Baseball is filled with guidelines. For instance, the mound is precisely 60 toes, 6 inches away from the again level of residence plate. Residence plate is 17-inches extensive. The bases are 90 toes aside. Hit the foul poles within the air, it’s a house run. Your crew is main after 9 innings, you win. Everyone knows these widespread guidelines. After all, new guidelines are coming in on a regular basis. There’s the brand new pitch clock, further inning guidelines, bigger bases, and pitch challenges are proper across the nook. Some guidelines keep the identical whereas others evolve.
Baseball is filled with unwritten guidelines too. Don’t swing at a 3-0 pitch with an enormous lead. Take too lengthy rounding the bases after a tater, you may put on one subsequent time up. Place gamers don’t stroll throughout the pitcher’s mound. You don’t bunt throughout a no-hitter. Talking of no-hitters, gamers aren’t supposed to speak about these through the recreation. I can go on and on…
Fantasy baseball isn’t any totally different, there are written and unwritten guidelines. For right this moment’s Factors league draft lesson, we’re going to deal with the latter – UNWRITTEN RULES. Earlier than we do although, let’s speak slightly about RazzSlam. How are your drafts are going? Right here’s a fast have a look at mine:
Sure, our league is simply by way of 9 rounds at this level. Transferring a bit sluggish however that’s okay…we’ll make it.
Drafting from the #2 spot, I knew I’d get my first (and doubtless solely) share of Bobby Witt Jr. and I couldn’t be happier. I like me some Gunnar Henderson but when there’s one SS to construct your squad round, this cat is the one! You’ll additionally discover I didn’t take my first pitcher till Rd 9. Your eyes will not be deceiving you. My technique is to load up on high-scoring bats within the early rounds. Keep in mind two weeks in the past we talked about Factors league draft technique (go HERE when you don’t), prime bats have a tendency to attain extra factors than prime arms so I load up on them.
Will this draft technique work? Time will inform, however I’ve it on good authority that it’s a viable method. Don’t consider me, try this text performed by our personal @everywhereblair. He’ll make a believer out of you too!
Be at liberty to share your draft progress within the feedback beneath. I need to know who will likely be pushing for second place behind my crew!
Okay, now that we’ve had some draft enjoyable, let’s get again to the “unwritten” guidelines of drafting in Factors leagues. There’s one unwritten rule particularly that I need to deal with right this moment. It’s kinda like quicksand, sucking individuals in each time and actual arduous to flee from. And that’s: Don’t comply with a platform’s ADP when drafting in Factors leagues!
Properly, that’s normally good recommendation in any draft room but it surely’s notably true in Factors leagues. Let me present you.
Primarily based on Razzball/Streamer Projections…and why would you employ another…listed here are the highest 20 projected scorers in RazzSlam6. You are able to do this your self. Merely obtain the hitter and pitcher projections right into a spreadsheet (be happy to tweak them as you see match), add a method to enter the NFBC scoring, and voilà, you will have projected scoring to your Factors league.
These are after all sorted by projected RazzSlam6 scoring however observe the NFBC ADP (third column) that you simply’ll see within the draft room. Mookie Betts is an ideal instance of this “unwritten rule” about utilizing ADPs. In a Roto league, Mookie’s 5-category projections, particularly 25 HRs and 15 SBs, will assist you immensely firstly of a draft. On this Factors league although, with HRs price 6 factors and SBs price 5 factors, he’s not fairly as beneficial. Nonetheless, the positioning ADP is extra reflective of outcomes from Roto league drafts than strictly Factors league drafts. So, when you comply with ADP, you’re prone to draft him within the mid- to late-first spherical slightly than mid-second spherical.
Additionally observe, there aren’t any pitchers listed within the prime 20 (disregard Shohei)…however extra on that shortly.
Now 21-40:
For probably the most half, these names monitor with the highest 21-40 projected scoring. We don’t see plenty of conditions like we did with Mookie Betts above. Conversely, a number of the gamers, like Teoscar Hernandez and Marcel Ozuna would really present slightly worth in the event that they fall to their ADP. Take a look at Josh Naylor and particularly Luis Arraez, nonetheless. In the event you can land them close to their ADP, their draft worth goes up fairly a bit. NOTE: in case your league mates know their stuff, don’t depend on these massive bats falling to their ADP.
Nonetheless no pitchers right here both…and we’re into the third spherical now. I do know it’s arduous when Paul Skenes or Zach Wheeler are looking at you from the highest of the draft board however DON’T DRAFT PITCHERS YET!
The following 20:
Now we see the highest pitchers exhibiting up. Paul Skenes, with an ADP of 17.7 within the draft room, really is available in because the 53rd highest scoring participant on this Factors league format. Zack Wheeler is available in proper after at 54thand Tarik Skubal at 58th.
In a 12-team league, we’re now on the finish of the fifth spherical. Do you will have the stones to maintain passing on these prime SPs and cargo up on bats for 5-7 rounds? In a Roto league, it’s positively not the kiss of demise however it would make the remainder of your draft tougher. In a Factors league, I’m right here to inform you it’s okay. Actually, return as much as see my RazzSlam6 draft. I handed on pitchers till the ninth spherical and nonetheless landed Aaron Nola.
For kicks, listed here are the stats in my RazzSlam league. As I write this, the draft is coming again to me within the 10thround. Just one different crew (a fellow Razzball author, no much less) has a single pitcher drafted. The remaining:
2 Pitchers Drafted = 4 groups
3 Pitchers Drafted = 5 groups
4 Pitchers Drafted = 1 crew
So, whereas these different groups have been drafting pitchers, I’ve been loading up on hitters that rating extra factors. Actually, six of my eight hitters are listed within the tables above (prime 60 projected scorers).
Once more, I do know it’s arduous to move on these massive hurlers, particularly coming to a Factors league draft after doing a little Roto league drafts, however have endurance – it would repay in the long term. Even when you simply move on pitchers till their projected scoring equals the hitters, don’t sweat it. You’ll have the ability to assemble a stable employees and have the sting on offense.
Keep in mind one of many key guidelines of Factors leagues: It doesn’t matter WHERE the factors come from, you simply want to search out them.”
Abstract
The lesson for right this moment…be cautious with how you employ ADP. In the event you’re drafting based mostly on ADP, particularly in a Factors league, you might be setting your self up for failure. I’m not saying ignore all of it collectively. Use it as a information or higher but, take note of how your league mates are drafting. In the event you discover they’re strictly following ADP, use that to your benefit. In the event you’ve performed your homework, like I did above, you recognize the gamers who supply scoring worth at their ADP (Luis Arraez and Bo Bichette) and people to keep away from at their ADP (Mookie Betts and Paul Skenes).
Be at liberty to submit or talk about your RazzSlam draft progress beneath and inform me the way you’re placing the crew collectively. I promise to be variety – nicely, as variety as I may be.
As all the time, you could find me on Twitter/X (@Derek_Favret) and on BlueSky (@dfavret.bsky.social).
Till subsequent time, my associates.
