Best value in round 2

[Rhino Tuff]

If Tex, Cabrera, Rolen, Ortiz, and Thome are all busts in the second round who are you supposed to take?

In a draft looking like this who goes next?

1) A-Rod
2) Pujols
3) Vlad
4) Beltran
5) Soriano
6) Tejada
7) Bonds
8) Manny
9) Abreu
10) Santana
11) Helton
12) Randy
I guess you are suggesting
13) Ichiro
14) Sheffield
15) Crawford
16) Beltre
17) Shmidt
18) Sheets
19) ???
20) ???
21) ???
22) ???
23) ???
24) ???


Who goes after that considering I have the third pick in my draft tonight I'm definitely looking for some input. I'm hoping Sheets falls to me with 22 if not Cabrera, Texeira, or Thome don't seem too bad of a pick there... Should Gagne be off the board in the 2nd round?

[Cornbread Maxwell]

Nomar fans are a strange breed.

Regardless - 2nd rd picks if they last: Ichiro, Crawford, Beltre, Sheffield, Schmidt, Prior

Those are the guys Im targeting.

The interesting thing about Beltre - he's already being discounted if you take him in the 2nd rd. He was more valuable than ARod last yr. To say you are passing on Beltre in the 2nd because 3B is deep is similar to passing on Tejada in the 1st because SS is deep. Sure, both positions have 7-8 players that could put up above avg fantasy numbers, but even still, you are talking about a serious drop in numbers between Beltre and Blalock for instance - 15 HRs and 40 basis points on the BA.

[AcidRock23]

So you're saying it's not possible to completely heal from an injury sustained last year, especially after an off-season to rest it?

I don't think that it is ever possible to completely heal from that sort of ankle injury...unless it's faked b/c of the Boston BS he was going through. Which I'm kind of suspecting it is. I got him in one league in the 4th round and am anticipating a return to form. He will be a fan favorite at Wrigley, Mia can sing 'Take Me out to the Ballgame' and he'll forget all about the ankle.

[ukrneal]

Ihave to agree that 2nd can be difficult. I took Cabrera in my most recent, followed by Sheff in the third. Probably should have been the other way around, but go figure....

[moochman]

Sheets likely won't go that soon. In the drafts I have seen he has been going in the 3rd or 4th. A Ram, Thome, Ortiz, Prior are likely to be on the board yet. If a Schmidt, Rolen, Crawford, or Ichiro drops that far, take him.

[free]

Crawford, Sheff, Beltre, and Sheets I'd say.

On the other hand, round 2 busts: Rolen, Teix, Ortiz, and Thome.

thome a bust please, he's as consistent as they come

[free]

Can't go wrong with Schmidt if you want grab a SP. Crawford mid-to late 2nd is a good pick also imo. Suzuki is more a round 3 player to me.

Would not touch Beltre round 2 with the depth at 3b and his contract year epiphany. Rolen is probably a round 3 guy also. Maybe end of round 2 depending on how things go.

Would not take Sheets or any other SP round 2 except for maybe Schilling at the end of the 2nd (if he was fully healthy).

Then there is Sheff who is an OK pick also.

agreed, i think schmidt probably has the best value seeing as he could very well post the same numbers as the pitchers going in the first while you can't say the same usually for hitters comparing the first and second round.

[free]

I don't believe in contract years.. Contract years don't alter your ability to hit the ball.

Contract years work for players like JD Drew, who put in 100% effort, and don't sit out with minor injuries like other years, to get their paycheck. But Beltre, he's always had talent, but he's never put it together. Not that he sat out stupid injuries, or didn't give effort.

right, contract years don't affect talent, but they do affect laziness and work ethic which has been a knock on beltre

[Cornbread Maxwell]

I don't believe in contract years.. Contract years don't alter your ability to hit the ball.

Contract years work for players like JD Drew, who put in 100% effort, and don't sit out with minor injuries like other years, to get their paycheck. But Beltre, he's always had talent, but he's never put it together. Not that he sat out stupid injuries, or didn't give effort.

right, contract years don't affect talent, but they do affect laziness and work ethic which has been a knock on beltre

WHAT!?!? Since when? He played through a life threatening stomach illness that he needed multiple surgeries to correct. Now he is considered lazy and his work ethic is questioned? You guys are making stuff up to knock him down now.

[Mercer Boy]

I'm not saying I like Beltre, but it looked like he played the last 3/4 of last year on one leg. Every time I saw him running down the basepaths, he was limping noticeably. I would say that's a dedicated individual...whether the contract had anything to do with it, I don't know. I doubt it.