Ray Flowers is back again. Ray will break down how his mixed league FSGA Champions League draft played out with his live diary of the draft (yep, he writes this article while he’s actually drafting to give you his real-time thoughts on putting his squad together). Before we get to his team, let’s look at the setup.
LEAGUE SETUP
5 x 5 Rotisserie style scoring.
Hitting Categories – BA, HR, RBI, Runs, SB
Pitching Categories – W, ERA, WHIP, K, SV
ROSTER: 2-C, 1-1B, 1-3B, 1-CI, 1-2B, 1-SS, 1-MI, 5-OF, 1-UT, 9-P, 6 reserves
POSITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
This league is staying old school saying that you need to have participated at a position 20 times last season in order to qualify at the spot this year (for more on that I discussed qualifications here).
FREE AGENT ACQUISITION BUDGET
This league will indeed be using FAAB. Each team will have $1,000 to spend over the course of the year. You must have $1 to big on a player (no zero bids).
INJURED LIST
There is no limit to the number of players that can be placed on the Injured List. Players must be activated by the scoring period after they are activated.
DRAFT PARTICIPANTS
1 Colton-Wolf-Stern
2 Anthony Perri
3 Howard Bender
4 Jeff Paur
5 Amrbosius-Buchar
6 Dr. Roto
7 Waters-Hossler
8 Chris Towers
9 Hayes-Raph
10 Hershey-Murphy
11 RAY FLOWERS
12 Clay Link
13 Scott Swanay
14 Gardner-Kamen
*** Here is a link to Ray’s review of the LABR Mixed League Draft he participated in.
MY ROSTER
*Round taken in parenthesis.
Catcher: Logan O’Hoppe (20), Christian Bethancourt (23)
First Base: Paul Goldschmidt (2)
Second Base: Ketel Marte (13)
Third Base: Bobby Witt (1)
Shortstop: Corey Seager (3)
Middle Infielder: Adalberto Mondesi (16)
Corner Infielder: Trey Mancini (17)
Outfield: Luis Robert (4), Bryan Reynolds (7), Christian Yelich (9), Cody Bellinger (15), Jake Fraley (19)
Utility: Brandon Marsh (25)
Pitchers: Yu Darvish (5), Zac Gallen (6), Logan Webb (8), David Bednar (10), Charlie Morton (11), Scott Barlow (12), Brady Singer (14), Gio Gallegos (18), Justin Steele (21)
BENCH: Taylor Rogers (22), Brandon Belt (24), Mike Yastrzemski (26), Graham Ashcraft (27), Liam Hendriks (28), Leody Taveras (29)
DRAFT WRITE UP
*This is my live diary. Everything was written in real-time while the draft was occurring except for the FINAL THOUGHTS section.
ROUND 1: I was hoping Mookie would fall, but he went three picks before me. Fallback was Bichette… and he went. Wow. Didn’t expect that. So I went rogue, and got my first share this year of Bobby Witt Jr.. He has 25/25 potential, if not more, and qualifies at two spots – so I can slot him at third or shortstop allowing me some freedom with how I put the team together. Witt is the proverbial upside pick who could easily improve his four counting categories but the batting average is uncertain. I will look for some average and stability at the corner spot with my next pick (most likely).
ROUND 2: Freeman/Machado/Devers/Goldschmidt is what I’m hoping for. Freeman just went, as I thought he likely would. He would have been my normal selection in Round 1, but trying something different here with Witt and getting early speed. Could consider Fernando Tatis and just go balls to the wall in Round 2, but that’s super aggressive and not an ideal start considering the risk with Tatis. Ultimately, Mr. Stable was the choice in Paul Goldschmidt. He plays daily, is a rock of stability, and should push .300 in batting average to help offset the average concern with Witt in the first round.
ROUND 3: Lots of directions here. I went Corey Seager since I don’t have a share yet. He should really gain a boost with the banning of the shift and dude just mashes the ball. The only thing he won’t provide is speed. Love this pick.
