Best Values 1st Round

[rotoquest]

Using the latest MDP, I am trying to discern the best picks in the 1st round

1 Albert Pujols - Undisputed heavyweight champion of the world
2 Hanley Ramirez - 5 category ss, are there enough good florida batters for him to post elite numbers again?
3 Miguel Cabrera - personal problems probably won't keep him from raking it in again this year
4 Troy Tulowitzki - productive for sure, but injured too often to deserve this ranking
5 Evan Longoria - In 2010 his K-rate was down & his walk rate was up, expect big numbers
6 Joey Votto - What's not to like?
7 Carlos Gonzalez - See regression, think matt kemp 2 yrs ago
8 Ryan Braun - steady power decline, needs to right that ship to be here again next year
9 Robinson Cano - Like him better here if he could steal bases.
10 Carl Crawford - (15+ homers) + (45 steals) + (.300+ avg) + lots of runs & rbi's = me likey
11 Adrian Gonzalez - shoulder recovery is worrisome, but should rake in boston
12 David Wright - reliable 3rd basemen don't grow on trees and he is annually the most reliable

If this was a horserace, I'd play the 1-2 / 5-6-10 please. Thoughts?

Edited to include the 1st 4 rounds of latest MDP for discussion sake.
13 Roy Halladay
14 Josh Hamilton
15 Chase Utley
16 Alex Rodriguez
17 Mark Teixeira
18 Matt Holliday
19 Ryan Howard
20 Ryan Zimmerman
21 Prince Fielder
22 Tim Lincecum
23 Joe Mauer
24 Felix Hernandez
25 Kevin Youkilis
26 Matt Kemp
27 Jose Reyes
28 Dustin Pedroia
29 Nelson Cruz
30 Cliff Lee
31 Shin-Soo Choo
32 Jose Bautista
33 Dan Uggla
34 Ian Kinsler
35 Andrew McCutchen
36 Jon Lester
37 Justin Upton
38 Victor Martinez
39 Adam Dunn
40 Buster Posey
41 Jason Heyward
42 CC Sabathia
43 Ubaldo Jimenez
44 Adrian Beltre
45 Ichiro Suzuki
46 Justin Morneau
47 Clayton Kershaw
48 Brian McCann

[BigLebowski]

Based on where they are being picked in this scenario I'd most like to be in position 6-3-10. In that order. Worst spot would be 7-9-10-5. This is all subjective right now but those are my opinions.

[rotoquest]

Based on where they are being picked in this scenario I'd most like to be in position 6-3-10. In that order. Worst spot would be 7-9-10-5. This is all subjective right now but those are my opinions.

You have the 10 overlapping in best & worst case.

[Montana168]

I've only done one draft so far this preseason and I had the #6 overall pick (out of 12 teams) and I have loved it so far. My first 5 picks ended up being: Longoria, Kemp, Kinsler, Kendrys, T Hanson. I think that is a solid foundation and turned out exactly as I planned. 4 bats that can go 30/100, and 3 of which have elite power/speed plus an ace for the rotation. Although, ideally my favorite pick would probably be the #3/4 picks. Grab Tulo in the 1st, then Zimm/Arod in the 2nd, then kinsler/1B/SP.

I am not a fan at all of drafting Miggy, cargo, cano, votto, crawford, or gonzalez in the 1st. 1B is too deep to go with one in the 1st, and I think cargo/cano/votto need to repeat the years they just had before I would trust picking them in the 1st.

[Fenris-77]

I'd say 12-6-8 for value, in that order. I don't like Cargo and Crawford before Wright, which drives most of my opinion there, and I think Votto and Braun could be a spot or two higher. I dislike 10-7-4. Tulo because of the injury risk, Cargo for regression reasons, and Crawford especially - I just don't want a primarily Stl guy in the first when high-end power is so hard to find. I want 40 homers in the first a lot more than I want 40 Stl. I have Crawford as more like a very-top-of-the-second round player (in the 12-14 range).

I think the best value there might be a guy who didn't make the list - Ryan Howard. I'll start thinking about him in the mid-first, but he seems to be slipping stoopid low this year so far.

@Montana - seriously? No Miggy or Votto in the first? Very bold. 1B is deep, but 35+ HR power really isn't. I'm with you on Cano and Cargo though.

[Grounded Polo]

Votto is a pretty safe pick, guy was going early-mid 3rd round last year, would have gone earlier last year if he didn't miss time in 2009. I was targeting him heavily but unfortunately could never get in a right position to get him. He didn't come out of nowhere. He also put up an incredible line with 16 steals, that's a big boost from 1B.

1b in general isn't really that deep when most teams will get their guy in the first 2 rounds. I like Votto 4th overall this year.

[rookies and cream]

I think you need to consider at least the first 2 rounds (probably even 3) when considering the best draft spot. For example, I have the #4 spot in the Experts Challenge League and after Pujols, Hanley, MCab, and Tulo, I actually drafted Braun instead of Votto (who I have ranked higher) in anticipation that one of Fielder/Howard would be there for me in the 2nd.

[kab21]

Votto is a pretty safe pick, guy was going early-mid 3rd round last year, would have gone earlier last year if he didn't miss time in 2009. I was targeting him heavily but unfortunately could never get in a right position to get him. He didn't come out of nowhere. He also put up an incredible line with 16 steals, that's a big boost from 1B.

1b in general isn't really that deep when most teams will get their guy in the first 2 rounds. I like Votto 4th overall this year.

Yeah I don't understand this myth that 1B is deep. there might be a lot of great 1Bman but if you want you are going to have to use a 1st or 2nd rd pick to get one.

I think being in the 5th-7th spot would be nice. You can grab Tulo/Votto/Longo/Wright in the first and then grab Holliday/Zimm/1B/ARod in the 2nd. I'm also going to find how the turn works out since I have the #1 pick in my league this year (albert of course).

[theplayer11]

^ I agree...You have to look at how your team is built over the first 3 or so picks. Too any are just focused on player A or Player B in the first round. You need to combine with your 2nd and 3rd picks to see what your team will look like. I'm picking 4th and will take Tulo knowing Howard or Fielder will most likely be there at pick #21.

[Pogotheostrich]

Yeah I don't understand this myth that 1B is deep. there might be a lot of great 1Bman but if you want you are going to have to use a 1st or 2nd rd pick to get one.

I'm completely on board with this. If you don't get Pujols, MCab, Votto, A-Gon, Tex, Howard or Fielder in the first two rounds I think you are at a disadvantage. I'm OK with Morneau, Dunn and Morales too but I would hate to be looking to fill my 1B spot after they are gone.