Kuzul

It seems like everyone who plays fantasy sports has their sleepers, busts, keepers, and break-out players lists. 

It is easy to make a list, but much more difficult to put that list to work in an actual fantasy draft. 

If you have read my break-out, sleepers, and busts slide show, you will see how I maximized my Yahoo MLB draft based on the players “Average Draft Position”—meaning what number they went overall. 

I will give you two scenarios:  One, drafting first overall in a 12 team league, and the other drafting 12th overall. 

This will give you a better idea of which players can and will be available at your particular pick in the draft. Team A will have the 1st overall pick and Team B will have the 12th overall pick based on a 12 team league. 

Here are how my two teams would shake out based on players current draft positions.

We will base this draft on the normal 5×5 Rotisserie Leagues. Our starters will be as follows which is standard in a Yahoo league:

C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, (3) OF, (2) Utility/DH, (2) SP, (2) RP, (4) P

The players average draft position is in the parentheses, while the number off to the side represents their actual draft position.

 

Below is how I would maximize my team from both draft slots on draft day.

 

Round 1

Team A – Troy Tulowitzki (4th) Draft Overall 1st

Team B – Evan Longoria (14th) – Draft Overall 12th

 

Round 2

Team B – Carlos Gonzalez (13th) – Draft Overall 13th

Team A –  Andrew McCutchen (28th) – Draft Overall 24th

 

Round 3

Team A – Tim Lincecum (27th) – Draft Overall 25th

Team B – Carlos Santana (40th) – Draft Overall 36th

 

Round 4

Team B – David Price (51st) – Draft Overall 37th

Team A – Brett Lawrie (50th) – Draft Overall 48th

 

Round 5

Team A – Jay Bruce (56th) – Draft Overall 49th

Team B – Yovani Gallardo (60th) – Draft Overall 60th

 

Round 6

Team B – Eric Hosmer (71st) – Draft Overall 61st

Team A – Howie Kendrick (80th) – Draft Overall 72nd

 

Round 7

Team A – Drew Storen (86th) – Draft Overall 73rd

Team B – Jason Heyward (90th) – Draft Overall 84th

 

Round 8

Team B – Matt Moore (93rd) – Draft Overall 85th

Team A – Brian Wilson (104th) – Draft Overall 96th

 

Round 9

Team A – Daniel Hudson (101st) – Draft 97th Overall

Team B – Ricky Romero (114th) –  Draft 108th Overall

 

Round 10

Team B – Joel Hanrahan (118th) – Draft 109th Overall

Team A- Brandon Beachy (121st) –  Draft 120th Overall

 

Round 11

Team A – Freddie Freeman (137th) – Draft 121st Overall

Team B – Jordan Walden (133rd) – Draft 132nd Overall

 

Round 12

Team B – Cameron Maybin (141st) – Draft 133rd Overall

Team A – Jesus Montero (155th) – Draft 144th Overall

 

Round 13

Team A – Huston Street (152nd) – Draft 145th Overall

Team B – Erick Aybar (157th) – Draft 156th Overall

 

Round 14

Team B – Peter Bourjos (174th) – Draft 157th Overall

Team A – Max Scherzer (169th) – Draft 168th Overall

 

Round 15

Team A – Jeff Francouer (181st) – Draft 169th Overall

Team B –  Jason Kipnis (200th) – Draft 180th Overall

 

Round 16

Team B – Wandy Rodriguez (194th) – Draft 181st Overall

Team A – Bud Norris (201st) – Draft 192nd Overall

 

Round 17

Team A – Wilson Ramos (213th) – Draft 193rd Overall

Team B – Dexter Fowler (206th) – Draft 204th Overall

 

Round 18

Team B – Lucas Duda (216th) – Draft 205th Overall

Team A – Matt Joyce (229th) – Draft 216th Overall

 

Round 19

Team A – Austin Jackson (238th) – Draft 217th Overall

Team B – Ryan Raburn (253rd) – Draft 228th Overall

 

Round 20

Team B – Brandon McCarthy (246th) – Draft 229th Overall

Team A –  Brennan Boesch (260th) – Draft 240th Overall

 

Round 21

Team A – Devin Mesoraco (265th) – Draft 241st Overall

Team B – Addison Reed (323rd) – Draft 252nd Overall

 

Round 22

Team B – John Mayberry (310th) – Draft 253rd Overall

Team A – Greg Holland (312th) – Draft 264th Overall

 

Round 23

Team A – Justin Smoak (347th) – Draft 265th Overall

Team B – Brandon Belt ( 357th) – Draft 276th Overall

 

