As Kelly puts the final touches on the ADP, I am here to talk about a great keeper question from Dave.  BTW, it looks like the second version of the 2010 Fantasy Baseball Average Draft Position and Scarcity Report might be released tomorrow.  Oh and don’t forget to check out the projections and cheatsheets that Ivar posted yesterday.  On to the question at hand…

Here is my keeper question.  10 team, AL only, $260, roto, 5×5(obp instead of avg), keeper auction league.  9 pitchers and 14 hitters.  Can keep between 6 and 15 players.  All of my players can be kept at same salary for 2010.

I like my pitching staff and was considering keeping all of them (Cecil if he looks good this spring)

• Andrew Bailey $3
• Frank Francisco $2
• Porcello $5
• Sheets $2
• Thorton $1
• Verlander $26
• Weaver $21
• Brett Cecil $2

Thinking about keeping the next 7 players but wanted to get your opinion.

• Cuddyer $8
• Macier Izturis $1(like his multiple eligibility)
• Andrus $5
• Austin Jackson $5
• Juan Rivera $1
• BJ Upton $8
• Justin Smoak $5 if on opening day roster, no hit to salary cap if in minors.

Not sure about these.

• Beltre $23
• Josh Hamilton $26(injuries scare me)
• Luke Scott $12
• Andruw Jones $1(want to see what he does in spring training)
• Cliff Pennington $6

If I go with the players I’m thinking about it would leave me with $170 to spend on power hitters.

Thanks again for your help.

Dave

Hey Dave,
Thanks for checking out Fantasy Gameday and submitting your question to us.

As far as your pitching keepers go, I would definitely keep them but think about letting Sheets and Cecil go. Unless they have a very good spring, then keep them. Sheets is a risk since coming off an injury. I personal wouldn’t trust him to hold on to even as a keeper. Even though he is $2, you could probably find a better pitcher for a little more money or he’ll probably cost the same if drafted again this season. As far as Cecil goes, he might start the season in the minors depending on how well he pitches in spring training. I wouldn’t look for terrific numbers out of him yet. You could find a more productive pitcher out there but again if you want him later you could get him for the same cost more than likely.

For your keeper hitters, I would keep them all. None of these guys will hurt your team. Their cost are reasonable and in some cases cheap. Jackson has had a terrific spring and looks like he might get the starting CF spot to replace Granderson. Smoak is still up in the air but looks to be headed towards the minors for little while longer.

For the guys you’re not sure about keeping, I would cut them all but think about keeping Hamilton. I am right there with you on him. If he can stay healthy all season, he would be worthy the risk. You should be able to find a similar productive OF for the same cost who doesn’t have the injury risk. I am big fan of his and it would be difficult to let him go just because he still could be a high reward. Beltre, Scott, Jones, and Pennington won’t be much help.

Hope this information helps and best of luck this fantasy season.

Scott

Finally, after many hours of number-crunching, I have put together my 2010 MLB projections spreadsheets and tiered cheatsheet.  This year, I distilled projections from 11 different sources and employed some statistical analysis to come up with rankings for each of the categories I use in the leagues that I have set up and for which I act as commissioner.  I like 6×6 roto leagues, adding OPS and Holds to the stat categories.  I especially like the use of holds as it gives value to middle relievers, and avoids the problem of having to select mediocre starting pitchers to fill out your squad.

This year I’ve added RC27 and BABIP columns to the Hitter sheets, and K/9, BB/9, K/BB and BR/9 to the Pitcher projections.  Next year I will add auction values to both sets of data, but I was only able to find values for pitchers this year.
I have posted the hitter and pitcher projection compilations as well as version 1 of my cheatsheet with 7 tiers on Google Docs, as I’ve done in years past.  The links are here:

Hitter projections

Pitcher projections

Tiered Cheatsheet 

I do update the cheatsheet as spring training developments occur, taking into account injuries, upgrades/downgrades in status, changes in anticipated position eligibility, and the like.  The projections, on the other hand, will have to stand as is, as with drafts beginning I cannot foresee any point between now and the Opening Day when I will have time to import updated projections, and revise my spreadsheets.  I would guess that if I were more adept at Excel, I could simply create appropriate links to update the spreadsheets automatically, but I haven’t been blessed with that particular ability yet.  Anyone who has a suggestion as to how I could accomplish such a feat, I would be in your debt.

