Strategies for innagural drafts

MmmRocks · 04-17-2016, 08:23 AM

When you first do the inaugural draft in a league, do you have any strategies that you use in selecting players? I'm curious how people compare players, how they narrow down the amount of players that they look at in any given round, player skills or positions that they prioritize, etc. I wouldn't consider myself new to OOTP, but I'm never quite satisfied with my drafts. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Harry_BallSack · 04-17-2016, 08:31 AM

So generally I like a challenge initially and predicate on building a dynasty long term. My focus is usually on youngest best prospects with High intellect , a minimum of Normal work ethic and I tend to shy away from Trouble Makers Low or worse in Leadership and/or loyalty.

Position wise I tend to take the SPs first then 1-2 RP then C then SS, build some infield depth and hit OF and 1B last - generally more depth at OF then anywhere and 1b is a position that can be learned by many OFers and almost all IFers.

Just my 2 cents

redranger · 04-17-2016, 08:49 AM

My first five pics I generally try and lock into to two starting pitchers, then up the middle positions as in CF, SS, and C. I look for good fielding at all three. SS with some good pop And high contact I can place in the 3 spot. CF with great speed and good eye that can lead off. Catcher with a really strong arm to keep opponents runners honest on the base paths.

Past this I kinda go round by round feeling in my lineups and rotation

I do generally focus on strong pitching and good fielding and speed

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

MmmRocks · 04-17-2016, 09:45 AM

Thank you for the suggestions!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harry_BallSack

So generally I like a challenge initially and predicate on building a dynasty long term. My focus is usually on youngest best prospects with High intellect , a minimum of Normal work ethic and I tend to shy away from Trouble Makers Low or worse in Leadership and/or loyalty.

Position wise I tend to take the SPs first then 1-2 RP then C then SS, build some infield depth and hit OF and 1B last - generally more depth at OF then anywhere and 1b is a position that can be learned by many OFers and almost all IFers.

Just my 2 cents

That's not quite my style. I try to avoid drafting guys in their late 30's unless they fall in the draft but I prefer to put a good team on the field right away, build up fan interest and increase attendance and then fill out my minors through reinvesting some of that money in IFA and drafting well.

But you have a valid point on the OF. I always tend to forget that when I draft a team.

Quote:

Originally Posted by redranger

My first five pics I generally try and lock into to two starting pitchers, then up the middle positions as in CF, SS, and C. I look for good fielding at all three. SS with some good pop And high contact I can place in the 3 spot. CF with great speed and good eye that can lead off. Catcher with a really strong arm to keep opponents runners honest on the base paths.

Past this I kinda go round by round feeling in my lineups and rotation

I do generally focus on strong pitching and good fielding and speed

This is more my style. I definitely like to get two SP in my first five and then build around some solid defensive players up the middle. But I will often draft REALLY good hitting batters in non-essential defensive positions when they are available in the first 10 rounds or so and then fill out my defense with good fielders at C, SS and CF. I try to prioritize good defense, discipline and power. But it's hard to stick to that strategy if there's a 50 HR hitting shortstop available who's average with the glove. For the most part, I just want to make sure I get those two SP in the first five rounds and draft for the best talent available. But towards the end of the draft, sometimes I get stuck with a player I really don't like at a certain position. If that's the case, I'll try to make them a lefty and then pick up a bench bat to platoon them with. I also like to keep a spreadsheet of my roster and fill it out as I draft, making sure to note what members of my starting lineup, bench and bullpen are righthanded, lefthanded or switch (but even then I'll note what their better side is). I don't really care so much about the handedness of my rotation.

NoOne · 04-17-2016, 10:42 AM

based on a 30team-ish mlb leauge... rounds may be different due to league configuration, maybe?

first, have an idea of what you want your team to be and work backward from there... when i speak about when players drop off the board this is from '16 and previous experiences... there may be changes, but if still holding true, this information will help you the most in figuring out a plan of action for your draft. i only bring up my thoughts on team construction as examples of thought process.

my main priority is a playoff roster. *for me* -- 3sp, 3 top-flight RP and a solid offense = a winning playoff team. that's 9 or more picks minimum. the RP can be had later, but the first 12-15 rounds i will have all or a majority of my lineup and a starting rotation. i will not wast early picks on a player that won't touch the game much... everyday players and starters! (even an RP has more Batters Faced than most platoon or bench players have Plate appearences, and you don't need depth when you don't have your starters filled out!

make custom filters for each Role you want to fill on your team - the important ones like lineup roles and SP/back end of pen. this way at any time before you make a selection, you can make informed decisions about delaying on picking this player or that one. (i say for SP, but do not filter 'SP"... filter for all pitchers with stamina greater than XX along with minimum for stuff/mov/contr or whatever else -- make sure they have 3 decent pitches to consider them as an SP in RP clothing)

The SP and well-rounded power hitters go fast... you need to get these ASAP. the first 6 rounds will be fairly predictable. after that, it's about guessing which players for which roles will disappear the fastest. the later you can draft a player the better, without losing them of course. the less often you draft a player 4-7 rounds ahead of the AI the better.

