HDID - Auction Style

[Sam]

8 team, mixed league so obviously the elite talent are more important to get here.

$250 budget, standard 5x5 categories with OPS added for hitters and quality starts for pitchers

This was the first time I went into the auction with allotting money to each position and having a better idea of my budget (ala Lucky's blog post - http://www.advancedfantasybaseball.c...on-budget.html) It helped tremendously because I normally wait on players and then leave money on the table but this year I was spending earlier than anyone else. I was shooting for a 65/35 split and ended up with 64/36, so not too bad. So, have at it, keepers are in bold:

C - Buster Posey - $7
1B - Adrian Gonzalez - $43 (allotted 36 so had to move money around... probably overpriced but I really wanted him)
2B - Pedroia - $21.50
SS - Stephen Drew - $9.50
3B - Adrian Beltre - $12.50
IF - Adam Dunn - $5
OF - Carlos Gonzalez - $12.50
OF - Andrew McCutcheon - $14
OF - Jay Bruce - $19.50
Util - Elvis Andrus - $5
Util - Shane Victorino - $6.50
Bench - Luke Scott - $.50, Gordon Beckham - $2.60 and Trout/Harper as Minor League Reserves

Pitching:
SP: Halladay - $39.50 (Wasn't planning on going after another stud pitcher but it was too good of a deal in my mind to pass up, especially because I knew I could get pitchers later at cheaper prices in our league to fill out my staff)
SP - David Price - $2.90
SP - Tommy Hanson - $ .50
SP - Mat Latos - $ . 70
SP - Max Scherzer - $15
RP - Joakim Soria - $11
RP - Chris Perez - $7.50
RP - Jake McGee - $1.10
P - Brandon Morrow - $5
Bench - Daniel Bard $1 (got stuck throwing him out thinking our Red Sox fan would jump and hearing crickets)
Bench - Tim Stauffer - $.50

I hit almost all of my projections, except falling a bit short on homers (by 30) and saves (by about 75). Thoughts, comments?

[mjl]

My initial question is, you missed your saves projection by 75 and you have two closers and one possible closer and one guy who might get a few saves on occasion? were you planning to get four closers? I guess in an eight-team league with only nine pitchers there's no reason not to... were there undrafted closers or does someone else have six?

[Sam]

My initial question is, you missed your saves projection by 75 and you have two closers and one possible closer and one guy who might get a few saves on occasion? were you planning to get four closers? I guess in an eight-team league with only nine pitchers there's no reason not to... were there undrafted closers or does someone else have six?

Good questions... I looked back again on last year's numbers and realized that the two teams at the top had 5 closers each which greatly affected their totals. Everyone else was bunched together below those two teams. None of the teams this year had that many, so I think I'll be better than expected in saves. I think I was hoping to get another full time closer at least, and I'm not really sure why I didn't. If a closer comes along, I can easily drop Bard who I wasn't planning on drafting or Stauffer if he starts off slowly.

[joncarlos]

Yeah, saves are a big problem, but I'd imagine that guys like Fuentes, Farnsworth, Ogando are still on the WW so I wouldn't worry too much. I'd be more worried about power with both Elvis and Victorino as your UT guys. Scott is replacement level and while I love Becks, he isn't exactly Adam Dunn himself. Hopefully your infield makes up for it.