The last few mock drafts have focused on a 14-team standard 5X5 fantasy league. Today, we are reviewing a full 25-round, 10-team, 5X5 Fantasy Draft.
You will notice that I take the best available talents early, take some closers late, and wait on my starting pitchers until the middle and late rounds. While my team has a chance to post big numbers, I also took a lot of gambles on player trying to shed an injury-prone label.
Round 1
The first round did not provide many surprises. Adrian Gonzalez went a bit early, but this is to be expected, as the slugger will join a hitter’s haven following several years at Petco Park. I like the Tulowitzki pick as well. Evan Longoria may have been drafted a bit too early. If you compare his numbers to David Wright’s last season, it is at best a draw. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see how Longoria performs without the help of Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford in the lineup. I thought Team 7 got a steal with Miguel Cabrera that late. I was thrilled to get my hands on Ryan Bruan as well. He helps in every category and should improve if Prince Fielder bounces back from a poor season.
1. Albert Pujols (StL – 1B) Team 1
2. Hanley Ramírez (Fla – SS) Team 2
3. Adrián González (Bos – 1B) Team 3
4. Troy Tulowitzki (Col – SS) Team 4
5. Evan Longoria (TB – 3B) Team 5
6. Carlos González (Col – OF) Team 6
7. Miguel Cabrera (Det – 1B) Team 7
8. Joey Votto (Cin – 1B) Team 8
9. Robinson Canó (NYY – 2B) Team 9
10. Ryan Braun (Mil – OF) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 2
I was a bit bold drafting Josh Hamilton with the first pick of the second round, but based on raw talent and potential, he can offer the best numbers. I just have to hope that he defies the odds and plays 150 games. I like the other picks, though Ryan Howard may have been drafted a bit early considering he is one-dimensional. A-Rod could be an absolute steal with the last pick of the second round.
1. Josh Hamilton (Tex – OF) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. David Wright (NYM – 3B) Team 9
3. Carl Crawford (Bos – OF) Team 8
4. Roy Halladay (Phi – SP) Team 7
5. Félix Hernández (Sea – SP) Team 6
6. Ryan Howard (Phi – 1B) Team 5
7. Ryan Zimmerman (Was – 3B) Team 4
8. Tim Lincecum (SF – SP) Team 3
9. Matt Kemp (LAD – OF) Team 2
10. Álex Rodríguez (NYY – 3B) Team 1
Round 3
This was actually a great round by all of the fantasy managers. Pedroia may have been taken a bit early for a guy coming off a serious injury, but he has a great lineup around him. Adam Dunn is also a great pick, as he should rank amongst the elite in power. I went with Bautista, because I like his multiple position eligibility, and I believe last year’s power was real and there are not that many great third baseman available.
1. Cliff Lee (Phi – SP) Team 1
2. Matt Holliday (StL – OF) Team 2
3. Dustin Pedroia (Bos – 2B) Team 3
4. Mark Teixeira (NYY – 1B) Team 4
5. Prince Fielder (Mil – 1B) TEAM 5
6. José Reyes (NYM – SS) Team 6
7. Joe Mauer (Min – C) Team 7
8. Kevin Youkilis (Bos – 1B) Team 8
9. Adam Dunn (CWS – 1B) Team 9
10. José Bautista (Tor – 3B,OF) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 4
There are also not that many first baseman out there, which is why I grabbed Justin Morneau to leadoff the fourth round. You will also note that I am playing out the “Best Available talent” strategy, and Morneau is a former MVP winner. Of course, the risk here is that he is the second injury-prone slugger on my team. I liked all of the other picks in this round, particularly Team 6’s pick of Dan Uggla.
1. Justin Morneau (Min – 1B) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. Jon Lester (Bos – SP) Team 9
3. Nelson Cruz (Tex – OF) Team 8
4. CC Sabathia (NYY – SP) Team 7
5. Dan Uggla (Atl – 2B) Team 6
6. Ian Kinsler (Tex – 2B) Team 5
7. Buster Posey (SF – C,1B) Team 4
8. Shin-Soo Choo (Cle – OF) Team 3
9. Clayton Kershaw (LAD – SP) Team 2
10. Josh Johnson (Fla – SP) Team 1
Round 5
A lot of young guns drafted in this round, and the only blatantly bad pick was Mo Rivera this early. As good as he is, he only offers 65 innings of work, not enough to have a major impact on your fantasy team. I drafted Justin Verlander because he is a workhorse who can offer everything, including a ton of wins and strikeouts.
