Welcome to the Last Word on Fantasy Baseball. Whether you play rotisserie or head-to-head, whether you have a standard draft, a snake or an auction league, and whether its keeper league or a one-year deal; we have all the fantasy information you need.
For the rest of our fantasy baseball profiles and articles, please check out our Fantasy Baseball Guide Page
Fantasy Draft Preparation
This is the first part of a three part series on fantasy baseball success. Two articles will follow, Keys to a Successful Draft and In-Season Managing
During the initial years of fantasy baseball, participants struggled to find information to prepare for their draft. In the year 2015, that is no longer the case. But before we discuss fantasy draft preparation, it is essential for you to have a thorough understanding of your league rules. Without an accurate understanding of your league rules, your preparations cannot be effective as possible.
I have participated in drafts or auctions with as few as 16 players on each team to as many as 50 players on each team , in 8-team leagues to leagues with as many as 16 teams. Knowing the number of total people selected as well as the number of players who will be selected at each position lets you know the depth of needed preparation. For instance in a 16-team league with 9 pitchers selected per team, your preparation and cheat sheets needs to be have a minimum of 144 pitchers as potential players on your team. The number of reserve positions on your rosters is also important. Large reserve rosters allow you to stream your pitchers each week. Streaming allows you to insert two start pitchers each week or play starting pitchers with favorable match-ups. A large reserve roster also allows to you to roster a prospect who may be recalled later in the year or be protected for next year if you are in a keeper or dynasty league. You also need to know if there is an innings limit for your pitching staff and if changes are made on a daily or weekly basis. Leagues with daily changes allow you to put hitters in a line-up with favorable match-ups such as a left-handed hitter whose average is significantly higher facing right handed pitchers. Once you are comfortable with your league rules, you can then begin preparation.
Information can be found in a variety of places, there are numerous websites (both free and on a fee basis), fantasy magazines such as Lindy’s, RotoWire, Sporting News and USA Today, and on Twitter. Usage of information from as many different sources or sites is important in developing a consensus as well as eliminating outliers by particular sites or magazines. It is important to look at statistics from the previous year or years, looking for trends which could carry over into the current year. You can also looks at more advanced statistics or metrics such as Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) or On Base plus Slugging Average (OPS). Use the information to develop a list of players at each position from top to bottom. Participate in mock drafts either on-line or with another group of owners. A number of mock drafts from as many drafting positions as possible will allow you to be prepared to make adjustments in case the draft goes in a different direction than you anticipate.
Below are some lists or additional information you might want to have:
1) Lists of players eligible at multiple positions, this is especially important in leagues with daily changes
2) Prospect lists
3) A list of target players, players which you value higher than your composite lists
4) ADP list which shows where players were selected in previous drafts, actual or mock
5) Team depth charts including projected pitching rotations for each major league team
6) A list of injuries and expected return times
It is essential for you to organize this information in a manner which is easily accessible. Compile information in a manner so that you will not be thumbing through magazines or looking for vital information not at your fingertips – three key words – PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE. GOOD LUCK.
For the rest of our fantasy baseball profiles and articles, please check out ourFantasy Baseball Guide Page.
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Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on twitter – @LWOSjimbohorton. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
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