As if it wasn’t hard enough to pretend I wanted to get actual things done today, I learned that Yahoo! now runs mock fantasy baseball drafts every 30 minutes. The fantasy draft is perhaps the only really “fun” thing about fantasy sports, and now I can spend all day running them if I want to? The only downside is that Yahoo! has totally missed it’s target audience by not running them after midnight, because I’m pretty sure that anyone who wanted to do a mock fantasy draft would rather do one at two in the morning so that his significant other does not murder him.

Anyway, because I was sidetracked with actual things today, I decided that I would jump on the grenade and allow my killer draft strategy to come out at the expense of having any hope of winning my leagues. Oh wait, nobody reads this blog yet! Whew.

Standard 5×5 league, 12 teams.
Round 1
(1) bberger04 – Hanley Ramírez (Fla – SS)
(2) juck_d – Álex Rodríguez (NYY – 3B)
(3) ultracolathompson – José Reyes (NYM – SS)
(4) matty3711 – Albert Pujols (StL – 1B)
(5) Matt H – David Wright (NYM – 3B)
(6) b c – Grady Sizemore (Cle – OF)
(7) d.dandilions – Miguel Cabrera (Det – 1B,3B)
(8) CC – Ryan Braun (Mil – OF)
(9) jkingfhs05 – Josh Hamilton (Tex – OF)
(10) Shogun182 – Ryan Howard (Phi – 1B)
(11) robbarkin – Mark Teixeira (NYY – 1B)
(12) nymetschamps2006 – Jimmy Rollins (Phi – SS)

If you’re at the top of the draft I just personally feel like you need to come away with someone who is a serious contributor in the stolen base category. There will be tons of guys later on who can run into 25 homers and contribute anything but steals, but to get someone who racks up steals and is a contributor in anything but average and runs is rarer. So since Reyes can probably single-handedly swing that category, and plays SS, I think he’s probably the #2 player on my board. The top 7 IMO are probably right, but I’d probably order the Top 5 as:

1) Ramirez
2) Reyes
3) Pujols
4) Wright
5) ARod

I personally wouldn’t draft any of 8-11 that high, but I’m big on position scarcity. I really like Rollins, Utley, and Kinsler at the end of the 1st-top of the 2nd. Which is why I’d rather draft there then at the top. If you can’t get two of those three, you can usually get Johan Santana, who I’d rather have over any of this draft’s 8-11 anyway. I’d also rather have Beltran than 8-11. So I’m pretty much guaranteed to end up with two players I like rather than one.

Round 2
(1) nymetschamps2006 – Carlos Beltrán (NYM – OF)
(2) robbarkin – Chase Utley (Phi – 2B)
(3) Shogun182 – Ian Kinsler (Tex – 2B)
(4) jkingfhs05 – Prince Fielder (Mil – 1B)
(5) CC – B.J. Upton (TB – OF)
(6) d.dandilions – Johan Santana (NYM – SP)
(7) b c – Evan Longoria (TB – 3B)
(8) Matt H – Lance Berkman (Hou – 1B)
(9) matty3711 – Tim Lincecum (SF – SP)
(10) ultracolathompson – Dustin Pedroia (Bos – 2B)
(11) juck_d – Alfonso Soriano (ChC – OF)
(12) bberger04 – Nick Markakis (Bal – OF)

Ugh, Lincecum went the pick before me and I had to settle for Pedroia. Pedroia isn’t a bad pick, but there are a few reasons I’d rather not have him here:

1) I feel that this was about as good a year as he is capable of having. I really doubt he does better than 20/20, and while that is a nice contribution, it’s hardly dominant.

2) Second base actually seems pretty deep this year. You have Kinsler, Utley, Phillips, Roberts, Ramirez, Uggla…and I really like Kelly Johnson and *gulp* Rickie Weeks as sleepers. I still contend that this is a solid pick because the only positions I consider to be scarcer are shortstop and third base, and third base has this catch-twenty-two where after the first round picks, none of the guys I consider “safe” are good value picks. Longoria and Youkilis and Ramirez are solid players, but top 4 rounds for 4 category contributors? I dunno. After that you’re stuck with people like Chris Davis.

3) I hate Dustin Pedroia and his faux-Eckstein bullshit and don’t look forward to seeing the Red Sox in the playoffs for the next 8 years while Joe Buck gives him love bites and eskimo kisses about how gritty and determined he is.

