Inaugural Fantasy Draft Strategy

Tholomyes · 08-28-2017, 10:25 PM

Hi, I've found that my typical strategy for inaugural fantasy drafting, consistently has me at or near the bottom of the league consistently, and I was wondering if anyone else had some good advice for me on this:

My strategy involves taking the best starting pitcher first (or two, if I think there's a good one that's likely to get grabbed quick), then the best closer, then the best shortstop, then the best centerfielder, and after that filling out the rest of my lineup with the best batters that I can find, as long as they don't completely suck at fielding. During this period I also like to pick up about two more starting pitchers and 3-4 more relievers. Next, I try to fill up my remaining 25 man lineup, looking for a backup catcher, 2 backup infielders, and 2 backup outfielders (looking mostly for versatile position players who can hit decently). After that there usually aren't a ton of good options left, so I mostly look for potential and I may grab someone with good overall rating if they're significantly above the other players left in the draft. I feel like this strategy should do better for me, since I make sure to not have too many weak spots in my lineup, and I can usually snag a few good prospects, but it hasn't panned out in game. So does anyone have advice for how not to suck so badly at drafting?

Curve Ball Dave · 08-29-2017, 11:04 AM

If there was a sure method to draft success, we'd all be doing it but there isn't. You pick the guys you think are the best for your team. If you don't win in the first year it's ok. The challenge is building a winner. That can take a few seasons. This is particularly true if you're drafting younger players.

It's supposed to be hard. That's what makes eventually winning so satisfying when it happens.

Germaniac · 08-29-2017, 04:32 PM

My strategy is to pick two, maybe even three frontline starting pitchers, followed by a premium closer, then adding as much offense as I can.

Once all premium players are gone I add all the top prospects I can get ... and then I try to fill holes I have in my offense by trading some of my prospects.

I have had pretty good success doing that ... but others may have taken different roads

NoOne · 08-29-2017, 10:36 PM

~100+ wins for sure with a Real MLB 2017 inaugural... not so sure with fictional - WAY fewer choices to fill your mil with studs.

i'd get a transcendent bat first... trout / harper type ability and young too. ie not miguel cabrera or so 30+ year old slugger.

if that's not there, then a first round SP isn't bad either. again, make sure it's young and amazing, not a Brand Name. ratings, ratings, raitngs and velocity!

2nd round - if you diddnt' get that transcendant slugger, you better get a solid 1st/2nd tier slugger in the 2nd... if you did, grab an SP

3rd - get that 1-2 punch for your rotation or if another really fine slugger is available get him. with serpentine and if picking ~1st, you need 1bat 2 sp for sure... SP are ~equivalent 1, then 2-3, then 4-8ish. that would give 4sp by 8.

4-5 -- by this time you better have at minimum a 1 and 1a SP punch or you are in big trouble with your bad-@ss rotation... better focus on future if that happens (before i suggest focusing on prospects later on, in that case).

3batter 2 sp or 3sp and 2 battters all good. we're shooting for a 800+ run team and a high-end pithcing staff.. can't focus on only 1 thing.

After this point it gets too difficult to predict by positional or SP. you are WAY more likely to find a #1/#2 batter for your lineup later in the draft... so focus on players with power, if still available.

don't let preconceived notions of hitting style relative to positon matter... as long as the pieces can fit it's okay... batting has NOTHIGN to do with defense.. but, do get players with sufficient defense of course. you have a lineup to fill and 8 positions.. doesn't matter how it gets done as long as it's a quality lineup 1-6ish.

After ~8 picks you better have 4sp (or maybe 3 amazing SP) and a very solid ~4-5 batters. hopeufly all can hit at least 20hr/year and 2 of them ~30 or more. like i said, you can get a .340-.350+ obp guy later. don't waste a high pick on a lead-off batter. you can trade/sign them in year 2 and have a 900+ run team

don't stretch for some 'amazing' SS/C/CF that barely reaches ~.450 slugging (1/2scale power or a bit more). let someone else dive on that grenade. that's a leadoff/ or at best a 2nd batter in lineup... pay less for those! defintely not a top-10 choice.