Feel free to download the spreadsheets and play around with the stats as you see fit.  Also, if you want a custom spreadsheet created, let me know what additional stats you need to have included and I will see what I can come up with, time permitting.

Don’t forget to grab a depth chart and Kelly’s ADP report to help you in your drafts.  I do not necessarily suggest bringing too much information to the draft table, but a good cheatsheet, an updated MLB depth chart and an ADP/Scarcity report will let you adjust on the fly when the draft takes a dramatic change that you weren’t expecting.

Good luck to everyone, except those playing against me in a league, to whom I say, “Luck, short of winning.”

First of all, I think I need to apologize.  It seems the second version is larger and better than the previous version.  Who am I kidding… that is the whole point of this.  Well all the data for 710 players is now entered and sorted.  All that is left to do is build the Scarcity Reports and add in all the player notes.  Let me tell you… Chuck did a fantastic job in gathering statistical data and recent player notes to add in.

So look for it’s release to be in just a few days!

Kelly

I decided to take a break from the second version of the ADP to answer a quick question from Melissa.  Just so everyone knows, the ADP is moving along at a great pace.  Chuck has all the player notes completed, and I am almost completed with the data input.  Should be only a few days yet, but I promise it will be worth the wait.  So… here is Melissa’s question:

League specs are: 12 team 6X6 roto scoring including Quality Starts and Doubles as the extra categories. Each team keeps 5 keepers and we lose the first 5 rounds of the draft for players kept, so our draft starts with the 6th round.

My obvious keepers are Ryan Braun, Mark Teix, Jimmy Rollins but then I cant decide between Robinson Cano, BJ Upton, or Nick Markakis for my last two spots. For pitchers options I have Hamels, Wainwright, or Billingsley but I tend to shy away from keeping pitchers.  Let me know what you think.

Thanks for your help!

Melissa

I would certainly agree that your three definite keepers are Braun, Tex, and J-Roll.  At least you have three solid options to fill your final two slots.  However, I think the answer is fairly clear. Without know exactly how many outfielders you have in your starting lineup, nor if you have a middle infield slot, The first additional player that I would keep is Robinson Cano.  He is arguably a top 5 second base option in 2010, and the odds of something better not being kept by another owner is very slim.  So I think you need to protect yourself with keeping a second baseman.

The second player is not as easy of a decision.  However, I would tend to lean towards keeper B.J. Upton for two reasons… speed and balance. Upton is known for his speed potential, and the stats over the past few years confirm this.  The debate has always been about his power output.  I personally think that the guaranteed speed, and the possible home runs, will compliment your other keepers of Teixeira and Cano.  Even the risk of Upton’s low batting average can be counteracted by those two players and even Cano.  Don’t get me wrong… I love Markakis, and think he will have a solid season in 2010, but I think the other two players compliment you core keepers better.

The pitching options are decent, but all of them can be acquired during the 6th round and later. So I would not go there.

Thanks for the great question.

Kelly

As the weekend draws to a close, and the release of the latest ADP is on the horizon, it is time to answer another keeper question, or two, or three. Well you get the idea.  Ryan sent this question during all the craziness that was a complete hosting failure.  Here is Ryan’s question…

League: 10 team, Roto, 25 man rosters.
Stats: R RBI SB R BB TB K BA OPS for hitters, W L SV ERA WHIP K BB HLD K/9 for pitchers.