Round 3
(1) bberger04 – Kevin Youkilis (Bos – 1B,3B)
(2) juck_d – CC Sabathia (NYY – SP)
(3) ultracolathompson – Carl Crawford (TB – OF)
(4) matty3711 – Carlos Lee (Hou – OF)
(5) Matt H – Jason Bay (Bos – OF)
(6) b c – Carlos Quentin (CWS – OF)
(7) d.dandilions – Ichiro Suzuki (Sea – OF)
(8) CC – Brandon Phillips (Cin – 2B)
(9) jkingfhs05 – Matt Kemp (LAD – OF)
(10) Shogun182 – Manny Ramírez (LAD – OF)
(11) robbarkin – Brian McCann (Atl – C)
(12) nymetschamps2006 – Brian Roberts (Bal – 2B)

This is more searching for the 5 category contributor. If Crawford hadn’t been hurt last season, he’d be a sure first round pick again. 50 steals are within reach, I consider him a threat for 15 homers, and he also adds in high average and runs. I don’t really have a lot to add about this round other than that I think it’s funny (but understandable given the non-signing) that Manny went behind Bay and that I’m perplexed by Matt Kemp going in the third round. Are the Dodgers really gonna play Ethier in CF all year?

Round 4
(1) nymetschamps2006 – Aramis Ramírez (ChC – 3B)
(2) robbarkin – Matt Holliday (Oak – OF)
(3) Shogun182 – Justin Morneau (Min – 1B)
(4) jkingfhs05 – David Ortiz (Bos – Util)
(5) CC – Vladimir Guerrero (LAA – OF)
(6) d.dandilions – Jonathan Papelbon (Bos – RP)
(7) b c – Russell Martin (LAD – C,3B)
(8) Matt H – Cole Hamels (Phi – SP)
(9) matty3711 – Curtis Granderson (Det – OF)
(10) ultracolathompson – Brandon Webb (Ari – SP)
(11) juck_d – Álex Ríos (Tor – OF)
(12) bberger04 – Alexei Ramírez (CWS – 2B,SS,OF)

Round 4 is where the well of guys who can help in steals without being a liability in HR’s and RBI’s ends, so this is where I start working on my pitching staff. Webb and my next pick are two of the most consistent fantasy pitchers of the past five years, and I think it’s insane that I can grab them this low while people like Justin Morneau and his 23 HR’s last year go ahead of them.

Round 5
(1) bberger04 – Josh Beckett (Bos – SP)
(2) juck_d – Shane Victorino (Phi – OF)
(3) ultracolathompson – Roy Halladay (Tor – SP)
(4) matty3711 – Chris Davis (Tex – 1B,3B)
(5) Matt H – Dan Haren (Ari – SP)
(6) b c – Jake Peavy (SD – SP)
(7) d.dandilions – Joe Mauer (Min – C)
(8) CC – Adrián González (SD – 1B)
(9) jkingfhs05 – Geovany Soto (ChC – C)
(10) Shogun182 – Jacoby Ellsbury (Bos – OF)
(11) robbarkin – Francisco Liriano (Min – SP)
(12) nymetschamps2006 – Adam Dunn (Was – 1B,OF)

I appreciate that Francisco Liriano was dominant in 2006 when he was healthy, but what about last year exactly made him seem like a Top ten starter? Was it the 1.39 WHIP? Adam Dunn was another stretch given his low batting average. I’ve made my feelings on Davis known. I guess if it wasn’t obvious yet, I should explain bberger was a Red Sox homer and hated that I “stole” Pedroia from him in Round two.

Round 6
(1) nymetschamps2006 – Jermaine Dye (CWS – OF)
(2) robbarkin – Chipper Jones (Atl – 3B)
(3) Shogun182 – Nate McLouth (Pit – OF)
(4) jkingfhs05 – Stephen Drew (Ari – SS)
(5) CC – Corey Hart (Mil – OF)
(6) d.dandilions – Rafael Furcal (LAD – SS)
(7) b c – Troy Tulowitzki (Col – SS)
(8) Matt H – Magglio Ordóñez (Det – OF)
(9) matty3711 – Jay Bruce (Cin – OF)
(10) ultracolathompson – Joe Nathan (Min – RP)
(11) juck_d – Hunter Pence (Hou – OF)
(12) bberger04 – Carlos Mármol (ChC – RP)

I really like the Jay Bruce pick even though he wasn’t on my board yet. I’d love to draft Chipper in about Round 8, but at 6 you’re pretty much counting on him giving you 130 games, and I don’t think you’re gonna win that bet. The fact that Stephen Drew is going that high makes me like my Reyes pick a lot more. Anyway, this was the start of my idea to win saves. Which would be continued with…