Focus 100% on everyday players and 5SP upto ~12-14th rounds (may get a solid 5th SP 14-16ish? takes luck on how the draft pans out). You'll see that what you can get in the teens is virtually the same as what oyu can get all the way through the mid-to-upper-20's when it comes to filling out the rest of your positional needs that you don't get 1-12ish rounds..

active roster at this point- rotation done, and the meat and potatoes of lineup - excluding leadoff hitter. hopefully you can grab a couple prospects 13/14th round.

At this point shift to grabbing MiL Prospects and splrinkling in need as described in next paragraph - best available regardless of R to AAA current ability (more likely less developed but high potential at this point) AND of varied positions - best 1or2 of each especially of important positions..keen focus on SP and positions at which you strayed from the "Young" suggestions throughout. positions of 'weaknesses' on MLB roster goes without saying too -- same thing as a 32+ year old - a soon to be weakness that needs to be filled.

~16-20th Also start lookign for at least 1 RP(CL) and filling out rest of the roster that starts or plays everyday. (hopefully no platoon situation, but if it crumbles that way, so be it, consider that a part of "9 position players" or 8 with no-DH).

RP - a select few may be gone by ~16th round... however, you do not need to grab more than one before the ~20th round, but you could if you wanted. (16-20 and someone phenomenol will still be there). get the rest in the 20's/30's and you will have the #1 pen in league, if wise about RP evaluation.

i'd stock up on ~4 young, wicked RP before round 30ish (nothing wrong with 5 either! just one less prospect as a cost). then the last 3 anytime before ~40th-50th pick or so.

So, by ~40th round you should have ~9 everyday bats and 12pitchers. that's ~21... and ~15-20 really nice prospects and possibly a bench too... really nice prospects is key to the next 10-15 years of sustained 110+ win teams.

you could pick up the bench during that time and sacrifice ~3 prime prospects or get nearly equivalents in the upper 30's and into the 40's/50's. defense and speed since you have good bats where it counts.

By round ~50 you should have a figurative ton of younger prospects, maybe 2-5 @ AA/AAA and a rock solid 25-man roster.

At that point you can continue to pick up really solid prospects or fill out minors in a way that wins a ton of games... or even let the computer finish the draft... not much of real importance happens after ~100-120 rounds for sure.

The Art:

It's all about rounds 4-12ish. if you can get that 4th starting in round 8/9 that's HUGE... if they are falling off the board like flies you need to jump on that 4th solid pitcher before then... it's a maleable situation. no one way it occurs each time.

after i get through the first 3-4 rounds i will start working on a few shortlists of each guys i like at each position... depending on how each of those lists dwindle i may change what i am looking for.

the later you can pick somethign the better and also the greater risk you shoot yourself in teh foot

so, don't get too risky, but don't be a ninny either.

Honestly, after you have done 2-3 inaugurals you should shoot for 110+ wins given decent health. even your first, with this guide, i'd be confident you get to 100+wins the first year, and after that...

parlaying those 20-30 really good mil prospects is the next thing to tackle... you can be a ~120-130win team for a 15-20years, if smart. that's why i don't do inaugural drafts anymore. ~20 years of domination.

if you didn't get trout and harper, you can probably trade for them now

and/or 1 will be available within 3years or so... and since you adhered to the Young mandate above you should have one of the lowest payrolls in the league, too. cherry-picking amazing FA that will assuredly be seen will augment your already ~110-win team.

NoOne · 08-29-2017, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Germaniac

My strategy is to pick two, maybe even three frontline starting pitchers, followed by a premium closer, then adding as much offense as I can.

Once all premium players are gone I add all the top prospects I can get ... and then I try to fill holes I have in my offense by trading some of my prospects.

I have had pretty good success doing that ... but others may have taken different roads

That sums it up!! lol...

one thing - don't draft the closer so early. they will be around into teens/low-20's.. the highest caliber releivers, not just 'relievers'.

let the draft dictate where you go... like you said as the premium players leave, get prospects, becaue it becoes ~near equivalents in many ways after that point.