Our league allows teams to keep 10-12 players. Unkept players are thrown back in the pool for a snake draft. Teams that keep 10 players get extra picks at the start of the draft. Because I feel like the stats warrant it, I have built a very good, power oriented offense. My pitching is by far the league’s worst.

I have 11 solid keepers but I’m stuck on my 12th. My decision is down to:

• - Mariano Rivera
• - Shane Victorino
• - Alex Rios
• - Michael Bourn

Rivera would be a great keeper in a 5 x 5 league, but contributing ~6% of my total innings, he isn’t likely to make an  impact anywhere other than saves. Any of the 3 outfielders could help me (I currently have Holliday and Sizemore) but none are slam dunks. Victorino is a safe choice for our categories, Bourn could carry my entire team with his SBs, and for some reason I’m still a big believer in Rios’ potential even after an abominable ‘09 campaign.

I also have the option of keeping none and taking a shot at selecting a pitcher a round early in the draft - but in such a deep league there aren’t many interesting names. Any input you have is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for all your hard work!

For your 12th keeper, you do have some fine options and I believe that your analysis is pretty solid.

I personally think you should draft a solid starter, but, I don’t know what the options are there for you. If there is only a run of the mill pitcher, then I would rank these guys as follows.

Bourn. His steals are a great asset. Depending on your team speed, if it is lacking at all, I would go with Mike. Like you stated, he can carry your sb category, and that is a nice luxury to have.

Victorino. He is safe. He is a solid guy for most of the hitting categories. He may be a tad boring, but alot of “boring” teams win in Roto leagues. I believe that Rios has higher potential, but watching him in the AL Central last year, he looks rough.

Rivera. Even with only 6% of the innings, he still can rack up the saves with the Yanks, and I believe him to be the top closer. He can allow you to pick up lower tier closers or set up guys, and ignore the temptation to chase saves.

Rios. Horrible season last year. But he is still young, he does have multi-category ability, and he is in a hitter’s park. So how will it go? Who knows, and I would not take a flier on him. But that’s me, and with that in mind, he will probably break out this year.

I am a tad pitcher friendly, so take that for what it’s worth.

Good luck, and comment if you need any further follow up.

Randall

This particular question is a re-post, but due to the site issues, was removed from the database.  So once again, here is a great question from Nate…

I am in a 12 team 5×5, auction, un-droppable *except DL or minor moves, with a $50 cap. We are allowed to keep up to 12 keepers for up to 3 years. (10% increase in salary from prior year) 2 catcher etc league.

Keepers for sure are

• C. Wieters (.90)
• 1B. Prince (4.24)
• 3B. Arod (6.10)
• Of. Kemp, Pence (1.21, 1.00)
• SP. Nolasco, Jurrjens, Broxton, and David Price (.90, .30, .90, .90)

The above total $16.45 which leaves us $33.55 for a C, 2B, SS, CI, MI, 3OF, and 5P

Do I keep Polanco (.01), Shoppach (.01) Wang (.01) Maine (.01)

I can keep 3 of them, but not all. I am leaning towards Polanco, but iffy on the others. My dilemma is with the “undroppable” status, which killed us on Wang, so I am a little gun-shy.

Thanks

Nate Marcum

Hi Nate,

Looks like your team is headed in  the right direction. Great job so far and hopefully this will help keep your team on the right track.  I agree completely with you that you should keep Polanco. While 3b is normally a power corner, you can’t go wrong if he goes back to averaging .300 and his 72 ribbies were a career high. The Phillies paid him a solid salary and if he can stay healthy he is a nice option. That ballpark doesn’t hurt either.

As being a Tribe fan, I like the upside of Kelly Shoppach, and if he can get full time at bats with a team that is filled with hitting studs in Tampa, he could be a steal. Low risk, potential solid reward with Kelly, especially with the lack of solid catchers this year.

If Maine’s shoulder is fully healed, he could be a nice option for what it costs to keep him. I look for him to bounce back this year and have a sub 4 ERA and double digit wins, which is nice for a penny. He had 32 and 25 starts the two years prior to last year and notched 15 and 10 wins respectively. In 07’ his 180 punch outs were noteworthy to say the least.

