Rate my team

[UMFan83]

1B - Thome

2B - Ellis

SS - Crosby

3B - Ensberg

OF - Dunn

OF - Holliday

OF - Hermida

C - Willingham

UTIL - Hafner

 

SP - J. Santana

SP - C. Zambrano

SP - Z. Duke

SP - L. Hernandez

SP - Radke

 

RP - BJ Ryan

RP - J. Valverde

RP - Dempster

RP - Papelbon

RP - Miceli (impulse pick thinking he was a closer)

 

Bench - Barrett (gotta back up Willingham)

Bench - N. Johnson

 

League uses OBP, SLG, SB, RBI, R for hitting

WHIP, K, W, ERA, SV for pitching

 

12 team league

[nilodnayr]

1B - Thome

2B - Ellis

SS - Crosby

3B - Ensberg

OF - Dunn

OF - Holliday

OF - Hermida

C - Willingham

UTIL - Hafner

 

SP - J. Santana

SP - C. Zambrano

SP - Z. Duke

SP - L. Hernandez

SP - Radke

 

RP - BJ Ryan

RP - J. Valverde

RP - Dempster

RP - Papelbon

RP - Miceli (impulse pick thinking he was a closer)

 

Bench - Barrett (gotta back up Willingham)

Bench - N. Johnson

 

League uses OBP, SLG, SB, RBI, R for hitting

WHIP, K, W, ERA, SV for pitching

 

12 team league

 

I like the team, I have been so high on willingham its not even funny but didnt get him in my draft. Really like Hermida too, he should score a lot of runs with his OBP skills and mashers behind him. I like Thome too, he looks nothing but back to form this offseason/ST. Will probably hit 40 HR in the Cell. I picked Holliday and Ellis as well, hopefully they can live up to their potential and repeat last years (respectively). I was really high on Ensberg thinking he could sustain last years breakout year because he changed his batting stance, but then realized that he only had a decent second half. Considering the metrics you use, Dunn is more valuable than normal leagues. Hafner, nothing else to say but MVP. Not a big fan of the rotation. You obviously didnt concentrate on it much, which might work out in the end with the depth of pitching this year. 3 solid closers and if foulke falters you can trade one of them and slot papelbon in and sit back and let the saves roll in. In a 12 team league its amazing you picked two catchers. Whyd you do that? Some one had to get screwed in catchers. I'd try to make a trade with them to upgrade the rotation.

[UMFan83]

I picked 2 catchers because I wasn't 100% sold on Willingham and wanted a backup. I thought the top 3 in my rotation is solid, if Duke can recover from a bad spring. The back end will give me wins, but the WHIP will be hurt a little bit, especially with Livan Hernandez.

[YearofDaCubs]

Very solid team. The only thing u dont have is SBs.

[nilodnayr]

I picked 2 catchers because I wasn't 100% sold on Willingham and wanted a backup. I thought the top 3 in my rotation is solid, if Duke can recover from a bad spring. The back end will give me wins, but the WHIP will be hurt a little bit, especially with Livan Hernandez.

 

Yeah, I can understand the hesitation on Willingham, but I think hes the real deal. But if you are in a league with cubs fans and barrett gets a streak in the beginning, I'd deal him quickly. Barrett is extremely streaky (not telling you anything you dont know), but be mindful and get max value. You may be able to get a Lackey or Haren for him (they went just before barrett in my draft). Slot either of them as your third starter and Duke looks a lot better as a low risk/high reward 4th member of your pen. I agree with the point about the lack of SBs. Holliday and Hermida will give you 20, but other than that you are barren. You'll just have to trade for them midseason and overpay for them like me.

[Mark_R]

Steals are overrated.

 

And yet I drafted them so much more so this season than I ever have.

 

Some picks I really dreaded... I know you said you wanted Lugo, Nilo. I was in a position to take Richie Sexson, and I accidentally clicked on Lugo and took him instead. Speaking of that, you're a smart fantasy baller, Nilo, rate my team. 5x5 roto (plus 3B and BB and k/bb and cg for pitchers) 17 teams:

 

C: Doumit

1B: Shelton (I'd love me some Catcher eligibility...)

2B: Jeff Kent

SS: Lugo

3B: Freel

OF: Manny Ramirez

OF: Jason Lane

OF: Adam Dunn

Util: Granderson

BN: Kinsler

BN: McPherson

BN: Delmon

 

SP: Pedro

SP: Duke

SP: Cain

SP: Heilman

SP: Benson (I loved this pick, I think Leo will do wonders)

RP: Cordero

RP: Mike Gonzalez

RP: Ambrioix Burgos

RP: Travis Bowyer

[nilodnayr]

Steals are overrated.

 

And yet I drafted them so much more so this season than I ever have.

 

Some picks I really dreaded... I know you said you wanted Lugo, Nilo. I was in a position to take Richie Sexson, and I accidentally clicked on Lugo and took him instead. Speaking of that, you're a smart fantasy baller, Nilo, rate my team. 5x5 roto (plus 3B and BB and k/bb and cg for pitchers) 17 teams:

 

C: Doumit

1B: Shelton (I'd love me some Catcher eligibility...)