RESULTS

Team A

C – Wilson Ramos

1B – Freddie Freeman

2B – Howie Kendrick

SS – Troy Tulowitzki

3B – Brett Lawrie

OF – Andrew McCutchen

OF – Jay Bruce

OF – Jeff Francouer

UT – Jesus Montero

UT – Matt Joyce

SP – Tim Lincecum

SP – Daniel Hudson

RP – Drew Storen

RP – Brian Wilson

P – Brandon Breachy

P – Huston Street

P – Max Scherzer

P – Bud Norris

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BENCH: Austin Jackson, Brennan Boesch, Devin Mesoraco, Greg Holland, Justin Smoak

 

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Team B

C – Carlos Santana

1B – Eric Hosmer

2B – Jason Kipnis

SS – Erick Aybar

3B – Evan Longoria

OF – Carlos Gonzalez

OF – Jason Heyward

OF – Cameron Maybin

UT – Peter Bourjos

UT – Dexter Fowler

SP – David Price

SP – Yovani Gallardo

RP – Matt Moore

RP – Joel Hanrahan

P – Ricky Romero

P – Jordan Walden

P – Wandy Rodriguez

P – Brandon McCarthy

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BENCH: Lucas Duda, Ryan Raburn, Addison Reed, John Mayberry, Brandon Belt

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Below is a list of the notable Undrafted Players (players falling out of 277th Overall that I did not draft):

C Miguel Olivo

1B Adam Dunn, Justin Morneau

2B Jose Altuve

SS Alcides Escobar, Stephen Drew, Zack Cosart

3B Nolan Arenado, Danny Valencia, Casey McGehee

OF Chris Heisey, Colby Rasmus, Carlos Quentin, Jason Bay, Mike Trout

SP Trevor Bauer, Ryan Vogelsong, Julio Teheran, Drew Pomeranz, Jake Peavy, Trevor Cahill, Chad Billinglsey, Francisco Liriano

RP Jonathon Broxton, Kevin Gregg

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I hope you enjoyed reading this article on maximizing your draft based on the average draft positions. If you are in a deeper or shallower league you can adjust these players draft positions/rankings to maximize your team. Hopefully this can give you a better idea of who to target and when you should pull the trigger on getting them. Now go draft!

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This list will consist of my 2012 All-MLB Fantasy Breakout and Sleeper players by position. 

If you are in a standard five-by-five, 10 team roto or head to head league, this list probably is not for you, but it can help you target key breakout players and backups for your superstar lineups. 

However, if you are in a 12, 14, 16 or even 20 team leagues, you have come to the right place for help. 

Read on and have fun taking home the title this year.

Begin Slideshow

The Major League Baseball draft is unique.

And while hockey is the only other sport that has a similar style draft, in which players who are drafted aren’t immediately a member of the league that hosts the event, only baseball offers six and sometimes seven different levels of “minor leagues.”

The baseball draft is unique in yet another way. When targeting a draft selection, need is often the furthest thing from a scouting director’s mind. Drafting for need as a scouting director or GM can get you fired real quick.

This is a sharp contrast from football, where the worst teams in the NFL often look to a quarterback or defensive player who can step in immediately and make a difference.

In baseball, a team can draft a player and have him up to the majors in one to two years at the quickest in most cases. Other players, high-schoolers specifically, need anywhere from two to five years of seasoning.

Still, whereas drafting for need is most of the time the worst possible thing a team could do in baseball, it has served some teams well in the past few years (think the Nationals with Stephen Strasburg and the Orioles with Matt Wieters) and is starting to become something that is less and less silly thanks to the polished players that are being drafted out of the college ranks these days.

Taking that into account, let’s examine closely which teams could fill a great need in their farm system by taking a player in the first round. 

Begin Slideshow

Thanks to the departures of Carl Crawford, Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Randy Choate, Brad Hawpe and Chad Qualls, Tampa Bay has a ridiculous 12 picks in the first two rounds of the 2011 MLB draft. That’s a record.

They also have three picks from 24-32, meaning they stand to pick up more talent than just about any team in recent draft memory.

Unfortunately, that means they also stand to shell out more money than most teams would in an entire draft, all in two rounds.

Still, the position they are in is an enviable one for multiple reasons. Not only are they going to add enough talent to their farm system to likely leap-frog the Royals back into the No. 1 spot, but they’re also going to benefit from one of the deepest drafts in major league history.

With 10 of the first 60 picks, the Rays could stand to add numerous high-upside outfielders (Josh Bell, Brandon Nimmo, Derek Fisher, etc), some potential front-of-the-rotation pitchers (Jose Fernandez, Robert Stephenson, Adam McCreery, etc), and even some middle-of-the-lineup bats (Ricky Oropesa, Jason Esposito, Alex Dickerson, etc).

The Rays will also have their pick of some of the most talented athletes in recent memory. They’ll most certainly have their eye on Shawon Dunston Jr., one of the fastest runners in the draft, and an exciting player in the mold of Delino DeShields Jr., a top-10 pick last year.