With Wang, if his 9 plus ERA wasn’t scary enough, the fact he plays for the Nats and may not be ready to pitch until June should make this guy the odd one out. I would not hold him on any roster this year. I know he was very solid in the past, but that is just the perfect storm for hurting your team far more than he could possibly help.

Hope that helped a bit.

Randall

Our penultimate mock draft took place last Wednesday night, with a full slate of drafters. The results are available on Google Docs via the link at the end of this post.  I did have to open it up to the public on Wednesday afternoon, but that has actually worked out quite well the past two weeks.  I believe with Yahoo, ESPN, CBS and others opening up their own mock draft sites, our cachet as a special experience has peaked.    In any event, next week’s mock draft will be the last we host this year.  Here is the link:  FantasyGameday.net Mock Draft #8 As always, the password (at least until Wednesday at noon) is FGD2010.  The draft will take place on Wednesday, March 10 at 9 PM EST.

Onward to my discussion of picks that made me go, “Hmm.”

• Justin Upton went with the first pick of the second round.  I understand the thinking that if Aaron did not select him then, he would miss out on a player he obviously believes in, but I have re-evaluated my stance on J-Upside, and am no longer drinking that particular flavor of Kool-Aid.  I think I would trust Holliday, Ellsbury or Sizemore over Justin.

• I wonder what the news about Reyes’ latest medical condition (overactive thyroid) will affect his draft position.  Stephania Bell, my favorite sports injury expert, has a good piece about the situation on ESPN.

• Zack Greinke was the fifth SP taken in the draft, going as the 9th pick in the 4th round.  That’s another cup of Kool-Aid I prefer to let pass me by, as I wonder if he can even come close to what he accomplished last season.  He still pitches for the god-awful Royals, and while the division is mediocre as well, I just can’t see him replicating what he did last year.  I prefer to wait for someone like Verlander, Wainwright, Lester or even Cliff Lee, but that’s just personal preference.

• Nathan Peiffer selected Broxton as the first closer in the 6th round, and started a mini run on closers, with the top 4 (Broxton, Nathan, Pappelbon and Rivera) all going by the mid-seventh round.  Nathan then grabbed Soria in the 8th, a strategy which I have never adopted, since I believe saves continually come into the league.  I do advocate taking a proven closer by the 10th round, however, a major change in my draft strategy that arose after I failed to come close to a middle of the pack finish in saves in my money league last year.

• Hunter Pence was selected by Stubby Clapp in the 9th round, and I think he will provide great value there.  Pence has some speed and power, and his BA won’t kill you, either.  I like him as an OF3/4 in this round.

• Carlos Beltran’s selection in the 10th is the definition of a risk/reward pick.  If he comes back at full strength by the end of May, it is a great pick.  If he doesn’t play until the All-Star break, as I’ve seen some articles predicting, then it is a wasted pick this high in the draft.

• Stephen Drew in the 11th is a value pick.  We all know someday Drew will hit 25-30 HR, drive in 100 runs and steal 15-20 bases, and hope we have him on our team that season.

• Even though I detest catchers, I believe the selection of Suzuki in the 12th round was a good pick.  Of the remaining backstops, I feel he has the best chance to produce good numbers for his owner on a consistent basis.

• Aroldis Chapman as the first player selected in the 13th round strikes me as another big risk/reward pick.  I have read that it is expected that he will start the season in the minors, so right there you are getting less than a full season’s performance out of him.  While I don’t expect the Reds to keep him down on the farm very long, it is difficult to predict his performance given that he’s pitched in Cuba and we don’t have a good set of stats to project his MLB results.

• Johnny Damon should make a fine OF4 for team 4, who picked him up in the 14th round.  With the Tiger’s LF spot basically given to him, he will put up decent numbers, just don’t expect the same power as he was able to produce in Yankee Stadium part 2.

