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Connect thru YouTubeLast week, I published an article with my draft diary from last year’s Fantasy Sports Invitational Championship National League Only League. To read the article that shows how I won the league last year, click HERE. Last night, I had my draft for this year. It’s NL-only, 5×5, and I had the 10th pick in a 12-team snake draft. Here is a draft diary of my draft last night:
Round 1 – Howard, Ryan 1B PHI
With the 10th pick, I was hoping Howard or Fielder fell to me so that I could grab some power early. Mission accomplished.
Round 2 – Rollins, Jimmy SS PHI
I wanted to concentrate on power early, but Rollins was the last of the elite infielders. Plus, he’ll contribute in all five categories.
Round 3 – Ramirez, Aramis 3B CHC
Good value here and I was happy to take care of my 3B spot this early.
Round 4 – Dunn, Adam LF WAS
Howard in the first – Dunn in the forth. I don’t have to worry about my power categories. I now have all three of my corner infielders.
Round 5 – Gonzalez, Carlos LF COL
It’s time to start grabbing outfielders with some speed. I liked Gonzalez last year and I love him this year.
Round 6 – McLouth, Nate CF ATL
Another power-speed outfielder.
Round 7 – Beltran, Carlos CF NYM
The latest word is that Beltran will be back by the end of April. If that holds true, this a great value pick in the 7th round. He should also help with the batting average hit I took when I drafted Howard and Dunn early.
Round 8 – Jones, Garrett RF PIT
A lot of people are down on Jones this year. I’m not one of them. He should be a good power-speed combo with 1B-OF flexibility.
Round 9 – Ross, Cody CF FLA
Last OF spot.
Round 10 – Montero, Miguel C ARI
Montero is the second best catcher on my board. I couldn’t afford, with the batting average hit I took early, to end up with a crappy catcher with a .230 average, so I splurged on Montero here.
Round 11 – Furcal, Rafael SS LA
Furcal is a good value here. He’ll fill my middle infield spot and provide contributions in all five categories.
Round 12 – Wolf, Randy SP MIL
At this point in the draft, I want to start getting innings eaters to get me near the top of the wins and strikeout categories. Wolf is the first piece of that puzzle.
Round 13 – Schumaker, Skip 2B STL
Decided to fill my 2B spot with a high batting average guy. I should have drafted enough in the other categories that I can take Schumaker’s lack of production in the counting categories.
Round 14 – Arroyo, Bronson SP CIN
Next starter on the board.
Round 15 – Hammel, Jason SP COL
Next starter on the board.
Round 16 – Kennedy, Adam 2B WAS
This was a key pick for me. With all of my hitting slots filled except Utility, I wanted to create some roster flexibility. With only one 2B and 3B on my roster, Kennedy is a terrific pick because he qualifies at both positions. Plus, with solid steals, a few homeruns, and an acceptable batting average, he fits perfectly on my team.
Round 17 – Zito, Barry SP SF
From here on in, it’s almost all starting pitching, all the time.
Round 18 – Maholm, Paul SP PIT
Round 19 – Kawakami, Kenshin SP ATL
Round 20 – Young, Chris R. SP SD
Round 21 – Davis, Doug SP MIL
Round 22 – Francis, Jeff SP COL
Round 23 – West, Sean SP FLA (Bench)
Round 24 – VandenHurk, Rick SP FLA (Bench)
Round 25 – Salazar, Oscar LF SD (Bench)
I needed a backup outfielder that can start until Beltran is healthy.
Round 26 – Maloney, Matt SP CIN (Bench)
Round 27 – Kendrick, Kyle SP PHI (Bench)
I’ve won this league multiple times – including last year – employing an all crappy starting pitcher strategy where I ace the hitting categories while doing well in Wins and Strikeouts. If I manage this team correctly, I’ll be able to gain a few points in the pitching ratio categories. I’ll likely finish last in saves, but I won’t need those points if my hitting is as good as advertised.
Note – A special thanks to my buddy Dan for helping me with my draft last night while my Internet was knocked out by a storm, and to his wife Susan for a delicious piece of Salmon and world-class homemade Mac and Cheese.