Potential keeper strategy... thoughts?

[TheGhost]

I play in a ten team, H2H, yahoo keeper league. We get to keep two players from rounds 1-5, two players from rounds 5-10, and two players from the rest of the rounds. Every keeper player is to be kept at one round higher then the previous year. One important thing to note: We don't have to keep anyone in any round. Meaning all keepers could be free agents and you'd just lose the last six rounds of the draft. I realize it's early but this is my first year in this format and am just trying to get a grasp of this. Below is how my draft played out.

1. (7) Carlos González OF
2. (14) Roy Halladay SP
3. (27) Kevin Youkilis 1B,3B
4. (34) Ian Kinsler 2B
5. (47) Jason Heyward OF
6. (54) Yovani Gallardo SP
7. (67) Jay Bruce OF
8. (74) Mike Stanton OF
9. (87) Elvis Andrus SS
10. (94) Pedro Alvarez 3B
11. (107) Brett Anderson SP
12. (114) Matt Wieters C
13. (127) Daniel Hudson SP
14. (134) Joe Nathan RP
15. (147) Jeremy Hellickson SP,RP
16. (154) Starlin Castro
17. (167) Brian Roberts 2B
18. (174) Brandon Lyon RP
19. (187) Matt Garza SP
20. (194) Ian Kennedy SP
21. (207) Daniel Bard RP
22. (214) Michael Pineda SP
23. (227) Mike Morse 1B, OF
FreeAgent: Eric Hosmser

I'm thinking most owners will probably keep their 1st couple picks. I'm thinking of letting Halladay and CarGo walk and maybe draft them again since I'd have a first and a second round pick.


Given the keeper paramaters described above... what keepers would you select at this point of the year? Thanks!!

[MadDog36]

Best value of those:

Eric Hosmer (free)
Mike Morse (23)
Mike Stanton (8th)
Starlin Castro (16th)

Those are great value.
If it were me I could not pass up Hosmer as a free keeper and filling a position with a surrendering of a later pick. I'd keep Castro and Hosmer if it were me.

[hawkeye2012]

I would keep Heyward, Bruce, Stanton and you will have a sick outfield. Then I would keep Starlin Castro and Michael Pineda (even though Hosmer is free). I think you can draft a stud 1B early if you need too since you won't keep CarGo/Halladay.

[dannahann]

Rounds 1-5 - Pass on both keeper options
Rounds 6-10 - Use both keepers options and select Bruce and Stanton
Rest of draft - Use both keeper options and select Hosmer and Pineda or Castro?

[twistedude]

Rounds 1-5 - Pass on both keeper options
Rounds 6-10 - Use both keepers options and select Bruce and Stanton
Rest of draft - Use both keeper options and select Hosmer and Pineda or Castro?

I agree with this, and would definitely go with Pineda over Castro.

You had a great end of the draft with several steals in a row (Morse, Pineda) and Hosmer was a sweet FA add too. You should be in good shape going forward.

[mpieco]

I would not touch anyone in the first 5 rounds. I want all those picks back.

In rounds 6-10, I'd be tempted to keep 2 out of: Bruce, Stanton, Andrus. Theoretically I'm going with one OF and Andrus, but it's your call obviously.

I'm not touching anyone in rounds 11-15. The best value out of your entire draft probably resides in your 20th round pick (Ian Kennedy). I think he has to be a keeper. If you keep Andrus in round 8, then Castro in round 16 is no good. But I could understand going with Castro if you took both OFs.

Through the rest of the draft, I'm also liking Pineda and Morse in your last two rounds, and Hosmer as a free agent.

If you sacrifice keepers in other categories, like the Round 1-5 categories, do you get to keep more in another? So, could I take 3 keepers from rounds 11-end?

If so, my list of keepers in order of best value for where you got them are:

1). Eric Hosmer (FA)
2). Ian Kenendy (20)
3). Michael Pineda (23)
4). Michael Morse (24)
5). Jay Bruce (7)
6). Mike Stanton (8)

I think those are the 6 best keepers in relation to where you took them.

[TheGhost]

I would not touch anyone in the first 5 rounds. I want all those picks back.