• I normally avoid over-hyped rookies when drafting my teams, but everything I hear about Jason Heyward is positive, and especially in keeper leagues, I will be targeting him.  The reports I read say he will make the Atlanta squad out of spring training, and given the Brave’s past history with rookies, I believe he has a great chance to prosper at the Major League level.

• Scott Sizemore (17th round, 12th pick) is another rookie I think you can hitch your wagon to for this season.  The Tigers obviously think he can be their everyday 2B, which is why they let Polanco sign with the Phillies.  He has definite value as a MI or bench player on your squad.

• Jonathan Sanchez was selected in the 20th round, and I for one feel that is too late.  A 200 K pitcher has value on any squad, and I kick myself for not selecting him when I had the chance earlier.  Don’t make this mistake in your real drafts.

• If your league employs holds as a category, make certain you know which RPs are next in line for the closer role, as this means that they are their team’s 8th inning set-up man, and in line for a number of holds.  Also, don’t forget about the 6th and 7th inning men, either, as unlike saves, holds can be earned by more than one effective pitcher in a game.  I am talking about guys like Madson, Jepsen, Sherill, Bard, Devine and others.  In fact, having a depth chart at your draft, along with your cheatsheet*, can prove invaluable in the late rounds.

• In the last two rounds, I believe these players have some real value:  Matt Latos, Ryan Theriot, Andy Pettitte, Brian Matusz,  Chase Headley and Edwin Encarnacion.  Any of these position players on your bench will provide decent back-up potential if one of your starters goes down with injury, and each of the pitchers deserves to pitch when their turn comes up, depending on match-up in the appropriate situation.

Thanks again to everyone who has joined us for our weekly mock drafts.  I hope to see some of you at the final mock on Wednesday.  Hopefully, we’ve helped you prepare for the real thing, letting you test out strategies and see where players are being selected.  Don’t forget to check out Kelly’s ADP/Scarcity report, the next version of which will be released soon.  I would also ask that you keep visiting our site, as we are constantly publishing new material to help you excel at this sometimes frustrating pastime.
FantasyGameday.net Mock Draft #7 results

*Speaking of cheatsheets, look for a link to my tiered cheatsheet to be published on this site in the next few days, or if you are really impatient, on my personal blog the weekend of March 6-7.  I will also provide a link to my consolidate projections spreadsheet for those who like to play around with Excel. My posts will detail some of the specifications of the draft tools.

While we await Kelly’s latest ADP masterwork, we’re still recovering old e-mails and questions. This puzzler comes from Mike, who writes:

I am in a 12-team, custom Yahoo! H2H league. We can keep any two players from last year’s roster. The keeper selections do not affect this year’s draft order. Our 23 man rosters are broken down as follows:
C,1B, 2B, SS, 3B, OF, OF, OF, Util, SP, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P (We carry five bench players)
We use the following scoring categories (6×6): AVG, R, HR, RBI, OPS, SB… W, L, ERA, WHIP, K, SV.

We use a snake draft format. My keeper options are as follows:
2B Dustin Pedroia
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adrian Gonzalez
1B Kendry Morales

I have been trying to decide on which two of these guys I want to keep for months. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Mike Remza, Big Naturals Baseball Club

Mike, I generally follow a median path between positional scarcity and best-player-available. Needless to say, there are many intangibles to consider, including how well you know your league-mates and their predilections, including mancrushes or hometown allegiances. Drafting is like a game of chicken. You know when you want to grab your targeted players, but have to predict how your fellow owners will act and react.

I’m seeing Zimmerman go as early as the low 20s since everyone’s panicking that 3B is as shallow as any of the “Real Housewives” and as reliable Amy Winehouse between rehab stints. Zimmerman’s K rate ticked up but he showed marked improvement in BB rate as well. While you’d like him to play in a more hitting-friendly park (indeed, the NL East has only one bona fide hitters’ stadium), an OPS approaching .900 is certainly worthwhile.

