I have the #2 pick in an NL-only 8-team league a week from today. The top rounds are really shaping up to be drek. I am assuming Braun will go #1, or else I'll grab him notwithstanding the roid scare. Otherwise, I will probably take McCutcheon (though part of me wants to go rogue and take the positionally scarce Posey). By the time I pick again at #15, I expect it to be down to Marlon Byrd and Rafael Belliard.

McCutchen #2? I'll be honest and say he would barely crack the inside of my top 10. I have Braun, Tulo, Cargo, Stanton, Kemp, Kershaw, Strasburg, Votto as better in a basic 5x5. Then rounding out a top 15 with would be Lee, Hamels, Posey, Craig, Bruce, Rizzo. Greinke and Hanley would be in there if not for their injuries.

Well, since you guys brought up fantasy, I will mention that I did an offseason keeper trade giving up Hanley for Felix Hernandez - straight up.

Thank god they made that Punto trade.

The Dodgers will be without their starting shortstop for nearly the first two months of the season.

Yes, he could have gotten hurt in any spring training game, but if it's my team, I don't want my players getting hurt in furtherance of a goal that is meaningless to the franchise.

I don't want my players getting hurt in furtherance of a goal that is meaningless to the franchise.

Spring Training games for highly-paid starters are meaningless to the franchise.

McCutchen #2? I'll be honest and say he would barely crack the inside of my top 10. I have Braun, Tulo, Cargo, Stanton, Kemp, Kershaw, Strasburg, Votto as better in a basic 5x5.

You're carrying a lot of health risk there with Kemp, Votto, and Tulo. I wouldn't typically take a pitcher in the first round or two (for much the same reason - I much prefer to load up on mid-rotation guys with good K rates - see also the LIMA Plan). Cargo misses chunks of games too, but I view him as pretty interchangeable with McCutchen. Stanton's a defensible pick, though much more 1-dimensional and not at a position of scarcity like Tulo or Posey. Throw in the non-zero chance that Braun misses 50 games this year, and there's not a lot to like about the early rounds of an NL-only draft this year. I view McCutchen is perhaps the safest pick -- and you really can't blow it with your first selection.

How much is two months of Ramirez worth at this point? One win?

How much is two months of Ramirez worth at this point? One win?

Seems about right. Maybe 1.5 if he rebounds.

Is anyone in an AL only auction league? I'm curious about the average price for Trout.

Is anyone in an AL only auction league? I'm curious about the average price for Trout.

I am, but we don't have our auction until next Saturday.

I'd guess high forties - the top players in our league generally go for $45 or so.

Then rounding out a top 15 with would be Lee, Hamels, Posey, Craig, Bruce, Rizzo.

Awfully bullish on Craig and Rizzo. I like them both, but bold rankings.

I got him for $39, which surprised me. I wasn't sure if I was overvaluing him or others were undervaluing him. I thought he'd go for $45. I don't expect him to repeat his 2012, but I have to think he's good for 20-25 HRs, 40-50 SB, and a .300 BA.

I got him for $39, which surprised me. I wasn't sure if I was overvaluing him or others were undervaluing him. I thought he'd go for $45. I don't expect him to repeat his 2012, but I have to think he's good for 20-25 HRs, 40-50 SB, and a .300 BA.

2 big issues with him in fantasy vs. RL: 1) you don't get credit for Anaheim being a pitcher's park, 2) defense doesn't matter.

Sure, but you're still getting a great combo of BA, HRs, runs, and SB.

I got him for $39, which surprised me. I wasn't sure if I was overvaluing him or others were undervaluing him. I thought he'd go for $45. I don't expect him to repeat his 2012, but I have to think he's good for 20-25 HRs, 40-50 SB, and a .300 BA.

Wow. I don't expect to draft him, but I'm certainly not letting anyone else get him for $39.

Spring Training games for highly-paid starters are meaningless to the franchise.

True, which is why they aren't played in the rain on sloppy fields.

I like the WBC, and I was pleased to see it played in my backyard, but they ought to be holding it in domes or outdoor parks with virtually no chance of rain in March (which is pretty much nowhere).

Didn't seem to me that the rain had much to do with the injury. Jesus Feliciano slapped the ball through the 5-hole, and Ramirez dived to try to field it.

