Fantasy Draft Strategy

[milldaddy]

What are everyone's strategies on fantasy drafts?

[marc5477]

A bit late to answer and it depends on your settings but I have found the following to be extremely effective in almost all instances:

Tip #1: Avoid any player over the age of 28 until round 15 or so.
Tip #2: Avoid fragile players like the plague until after round 30 or so
Tip #3: Avoid position player who cant play D! Dont underestimate D!!
Tip #4: Do not be afraid to take elite rookies as early as round 11 (earlier if their main stats are 50%+ developed)

Rounds 1-3 (prioritize durable players)

- Elite Starting Pitcher (1st)
- Elite slot 3 power hitter with high contact, avoid K, and power
- All-Star caliber Starting Pitcher (2nd)

Round 4-6 (prioritize durable players)

- Starting Pitcher (3rd)
- Extreme Home Run Cleanup guy - Max power, everything else secondary
- Lead off man with .300 BA, .400 OBP and good speed/stealing (priority to stealing ability)

Round 7-10 (normal injury rating is ok from here on)

- Starting pitcher (4th)
- Slot 2 hitter with high contact, high avoid K & good eye
- Elite Closer (they should still be available at this stage)
- Slot 5 home run hitter with priority to power

Round 11-20

At this point your core team is built. The AI is probably still filling slots with mediocre stock so this is your change to start planning for the future. Go after the best prospects, ones that are almost fully developed but not yet. At some point however, you want to pick up at least the following.

- Starting Pitcher (5th)
- Starting Pitcher (6th, acts as long relief) - Yes this is very important
- Setup reliever (backup closer)
- 5 or so highly rated prospects which are at least 50% developed
- 1 or 2 good defensive starters with ok contact and high eye if possible

From here its up to you. That mix generally serves me very well.

[Findest2001]

Originally Posted by marc5477

A bit late to answer and it depends on your settings but I have found the following to be extremely effective in almost all instances:

Tip #1: Avoid any player over the age of 28 until round 15 or so.
Tip #2: Avoid fragile players like the plague until after round 30 or so
Tip #3: Avoid position player who cant play D! Dont underestimate D!!
Tip #4: Do not be afraid to take elite rookies as early as round 11 (earlier if their main stats are 50%+ developed)

Rounds 1-3 (prioritize durable players)

- Elite Starting Pitcher (1st)
- Elite slot 3 power hitter with high contact, avoid K, and power
- All-Star caliber Starting Pitcher (2nd)

Round 4-6 (prioritize durable players)

- Starting Pitcher (3rd)
- Extreme Home Run Cleanup guy - Max power, everything else secondary
- Lead off man with .300 BA, .400 OBP and good speed/stealing (priority to stealing ability)

Round 7-10 (normal injury rating is ok from here on)

- Starting pitcher (4th)
- Slot 2 hitter with high contact, high avoid K & good eye
- Elite Closer (they should still be available at this stage)
- Slot 5 home run hitter with priority to power

Round 11-20

At this point your core team is built. The AI is probably still filling slots with mediocre stock so this is your change to start planning for the future. Go after the best prospects, ones that are almost fully developed but not yet. At some point however, you want to pick up at least the following.

- Starting Pitcher (5th)
- Starting Pitcher (6th, acts as long relief) - Yes this is very important
- Setup reliever (backup closer)
- 5 or so highly rated prospects which are at least 50% developed
- 1 or 2 good defensive starters with ok contact and high eye if possible

From here its up to you. That mix generally serves me very well.

I agree with pretty close to all of this. The only thing I would change is the bolded. An SP only helps 1 in 5 games totaling 34 at most, and even durable pitchers, on the whole, go on the DL more frequently than their position player counterparts. A starting franchise fielder, however, helps win up to 162. I would draft elite-caliber SP1 with 2nd or 3rd round and go for 2 elite fielders in rounds 1 and 2 (depending on if the starting pitcher available is durable, as the previous poster stated.)

[nickwatic]

Originally Posted by Findest2001

I agree with pretty close to all of this. The only thing I would change is the bolded. An SP only helps 1 in 5 games totaling 34 at most, and even durable pitchers, on the whole, go on the DL more frequently than their position player counterparts. A starting franchise fielder, however, helps win up to 162. I would draft elite-caliber SP1 with 2nd or 3rd round and go for 2 elite fielders in rounds 1 and 2 (depending on if the starting pitcher available is durable, as the previous poster stated.)

Was doing random debut and I had the choice between Mantle or Kershaw. They say chicks dig the long ball

[Findest2001]

Originally Posted by nickwatic

Was doing random debut and I had the choice between Mantle or Kershaw. They say chicks dig the long ball

Nice :P

[lencombs]

I've always been partial to a great defensive CF'er that can also bat lead off and steal bases like Ty Cobb, or an Andruw Jones, Ken Griffey Jr. type for more power guy depending on what's available.

I tend to read the draft board and sometimes go with best available player in the early rounds, then filling out the roster instead of locking in on one position each round.

Like someone mentioned, quality closer's are always available, even after you have 8 position players and a few SP's. I also grab some young, high potential guys at the end of the draft for trade bait later.