Drafting a week early in deep "only" leagues

[BuckyBuckner]

Hey all,

My auctions for my AL only and NL only leagues are this weekend. Since we have a minor league draft right after the auction the pool of players available for the auction has always been the opening day 25 man rosters (and DL'd players). This is virtually impossible when you are drafting a week ahead of time. Active rosters have about 30+ players and there are going to be players that are not on the 40 man roster that will make the team. Are any other leagues in this same boat? What are you doing about it? One option is to use rosterrescource's projected opening day roster or just have extra players available to be drafted.

I need to come up with the rosters for the league to draft off. Typically, I generate a draft list of eligible players and once the draft starts you can only draft players on that list. Owners are allowed to suggest players they think should be draftable and then we discuss and decide.

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

[Teenwolf]

My AL Only draft is friday. We have a rule that any rookie eligible players who are purchased at auction, then sent down before opening day, need to be replaced with FAAB. This leads to some rookie speculation. For example, both Andrew Heaney and Carlos Rodon are rookie eligible, and presumably have chances to make their teams. If either or both are purchased, whichever one gets sent down needs to be replaced by FAAB. This keeps us from speculating too hard on rookies. We then wait until opening day rosters are announced to see who's getting tossed back into the FARM draft. It also means that if a veteran player gets sent to AAA, we can keep them without worry of FAAB replacement. Seems like a very sensible guideline to early auctions, although I've been burned a couple of times on $10+ rookies getting sent down to start the year, and try to avoid spending more than $3 on any rookie eligibles with a shot at getting sent down.

[Teenwolf]

In your particular situation, I would say worrying about the end game players only gets contentious or complicated when it comes to prospects. The 30 year old AAAA players like Daric Barton or Chris Colabello aren't going to cause any fuss whether they're included in your auction eligibles or not.

Though maybe I'd add 50 players or so to your draft board who won't fit rosters, just to give guys a bit more endgame options.

[Ryno84MVP]

This will probably be an issue in our league as well. We have always used the "still in camp" rule to determine if they are eligible for the auction (which potentially will effect a few high reserve round picks, like Addison Russell who is still in camp but certainly won't be on the opening day roster)

[BuckyBuckner]

This will probably be an issue in our league as well. We have always used the "still in camp" rule to determine if they are eligible for the auction (which potentially will effect a few high reserve round picks, like Addison Russell who is still in camp but certainly won't be on the opening day roster)

Yeah, we do that too and when you are drafting the weekend right before Opening Day it's really not an issue. I think we just need to use as much information as we have and make common sense decisions. Addison Russell isn't going to make the team so we'd take him off. Carlos Correa is in the same boat. Still a non roster invitee but isn't going to make the team. Then you have someone like Miguel Castro in Toronto. He's a non roster invitee and he will probably make the team.

TW- We don't have the luxury of doing the minor league draft after opening day. We do the minor league draft right after the auction so there is no way we could have a rule like that. I agree that the Bartons and Colabellos of the world aren't the issue.

[Ryno84MVP]

Having our auction a week early this year (because of Easter) is particularly frustrating because there are players like Yasmany Tomas or Rusney Castillo (who are not already owned in my leagues, while most other top minor league players are) who might start the year in AAA but contribute mightily in 2015. They are going to be in our auction, but if the auction were held next week, they could have potentially been the top reserve draft picks.

[BuckyBuckner]

Having our auction a week early this year (because of Easter) is particularly frustrating because there are players like Yasmany Tomas or Rusney Castillo (who are not already owned in my leagues, while most other top minor league players are) who might start the year in AAA but contribute mightily in 2015. They are going to be in our auction, but if the auction were held next week, they could have potentially been the top reserve draft picks.

RosterResource says Castillo is projected to start the season on the DL. They have Tomas projected as the left fielder. They are both available in my only leagues as well.

It's a pain in the ass for me. I just don't have the time to comb through each team and figure this out. I'm tempted to go strictly with whatever rosterresource has on their site.

[bryanbutler]

for this very reason, my main league went to a system like RJEL uses - you can purchase anybody you want at auction, but if they don't make the opening day 25-man, you have to drop them. makes worrying about these things much less of a concern.

in your case, the minor league draft makes that solution impossible (or not very nice anyway). why not delay your minor league draft until after opening day? or do it beforehand? (that's what my main league does - we do the minor league draft in feb.)