Draft Day Preparation

As we head into February, with pitchers and catchers reporting in mere weeks, the die-hard fantasy baseball fan knows this means only one thing: MY FANTASY BASEBALL DRAFT IS COMING SOON. For many, this time is the most exciting part of the whole season. Let’s face it, a successful draft can often turn your championship hopes into reality. But this time is critical for advance preparation, the kind of preparation that will separate you from your league-mates.

So what’s the ‘right’ way to prepare for a draft? There really isn’t one single sure-fire way to prepare. It has to fit you, your time constraints and your desire. But, if you are here at a site like this, I am fairly confident your desire is more than ready. As such, I will go over how I begin to prepare for the draft. (This is not an article on draft strategy or positional rankings; that can come later).

Some of these things may seem blatantly obvious, but you need to be on top of everything. If you think some of these are too obvious, know that one of your league-mates may be doing them and will be better prepared come draft day.

 
1. Know every off-season move. How’s that for a ‘no- duh’ way to start? Everyone knows Jim Thome is now on the Phillies and Pudge Rodriguez is on the Marlins. But what does Elmer Dessens’ move to the D-Backs mean to you? To your league-mates? This tidbit of advice may seem simple, but it’s where fantasy seasons are won and lost. Not knowing that Danny Graves will start rather than close will make one owner both embarrassed and angry once he realizes his mid-draft mistake (particularly since you will be the one mocking him). You need to know who switched teams and what the impacts of each move are. If you don’t, you really don’t need to reach much further.

2. Sign up for weekly or daily email alerts and newsletters. Some of the larger sites have a place to sign up for all articles published by baseball and fantasy writers. Other sites will send out alerts discussing player-specific news. This will go a long way towards achieving your goal highlighted in point #1. Most sites offer these services free of charge. Others require payment. Most of your work can be done for free. I have found plenty of top-notch advice and articles just by surfing the net, doing searches and exploring. It is fun and you may learn a thing or two.

3. Bookmark every fantasy site you find that seems halfway decent. Not every site you find will have information that is relevant to you and your league, but contrasting points of view are healthy and helpful. Just because you play in an auction league and the article or site discusses mostly H2H fantasy point strategies does not mean it is not useful. Everything is useful. I’ll say that again: Everything is useful. Either it will cement your thoughts on a particular player or situation or it will cause you to consider an alternative you may not have thought of yet. Remember, some of these writers are actually professionals (unlike me!) who really are clued in with players, front office staff and/or agents.

4. Start to build a binder (or two). Get organized NOW. Collect the articles that you really like, as well as rankings, analysis, prospect watches, etc. Highlight the areas you found most helpful or interesting. This will be useful when the time comes to prepare your own rankings and on draft day. If you are not sufficiently prepared for the draft, then you may as well just mail me your league’s entrance fees as you ain’t winning bupkus. Have a binder for pitchers and another for players, if you wish. Just get organized. When you stroll into your draft with organized information while some other schmoe is fumbling around with loose papers, you will win the psychological war first, then the league title. Don’t discount the impact of appearance at a live draft. (Of course, if you then draft Jose Cruz Jr. in the 2nd round since he might be hitting behind Barry Bonds, it will all be for naught.)

5. Be active in fantasy baseball forums. Oftentimes, forums can be immature and more annoying than helpful. But the good one are out there. At the good ones, you will be able to ask questions and get solid responses that will either reconfirm your thoughts or help you see another point of view. Alternative points of view are good as they may represent the views of your potential opponents. It’s never wrong to consider non-obvious alternatives.

6. GOLDEN RULE: NEVER BE OUT-WORKED. Now, this can be a difficult one to achieve since there is always someone who has more time, or availability, to do more than you. But if you attack the resources available to you (the internet and other publications) in an unrelenting fashion, you will have an immeasurable edge come draft day and throughout the season. Knowing the next Oswalt, Berkman or Phelps will let you maintain your place at the top of the standings for years.

One additional rule:

7. Don’t let the game take over your professional obligations. If you are jeopardizing your career or job for this game, your league had better have a monstrous payoff to make it worth your while! Unfortunately, I don’t know of many leagues that have a $50,000 prize for the winner.

 
Jason Rosenberg, familiar to forum visitors as jnr98, is only a three-year veteran of fantasy baseball, but has been a devout baseball fan for about thirty seasons. A fan of good trash talking, he has been a regular in H2H fantasy points leagues, rather than more traditional roto, but his enjoyment of all things fantasy baseball-related trancends specific formats. Jason lives in Westchester County, New York, just a stone’s throw from his most hallowed grounds: Yankee Stadum and New York City.