We've discussed the merits of trying a mock draft in fantasy baseball.
One of the fringe benefits is it allows you to target players once the "real" draft day arrives.
When you do homework prior to a draft, you have an idea of whom you want and where each player is going.
For a better idea, do a handful of mock drafts. And check out the experts' mock drafts on sites such as ESPN, Yahoo and CBS.
With the homework complete (who knew math could be this fun?), you'll have an average round in your mind for certain players you hope to land. You'll know the ones you can afford to wait on, and you'll know the ones you'll have to select a few picks early, depending on your position in the order.
Two quick examples:
- If you think Paul Konerko is a steal at first base and are confident you can draft him after eight or nine players at his position are off the board, have a round in mind for acquiring him. If he seems to be going late in the fifth round or early in the sixth and you're drafting sixth in a 12-team league, you will have a pretty good idea the White Sox first baseman will be available when you're up at No. 54 overall in Round 5. But he probably won't be around when it's your turn again at No. 67 in Round 6. If you're confident Konerko will be a stud, take him in the fifth round and don't worry that you reached a few spots to get him.
- There is a big difference between reaching a few spots and reaching a couple rounds, obviously. Early in the draft is when the latter often happens. If Owner A is a huge fan of Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen and believes he's a top-30 overall player, even if some (like us) have him ranked in the No. 40 range, Owner A -- who is drafting 12th in a 12-team league -- should not take McCutchen with the first pick of Round 2 because he's worried about the outfielder being gone when he's up again at Nos. 36 and 37 overall.
A few more quick pointers:
1. Go through the rankings at each position -- whether the numbers are yours or ours -- and look for steals.
2. Don't focus solely on the early rounds. Championships often are won in the middle and late rounds.
- You might notice Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia is a backup catcher on every set of rankings you've researched. With that in mind, if you really believe he will be a stud in his first full season, you can wait on drafting a catcher until you have filled out the majority of your starting lineup. If you take that route and select Arencibia after the top 11 or 12 catchers are off the board, you should select your backup relatively soon after that pick -- hoping to go at least 1-for-2 in smart choices at that position.
- You might believe Grady Sizemore is a low-end No. 2/high-end No. 3 outfielder, even though he's coming off back-to-back injury-riddled seasons (we're a member of this club). Everyone else seems to value the Indians center fielder as a No. 4 outfielder, which should allow you to wait a round or two after you start getting tempted to draft Sizemore before you finally pull the trigger. You can still take him as a No. 3 outfielder, but load up somewhere else first before so doing.
3. If you really want to get crazy (now this is living on the edge), have a team of players you like at each position. Once you know when each is getting drafted, on average, you will know when you should strike. You won't get all of them, but you should get enough to make you feel good about putting in all that work.
And if you consistently win money from your friends, it will feel less and less like work each season.
2011 FANTASY BASEBALL RANKINGS: Catchers, First basemen, Second basemen, Shortstops, Third basemen, Designated hitters, Outfielders, Starting pitchers, Closers, Top 100 overall
MORE RANKINGS: Your guide to all of our 2011 fantasy baseball rankings, your guide to the top keepers in fantasy baseball
More fantasy baseball tips:
- ANALYSIS: How to assign value in rotisserie formats, How to manage your fantasy team in the playoffs
- BALLPARK ANALYSIS: The Most Hitter-Friendly Parks in Baseball, Coors Field analysis, The Most Pitcher-Friendly Parks in Baseball
- COMMISSIONERS: How to run a fantasy baseball league
- DRAFTING: Five things you can learn from a mock draft, How to prepare for a draft in one hour, Draft horror stories, How to hit a home run in the first round
- HOW IT STARTED: What is fantasy baseball?, Who created fantasy baseball?, The basic rules of fantasy baseball, The different types of fantasy baseball
- KEEPER LEAGUES: How to choose the best keepers
- SAVES: Should you punt saves in fantasy baseball?
- TRADING: How to make effective trades
- WAIVER WIRE: Five tips on how to manage the waiver wire