ROUND 4: Was thinking Bieber here, but he just went, so I’m thinking I will push pitching until rounds five or six. I need an outfielder. Youth would be great as well. Across the board talent too. Come on down Luis Robert. He has had health issues, but man has he been good when on the field the last two years going .307-25-99-96-17 over 166 games. After two guys with no speed, another 20-steal threat, in addition to Witt, is a nice fit here.
ROUND 5: Pitchers coming off the board, so we will see if there’s a target of mine left in the fifth round. I can hope on Bregman, third base simply isn’t deep and Bregman is the last guy on the upper tier for me, or Adolis G. for another power/speed option in the outfield, to fall to me here if I don’t go with an arm. Pitchers continue to fly off the board. Not surprised by it, but it still happening rather quickly. Garcia just went. Ultimately, I’m going with the arm and Yu Darvish. He’s aging, but he continues to get outs and do it with aplomb.
ROUND 6: Bregman or another arm? The room says take another arm as they continue to come off the board. I only have one outfielder too, so can consider that as an option here. Well, Bregman just went two picks before me, so he’s out. Marte/Reynolds in the outfield, or an arm? Marte went, dang two of my three options on offense in the previous two picks, so I decided to stay with the arms and go Zac Gallen. As I often do with my builds, I do not have an ace, but I have two top-25 arms and two guys who are coming off the board inside the top-80 overall to anchor the staff. I’m OK with that plan.
ROUND 7: Hitter or pitcher? Thinking Reynolds in OF and Xander/Anderson/Franco at SS are some options on the hitting side. Thinking potentially Kenley Jansen as a reliever too, otherwise would be back to the starting pitcher side if I go with an arm. I would be a bit surprised if any make it to me… and as I type that there goes Jansen. I might lean Reynolds if he’s available as I already have lots of infield depth. I do like Yelich/Bryant too, and they should slide into the 7th if we follow ADP here. I do have SS eligible Seager/Witt… and as I write that off goes Xander and Franco! I have magic fingers that lead to others making picks. Give me Bryan Reynolds who I considered a round earlier.
ROUND 8: Kershaw and Webb were the gamble waiting on arms in the 7th round, and there went Kershaw. Webb won’t make it, right? Bryant and Yelich still sitting there in the outfield but they could slide again (Yelich could steal 20 bags and that’s nice, whereas Bryant will likely produce the power). One pick away – and yes, it is Logan Webb time. He’s an ideal, like perfect, SP3 type in a 14-team league. That’s Darvish/Gallen/Webb as my top-3… and that will play.
ROUND 9: Thinking closer or second base here with outfield also in the mix. The two vets – Bryant/Yelich in the outfield as lead choices. Torres/Marte at second base are intriguing. Could also go catcher – with Melendez/Murphy being in play. Melendez just went with my dream dead. Murphy just went too. There goes Torres. I’m targeting the greatest hits it seems. I really don’t see an outstanding closer option that I’m in love with. I’m leaning Yelich over Bryant here for the 20+ steal potential since I went Goldy/Seager/Reynolds who aren’t exactly speed demons. Christian Yelich it is.
ROUND 10: Closer, catcher, another outfielder? I’m really partial to Ketel Marte in what could be a pretty good D’backs lineup. I’m thinking Alexis Diaz or David Bednar will not make it back to me, so do I grab one here to give me a kinda-sorta saves foundation and hope Marte falls? ADP says it is the better play than going the second sacker here. I could go SP, but there are nine guys I still look at as being ideal SP4 in this format. One of them has to fall to the 11th round, right? I’m going David Bednar here. Time will tell if is the right call as he could end up being dealt into a setup role at some point.
ROUND 11: Grabbing that first catcher here might make some sense if K. Marte is gone and or/all those starting pitchers go. Down to only two guys left from that group which is a bit surprising. Really comes down to Marte and SP and getting shutout at catcher OR taking a catcher one of the next two picks and likely losing Marte or that SP. I went Charlie Morton who was the last arm left of the eight. They made fun of Morton on the Sirius broadcast, but he’s thrown 170-innings with 200 punchouts each of the last two years… which completely works.