In rounds 6-10, I'd be tempted to keep 2 out of: Bruce, Stanton, Andrus. Theoretically I'm going with one OF and Andrus, but it's your call obviously.

I'm not touching anyone in rounds 11-15. The best value out of your entire draft probably resides in your 20th round pick (Ian Kennedy). I think he has to be a keeper. If you keep Andrus in round 8, then Castro in round 16 is no good. But I could understand going with Castro if you took both OFs.

Through the rest of the draft, I'm also liking Pineda and Morse in your last two rounds, and Hosmer as a free agent.

If you sacrifice keepers in other categories, like the Round 1-5 categories, do you get to keep more in another? So, could I take 3 keepers from rounds 11-end?

If so, my list of keepers in order of best value for where you got them are:

1). Eric Hosmer (FA)
2). Ian Kenendy (20)
3). Michael Pineda (23)
4). Michael Morse (24)
5). Jay Bruce (7)
6). Mike Stanton (8)

I think those are the 6 best keepers in relation to where you took them.

Thanks for your response and I can keep keep more in lower rounds if I pass on my first picks. Meaning I can't keep more then two in rounds 1-5 and 5-10. But if I skip those I could keep 6 from the lower rounds.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned keeping Hellickson since I'd be able to draft him with a 14th round pick. Ideally I'd like to keep Pineda and Hellickson over Ian Kennedy but maybe I need to look at the stats closer.

I'd probably take Hosmer over Morse and would like to keep a SS. That would leave me with two other players and Bruce and Stanton make sense to me. Unfortunately, if I kept the two OF's I wouldn't be able to keep Andrus (who I prefer over Castro). Thoughts?

[mpieco]

Hellickson is not as special as Ian Kennedy. Trust me, when you can get the much better pitcher (Kennedy) 6 rounds later, you do it. I knew I wasn't mentioning Hellickson, and I'm fine with that.

[dannahann]

I would not touch anyone in the first 5 rounds. I want all those picks back.

In rounds 6-10, I'd be tempted to keep 2 out of: Bruce, Stanton, Andrus. Theoretically I'm going with one OF and Andrus, but it's your call obviously.

I'm not touching anyone in rounds 11-15. The best value out of your entire draft probably resides in your 20th round pick (Ian Kennedy). I think he has to be a keeper. If you keep Andrus in round 8, then Castro in round 16 is no good. But I could understand going with Castro if you took both OFs.

Through the rest of the draft, I'm also liking Pineda and Morse in your last two rounds, and Hosmer as a free agent.

If you sacrifice keepers in other categories, like the Round 1-5 categories, do you get to keep more in another? So, could I take 3 keepers from rounds 11-end?

If so, my list of keepers in order of best value for where you got them are:

1). Eric Hosmer (FA)
2). Ian Kenendy (20)
3). Michael Pineda (23)
4). Michael Morse (24)
5). Jay Bruce (7)
6). Mike Stanton (8)

I think those are the 6 best keepers in relation to where you took them.

Thanks for your response and I can keep keep more in lower rounds if I pass on my first picks. Meaning I can't keep more then two in rounds 1-5 and 5-10. But if I skip those I could keep 6 from the lower rounds.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned keeping Hellickson since I'd be able to draft him with a 14th round pick. Ideally I'd like to keep Pineda and Hellickson over Ian Kennedy but maybe I need to look at the stats closer.

I'd probably take Hosmer over Morse and would like to keep a SS. That would leave me with two other players and Bruce and Stanton make sense to me. Unfortunately, if I kept the two OF's I wouldn't be able to keep Andrus (who I prefer over Castro). Thoughts?

If that's the case I'd still keep Bruce and Stanton from the top half and keep 4 guys in the lower rounds. Three are easy, Hosmer, Pineda, and Castro (he's a better Andrus clone and cheaper too). The 4th lower round keeper is tough because you have so many worthy options. I'd personally rank them Hudson in the 13th, Wieters in the 12th, Kennedy in the 20th, and Hellickson in the 15th. I'd try to trade Morse to upgrade a keeper if possible. He's a great va;ie at that slot but Stanton and Bruce are the same type guys.