TheAthletic Subscribers Free NFBC Contest

[ThatRogue]

A 10 team mixed is about as shallow as it can get, so of course every team looks like an All-Star squad. Thus it's hard to have a feel for how well my team matches up. I've followed the advice of those who've been loading up on hitting, particularly power...then filling in the pitching later. Here's where I am, thus far:

RD1: N.Arenado 3B COL (#6) - Was hoping Betts would fall, but he went 5th (after Trout, Yelich, Acuna & Bellinger)
RD2: P.Alonso 1B NYM (#15) - Wanted Soto to make it back, but he went 11th (after Lindor, Story, Cole & DeGrom)
RD3: Y.Alvarez UT HOU (#26) - Fell asleep and the autodraft took him, as I had not ranked my queue...I wanted S. Marte
RD4: J.Baez SS CHC (#35) - S.Marte went #30...I'm making a bit of a mess of this process. LOL
RD5: O.Albies 2B ATL (#46)
RD6: E.Jimenez OF CWS (#55)
RD7: L.Giolito SP CWS (#66) - Selecting Giolito made me miss out on Gallo, who went one pick later.
RD8: M.Moustakas MI CIN (#75)
RD9: M.Sano CI MIN (#86) - Selecting Sano made me miss out on Paddack, who went one pick later.
RD10: M. Conforto OF NYM (#95)
RD11: B.Woodruff SP MIL (#106)
RD12: D.Lamet SP SDP (#115)
RD13: M.Fried SP ATL (#126) - Selecting Fried made me miss out on Schwarber, who went six picks later.
RD14: Z.Gallen SP AZ (#135) - Wanted Luzardo here, but he went the pick before Schwarber
RD15: B.Reynolds OF PIT (#146)

Based on JCs last post, I think I'll target catchers with my next two picks (155 & 166). However, I do still need to fill two OF slots, as well as the remainder of my pitching staff. Seeing as how things went in the RJ Mock Draft, I'm also tempted to start reaching for a couple of sleepers I really want, but that have much lower ADPs (ideally, I'd grab the two catchers, one more SP, then alternate between sleeper hitters and closers). I'm just not sure how early is too early to do so.

Top Catchers by ADP: W. Ramos (148), C.Vazquez (161), C.Kelly (172), O.Navarez (173), J.Alfaro (179), S.Murphy (184), Y.Molina (199), T.D'Arnaud (200), T.Murphy (201), F.Mejia (213), R.Perez (232)

Top Pitchers by ADP: Hand (143), Paxton (145), Ray (146), Urias (155), Marquez (157), Manaea (162), Neris (164), Giles (165), Minor (166), Boyd (168), Kimbrel (179)

Top Hitters by ADP: C.Biggio (129), D.Dahl (131), Mercado (139), Puig (147), Kingery (150), W.Calhoun (152), H.Dozier (154), E.Andrus (156), JD Davis (159), K.Davis (163), Buxton (167), J.Pederson (174)

[Ken]

A 10 team mixed is about as shallow as it can get

For a 10 team league your pitching staff looks rough. I like the upside on every pitcher you selected, but in that format these should be your SP2/SP4/SP5/etc not SP1/SP2/SP3.

I cannot believe Paddack fell to pick 86 and you took Sano over him, that would have made your staff a lot better and I'm guessing there were some 3B later that weren't much worse than Sano.

[Pauly]

For a 10 team league your pitching staff looks rough. I like the upside on every pitcher you selected, but in that format these should be your SP2/SP4/SP5/etc not SP1/SP2/SP3.

I cannot believe Paddack fell to pick 86 and you took Sano over him, that would have made your staff a lot better and I'm guessing there were some 3B later that weren't much worse than Sano.

Wait til you see mine lol. Just drafted Montas as my SP1. This format is screwy and volume on pitching is more important than top-heavy pitching (which costs you the chance of drafting 700+ point offensive guys) in my opinion.

[Ken]

Wait til you see mine lol. Just drafted Montas as my SP1. This format is screwy and volume on pitching is more important than top-heavy pitching (which costs you the chance of drafting 700+ point offensive guys) in my opinion.

You are referencing the raw point totals, but what is replacement value? In a 10 team league I'd imagine the *worst* guy you could reasonably get at a particular position is pretty good. Did you do that analysis yet? (might not be worth it for a free league to be fair, but it's just odd to see the raw point totals used when it's really the relative values that matter)

[Pauly]

You are referencing the raw point totals, but what is replacement value? In a 10 team league I'd imagine the *worst* guy you could reasonably get at a particular position is pretty good. Did you do that analysis yet? (might not be worth it for a free league to be fair, but it's just odd to see the raw point totals used when it's really the relative values that matter)

It's hard for me to calculate that value when it automatically takes your best 9 pitchers by scoring per week. So if you bully SP with middling options and leverage two-starters on volume while cashing in on all the highest scoring players (ie power hitters) by point total, it seems like a sound strategy to me. But yeah, it is a freebie league in a silly format that I think is made for people jonesing for fantasy football.

[ThatRogue]

For a 10 team league your pitching staff looks rough. I like the upside on every pitcher you selected, but in that format these should be your SP2/SP4/SP5/etc not SP1/SP2/SP3.

I cannot believe Paddack fell to pick 86 and you took Sano over him, that would have made your staff a lot better and I'm guessing there were some 3B later that weren't much worse than Sano.

Agreed...it was a tactical error. Because I missed on Gallo when I took Giolito, I reached to grab Sano, passing over Paddack who was actually next in my queue. All four of the teams drafting after me had two aces already (and two of them already had three pitchers), so I figured Paddack would make it back to me. It was a calculated gamble that backfired. (Note that I haven't done a snake draft, nor played in a mixed league, in almost 14 or 15 years...and never in a "best ball" format.)

[Todd Zola]

So if you bully SP with middling options and leverage two-starters on volume while cashing in on all the highest scoring players (ie power hitters) by point total, it seems like a sound strategy to me.

Narrator: It is.

[joncarlos]

My league has devolved into several people pushing the clock down to sub 5 minutes on purpose and then arguing about it in the chat. Good times. I'm thinking when I get a few minutes I'll just load up like 100 guys in my queue, auto it and peace out.

[BuckyBuckner]

My league has devolved into several people pushing the clock down to sub 5 minutes on purpose and then arguing about it in the chat. Good times. I'm thinking when I get a few minutes I'll just load up like 100 guys in my queue, auto it and peace out.

What round are you in? We are crawling along in the 13th.

[Pauly]

13th also...2-3 people time out over and over

[ThatRogue]

My group started later than you guys, and we're already in the 17th round. There've been a few pauses where owners have used most of the clock, or timed out & auto-drafted...but for the most part, people are trying to keep it moving.

[BuckyBuckner]

There is one owner that is really bad in our league:

4 hour 1 sec
5 sec
3 hour 41 min 36 sec
38 min 6 sec
20 min 3 sec
1 hour 59 min 22 sec
17 min 11 sec
6 sec
6 sec
4 hour 1 sec
1 hour 52 min 19 sec
3 hour 46 min 46 sec

He's currently been on the clock for 2 hours.

Two other owners timed out on their first pick and have been on auto since then.

[harmon]

Our league continues to motor along. Currently wrapping up Round 24. No laggards.

[Big Tymer]

Round 15 over here

[joncarlos]

Despite all the struggles and acrimony we are still in round 17. And I really like my team. I'd better, since it's a 10-team mixed. So I'm trying to stick it out. Just don't love the aggravation for something that is free and has a low potential payout anyway.