

Wainwright, Johnson or Latos for 2012?

Wainwright first, then Latos because I've been burned by the Johnson injury plague.

Ackley + Markakis or Phillips + Carp?

Leaning towards Philips and Carp. You get the best player in Philips and I am not to high on Markakis. Carp should provide some value. I like Ackley, but think he is so restrained by that SEA lineup.

I need to get some OF power and closers. I'm getting different offers, being CarGo for Lester + Beachy the one that is really causing me problems on deciding if should I take it or not.
The other trades offers I've got are:
I give Cueto I get Heyward
I give Masterson I get Bailey

I don't like CarGo for Lester and Beachy. If I give up a 1/2nd rounder I want a top tier SP back.

I do like both Cueto for Heyward and Masterson for Bailey. Cueto will not duplicate last year and Heyward is too talented to not go for it. Also you have to take the BOS closer if you can and for Masterson. Done in my opinion.

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings for OBP (201-250)

This raps up my 2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings for OBP leagues.  Feel free to leave comments or questions.  If you missed the previous posts you can see them here: 1-50, 51-100, 101-150, 151-200.  Please follow me if you like my rankings, or on Twitter: @RotoHero.  Keep an eye out of other articles prepping you for the upcoming fantasy baseball season.

201. Frank Francisco - Closer.

202. Clay Buchholz - That no-hitter looms on him forever.  Drop him if he fails.

203. Mitch Moreland - Fun lineup to be apart.

204. Carlos Quentin - Yes he's in Petco for half his games, but he is batting in the heart.

205. Derek Holland - One of my favorite young pitcher you can get late.

206. Tim Hudson - Great still, but just getting to be a bigger gamble.

207. Jhoulys Chacin - Was one of my sleepers last year, I don't want to give up yet.

208. Kelly Johnson - Probably a good value here.

209. Yadier Molina - Big contract, but I love a C that plays as much as Yady does.

210. Bud Norris - Fairly solid last year, but wins will be hard to come by.

211. Wandy Rodriguez - Great if you only start him at home.

212. Justin Masterson - Last year's ERA 3.21.  Late enough to see it again.

213. Jason Kubel - Would like to forget 2011, but could rebound.

214. Ryan Roberts - 2B/3B combo, young player who had a great first half last year.

215. Chris Heisey - Based on his last year's sample, he's projected for 30+ HRs, 100+ RBIs.

216. Vance Worley - Sleeper Alert.  Pitches for PHI.  Looked great in half a season.

217. Matt Capps - Closer.

218. Jim Johnson - Closer.

219. Brandon McCarthy - Another sleeper.  There's a reason he's OAK's ace.

220. Edwin Jackson - There's a chance he's great as WAS 4th starter.

221. Adam Dunn - Yes he burned everyone last year, but not many people with a chance at 40 HRs.

222. Stephen Drew - SS in a great situation.  Injuries the problem.

223. Mike Minor - Upside.

224. Edinson Volquez - Now at Petco.

225. Carlos Lee - Old, but solid.

226. Brandon Belt - Big prospect if they let him play.

227. Jair Jurrjens - A step above a spot starter.

228. Mike Carp - Pretty excited about him.  Should win position battle.

229. J.D. Martinez - Was great when he was given a chance last season.  Weak lineup though.

230. Alfonso Soriano - How the mighty have fallen.

231. Erik Bedard - Former ace.

232. Matt Thornton - Closer.

233. Chase Headley - Half his games are not at Petco.  Heart of the lineup.

234. Colby Lewis - Good value this late for a former hot pickup.

235. Carlos Pena - Better in OBP.  Hard to get power out here.

236. Alexi Ogando - If he makes rotation should be good.

237. Angel Pagan - 32 bags in only 123 games last season.

238. Delmon Young - DH for DET now that Victor is out for the year.

239. Ted Lilly - K rate is always bad but still reliable.

240. John Danks - Always dances with dominance.

241. Chris Sale - Moving into rotation after great bullpen work.

242. Rafael Furcal - If he's healthy.

243. Jason Bay - Comeback unlikely, but why not gamble.

244. Scott Baker - Solid for here.

245. Tim Stauffer - I feel like a broken record, but Petco pitcher.

246. Russell Martin - As late as he goes, will be a few Cs that play at value.

247. Vladimir Guerrero - If he finds a home.

248. Nolan Reimold - Fun to watch on a promising team.

249. Ben Revere - Speed late.

250. Brett Myers - Closer.  With SP eligibility.

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings for OBP (151-200)