Sure, but you're still getting a great combo of BA, HRs, runs, and SB.

Sure. I'm just saying he's not going to go for much more than the other top guys b/c of those factors. You also don't get any CF premium in fantasy.

One pricing calculator I like has Cabrera $39, Trout $37, Fielder $36, Bautista $33, Cano $31, Pujols $30. AL only with no keeper inflation.

So, he's up with the very best, but not head-and-shoulders, 10 WAR!, above them all.

Link to said calculator? The one I used to use, lastplayerpicked, was down when I checked earlier this spring.

Link to said calculator? The one I used to use, lastplayerpicked, was down when I checked earlier this spring.

That's the one. It's up now.

http://lastplayerpicked.zxq.net/

#17 Qatar will have many fine stadiums available.

The doctors must not know he got hurt in the WBC - otherwise they would have decided to amputate.

You're carrying a lot of health risk there with Kemp, Votto, and Tulo.

I agree with this but that is why I would never, ever draft Braun in the top 2 rounds at this point. He is gone for 50 games, the question is will they try to expand it to 100 games like they did with the minor league kid. You can't lose your 1st round pick for 50 games (let alone 100). At this point, I think it is far more likely that Braun is suspended than it is likely that any one player gets hurt. I also go against the grain and am willing to draft a pitcher in the back of the first round if the best are available (Kershaw, Gio or Straus). If I miss on one of them, I am definitely getting one of the next level.

Awfully bullish on Craig and Rizzo. I like them both, but bold rankings.

Agree again :) Rizzo is far too high given what 1B can be had further down and the difference between them. Freeman, Goldschmidt, LaRoche, AGon, I Davis and my little pet pick, Alonso with the fences moved in...how much worse will they be at the end. Rizzo's RBI and runs scored low numbers make up for much of the potential decrease in HRs (this agruement doesn't hold in comping with Davis or Alonso but does otherwise)

As for Trout, too much risk for me. I haven't gotten him in any of my drafts. He was beyond anyone's expectations last year. Doesn't mean he will produce a .300 average again. I grant him the 40+ SB's and an enormous number of runs but the other categories, I can see a regression to a more normal year. Now, I do believe that Harper will vie for MVP (meaningless in Rotis except that he has to put up huge counting numbers to get there). Hitting 3rd all year, I have him in most of my leagues.

If Braun gets 50 games, Gio might, too. I wouldn't take anybody on that list.

I picked Hanley in the second round, now I wish Yahoo would just DL him so I can grab a replacement. Profar is available, as is Zack Cozart. But for how long. HOW LONG?

I picked Hanley in the second round, now I wish Yahoo would just DL him so I can grab a replacement. Profar is available, as is Zack Cozart. But for how long. HOW LONG?

Yahoo's not going to put him on the DL until the team does, which won't happen until the season starts.

If Braun gets 50 games, Gio might, too. I wouldn't take anybody on that list.

Given that Gio is the only one whom media reports have specifically gone out of their way to exonerate (and, furthermore, that he was asked by MLB to participate in the WBC), it seems overwhelmingly likely that he's in the clear. You really think the Commissioner's Office would have asked him to pitch for Team USA if they were also planning, behind the scenes, to suspend him?

I guess anything's possible, but nah.

Yahoo's not going to put him on the DL until the team does, which won't happen until the season starts.

Dammit. Well, at least I have two good choices according to my custom-Zips built cheat sheet. Is Profar making the big team or not?

EDIT - crap, Jurickson is listed as a Util, no position!

I want to be in a league with #2 so I can get a guy who's coming off a 107/31/93/20/.327 roto line in the second round. That's an absolutely fantastic line, and other than Braun there's no one in the NL who's likely to match it.

I want to be in a league with #2 so I can get a guy who's coming off a 107/31/93/20/.327 roto line in the second round. That's an absolutely fantastic line, and other than Braun there's no one in the NL who's likely to match it.

An 8-team NL league is incredibly shallow. Same for 12-team mixed leagues. Really not worth playing IMHO, replacement level is just too damn high.

#29 - I would guess Profar is sent down to begin the season unless someone gets injured. Texas never seriously pursued moving Kinsler off of 2B, and at-bats will be scarce for the backup in that infield.

