yahoo league strategies

[swampdragon]

I have been involved in deep NL only auction keeper leagues for years. A co-worker has convinced me to join a 12 team Yahoo draft league. - standard categories- not very deep rosters. He says the owners are competitive
I know way too much about the NL and little about the AL

Please give me a strategy for drafting or players that could be undervalued.

[chancellor]

My shallow league rules of thumb:

- Wait on SPs until after round 6.
- If daily transactions, get at least 3 closers
- If weekly transactions, get 2-3 closers
- If single catcher league, don't even look at them until about round 12.

2010 rules of thumb:

- Tier your hitters. IMO, SS and 3B especially fall off cliffs this year in terms of production well before the first 10 are drafted.
- A modified Patel Plan seems to look good this year to me - 2 OFs, 1 1B, 1 3B, and 1 MI in the first five rounds.

[BuckyBuckner]

Kind of what chance is saying, in these shallow leagues I usually look to fill my infield first (excluding catcher) then go for the outfield and pitching. Unless of course you see someone slip through the cracks.

[GwynnInTheHall]

My shallow league rules of thumb:

- Wait on SPs until after round 6.
- If daily transactions, get at least 3 closers
- If weekly transactions, get 2-3 closers
- If single catcher league, don't even look at them until about round 12.

2010 rules of thumb:

- Tier your hitters. IMO, SS and 3B especially fall off cliffs this year in terms of production well before the first 10 are drafted.
- A modified Patel Plan seems to look good this year to me - 2 OFs, 1 1B, 1 3B, and 1 MI in the first five rounds.

LOL Patel Plan, not laughing at ya Chance, just amused something we coined while drunk has made it into fantasy vernacular

[Fresno Bob]

The biggest transition for you is going to be understanding what "replacement value" really represents, the baseline is going to be much, much higher than what you are used to, plus, you should be able to find "better than replacement value" out of the FA pool just off of better analysis of leading indicators than most of the other owners.

I'll echo what most have said, you can wait on OF and P, IF Studs are everything. Everyone's team is going to be good, so you need to have an even better sense of the in-draft dynamics to see where the group is undervaluing.

[chancellor]

LOL Patel Plan, not laughing at ya Chance, just amused something we coined while drunk has made it into fantasy vernacular

No kidding, man. I was blown away when it showed up on ESPN...what, three years back, now?

[swampdragon]

So
grab a MI early - then an OF - then 3b or 1b for power
wait 6 rounds until any pitcher
catcher at the very end

thanks for help so far - more is always appreciated

[BuckyBuckner]

So
grab a MI early - then an OF - then 3b or 1b for power
wait 6 rounds until any pitcher
catcher at the very end

thanks for help so far - more is always appreciated

I'd grab the 3B and 1B before the OF unless there is a player that clearly needs to be drafted.

[swampdragon]

Can you really wait 6 rounds and still build a pitching staff?

That makes someone like a Haren/Cain or similar the team's ace (I am guessing)

[Erik]

Can you really wait 6 rounds and still build a pitching staff?

Yes, especially if you have a good sense as to who is undervalued. In other words, read Paul's SP Guide if you haven't already.

[chancellor]

Yes, especially if you have a good sense as to who is undervalued. In other words, read Paul's SP Guide if you haven't already.

Agree completely. In a mixed league like this, you're better off with five very good pitchers and building hitting than an ace or two and mediocre SPs.

[swampdragon]

I have pick number 4 - 1st round
then pick number 20 - 2nd round
etc

Is tulo really number 4 - or who is plan b
braun? - very consistent
or cabrera if he makes it? but I think that 1b is pretty deep for power - Dunn might make it to the third round?

[Erik]

I have pick number 4 - 1st round
then pick number 20 - 2nd round
etc

Is tulo really number 4 - or who is plan b
braun? - very consistent
or cabrera if he makes it? but I think that 1b is pretty deep for power - Dunn might make it to the third round?

I took Votto with the #4 pick in Mock One, but that was a 20-team league and I knew none of the big 1B guys would make it back to me.

IMO there are ten big power 1B guys -- Pujols, Miggy, Votto, AGonz, Tex, Fielder, Howard, Dunn, Youk, Morneau. It behooves you to get one of them at some point. If you don't want to take one at 4, I would take Braun. I need to see more month-to-month and health consistency from Tulo before I spend that high a pick on him.

[chancellor]

I have pick number 4 - 1st round
then pick number 20 - 2nd round
etc

Is tulo really number 4 - or who is plan b
braun? - very consistent
or cabrera if he makes it? but I think that 1b is pretty deep for power - Dunn might make it to the third round?

I like Tulo since I tend to be a position scarcity guy, and SS is awful this year. OTOH, he comes with a boatload of health and consistency risk. If you don't go Tulo, I'd definitely go one of the big 3 OFs - Braun, CarGo or Crawford, and then go best of the big-hitting 1Bs. Erik has them in pretty good order, though I'd move Fielder ahead of Tex - if there's anyone who's going to be on a contract drive this year, it's Prince.

[Hammer]

3B and SS are the most thin of all the positions. 2B is surprisingly deep and 1B is very deep. I would be looking to go Tulo, Hanley, Longo, Wright in round 1. If you end up with a 3B perhaps Reyes in round 2. If you end up with a SS in round 1, look at A-rod in round 2.