2B: Jeff Kent

SS: Lugo

3B: Freel

OF: Manny Ramirez

OF: Jason Lane

OF: Adam Dunn

Util: Granderson

BN: Kinsler

BN: McPherson

BN: Delmon

 

SP: Pedro

SP: Duke

SP: Cain

SP: Heilman

SP: Benson (I loved this pick, I think Leo will do wonders)

RP: Cordero

RP: Mike Gonzalez

RP: Ambrioix Burgos

RP: Travis Bowyer

 

I value steals because they are such a limited commodity and have more marginal value than any other counting stat (except of course for 3B in your league). The problem with steals is that usually a player with a lot of steals has no power so you will lose out on HRs and RBIs, but I just cant ignore a category, in my opinion thats just a recipe to not coming in first. Ok, enough of that, onto your team.

 

Doumit, great pick, probably in a 17 team league one of the best values at catcher. I have Shelton too and unfortunately unless you have some funky eligibility rules, you arent going to be able to slot him at catcher this year. Thats the bad news, the good news is that for the last few games hes been slotted 6th and Monroe 8th, so it seems as though hes going to have a good opportunities for runs and rbis. Kent took a huge dive in my draft, I havent been able to find anything about how hes doing this spring, but he did sign an extension, so thats a good indication hes not going to fall off this year. Like Lugo, like him a lot better because of the chance he gets traded (how awesome would he look as the mets 2b and #2 hitter). The TB lineup has a lot of potential so even if he stays there he still will be valuable. Freel, hes got the steals, but Im weary of him the way cinci is treating him. I know hell get his starts, but I just hate the fact that hes not really a starter. But we know the red are pretty moronic. Im big on E. Encarnacion and Lopez, but theres always hope that some one will wake up to the fact that Womack sucks. I have Manny too, I wasnt too happy to get him, but he fell to me with the 11th pick so I had to. I predict a better year than last, but not by a ton. Lane is alright, I'm generally ambivalent to him. Dunn is a great pick because you count BBs, even more valuable than a normal league. Love Granderson, he was taken the pick right before I was going to pick him (but I ended up taking Gomes, who is probably better anyway). Hes going to provide you power and stolen bases and his most valuable asset in your league is the fact that he is a threat to get 15 triples! In your league 15 triples is the equivalent to 80 steals or 70 homeruns. He will most likely end up single handedly with more triples than the majority of the teams in your league. This is probably your best pick and no one in your league realizes. The upside on Kinsler, Young and Dallas is obviously huge. I have no clue what the drays are going to do with their OF situation when rocco comes back and if huff continues to stink it up at 3rd, that would seemingly give them 765787987 outfielders and its a safe assumption that they guaranteed Young would get called up in the first half of the season because he didnt put up a stink when they optioned him down, unlike last year. I'm very scared about Pedro. He was amazing last year, and will have a great offense, but his health just scares me. Duke is struggling in spring, and yes its just spring, but it still scares me. Hes got a big upside, which makes him a fine #3 in your sized league but especially with Pedros risk I'd try to solidify your pitching. I dont follow Cain a lot but I think hes like Duke but safer. I have Heilman as well and I dont see how they can keep him out of the rotation for long, he will be a stud once he gets the chance. Benson is a super duper sleeper. I hope you drafted him late, he wasnt even drafted in my league. From what I've heard Mazzone COMPLETELY overhauled everything Benson does, which is very promising because everythign Benson has done has resulted in him being a blah pitcher. New grip, new motion, new arm slot, new everything. And with Mazzone calling his pitches he will get the max value out of him. I would sit Benson the first few starts, but as soon as he has a good game, put him in. On the negative side hes going through a divorce, but on the plus side hes divorcing Anna Benson, who is a mad pyscho lady and has to cause him headaches, regardless of how hot she is. Like Gonzalez a lot, like burgos, hopefully he doesnt stink otherwise they may hand it over to macdougal when he comes back, but even if that happens the will probably get the job back at sometime (most likely macdougal gets traded anyway). Cordero is overrated, but is definitely a quality closer and is one of the more sure things. Im not that high on Bowyer, his problem was he walked too many people, and he hasnt shown anything to change that. He could eventually get the job, but Im not so confident in him. If Fernando Rodney is available, pick him up instead. Overall, I'd say you are in a good spot. Your pitching is high risk, but thats not a bad strategy in this years draft because pitching is deep. If some one faulters you can find an adequate replacement. Im predicting big years from Lackey and Escobar.

[Mark_R]

Thanks for the analysis, Nilo. I did draft Benson late (second to last round). Doumit was a last rounder as I was the only person left without a catcher. I don't think I made out too badly. Players on the waiver wire are tough to come by in a league this big ;)

[nilodnayr]

Thanks for the analysis, Nilo. I did draft Benson late (second to last round). Doumit was a last rounder as I was the only person left without a catcher. I don't think I made out too badly. Players on the waiver wire are tough to come by in a league this big ;)

 

Yeah, I can imagine, im in a 12 team, 25 man league so youve got 57 more drafted players than me. Theres still some quality out there in my league, TWalk, Delmon, Cotchman, Connor Jackson, JJ Hardy, Hanley, Benson, McPhearson and thats just off the top of my head...of course, that list falls off quite a bit before 57.