EDIT: really late, but... that's real players suggestions, if fictional you'll likely need that CL earlier than 16-20... just an educated guess though. 2-4 rounds sooner maybe? not a huge difference

08-29-2017, 04:32 PM	#3
Germaniac Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Frankenthal, Germany Posts: 2,993	My strategy is to pick two, maybe even three frontline starting pitchers, followed by a premium closer, then adding as much offense as I can. Once all premium players are gone I add all the top prospects I can get ... and then I try to fill holes I have in my offense by trading some of my prospects. I have had pretty good success doing that ... but others may have taken different roads __________________ I'm going to have to meet my Maker some day. And if He asks me why I didn't let this boy play, and I say it's because he's black, that might not be a satisfactory answer. Happy Chandler, 1947

08-29-2017, 10:36 PM	#4
NoOne Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,167	~100+ wins for sure with a Real MLB 2017 inaugural... not so sure with fictional - WAY fewer choices to fill your mil with studs. i'd get a transcendent bat first... trout / harper type ability and young too. ie not miguel cabrera or so 30+ year old slugger. if that's not there, then a first round SP isn't bad either. again, make sure it's young and amazing, not a Brand Name. ratings, ratings, raitngs and velocity! 2nd round - if you diddnt' get that transcendant slugger, you better get a solid 1st/2nd tier slugger in the 2nd... if you did, grab an SP 3rd - get that 1-2 punch for your rotation or if another really fine slugger is available get him. with serpentine and if picking ~1st, you need 1bat 2 sp for sure... SP are ~equivalent 1, then 2-3, then 4-8ish. that would give 4sp by 8. 4-5 -- by this time you better have at minimum a 1 and 1a SP punch or you are in big trouble with your bad-@ss rotation... better focus on future if that happens (before i suggest focusing on prospects later on, in that case). 3batter 2 sp or 3sp and 2 battters all good. we're shooting for a 800+ run team and a high-end pithcing staff.. can't focus on only 1 thing. After this point it gets too difficult to predict by positional or SP. you are WAY more likely to find a #1/#2 batter for your lineup later in the draft... so focus on players with power, if still available. don't let preconceived notions of hitting style relative to positon matter... as long as the pieces can fit it's okay... batting has NOTHIGN to do with defense.. but, do get players with sufficient defense of course. you have a lineup to fill and 8 positions.. doesn't matter how it gets done as long as it's a quality lineup 1-6ish. After ~8 picks you better have 4sp (or maybe 3 amazing SP) and a very solid ~4-5 batters. hopeufly all can hit at least 20hr/year and 2 of them ~30 or more. like i said, you can get a .340-.350+ obp guy later. don't waste a high pick on a lead-off batter. you can trade/sign them in year 2 and have a 900+ run team don't stretch for some 'amazing' SS/C/CF that barely reaches ~.450 slugging (1/2scale power or a bit more). let someone else dive on that grenade. that's a leadoff/ or at best a 2nd batter in lineup... pay less for those! defintely not a top-10 choice. Focus 100% on everyday players and 5SP upto ~12-14th rounds (may get a solid 5th SP 14-16ish? takes luck on how the draft pans out). You'll see that what you can get in the teens is virtually the same as what oyu can get all the way through the mid-to-upper-20's when it comes to filling out the rest of your positional needs that you don't get 1-12ish rounds.. active roster at this point- rotation done, and the meat and potatoes of lineup - excluding leadoff hitter. hopefully you can grab a couple prospects 13/14th round. At this point shift to grabbing MiL Prospects and splrinkling in need as described in next paragraph - best available regardless of R to AAA current ability (more likely less developed but high potential at this point) AND of varied positions - best 1or2 of each especially of important positions..keen focus on SP and positions at which you strayed from the "Young" suggestions throughout. positions of 'weaknesses' on MLB roster goes without saying too -- same thing as a 32+ year old - a soon to be weakness that needs to be filled. ~16-20th Also start lookign for at least 1 RP(CL) and filling out rest of the roster that starts or plays everyday. (hopefully no platoon situation, but if it crumbles that way, so be it, consider that a part of "9 position players" or 8 with no-DH). RP - a select few may be gone by ~16th round... however, you do not need to grab more than one before the ~20th round, but you could if you wanted. (16-20 and someone phenomenol will still be there). get the rest in the 20's/30's and you will have the #1 pen in league, if wise about RP evaluation. i'd stock up on ~4 young, wicked RP before round 30ish (nothing wrong with 5 either! just one less prospect as a cost). then the last 3 anytime before ~40th-50th pick or so. So, by ~40th round you should have ~9 everyday bats and 12pitchers. that's ~21... and ~15-20 really nice prospects and possibly a bench too... really nice prospects is key to the next 10-15 years of sustained 110+ win teams. you could pick up the bench during that time and sacrifice ~3 prime prospects or get nearly equivalents in the upper 30's and into the 40's/50's. defense and speed since you have good bats where it counts. By round ~50 you should have a figurative ton of younger prospects, maybe 2-5 @ AA/AAA and a rock solid 25-man roster. At that point you can continue to pick up really solid prospects or fill out minors in a way that wins a ton of games... or even let the computer finish the draft... not much of real importance happens after ~100-120 rounds for sure. The Art: It's all about rounds 4-12ish. if you can get that 4th starting in round 8/9 that's HUGE... if they are falling off the board like flies you need to jump on that 4th solid pitcher before then... it's a maleable situation. no one way it occurs each time. after i get through the first 3-4 rounds i will start working on a few shortlists of each guys i like at each position... depending on how each of those lists dwindle i may change what i am looking for. the later you can pick somethign the better and also the greater risk you shoot yourself in teh foot so, don't get too risky, but don't be a ninny either. Honestly, after you have done 2-3 inaugurals you should shoot for 110+ wins given decent health. even your first, with this guide, i'd be confident you get to 100+wins the first year, and after that... parlaying those 20-30 really good mil prospects is the next thing to tackle... you can be a ~120-130win team for a 15-20years, if smart. that's why i don't do inaugural drafts anymore. ~20 years of domination. if you didn't get trout and harper, you can probably trade for them now and/or 1 will be available within 3years or so... and since you adhered to the Young mandate above you should have one of the lowest payrolls in the league, too. cherry-picking amazing FA that will assuredly be seen will augment your already ~110-win team. Last edited by NoOne; 08-29-2017 at 10:50 PM.