An 8-team NL league is incredibly shallow. Same for 12-team mixed leagues. Really not worth playing IMHO, replacement level is just too damn high.

Eh. There's a difference between an 8 team single-leaguer (reasonable) and a 12 team mixed (what you said).

One of my AL-only leagues is going from 10 teams to 12 this year, which should be interesting. Looking forward to unearthing the 24th best AL catcher.

I would guess Profar is sent down to begin the season unless someone gets injured.

Poo.

Looking forward to unearthing the 24th best AL catcher.

That's not even it though, you're looking for the 20th or so best catcher, but one that's going to get regular ABs.

I can't figure out why anyone would poo-poo a 12-team mixed league. Your experience isn't fun or challenging enough if you aren't figuring out the difference between the 335th and 336th best player in the bigs?

I can't figure out why anyone would poo-poo a 12-team mixed league. Your experience isn't fun or challenging enough if you aren't figuring out the difference between the 335th and 336th best player in the bigs?

Are 28 man rosters very common? Yahoo public leagues have 23 man rosters (10 hitters, 8 pitchers, 5 bench). The 216th best major league player is pretty damned good.

My one experience with a mixed league was pretty lame. "Oh, my .280-20-80 player just went 0 for 4; maybe I should give this other .280-20-80 guy a shot tonight."

I'm in an 8 team mixed league this year...

I can't figure out why anyone would poo-poo a 12-team mixed league. Your experience isn't fun or challenging enough if you aren't figuring out the difference between the 335th and 336th best player in the bigs?

I would guess the urge is to be as close to a "real" GM as possible. Finding waiver wire fodder etc. Though I guess the added difficulty is you don't just have to find the diamond in the rough, you have to find the diamond in the rough whose "real" manager also recognizes his talent and plays him.

Of course I don't really know, I haven't played fantasy baseball in years. (I did get roped into it this year, but I fully intend to not pay any attention/not take it seriously. I jokingly suggested I'd take Lyle Overbay in the 5th round, and I see I was apparently taken seriously because he appears on my roster)

If your league is too "deep," you are rewarded for picking guys who simply have playing time as much as for picking guys who play well.

My one experience with a mixed league was pretty lame. "Oh, my .280-20-80 player just went 0 for 4; maybe I should give this other .280-20-80 guy a shot tonight."

Exactly, or people stream SPs based on favorable matchups, b/c there are so many decent SPs available. Pick up a guy facing Houston or pitching in SD, then drop him after one start.

If your league is too "deep," you are rewarded for picking guys who simply have playing time as much as for picking guys who play well.

Yes, too deep is bad too. It can just turn into injury luck deciding the season, like most fantasy football does.

I like 10 teams for a single league (AL/NL), 20 for mixed. 12 made sense for the NL when it had 16 teams.

In MLB there are 750 active players at any one time, 375 per league now. With 23 man rosters, you're using 460 of 750, or 230 of 375. If you use a 3-team bench (like both of my leagues) that's still only 520 of 750, or 260 of 375.

That's a good balance of talent scarcity, but not getting stuck completely unable to replace a guy. I'm in 24 team DMB leagues, and there, the waiver wire is literally replacement level dreck.

Exactly, or people stream SPs based on favorable matchups, b/c there are so many decent SPs available. Pick up a guy facing Houston or pitching in SD, then drop him after one start.

A lot of leagues have innings limits and/or transactions limits to counter streaming.

A lot of leagues have innings limits and/or transactions limits to counter streaming.

OK, but then you give the commish another headache monitoring that.

I like having weekly transactions, except for guys on your bench. It lets everybody get a look at who's been called up or got hot or a new role, rather than having somebody pick up Mike Trout b/c they're up late and looked at the Angels boxscore.

OK, but then you give the commish another headache monitoring that.

?? no, it's automatic for on-line leagues.

?? no, it's automatic for on-line leagues.

Not on CBS Sportsline (which is the best site I've used), at least that I've seen.

On Yahoo you can customize pretty much anything.

Nate is right; I commish a yahoo league and we have a transaction cap (20, with unlimited trades). It works great.

The only problem with yahoo is that you can't do retroactive moves. So in my other league, with weekly free agent bidding, we use CBS.

20 seems really low for an add limit, even not counting trades towards that.