Now I like Kendry and expect a similar season with perhaps slight regression due to supporting cast. But the big question for keeper #2 is A-Gon versus Dustin “The Portuguese Pedaler” Pedroia. At first glance A-Gon seems like the big winner. He gets IBBs up the wazoo (whatever a wazoo is… I don’t wanna know), shows patience, and his ISO and OPS made huge strides last year. And there’s that trade talk, fueled by his refusal to give San Diego a hometown discount. This would only enhance his value since we all salivate at the thought of his escaping the unfriendly confines of power-sapping Petco. But let’s give Dustin a moment. He’s the definition of scrappy. He doesn’t hurt you in any categories, and indeed his OPS is pretty darn good for a second baseman. Plus there’s that nagging positional scarcity, albeit not quite as terrifying as 3B; surely you can find other productive 1Bs in the draft. In fact, Dustin rates just above A-Gon in several keeper rankings, though Adrian’s ADP is generally higher.

So it’s closer than you’d think. But A-Gon edges Dustin by a nose (as much for the trade rumors as anything else).

Go from A to Z, Mike, and thanks for checking in. Be sure to look for Kelly’s latest ADP report!

Today we have another great question from Aaron.  Before we get to that, Kelly wanted me to mention that the second version of the ADP should be available by the end of the weekend or the beginning of next week.  So let’s take a look at Aaron’s question…

- League Size - How many teams - *10 teams
- League Format - H2H or roto -* roto AL only
- League stats - is it standard 5×5, or other stats *5×5 (HR,OBP,R,SB,RBI- W,S,HD,ERA,WHIP )
- League draft - snake draft or auction - *auction for starters - straight draft for bench
- Roster size - how many players on each team - * 9 hitters, 8 pitchers, 11 bench
- Number of keepers - how many total - *max of 9 hitter and 8 pitchers(starting lineup )
- Special Rules - keep anyone or draft inflation - anyone who hasn’t played before Aug 1st is eligible to be slotted and takes up a 5th round reserve slot. next would be 6th..etc. Salary Cap - $500 (applies only to starters during the draft. Once the draft is over you can trade for high priced guys without penalty. Draft picks can also be traded. No cap money can be traded.)

Given the following Roster -

Active Batters

• Hafner  Travis DH CLE 37
• Kendrick  Howie 2B ANA 27
• Pedroia Dustin 2B BOS  22
• Andrus  Elvis SS TEX 13
• Beckham  Gordon 3B CHW 3
• Hunter Torii CF ANA 40
• Markakis  Nick RF BAL 27
• Sweeney  Ryan RF OAK  3

Active Pitchers

• Buchholz  Clay SP BOS 20
• Carmona  Fausto SP CLE 25
• Fuentes Brian RP ANA 50
• Lowe  Mark RP SEA 3
• Millwood  Kevin SP BAL 1
• Morrow  Brandon SP TOR 22
• Shields  James SP TB 22

Reserve Batters

• Montero  Jesus C NYY  1
• Scutaro  Marco SS BOS 1
• Crisp  Coco CF OAK  15
• Jackson  Austin OF DET 11

Reserve Pitchers

• Balfour  Grant RP TB 11
• Fields  Josh D. RP SEA  2
• Floyd  Gavin SP CHW  11
• Liriano  Francisco SP MIN  26
• Wang  Chien-Ming SP NYY  31

The obvious hitters to keep are Pedroia, Andrus, Beckham, and Markakis but that leaves me light on HRs.

The bubble guys :
-Not sure Tori Hunter is worth it at $40.
-i can slot Jackson and Montero which seems like a decent option even giving up the 5 and 6 picks in the supplemental. I could also slot Fields. but I hesitate to give up 3 supplemental picks and short my active bench. What are you thoughts on Scutaro? is he the next Julio Lugo?

