Here We Go!

Less than a week and counting!  My two drafts are done, and I can’t wait to get going!  The draft highlights:

 

Team #1…The Scorpions (a keeper league)

This league, since it is a keeper league, only has a supplemental draft.  That means we picked up 7 additional players to add to the 18 we kept since last season.  This is a “points” league, meaning we get points for everything a player does (hits, runs, rbi, wins, saves, etc.).  That has an effect on who you decide to pick up.  You want to make sure you have the best possible players at every position that can get a lot of points in the “points categories” your league has.   Some of the new players include:

Brandon Inge (3B/C-DET)…one of my favorite pickups…starting 3b qualifies at Catcher!  20 HR potential!

Justin Masterson (RP-BOS)…he’s one injury away from being a stud starter for one of the best teams in baseball.

Matt Linstrom (RP-FLA)…new Marlins closer throws 100mph!

 

Team #2…The Swingin J’s (non-keeper league)

In this league we draft all new teams each spring.  It’s sort of overwhelming on draft day…you have to make some decisions really fast!  This league has fewer teams than my other one…so more superstars per team.  This league, compared to the other one,  has you go against a different team every week, and you win based on how well you do in categories…so regardless of position, you want to have some guys strong in homers, some in triples, stolen bases, etc….along with pitchers who can get wins, shutouts, strikeouts, and not give up a lot of homers, walks, or runs, for example.  Here’s how it went…again…the highlights:

David Wright (3B-NYM)…one of the best players out there..strong in multiple categories…including walks.

Carlos Beltran (OF-NYM)….ditto

Justin Morneau (1B-MIN)….same deal

Curtis Granderson (OF-DET)…he doesn’t have power of the other guys….but he hit a ton of triples last year.  I also have him on The Scorpions.

Raul Ibanez (OF-PHI)…surprisingly strong in a number of categories…but he is 36 and an injury/sunset of career risk.

Derek Lee (1B-CUBS)…same deal as Ibanez.

Kelly Johnson (2B-ATL)…emerging 2B who could have breakout year in ‘09.

Brandon Inge (C/3B-DET)…name sound familiar?

Pablo Sandoval (C/3B-SF)…hopefully my pick that slipped under my competitor’s radar.  Hit like .345 in 100+AB’s late last season!

Ricky Nolasco (SP-FLA)…Marlins starting pitcher gets lots of wins/strikeouts, does give up a lot of gopherballs.

Ted Lilly(SP-CUBS)…same deal as Nolasco except not Cubs Opening Day starter.

Chad Billingsley(SP-LAD)…emerging ace with lots of wins/strikeouts.

Jon Papelbon(RP-BOS)…perhaps the best closer in baseball…I’ve had him for years on my keeper team, The Scorpions.

Matt Linstrom(RP-FLA)…again, name sound familiar?

 

So remember how I said The Swingin J’s draft was overwhelming because you have to pick so many players so quickly? (btw you have a minute thirty to make each draft pick) Well, the crutch I used to help me is that old phrase “…dance with the one that brung ya’?”  That’s what I did in this draft.  I would often revert to picking either:

a) players I had on The Swingin’ J’s last year (Nolasco, Billingsley, Lilly, Wright, Beltran)

b) players I have on The Scorpions (Papelbon, Granderson, Linstrom, Nolasco)

c) players I used to have on The Scorpions (Ibanez)

The advantage of going for these guys is, while it is a little boring to have players you’ve had before, they are steady, known quantities, giving me more time to concentrate on other players in the draft. 

 

No more time to crow about my picks.  Let’s see how it goes.  The games begin Sunday!  Good Luck to all you Fantasy & Roto players!