Lessons You Learned This Season

[finalheaven]

Don't draft a single closer. I didn't this year, and via the WW, I got Otsuka, Saito, Putz and various others, and won saves. I was worried at first, since i didnt have a single save for...three weeks, I think. But it all worked out in the end

[moose32]

draft pitching. my strategy of not taking pitching has resulted in two 5-5 playoff losses after i won the regular season

[thomasps3]

One lesson I learned this year:






HUMILITY

Oh well, now time for my favorite pasttime.....projections!

[mikhayl]

If you want to gamble on a player coming off an injury busted season, batters work out much better than pitchers:

Rolen
Thome
Baldelli
T. Hunter
Ramon Hernandez
Nomar
Magglio

vs.

Harden
Sheets
Gagne
Wood/Prior

[Drunken Rhino]

don't draft pitchers that pitched in the World Baseball Classic. (Damn you Peavy, Damn you!!!!) With the notable exception being Santana of course.

[mak1277]

Don't draft any closers until after round 10.

Heck yes. This is A-Number 1 for me. The only closer I drafted this year was Mike Gonzalez in my NL-only. I ended up winning saves as a category thanks to Saito, Wheeler, Stanton, Cordero, Torres, etc. at various points in the year.

[ttwarrior1]

im tired of losing era, whip and adding and dropping p all the time and then end up with some low batting average idiots on my team.

Ill never draft a low average guy ever again, screw hr, and draft johan and utley or something like that next year

[JakeTrain72]

#1 Drafting SP's not named Johan early is a mistake.
#2 Drafting more HR's early is best and trading for HR's early if you didn't find it in the draft is a must.
#3 When deciding between two pitchers ALWAYS go with the NL pitcher. If both are from the AL, you probably shouldn't draft a pitcher that round.
#4 Offer more for Pujols when he is injured.
#5 Having steals is nice, but having too many will leave you hanging in other categories.
#6 When filling out your roster with your last couple of picks, take a flyer on a SD pitcher.
#7 A Balanced team is more consistent and thus more conducive to winning H2H leagues.
#8 Fantasy Baseball is a looong season, but even those who never check their team can do well over that many weeks.
#9 Going from a 10 team league to a 12 team league is significant.
#10 Don't use CG and SO as scoring categories.

[Havok1517]

Give up on Bobby Crosby until he proves otherwise.

[BritSox]

Not a new one, but...

New York and Boston players are always overvalued.

Actually new one:


Never, EVER, think in a draft 'i sure wish i could grab that player who's fallen a stupid distance, but I really need a third baseman/closer/starter here before they're all gone.' There will usually be at least one undrafted/late round guy who will put up league-average numbers, but the guy who gets the falling studs wins the league.

Write 'I will not draft Mark Prior' out 100 times before beginning any draft.

I actually strongly disagree with the 'do not draft closers before round ten' thing. Draft one closer you know to be good, between the seventh and tenth rounds, then don't bother with the Mike Adams and Dan Micelis of this world. I wasted a couple of good picks on guys who lost their jobs within weeks, when I could have much improved my third outfield slot, for example. But Trevor Hoffman has been a rock for several teams.

In holds leagues, don't chase that cat AT ALL. Relievers are notoriously unreliable. Throw some very late-round mud at the wall.

Never play a H2H league that doesn't have roster move limits of 75 at the absolute most.

Multiple position eligibility isn't that important for guys who will play every day, but huge for bench players.

Playing an NL only league, if an AL fan, or vice versa, is great for deepening your knowledge.

ALWAYS PRE-RANK.

Target players who suffered impact injuries. These can keep a guy out and off the radar for a long time, but don't generally affect him long-term.