February 25, 2008

I took part in Mock Draft Central's third Baseball Expert Draft today and as you can see from the draft results things turned out rather well.  For this particular draft I was representing my friends and colleagues from fantasybaseballmafia.com against some of the biggest names in the industry.

Prior to the draft I was asked by Paul Greco, one half of melnickandgrecofantasysports.com a few pre-draft strategy questions. 

PG:  What is your Overall Draft strategy for this draft? 

DHS: To end the draft with 23 quality players.  Make every pick count.

PG:   What particular player are you looking to key on?  

DHS: A frontline catcher such as Victor Martinez, Joe Mauer or Russell Martin.  I also think Aaron Hill is going to have a terrific season and he can be had late in drafts giving you a solid and inexpensive second baseman.

PG:   Are you planning on Drafting for scarcity or category? 

DHS:  As a rule I want to dominate the pitching side of the equations.  I put a lot of effort into the evaluating pitching and use that knowledge to build a quality staff at the draft.  I also target underrated prospects to add after the draft to give my offense added depth.

PG:   In your opinion what is the best draft position and why? 

In a 12 team league this year your want the 9-12^th pick.  With the 12^th being the best.  To me there is little difference between picks 7-16.  With the 12^th pick you're going to get two high-quality players back to back.  Then later you have the potential can dictate a bit.  Having two picks in a row can be a real boon.

PG:  Who would you like in the 1st round?

DHS: With the number two pick I'll take Matt Holliday.  The number of quality outfielders has declined over the past few seasons so it is vital that you get one or two of them early.  Of course if Alex Rodriguez falls to me than he would be my choice because he is the best player on the planet. 

PG:  What players are you NOT going to take and why?

DHS:  For me the key is to stay away from the band-aid boys.  When I enter a draft I want to avoid the players with extensive recent injury histories.  In the NFBC, which does not allow trades, it is important to have a healthy lineup.  Health is not guaranteed for anyone but you can minimize the risk.  Some of the big names I have avoided in my 2008 drafts are Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez, Ryan Zimmerman, and Hideki Matsui

PG:  How much prep work did you do for this Mock draft? 

DHS:  This is my 23^rd mock draft since December 2007.  At this point my rankings have been fine tuned and I have drafted numerous times at different positions.  After a quick check at RotoWire, for the latest injury reports and then I am ready to go.  With my homework completed each draft is now all about roster construction.

PG:  Are you experimenting or playing to come out with the best team?  

DHS: My goal is to have two outstanding starting pitchers, a strong bullpen and a serviceable offense (300 HR/175 SB).  In a recent expert draft at Barracuda Fantasy Sports I drafted Josh Beckett, Erik Bedard, Mariano Rivera, and Joe Nathan in rounds 5-8.  My offense included Jimmy Rollins, Prince Fielder, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome and Joe Mauer.

The entire draft was broadcast live at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasybaseballguy/2008/02/26/Mock-Draft-Centrals-Expert-Draft

The post-draft review was broadcasted at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasybaseballguy/2008/02/28/Talking-Baseball-Live

For the complete results visit Full Results from Feb. 25 Expert Draft