ROUND 12: Ketel Marte is strong consideration – but it might cost me at catcher if I do that. Just saw Hoerner come off the board as people starting hunting middle infield. I zagged a bit and went Scott Barlow. That will likely cost me Marte, and potentially the two catchers I want. Ultimately, I will hope to get 20 saves each from Barlow and Bednar, and finish middle of the pack in saves. Hopefully it works, cause I worry about what could happen at the backstop spot with the Barlow pick.
ROUND 13: All three catchers I had lined up to take in Round 12 just went. It is gonna be ugly at catcher – so I will adapt. Luckily my overall offense looks solid overall. I will go Ketel Marte here if he’s still around. I would consider Adalberto Mondesi as well, but I don’t have a second sacker and have Seager/Witt at shortstop. I will probably hit up starting pitcher next round since the catcher pool is in punt zone at the moment. Finally got Ketel Marte.
ROUND 14: Freddy Peralta was an option on the hill, but he just went. It was down to Senga and Brady Singer who I took. Two Royals in three picks? Maybe should have gone Senga for the Mets and likely better support? You could make that argument, but I have Singer just ahead in the rankings so I followed them. I was tempted to go with Verdugo/Bellinger in the outfield. I doubt Bellinger makes it back to me in the next round, but Verdugo and that batting average should. Shoot. There went Verdugo. Shoot.
ROUND 15: Ty France… shoot. I keep writing names, and then they go off the board 37 seconds later. Outfield is an option here, but I’m also eyeing Jorge Polanco. Is he truly hurt or is the knee just barking? We don’t know. What about Mondesi and all that insane speed – despite his knee and the concerns? Cody Bellinger would be worth taking a shot on at this point, and there are two picks to go. He’s the choice after my man, Jesse Winker, goes off the board. After Bellinger, there goes Polanco so won’t be getting him next round.
ROUND 16: Jarren Kelenic… wait… you know the deal. Yep, there he went. Jeez man. Do I take – I really cannot but boy can I run – Adalberto Mondesi? Continuing the Last Year’s Bums approach? Go big or go home… and it is OK to take a risk in the middle rounds like this. I might look to deal Mondesi if he goes nuts at any point, but with the catcher spot spotty for me, I will hunt steals here and play the upside game, knowing they have a ton of value in the trade market, to give me options in-season. Do dislike the idea of looking to trade a guy, but I ultimately went for the upside play.
ROUND 17: Shoot. Was hoping to nab Anthony Rendon here and he just went off the board. My corner infield is starting to look a bit dicey too, like my catchers. Middle infield is great though. Ultimately, I went Trey Mancini (quals at 1B and OF). He could hit 25 homers at Wrigley this year, but he is a boring selection.
ROUND 18: Catchers just keep going, goodness. Thinking outfield here, but if I do go that route, I really have to punt catcher cause next two picks I’m thinking pitcher. I see about 10 pitchers that I like enough to wait until round 19. I could go Merrifield, but I could use power a bit more than speed. I could go RP too. That’s where I’m going with Gio Gallegos who should get 10 saves this season and he has a WHIP of 0.89 the last four years.
ROUND 19: I might go Lopez/Taylor for some saves potential here, cause I still like the arms available at SP. Might be time to tab an outfielder like Blackmon/Fraley as well. Could move Mancini to outfield if I go third base here as well. Give me Jake Fraley and the 20/15 stuff he has produced over 165 big league games now that he is playing daily with the Reds.
ROUND 20: Thinking Logan O’Hoppe here. The other catcher options are rather boring, so I might as well swing big at catcher with Jonah Heim just coming off the board prior to my selection. Please tell me Logan isn’t going to go the pick before me now. He didn’t. Whew. Logan may not be more than just a guy, but he was really good in the minors last year and his hit tool and approach could certainly allow him to payoff this selection.