Rankings are for OBP.  Drafting as if it was today.  Previous rankings are here:  1-50, 51-100, and 101-150.  Below are rankings 151-200.  Thanks everyone for the support, feel free to leave comments and questions.  Also follow me on Blogger, Tumblr, or Twitter @RotoHero.

151. Jeff Francoeur - Great year last year.

152. Jordan Zimmermann - Breakout finally?

153. Ervin Santana - This factors in a regression from last year, but maybe shouldn't.

154. Huston Street - Petco.  If the Padres are up, it's not going to by many runs.

155. Kendrys Morales - Still not all the way back, but this could be the pick of the draft.  Check his status.

156. Jason Motte - Cards have always liked his fastball.

157. Ubaldo Jimenez - Former ace, but influence has moved him down for me too.

158. Jemile Weeks - Promising.

159. Adam Lind - I think he is in between 2009 breakout, and last year's dud.

160. Anibal Sanchez - Came on at the end of last year.  Better lineup.

161. Alexei Ramirez - I don't love this guy as much as everyone else seems to.

162. Jason Kipnis - Pretty excited about him.

163. David Freese - Should be good, but great WS is making him over valued.

164. Sergio Santos - Closer.

165. Rafael Betancourt - Closer.

166. Alejandro De Aza - Leadoff?  Playing well since called up last year.

167. Yunel Escobar - Solid SS here.

168. Neil Walker - This is at a discount, but he's still on the up and up.

169. Josh Willingham - OBP stud. Reaching for him w/o question.

170. Johnny Cueto - Great year last year.  This is probably too late for him.

171. Jhonny Peralta - Not as strong for OBP, but hard to find SS with power.

172. Alex Rios - Don't know who we're getting.

173. Javey Guerra - Closer.

174. Peter Bourjos - Slightly worried about Trout looming in an already crowded OF.

175. Emilio Bonifacio - Eligibility is great.

176. Joe Nathan - Back from the dead.

177. Torii Hunter - To your surprised, finished 96 last year for OBP.

178. Mike Moustakas - Moose.  Could finish top 10 3B.

179. Hiroki Kuroda - Yankee.  Wins should get a boost.

180. Jaime Garcia - STL knows how to handle their staff.

181. Lucas Duda - Good while he lasted.

182. Ian Desmond - Showed some promise.  More a MI option.

183. Jeremy Hellickson - Strong 2011, hope there is room for him.

184. J.P. Arencibia - Picking him off the wire last year, is why I don't draft Cs until late.

185. Max Scherzer - Could blow up, but I love the great K rate.

186. Austin Jackson - I've been waiting for Granderson like rise to fame.

187. Brandon League - Closer.

188. Kyle Farnsworth - Closer.  In place, but other solid closers looming.

189. Chris Perez - Closer.  Currently on his way back.  K rate is bad though.

190. Jose Tabata - Injuries have been a problem, but good cheap steals.

191. Neftali Feliz - You want to be a starter, you got it.  Now deliver.

192. Mark Trumbo - Needs to learn 3B in order to play.

193. Doug Fister - Welcome to my sleeper SP.  But with last season, it's not that great a secret.

194. Geovany Soto - Safe catcher choice.

195. Matt Joyce - Good, but crowded OF.

196. Edwin Encarnacion - Tough to find this much power late.

197. Gaby Sanchez - Pretty soild OBP this late.

198. Ryan Dempster - Decent gamble here.

199. Brennan Boesch - Last year's value here.

200. Colby Rasmus - STL didn't want him, but this late I do.

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings for OBP (101-150)

You know the drill by now.  Rankings are for OBP.  Drafting as if it was today.  Below are my rankings from 101-150.  To see 1-50 click here.  For 51-100 click here.  Thanks for looking, feel free to leave comments and questions:

101. Daniel Hudson - This spot is right at last year's value.  Hopefully it's low.

102. Dee Gordon - Speed.  Should hit lead off.

103. Eric Hosmer - For some reason I'm not sold 2012 will be his rise in 1B tiers.

104. Carlos Beltran - People will be afraid of age, but I think he's got one left in the tank.

105. Matt Wieters - Everyone loves him, but I take him later since he's a C that won't produce even here.

106. Ricky Romero - Hope last year wasn't a fluke.

107. Brandon Beachy - Should improve on last year's good start.

108. Jayson Werth - Just one year removed from 2nd round value in OBP.  Granted that was in PHI.

109. Matt Garza - If Theo didn't want to give him up, than he must be something.

110. Michael Pineda - Reports of velocity down have me only slightly worried.  Still pitching for Yanks' lineup.

111. JJ Putz - Great last year, and not much competition.

112. Paul Goldschmidt - Worried about small sample size from last year.

113. Ichiro Suzuki - Might not bat lead-off hurts, but hoping it motivates him.

114. Alex Avila - Nice lineup.  You know what he did last year.

115. Miguel Montero - Another for the category of someone will take him here.  I wait.

116. Ike Davis - Injury should be behind him.

117. Gio Gonzalez - New venue, but I'm optimistic.

118. Logan Morrison - Lots of promise.  They won't send him down again for no reason.

119. Jose Valverde - Also dependable, hopefully DET will get even more wins.  Value.

120. Andrew Bailey - I'm worried about injury past, but BOS closer is always worth it.

121. Joel Hanrahan - Quietly getting it done.

122. Brian Wilson - Discount offset last year's injury and trips to Taco Bell Porcelain Gods.

123. Chris Carpenter - Almost excited about small set back.  Should be a better value.

124. Chris Young - Much better in OBP, but he is still a OBP detriment.

125. David Ortiz - Need better position eligibility, but great if you have room.

126. Josh Beckett - He is on one year, off the next.  The wheel then forecasts down year.

127. Derek Jeter - No longer a stud, but plays almost every game and still a Yankee.

128. Adam Jones - Poor OBP.  Just not a fan of his decline.

129. Freddie Freeman - Usually passed over for a round or two.  More value if you play expanded rosters.

130. Cameron Maybin - Is that a Padre?  Go SD!

131. Billy Butler - His AVG doesn't help my OBP as much.  I want more power from my 1B.

132. Ryan Madson - Closing in a slightly worse situation, but it's his.

133. Jordan Walden - Great team to close for, but for some reason I think he loses job by end of year.

134. Andre Ethier - On bad side of 27, and I think power is fleeting fast.

135. Dustin Ackley - Promising, but in SEA.

136. Mark Reynolds - OBP stud.  I don't want to take a 3B after him.

137. J.J. Hardy - Power at SS is always nice.

138. Yoenis Cespedes - Pretty hyped, but I'm excited about him.  Beane doesn't pay for anything.

139. Melky Cabrera - Showed to be reliable last year.

140. Joakim Soria - I believe he will return to 2nd tier closer status.

141. Carlos Marmol - Not sure how many the Cubs will win.

142. Cory Luebke - Pitching in Petco is always a treat.

143. Shaun Marcum - Good 2 or 3 pitcher for your squad.

144. Dexter Fowler - I've always been a fan.  Appears to have added more power in off-season.

145. Brandon Morrow - Promise is there, some injuries hopefully in the rear view.

146. Nick Markakis - I think he decline will continue.  Almost put him later, but he finished 118 in 2012.

147. Jesus Montero - Also a top prospect of the Yanks, tough lineup to be in now though.

148. Erick Aybar - Fun lineup to be apart.  Stable.

149. Martin Prado - Was great 2 years ago.

150. Coco Crisp - Always okay.  That's the kind of OF you need if you are still looking here.

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings for OBP (51-100)