On the pitching side the only real definite I have is Bucholz and Mark Lowe (everyone in this league seems to chase holds like SBs ). I like Liriano’s upside but think his price is getting up there.  Fuentes with Rodney in the back ground makes me nervous. Socia seems to stick with one closer through just about anything but is $50 too much?

I realize I am asking some very broad questions but any insight you can give is appreciated.

thanks
Hi Aaron,

This sounds like a fun league, one that takes a lot of effort, but one that you really get to sink your teeth into.

I will start on the pitching side, because there are some players with high prices that can be dropped, really freeing up your budget.  I would definitely drop Fuentes, his keeper price puts him at the very top of the closer scale.  I personally believe he will lose his job at some point this season.  Also, Jose Valverde, Rafael Soriano, and Mike Gonzalez are coming into the AL as closers.  You could potentially land two of them at auction for the cost of keeping Fuentes.  In addition to your definite keepers hang onto Millwood, Shields, and Floyd.  That is a solid foundation of starters in an AL only league.  Dropping Fuentes should give you the money to speculate on Liriano as well.  I like how he fits into your staff as a high upside pitcher, so I would only let him go if I was sure I could get him for less at auction.  Josh Fields is a cut, he has yet to throw strikes at AA.  Sometimes the dominant college relievers just turn into Craig Hanson.  I don’t mind the idea of keeping Balfour, but I do not value him as an elite setup man.  It could be smart to try and find the next Mark Lowe at auction instead.

Onto the hitters, with your cap $40 on Hunter is not overpaying and he fits a need, so keep him.  Again, this is a place where dropping Fuentes helps.  Marco Scutaro will get on base enough to have value, he was 4th among all SS in OBP last year.  Montero and Jackson are keepers too, Jackson because he is so close to the majors and Montero because he is such a premium prospect.  The drops on the hitting side should be Hafner, Kendrick, and Crisp.  Cut Kendrick because Beckham is likely to slide to 2B and fill your middle infield.  Also, average is his strongest stat, which you do not use.  I like gambling on Ryan Sweeney at $3 getting playing time over Crisp at $15.

This plan would have you spending either $215 or $204, depending on the Balfour decision.  Hopefully there is enough at your disposal to buy some saves and some power hitting, because this team has strong depth for the size of the league.

Here is the third question we are answering today.  At this rate we should be caught up with all of the keeper questions by the end of the month.  Keep them coming!

Michael writes:

I am having a tough time debating between a bunch of guys for my keeper list this year. In my 8-team H2H league, we have to keep 6 and can keep players as long as we want with no penalties. Scoring is as follows: R, H, HR, RBI, BB, SB, AVG…..W, L, CG, K, SV, ERA, WHIP. Snake draft after the first 6 keepers rounds and I pick last in the 7th round.

I am really against keeping SPs, but not sure I can avoid that this year:

• Teixeira
• Votto
• Kinsler
• Wright
• Reyes
• Holliday
• Bruce
• Choo
• Greinke

I would start off with the studs that are in the weaker fantasy positions. Ian Kinsler, David Wright, and Jose Reyes would all be kept. Wright should rebound, and if Reyes is healthy all year he will be a multi category beast. I love Kinsler’s power and speed mix and if he can hit for average, the sky is the limit.

Then I would take 2 guys in deep positions that are top tier quality in Tex and Holliday.

I also know you said you hate keeping pitchers, but if someone has to twist your arm, let me be the one to tell you to keep Greinke. This guy can anchor your staff and is well worth a top 6 round pick.

You really can make an argument for your entire list, but, I would take the proven top round talent. I would hate to take a flier on Votto over Tex and watch Tex mash in that minor league ballpark. I love Choo and Bruce has huge upside also, but stay the course and ride the proven stallions off into the fantasy championship sunset.

Good luck,

Randall Dean

Keepers:

Wright, Reyes, Kinsler, Tex, Holliday, and Greinke. For sure.