ROUND 21: Thinking Jorge Lopez or Taylor Rogers here for saves potential. Could also go Blackmon/Meadows in the outfield for some depth there that I could certainly use. Justin Turner as a backup CI option? Meadows/Turner just went, so it will be pitching. I’m going to target Justin Steele who I’ve written glowingly about this spring, and then either go Bradish or one of those relievers in Round 22.
ROUND 22: Dang it. Bradish just went. Jorge Lopez or Taylor Rogers – both guys who should hit double-digit in saves – are in play here. I wonder if I pass on both if they will both still be there in Round 23? That’s the gamble here. I could go old and boring Charlie Blackmon who should be productive an d potentially healthy this season with the DH being his home now that Profar is in play. Welp. There went Lopez. Will Rogers make it to me? Taylor Rogers it the choice. Perhaps the Mets might even make a move for him to close? One can dream, but he should still get those double-digit saves with the Giants.
ROUND 23: Christian Bethancourt will be looked at to start for the Rays, and the Statcast data is pretty darn favorable for the 31 year old… but he’s never been able to reach the potential scouts thought he could attain.
ROUND 24: Brandon Belt, if healthy, could be a big weapon in a park that is built for offense, in a lineup also built for runs scored. Can he stay healthy? No clue there, but I could use a corner infielder depth piece, and he would fit the bill even if he’s on the right side of a platoon. Might also be nice to go outfield with this pick. Heck, I could go Fulmer and hope he gets 15 saves for the Cubs too, but I already have four relievers. Ultimately, I went with Brandon Belt.
ROUND 25: Brandon Marsh is the pick. Good ballpark. Good lineup. A 15/15 season is doable if it all comes together for the Phillies’ outfielder.
ROUND 26: Got lots of directions here to consider. There are a handful of saves options, so I will likely slow play that. I could certainly use another outfielder with McCutchen at the top of thinning list but instead I went with Mike Yastrzemski who is one spot ahead of McCutchen in the outfield for me.
ROUND 27: Will dream on Franmil Reyes to be there for my next pick. There he went (of course). Graham Ashcraft is the choice. He’s the clear third option for the Reds on the hill behind Lodolo-Greene, but he has a chance to pay off this selection here (I touched on Ashcraft in this article).
ROUND 28: Good pick on Trevor Story here as he was on my radar. Instead, I will pull the same move and take Liam Hendriks, IL him for the first waiver run, and replace him on the active roster. In essence, I’m getting a two for one in the bullpen with this call.
ROUND 29: Christopher Morel qualifies in the infield and outfield which would be nice to add. Mark Canha is still out there, but he’s basically the same with the bat as Mike Y. I could go Leody Taveras who isn’t healthy with the thought that when he is healthy he’s paying daily for the Rangers and running a good deal on the basepaths. Andrew Chafin hunting saves? I just grabbed Hendriks though and took a shot there. Shoot, Morel just went. Alex Kirilloff? I’m going with – Leody Taveras, who will likely start on the IL with a side issue which will open up another roster spot for me. Taveras could swipe 30 bases this year if he can get, and stay, healthy.
FINAL THOUGHTS
What did the draft software think? Fantasy Alarm lists the team 9th while Fantasy Pros says 7th.
On the pitching side, I ended up with more relief arms than has been traditional this year. I really like my top-6 arms as I think the group of them will place me in good standing with the starters. If my relievers come through, and I certainly have reason to believe they will, my staff should be solid if they stay healthy of course.
The hitting, other than catcher, has me feeling pretty decent. The duo behind the backstop could be just fine, but it certainly isn’t an ideal starting point. I have a nice balance of speed throughout the lineup, but I can’t shake the feeling that I might be a bit light in power. Still, I was able to roster a bunch of players that I’ve touted this spring, so the collection or players gives me hope of a strong finish this year.
Here is a link to the draftboard.
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