Mixed 5 x 5 Mock Draft: 12 Teams
I must admit that the preseason has to be my favorite time of year in all of fantasy sports. Why not as we are starting a new season and none of my predictions have blown up in smoke as the regular season comes crashing down on my head. While our twelve team mock draft is in no way the only piece of information you should use to get ready for draft day, it can help you get an idea of the trends that are going on.
At the end of the day, some sleepers will out perform can’t miss top round studs as injuries and poor play are always an unpleasant reality in fantasy sports. Many of you will be forced into deciding if you should stretch for a hitting talent who may not be worth an early pick over a great starting pitcher.
Coming off a down season in hitting it seems as though we have taken a 180 degree change from where fantasy baseball was less than ten years ago. Part of the reason for that is because of teams actually holding players accountable for what they put in their bodies. Another reason is that it seems the pitching talent has caught up to the expansion of teams that were going on in the 90′s.
Anyway you slice it up, starting pitchers can be had at a value, this season and that trend will probably ring truer as we get closer to fantasy baseball drafts in March.
Hitters on teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies will be highly sought after once again, but keep an eye on the White Sox as they should have a strong offensive year.
For dirt cheep value, I will be continually talking about the Orioles lineup as they should put runs on the scoreboard.
Understanding that the Orioles should be a decent offense this season, tells you that the American League East will be harder than ever to pitch in. This isn’t good news for all pitchers in the East and even C.C. Sabathia and Jon Lester will have their ERA’s roughed up at times.
In the National league, I actually like the Giants’ pitchers more this season than ever before. Sure they won the World Series in 2010, but they have probably their best offense for scoring runs this season than they’ve had since Barry Bonds was at the top of his game.
Consider that Giants’ killer Adrian Gonzalez is gone, and the Diamondbacks have lost veteran hitting and this group could play even better. Overall, it will be an interesting season as it is every year, and I will be curious to see if pitching dominates once again.
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