Round 7
(1) bberger04 – Jonathan Broxton (LAD – RP)
(2) juck_d – Víctor Martínez (Cle – C,1B)
(3) ultracolathompson – Francisco Rodríguez (NYM – RP)
(4) matty3711 – Chad Billingsley (LAD – SP)
(5) Matt H – Michael Young (Tex – SS)
(6) b c – Garrett Atkins (Col – 1B,3B)
(7) d.dandilions – Dan Uggla (Fla – 2B)
(8) CC – Mariano Rivera (NYY – RP)
(9) jkingfhs05 – Brad Lidge (Phi – RP)
(10) Shogun182 – Derek Jeter (NYY – SS)
(11) robbarkin – Jon Lester (Bos – SP)
(12) nymetschamps2006 – Ryan Doumit (Pit – C)

Remember how I said bberger was a Red Sox fan? Yeah. Well, apparently he’s got a fetish for unestablished closers. Not that I mind having the KRod-Rivera-Lidge-Soria selection dumped into my lap. Just, y’know, I expected better.

I also really disliked the Jeter pick. He’s no longer a player that you need to grab in the 7th round. There isn’t a ton of upside left in SB’s/HR’s.

Round 8
(1) nymetschamps2006 – Ryan Ludwick (StL – OF)
(2) robbarkin – Johnny Damon (NYY – OF)
(3) Shogun182 – Félix Hernández (Sea – SP)
(4) jkingfhs05 – John Lackey (LAA – SP)
(5) CC – Rich Harden (ChC – SP)
(6) d.dandilions – Aubrey Huff (Bal – 1B,3B)
(7) b c – Chone Figgins (LAA – 2B,3B)
(8) Matt H – Joakim Soria (KC – RP)
(9) matty3711 – Roy Oswalt (Hou – SP)
(10) ultracolathompson – Bobby Abreu (LAA – OF)
(11) juck_d – J.J. Hardy (Mil – SS)
(12) bberger04 – Vernon Wells (Tor – OF)

I tend to complie those 5 category contributors over guys who do one thing or another…which is probably another reason I needed to get a better HR guy in rounds 2-3. Well anyway, this team is sure to win steals. Abreu should be motivated coming off his snubbing in the open market, he’ll be hitting behind Vlad so he’ll score some runs.

I can’t picture sitting there in Round 8, locking Aubrey Huff into your queue, and not laughing. But that’s just me.

Round 9
(1) bberger04 – Daisuke Matsuzaka (Bos – SP)
(2) juck_d – Ervin Santana (LAA – SP)
(3) ultracolathompson – Matt Wieters (Bal – C)
(4) matty3711 – Carlos Peña (TB – 1B)
(5) Matt H – Derrek Lee (ChC – 1B)
(6) b c – Cliff Lee (Cle – SP)
(7) d.dandilions – A.J. Burnett (NYY – SP)
(8) CC – Ryan Zimmerman (Was – 3B)
(9) jkingfhs05 – Robinson Canó (NYY – 2B)
(10) Shogun182 – Torii Hunter (LAA – OF)
(11) robbarkin – Raúl Ibañez (Phi – OF)
(12) nymetschamps2006 – José Valverde (Hou – RP)

I’m the rookie guy! I’ve noticed in the past that I have more of an affinity for the younger players, so I promised myself that I wouldn’t do that so much this year, but Wieters is probably poised to go Longoria on the league this year, except he’s a catcher. I think catcher is fairly deep this year, so I’m not too worried about him flopping. I got a good backup later.

Why is Derrek Lee a 9th rounder when he hit 20 HR’s last year? Same question for Ryan Zimmerman. I remember when he was supposed to be the next David Wright. Get back to me when he can actually hit .300.

Round 10
(1) nymetschamps2006 – Bobby Jenks (CWS – RP)
(2) robbarkin – Jhonny Peralta (Cle – SS)
(3) Shogun182 – Joba Chamberlain (NYY – SP,RP)
(4) jkingfhs05 – Yovani Gallardo (Mil – SP)
(5) CC – Mike Aviles (KC – 2B,SS)
(6) d.dandilions – Edinson Vólquez (Cin – SP)
(7) b c – James Shields (TB – SP)
(8) Matt H – Kerry Wood (Cle – RP)
(9) matty3711 – Scott Kazmir (TB – SP)
(10) ultracolathompson – Carlos Delgado (NYM – 1B)
(11) juck_d – Howie Kendrick (LAA – 2B)
(12) bberger04 – Andre Ethier (LAD – OF)

I really like the Chamberlain pick. I was hoping he’d slide to me here, but getting a guy who almost hit 2x the amount of homers that 9th rounder Lee hit last year isn’t a bad consolation prize. I think people are really sleeping on Chamberlain because the media wants him to be a reliever so bad, I would bet he finishes the year in the Top 20 fantasy starters.

Part 2: Thursday.