"Targeting" Players

[JTWood]

Of course, if you are wrong, it can backfire really badly.

That's where I was hoping this would go. I've never targeted specific players for that reason. I've always targeted positions. I play points leagues, and usually try to make round:position predictions for the league and then draft accordingly so that I can "get the jump" on the other teams.

Does that seem vastly different than targeting specific players?

I don't play point leagues, but from what you are describing, yes it does sound different. It sounds like you are identifying which positions are undervalued in your league and drafting those positions higher. Not much risk involved in doing that :p

That is basically what I am trying to do.

Tav,

I'd be interested in hearing more of your opinion when you have time. Don't want you to get fired or anything...

[Fool42]

I target many players and when it's my turn to pick I grab one of the guys I'm targeting. The most important thing t do when using this strategy is to always have a plan in case the guy you are targeting gets picked by someone else. I try to figure if say I want to draft Tex but won't pick him until the third round I have to prepare for the fact that he might not be on the board when it's my turn. If he's not and there are some 1B that I like that can be had later in the draft I'll move on to a different position and maybe take Chavez or whoever else is someone I'm targeting that isn't a huge reach.

So to sum it up Target guys you would like to have on your team but when it comes time make your pick don't reach for a target more than 1 round early. Sometimes you really want a certain player but you know he won't be around for your next pick. So you reach for him but only if there isn't anyone else on the board that you would rather have instead of him. For me it always comes down to a decision between a few different guys each pick. Figure out which one you would be most upset about if he didn't make back around to you.

[Yoda]

I think you should have no more than a handful of players to 'target'. We all do it and I ahve several soft spots for certain players but we shouldn't draft anyone too early because you'll screw up your team that way.

What I do in my keeper league is to target certain positions for each round. I rank the players at each starting position from 1-12 or so. This way I figure out different tiers for each position. I have to fill each starting position with a top 3-5 player from each tier. For instance, this season, I will probably go into the draft targeting the best available SP and the best available hitter in the first two rounds (I have 10th and 11th). The next two rounds, I will definitely get an RP and another starter unless there is a hitter who should clearly not be available. It's good to stay flexible and knowing which good players are left from each tier.

[The Jury]

My take on it is not drafting players prematurely, but rather going into the draft knowing that I will be passing on the popular picks in favour of a specfic highly undervalued player at a much lesser cost. Case in point - Aramis Ramirez last year.

Took him in the 8-10th round range as opposed to Chavez, Rolen, or the other big names a handful of rounds earlier. It does get risky though if you're targetting one player to fill a certain position. If he gets nabbed or if another manager realized what you are up to.. you gotta switch gears on the fly

[Pochuck]

Its simple , fantasy baseball is all about what players are going to do this year, not what they did last year. No matter what method you use-- fancy mathmatical projections, other site projections or just good old baseball sense, everyone has few players they think will outperform the general consensus.
This is what makes it interesting to me, finding the player/players
that are going to surprise and drafting them. Your plans can be thwarted by other owners however, so its a cat and mouse game.
Draft early or count on others not seeing what you see. Almost cried last year when owner just before me took M. Cabrera , but had been elated when I got C. Crawford in front of him. Ahh live in person drafts are fun.
Just remember you live by the sword you die by the sword --I waited to last round to pick my catcher -- J. Phillips. (Worked out because another owner dropped V. Martinez before he got hot and I scooped him up.