Try to stagger ages, but don't sacrifice talent in any significant way to do this.

you'll see that it starts to flatten out in choices for batters by the early teens and 20's, maybe snagging a top-ten prospect that's near the MLB as depth for injuries is worth mixing in as a selection, maybe it isn't. do you have a tone of old dudes? too many soon-to-be big contracts?

Relievers you can get quite late.. you can get a killer pen in the 20's and 30's rounds, then fill out the last 3-4 spots by the 40's / 50's. just keep an eye on the dwindling talent, don't let yourself get the short end of the stick.

Bench you can get late... 30-60's. -- if you have a platoon situation, you're probably looking at adding some bench players in 20's and 30's - possibly teens. try to avoid this - even if you value a bench.

the less you use 2 or more picks on your #7, 8, 9 hitters or 4/5 SP and low-leverage RP early on, the better your team will be... as the leauge develops you'll easily upgrade your bench in year 2 -- more likely if you follow these suggestion you'll have a TON of prospects... 20-30 ML caliber trade bait / future team players. if half your depth for injuries are better prospects from AA/AAA you're set up well for immediate future..

maximize the most important parts... leave holes that are easily fixed vs being at the mercy of an AS/HoF type player hitting FA in year 2. be realistic about what you can actually change in year 2 and try to make those the weak points if you skimp on anything.

Déjà Bru · 04-17-2016, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redranger

My first five pics I generally try and lock into to two starting pitchers, then up the middle positions as in CF, SS, and C. I look for good fielding at all three. SS with some good pop And high contact I can place in the 3 spot. CF with great speed and good eye that can lead off. Catcher with a really strong arm to keep opponents runners honest on the base paths.

Past this I kinda go round by round feeling in my lineups and rotation

I do generally focus on strong pitching and good fielding and speed

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This. I'm even tempted to call it a SPOILER ALERT in my opinion: Grabbing two (or better, three) starting pitchers, then doing what redranger says from that point on, is a recipe for consistent initial success in this game.

Time and again, when I start new leagues and follow this inaugural drafting strategy, I dominate the early years. I just did it again; my 1901 Baltimore Orioles went 100-40 in the regular season and won the WS (although it was an epic struggle against the NY Giants and my gosh, what a finish).

That's my

.

Curve Ball Dave · 04-17-2016, 11:50 AM

Because the initial Fantasy Draft is a serpentine draft, I always have my team last in the order so I always get back to back picks even if that means being last in the first round.

I take the best starting pitchers and position players available for the my first eight picks. That gives me 4/5s of a good starting rotation, and four good position players. I like an excellent closer so rather than take a starter with my 9th pick I take a closer and another position player with my 10th pick. I continue alternating pitchers and position players until I have a starting lineup, solid back ups, and at least four good relievers. After that I find my fifth starter, and fill out the bench. Once my 25 man is complete I draft prospects and guys for AAA who I'll need down the line.

Of course I try to take the youngest, best players available. Winning costs money, there's no way around it. You might be able to win for a few years with a lower payroll, but once arbitration kicks in for those young guys or their contracts are up, you can forget about trying to win on a small budget.

absurddoctor · 04-17-2016, 01:07 PM

Something worth keeping in mind is that your teams initial market size is (at least in part, perhaps completely) controlled by your initial salary load. Leaning heavily on older players initially will help increase your initial market size; leaning heavily on younger players and prospects will help reduce your initial market size.

scott1964 · 04-17-2016, 02:23 PM

I pick somebody who looks good.

MmmRocks · 04-17-2016, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scott1964

I pick somebody who looks good.

That's a good strategy. I think I'll go with that next time.

rasnell · 04-17-2016, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redranger

My first five pics I generally try and lock into to two starting pitchers, then up the middle positions as in CF, SS, and C. I look for good fielding at all three. SS with some good pop And high contact I can place in the 3 spot. CF with great speed and good eye that can lead off. Catcher with a really strong arm to keep opponents runners honest on the base paths.