08-28-2017, 10:25 PM	#1
Tholomyes Bat Boy Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 2	Inaugural Fantasy Draft Strategy Hi, I've found that my typical strategy for inaugural fantasy drafting, consistently has me at or near the bottom of the league consistently, and I was wondering if anyone else had some good advice for me on this: My strategy involves taking the best starting pitcher first (or two, if I think there's a good one that's likely to get grabbed quick), then the best closer, then the best shortstop, then the best centerfielder, and after that filling out the rest of my lineup with the best batters that I can find, as long as they don't completely suck at fielding. During this period I also like to pick up about two more starting pitchers and 3-4 more relievers. Next, I try to fill up my remaining 25 man lineup, looking for a backup catcher, 2 backup infielders, and 2 backup outfielders (looking mostly for versatile position players who can hit decently). After that there usually aren't a ton of good options left, so I mostly look for potential and I may grab someone with good overall rating if they're significantly above the other players left in the draft. I feel like this strategy should do better for me, since I make sure to not have too many weak spots in my lineup, and I can usually snag a few good prospects, but it hasn't panned out in game. So does anyone have advice for how not to suck so badly at drafting?

08-29-2017, 11:04 AM	#2
Curve Ball Dave Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 2,271	If there was a sure method to draft success, we'd all be doing it but there isn't. You pick the guys you think are the best for your team. If you don't win in the first year it's ok. The challenge is building a winner. That can take a few seasons. This is particularly true if you're drafting younger players. It's supposed to be hard. That's what makes eventually winning so satisfying when it happens. __________________ "Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing"-Warren Spahn.