Similar to last time, please keep in mind that these that since I mainly play OBP instead of AVG, my rankings are for OBP, but hold true for both.  I will indicate if a player should be lower in AVG leagues.  Here are my rankings for 51-100.  To see 1-50, please click here.  I will be updated my rankings as information dictates, but this is my order if I was drafting today:

51. Brandon Phillips - Right on par with his value, but from a 2B. 

52. Mike Napoli - Last year ranked 49 in OBP leagues, despite only 113 games.

53. Matt Cain - Wants to show he's a stud, before free agent in 2013.  That's motivation.

54. Kevin Youkilis - I risk the injuries for a guy that is one of the OBP leaders.  Plus 3B.

55. Starlin Castro - Team is not there yet, and I don't think he is either.  I don't like the price.

56. Craig Kimbrel - No sign he will slow down.  Hard to get value with a closer.

57. Jon Lester - Good as your 1st pitcher, great if he's your second.

58. BJ Upton - Move down in AVG leagues, but he is undervalued in OBP.

59. Yovani Gallardo - He's okay.  Doubtful he'll wow, doubtful he'll disappoint (unless injured).

60. Stephen Strasburg - As a San Diego native, I hope he's back, but off Tommy you have to worry.

61. Michael Young - Great eligibility, and great hitter.  Hopeful age won't be a factor.

62. Michael Morse - Value pick if he produces like last year.

63. Pablo Sandoval - I'm not sold on him.  Always feels injured and poor OBP.

64. Shin-Soo Choo - Some question marks, but could be a steal.  Hope mental is there.

65. Shane Victorino - Flyin' Hawaiian, is reliable in this range.

66. Michael Bourn - Awesome price for SB cornerstone.

67. Chase Utley - Worth the gamble here.

68. Alex Gordon - 24 in rankings last year.  With so many OF, here is a good spot to see if he's there again.

69. Michael Cuddyer - Got to love that he is tapping the Rockies.  Nice eligibility.

70. Howie Kendrick - Not a great OBP with his AVG, but I like that Pujols is on his side.

71. Mariano Rivera - Don't know how he does it, but he still is.

72. Jonathan Papelbon - Move from one winner to another.  Lose the stare down though.

73. John Axford - Stachetastic.  Worthy when the closer run happens here.

74. Jimmy Rollins - This seems to be his value now.

75. Aramis Ramirez - If you need a 3B.

76. Buster Posey - I want him to be back to promise.

77. Rickie Weeks - Health is the only thing in the way.

78. Jason Heyward - He is too talented to not get back.  This is a conservative selection for his potential.

79. CJ Wilson - Great lineup behind him.  Should be worth that big contract.

80. Yu Darvish - Almost every import pitcher is overhyped.  This is where I make the gamble.

81. Lance Berkman - OBP stud always.  Big Puma should be okay for another year.

82. Asdrubal Cabrera - I took him last year as a huge value, but not this year.  Don't pay for last year.

83. Madison Bumgarner - Bum should get that much better.

84. Ian Kennedy - He's still an Ace, but wins last year were a fluke.

85. James Shields - Sneaky good.

86. Adam Wainwright - I think he is going to be back.  This might be undervalued here.

87. Drew Storen - Closer anchor at a cheaper price.

88. Brian McCann - Like most Catchers won't give value for his price, but at least he's consistent.

89. Ryan Howard - DL opening sucks, but he's a 2nd rounder.  At least he can be on your DL.

90. Carl Crawford - I was more excited about a rebound season before new injury.

91. Matt Moore - I'm excited too, but I think he's a little over hyped.

92. Mat Latos - Leaving Petco hurts, but not too much.  Lots of promise, some experience.

93. Josh Johnson - Always like him, but injury fears lead to headaches.

94. Tommy Hanson - I trust Hanson more than the SPs coming up.

95. Drew Stubbs - OBP is not great, he produces besides.

96. Corey Hart - Princeless.  Braun hounded.  Might be too many distractions.

97. Nick Swisher - OBP.  Yankee.  I would take him earlier if I had too, but he is always undervalued.

98. Heath Bell - Last closer I want to be my starter.

99. Brett Gardner - OBP. Yankee. Bags.

100. Joe Mauer - People will pay here, but I probably won't.