Who to look for in the draft?

[Diamond Miners]

Keeper League - 2nd Year
10 Teams - 8x8 - Head-to-Head - 25 Players
8 keepers
Pitching: ERA, WHIP, K/9, W, S, H, HR, K
Batting: AVG, OBP, R, HR, RBI, SB, K, A

R.Howard(Phi-1B)
D.Wright(NYM-3B)
M.Cabrera(Fla-3B)
J.Reyes(NYM-SS)
V.Guerrero(LAA-OF)
C.Crawford(TB-OF)
L.Berkman(Hou-1B/OF)
J.Santana(Min-SP)


I have 2 picks in the first round and 2 in the second round. Where would you go with these 4 picks? I know it all depends on who is kept (I won't know that until the middle of Feb.) but what do you think I'd be able to go after? Do I go for a 2B with my first pick then 3 pitchers (1 starter - 2 closers | 2 starters - 1 closer)?

What do you think?

[Fielder's Buffet]

Holy cow - do the guys in your league have a pulse?
you basically have 8 1st and 2nd round keepers - how the heck did that happen?

Depending on where your (2) 1st rounders fall, I'd say go for Utley at 2B if he's available in one of your 1st round picks and the other go for Beltran..... how ridiculous would that lineup be?

If you have an early 1st rounder though, I'd obviously try to get Pujols or maybe even Soriano 1st (if availabe and you have the roster space for them) and then go for Utley.... Wait for pitching till the second round because I'm assuming you will still have a lot of solid #1 pitchers available then (Carpenter, Halladay, Zambrano, Peavy etc.)

I wouldn't waste a 1st or 2nd round pick on a closer unless there were few left to choose from and you were scraping the bottom of the barrel if you didn't take one early. I'm thinking you should be able to get solid closers who won't hurt you too much in later rounds
Again that's assuming your league is typical (no closers taken till at least the 3rd round +)

I would tend to take the most valuable players 1st rather than worry about position scarcity.... especially not with the roster you already have

[raiders_umpire]

If you go with a normal lineup, then I would probably pass on second basemen, and just load up on pitching with your first 4 picks whether they be starters or closers.

[Fielder's Buffet]

Only being in a 10 team mixed league, I've got to imagine there is plenty of very solid pitching available in the 2nd round. Why waste 2 1st round picks on pitchers who most likely will be available in the 2nd round?

Personally, I'd rather be way ahead in offense and trade for pitching during the year if necessary rather than try to balance my roster at the draft by taking players way ahead of when they should be going at the draft..... just my opinion of course

[Diamond Miners]

Fielder's Buffet, I'm not sure where to start. This is a keeper league (in our 3rd year), we all keep 8 players. So tech. the first round is the 9th overall. Players like Utley, Carpenter, etc. etc. will all be kept.

raiders_umpire, thanks. That's what I'm leaning towards depending on who all is kept and who is left in the draft. I'm thinking a good number of closers will be out there so I have a good selection. Typically the everybody goes for bats in their first 2-3 rounds because they see my lineup and feel the need to improve theres over their 2-3 pitchers they kept.

[The Artful Dodger]

I would start crafting a pitching staff behind Santana with the first few picks, as Rump stated. With your offense as dominant as it looks on paper, you could afford to grab a bargain 2B and look to load up on pitching stats.

[Fielder's Buffet]

Interesting league setup - do you guys have a limit to how many years you keep a player or based on what round they were originally taken that limits what rounds you get to choose in?

I guess my thought is that I would take the most valuable player available regardless of pitcher or offense at the time of my pick. If it's a pitcher, cool, you improved your staff. If it's an offensive guy, use that to your advantage and trade for an equal valued pitcher during the season rather than take a less valuable pitcher at the draft. Unless of course the other owners have been unwilling to trade with you - then maybe I'd reconsider.

It does totally depend on who is kept/players available/ your draft positions after the 1st 2 rounds, etc., but if you already know that pitchers will not be taken in the 1st few rounds, why pick them up before you have to? Plus, if all the top pitchers are kept and you have all 2nd or 3rd tier and below pitchers left, won't there be a lot of those guys to choose from for several rounds after the 1st few rounds?

I also think that the top 100 offensive players are a lot more dependable/less injury risk than the pitchers. This too influences my thinking when I decide between choosing offense or pitching.

Again, just a thought. You definitely know your league and the other rosters you're up against better than i do so I could be just smoking crack here.