Past this I kinda go round by round feeling in my lineups and rotation

I do generally focus on strong pitching and good fielding and speed

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Matches my strategy exactly. When you get farther into the draft and not much is left, always err on the side of the best defensively and the youngest.

jokr29 · 04-17-2016, 06:32 PM

I always look through the draft and pick the positions with the least depth first, 1B is usually a good first choice after that I alternate between pitching and lineup and wait on relievers. I always pick up a prospect or two early as well. My team has won over 100 games since 1980 and Im in 1987. Ive also won two world series in a row and almost had 3 except I got beat in 7 games in a 1-run game, lol. My biggest selection in 1980 was Fernando Venezuela, whiles hes only 19 and not ready right away, he develops quick and becomes dominant for many years.

NoOne · 04-18-2016, 08:51 PM

follow what i said and if you aren't winning 100+ games the first year AND have a well-stocked farm system the likes of which you will never see again in your organization, you need to adjust how you are interpretting it or adjust something that simply is hampering your draft. fictional draft has a bit more unknown to it... but still should be similar to a real-player inaugural. you probably won't have quite the same depth if the same as previous years.

an inaugural draft should set you up with a 5-10year window of domination. even longer depending on how much you maximize the return on all your excellent prospects from the initial draft.

(ignoring things you can't control, like injuries, while applying some common sense to it. e.g. if you drafted 9 "wrecked" players, you can't be surprised when they all break down and call it "bad luck" as opposed to merely bad decisions in the draft.)

04-17-2016, 08:23 AM	#1
MmmRocks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 155 Infractions: 0/1 (3)	Strategies for innagural drafts When you first do the inaugural draft in a league, do you have any strategies that you use in selecting players? I'm curious how people compare players, how they narrow down the amount of players that they look at in any given round, player skills or positions that they prioritize, etc. I wouldn't consider myself new to OOTP, but I'm never quite satisfied with my drafts. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

04-17-2016, 08:31 AM	#2
Harry_BallSack Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Was NJ, Then FL, Then IL, Then VA, Now Natick, MA ! Posts: 241	So generally I like a challenge initially and predicate on building a dynasty long term. My focus is usually on youngest best prospects with High intellect , a minimum of Normal work ethic and I tend to shy away from Trouble Makers Low or worse in Leadership and/or loyalty. Position wise I tend to take the SPs first then 1-2 RP then C then SS, build some infield depth and hit OF and 1B last - generally more depth at OF then anywhere and 1b is a position that can be learned by many OFers and almost all IFers. Just my 2 cents __________________ Playing Sim ball since Microleague Baseball on my C64 in Highschool, Then Front Page Sports (some Earl Weaver on the Amiga in there as well) and finally made the shift to OOTP around version 2. Been here ever since The Original Atlantic City Gambler and Daytona Beach Fatboy Owner.

04-17-2016, 02:23 PM	#9
scott1964 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Denver Posts: 5,626	I pick somebody who looks good. __________________ This just feels more like waiting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles. PETA.....People Eating Tasty Animals.

04-18-2016, 08:51 PM	#13
NoOne Banned Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,273 Infractions: 0/1 (3)	follow what i said and if you aren't winning 100+ games the first year AND have a well-stocked farm system the likes of which you will never see again in your organization, you need to adjust how you are interpretting it or adjust something that simply is hampering your draft. fictional draft has a bit more unknown to it... but still should be similar to a real-player inaugural. you probably won't have quite the same depth if the same as previous years. an inaugural draft should set you up with a 5-10year window of domination. even longer depending on how much you maximize the return on all your excellent prospects from the initial draft. (ignoring things you can't control, like injuries, while applying some common sense to it. e.g. if you drafted 9 "wrecked" players, you can't be surprised when they all break down and call it "bad luck" as opposed to merely bad decisions in the draft.) Last edited by NoOne; 04-18-2016 at 08:53 PM.