And they’ll certainly keep an eye on the wide array of toolsy shortstops that includes Tyler Greene, Phil Evans, Christian Lopes and Javier Baez. The Rays love toolsy infielders, as their misguided selection of 2008 No. 1 overall pick Tim Beckham proved.

With the draft still three months away, it’s easy to select the Rays as one of the event’s big winners.

I’ve already posted five versions of my mock draft (the most recent can be found here), and with the college and high school seasons heating up, it’s time for a new version, starting with an old familiar pick at No. 1.

In addition, each active link will take you to my scouting report of each player over at ProDraftCentral.com.

1) PIT- Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice
2) SEA- Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA
3) ARI- Danny Hultzen, LHP, Virginia
4) BAL- Sonny Gray, RHP, Vanderbilt
5) KC- Bubba Starling, OF, Gardner-Edgerton HS (CA)
6) WAS- Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Texas
7) ARI- George Springer, OF, Connecticut
8) CLE- Jackie Bradley Jr., OF, South Carolina
9) CHC- Matt Purke, LHP, Texas Christian
10) SD- Andrew Susac, C, Oregon State (compensation for Karsten Whitson)
11) HOU- Archie Bradley, RHP, Broken Arrow HS (OK)
12) MIL- Daniel Norris, RHP, Science Hill HS (TN)
13) NYM- Francisco Lindor, SS, Montverde Academy (FL)
14) FLA- Henry Owens, LHP, Edison HS (CA)
15) MIL- Matt Barnes, RHP, Connecticut (compensation for Dylan Covey)
16) LAD- Dillon Howard, RHP, Searcy HS (AR)
17) LAA- Dillon Maples, RHP, Pinecrest HS (NC)
18) OAK- Josh Bell, OF, Jesuit College Prep (TX)
19) BOS- Alex Meyer, RHP, Kentucky
20) COL- Dylan Bundy, RHP, Owasso HS (OK)
21) TOR- Jed Bradley, LHP, Georgia Tech
22) STL- John Stilson, RHP, Texas A&M
23) WAS- Preston Tucker, 1B, Florida (compensation for Adam Dunn)
24) TB- Taylor Guerrieri, RHP, Spring Valley HS (SC) (compensation for Carl Crawford)
25) SD- Mikie Mahtook, OF, Lousiana State
26) BOS- Nicky Delmonico, C, Farragut HS (TN) (compensation for Adrian Beltre)
27) CIN- Charlie Tilson, OF, New Trier HS (IL)
28) ATL- Dante Bichette Jr., 3B, Orangewood Christian HS (CA)
29) SF- Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA
30) MIN- Kyle Winkler, RHP, Texas Christian
31) TB- Jose Fernandez, RHP, Alonso HS (FL) (compensation for Rafael Soriano)
32) TB- Javier Baez, 3B/SS, Arlington Country Day HS (FL)
33) TEX- C.J. Cron, C, Utah (compensation for Cliff Lee)

Supplemental First-Round

34) WAS- Tyler Beede, RHP, Lawrence Academy (MA)
35) TOR- Christian Lopes, SS, Edison HS (CA)
36) BOS- Jack Armstrong Jr., RHP, Vanderbilt
37) TEX- Jason Esposito, 3B, Vanderbilt
38) TB- Shawon Dunston Jr., OF, Valley Christian HS (CA)
39) PHI- Tyler Greene, SS, West Boca HS (FL)
40) BOS- Tony Zych, RHP, Louisville
41) TB- Brandon Nimmo, OF, East HS (WY)
42) TB- Kolten Wong, 2B, Hawaii
43) ARI- Peter O’Brien, C, Bethune-Cookman
44) NYM- Robert Stephenson, RHP, Alhambra HS (CA)
45) COL- Dixon Anderson, RHP, California
46) TOR- Michael Kelly, RHP, West Boca HS (FL)
47) CHW- Anthony Meo, RHP, Coastal Carolina
48) SD- Blake Swihart, C, Cleveland HS (NM)
49) SF- Joe Panik, SS, St. John’s
50) MIN- Phil Evans, SS, LaCosta Canyon HS (CA)
51) NYY- Austin Wood, RHP, Southern California
52) TB- Jake Cave, OF, Kecoughtan HS (VA)
53) TOR- Derek Fisher, OF, Cedar Crest HS (PA)
54) SD- Bryan Brickhouse, RHP, The Woodlands HS (TX)
55) MIN- Sam Gaviglio, RHP, Oregon State
56) TB- Zach Cone, OF, Georgia
57) TOR- Tyler Anderson, LHP, Oregon
58) SD- Levi Michael, SS, North Carolina
59) TB- Adam McCreery, LHP, Bonita HS (CA)
60) TB- Ricky Oropesa, 1B, Southern California

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com