04-17-2016, 08:49 AM	#3
redranger All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Birmingham, Alabama Posts: 610	My first five pics I generally try and lock into to two starting pitchers, then up the middle positions as in CF, SS, and C. I look for good fielding at all three. SS with some good pop And high contact I can place in the 3 spot. CF with great speed and good eye that can lead off. Catcher with a really strong arm to keep opponents runners honest on the base paths. Past this I kinda go round by round feeling in my lineups and rotation I do generally focus on strong pitching and good fielding and speed Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

04-17-2016, 10:42 AM	#5
NoOne Banned Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,273 Infractions: 0/1 (3)	based on a 30team-ish mlb leauge... rounds may be different due to league configuration, maybe? first, have an idea of what you want your team to be and work backward from there... when i speak about when players drop off the board this is from '16 and previous experiences... there may be changes, but if still holding true, this information will help you the most in figuring out a plan of action for your draft. i only bring up my thoughts on team construction as examples of thought process. my main priority is a playoff roster. for me -- 3sp, 3 top-flight RP and a solid offense = a winning playoff team. that's 9 or more picks minimum. the RP can be had later, but the first 12-15 rounds i will have all or a majority of my lineup and a starting rotation. i will not wast early picks on a player that won't touch the game much... everyday players and starters! (even an RP has more Batters Faced than most platoon or bench players have Plate appearences, and you don't need depth when you don't have your starters filled out! make custom filters for each Role you want to fill on your team - the important ones like lineup roles and SP/back end of pen. this way at any time before you make a selection, you can make informed decisions about delaying on picking this player or that one. (i say for SP, but do not filter 'SP"... filter for all pitchers with stamina greater than XX along with minimum for stuff/mov/contr or whatever else -- make sure they have 3 decent pitches to consider them as an SP in RP clothing) The SP and well-rounded power hitters go fast... you need to get these ASAP. the first 6 rounds will be fairly predictable. after that, it's about guessing which players for which roles will disappear the fastest. the later you can draft a player the better, without losing them of course. the less often you draft a player 4-7 rounds ahead of the AI the better. Try to stagger ages, but don't sacrifice talent in any significant way to do this. you'll see that it starts to flatten out in choices for batters by the early teens and 20's, maybe snagging a top-ten prospect that's near the MLB as depth for injuries is worth mixing in as a selection, maybe it isn't. do you have a tone of old dudes? too many soon-to-be big contracts? Relievers you can get quite late.. you can get a killer pen in the 20's and 30's rounds, then fill out the last 3-4 spots by the 40's / 50's. just keep an eye on the dwindling talent, don't let yourself get the short end of the stick. Bench you can get late... 30-60's. -- if you have a platoon situation, you're probably looking at adding some bench players in 20's and 30's - possibly teens. try to avoid this - even if you value a bench. the less you use 2 or more picks on your #7, 8, 9 hitters or 4/5 SP and low-leverage RP early on, the better your team will be... as the leauge develops you'll easily upgrade your bench in year 2 -- more likely if you follow these suggestion you'll have a TON of prospects... 20-30 ML caliber trade bait / future team players. if half your depth for injuries are better prospects from AA/AAA you're set up well for immediate future.. maximize the most important parts... leave holes that are easily fixed vs being at the mercy of an AS/HoF type player hitting FA in year 2. be realistic about what you can actually change in year 2 and try to make those the weak points if you skimp on anything.

04-17-2016, 11:50 AM	#7
Curve Ball Dave Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 2,394	Because the initial Fantasy Draft is a serpentine draft, I always have my team last in the order so I always get back to back picks even if that means being last in the first round. I take the best starting pitchers and position players available for the my first eight picks. That gives me 4/5s of a good starting rotation, and four good position players. I like an excellent closer so rather than take a starter with my 9th pick I take a closer and another position player with my 10th pick. I continue alternating pitchers and position players until I have a starting lineup, solid back ups, and at least four good relievers. After that I find my fifth starter, and fill out the bench. Once my 25 man is complete I draft prospects and guys for AAA who I'll need down the line. Of course I try to take the youngest, best players available. Winning costs money, there's no way around it. You might be able to win for a few years with a lower payroll, but once arbitration kicks in for those young guys or their contracts are up, you can forget about trying to win on a small budget. __________________ "Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing"-Warren Spahn.

04-17-2016, 01:07 PM	#8
absurddoctor Minors (Double A) Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 102	Something worth keeping in mind is that your teams initial market size is (at least in part, perhaps completely) controlled by your initial salary load. Leaning heavily on older players initially will help increase your initial market size; leaning heavily on younger players and prospects will help reduce your initial market size.

04-17-2016, 06:32 PM	#12
jokr29 Bat Boy Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13	I always look through the draft and pick the positions with the least depth first, 1B is usually a good first choice after that I alternate between pitching and lineup and wait on relievers. I always pick up a prospect or two early as well. My team has won over 100 games since 1980 and Im in 1987. Ive also won two world series in a row and almost had 3 except I got beat in 7 games in a 1-run game, lol. My biggest selection in 1980 was Fernando Venezuela, whiles hes only 19 and not ready right away, he develops quick and becomes dominant for many years.