1. Justin Upton (Ari – OF) Team 1
2. Jason Heyward (Atl – OF) Team 2
3. Zack Greinke (Mil – SP) Team 3
4. Andrew McCutchen (Pit – OF) Team 4
5. Brandon Phillips (Cin – 2B) Team 5
6. Víctor Martínez (Det – C,1B) Team 6
7. Mariano Rivera (NYY – RP) Team 7
8. Jimmy Rollins (Phi – SS) Team 8
9. Brian McCann (Atl – C) Team 9
10. Justin Verlander (Det – SP) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 6
With Brandon Phillips off the board, there was only one elite second basemen remaining and his name is Rickie Weeks. Even though he is more of a slugger than a leadoff man, he can post some solid all-around production. I was not crazy about the Marmol pick, and the Carlos Santana pick wasn’t the best either. Sure, he may be a top prospect, but unless he hits above .300 with 20-plus home runs, he should not have been drafted this early.
1. Rickie Weeks (Mil – 2B) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. Ichiro Suzuki (Sea – OF) Team 9
3. Derek Jeter (NYY – SS) Team 8
4. Jayson Werth (Was – OF) Team 7
5. Adrián Béltre (Tex – 3B) Team 6
6. Andre Ethier (LAD – OF) Team 5
7. Carlos Mármol (ChC – RP) Team 4
8. Dan Haren (LAA – SP) Team 3
9. Billy Butler (KC – 1B) Team 2
10. Carlos Santana (Cle – C) Team 1
Round 7
I applaud Team 1’s pick of Mat Latos. As a rookie he was dominant last season, and while losing Adrian Gonzalez will hurt, he should still post solid numbers. Ubaldo Jimenez was also a great pick, and Jay Bruce can become a league leader in power this season. In need of a shortstop, I took a player who should be better than Derek Jeter for a second season in a row. That is Stephen Drew, a big star out of college who has been solid, but we are all waiting for that breakout season.
1. Mat Latos (SD – SP) Team 1
2. Yovani Gallardo (Mil – SP) Team 2
3. Hunter Pence (Hou – OF) Team 3
4. Chase Utley (Phi – 2B) Team 4
5. Ubaldo Jiménez (Col – SP) Team 5
6. David Price (TB – SP) Team 6
7. Álex Ríos (CWS – OF) Team 7
8. Jay Bruce (Cin – OF) Team 8
9. Alexei Ramírez (CWS – SS) Team 9
10. Stephen Drew (Ari – SS) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 8
I led off the eighth inning by taking the best slugging catcher. My team should certainly rank well in the power category, as I now have the elite sluggers at catcher and third. Mike Napoli posted big power in Anaheim, he should have a field day in Texas, especially with the talent in that lineup. Brian Wilson was an awful pick, considering he may start the season on the disabled list. Konerko was a sneaky good pick, just like Oswalt, and Stubbs. Not crazy about the Michael Young pick, since he loses all of his value if he’s traded. Clearly Team 3 is banking on Pablo Sandoval to bounce back from a poor season.
1. Mike Napoli (Tex – C,1B) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. Brian Wilson (SF – RP) Team 9
3. Cole Hamels (Phi – SP) Team 8
4. Paul Konerko (CWS – 1B) Team 7
5. Roy Oswalt (Phi – SP) Team 6
6. Drew Stubbs (Cin – OF) Team 5
7. Tommy Hanson (Atl – SP) Team 4
8. Pablo Sandoval (SF – 1B,3B) Team 3
9. Michael Young (Tex – 3B) Team 2
10. Martín Prado (Atl – 2B,3B) Team 1
Round 9
It’s fine that the closers are now coming off the board, the Jered Weaver and Aramis Ramirez picks were pretty solid. I went with Jacoby Ellsbury because if there was one thing that my team had been lacking it was speed. If he is healthy and returns to his 2009 form, then I have an absolute steal on my hands (pun intended).
1. Joakim Soria (KC – RP) Team 1
2. Jonathan Papelbon (Bos – RP) Team 2
3. Shane Victorino (Phi – OF) Team 3
4. Heath Bell (SD – RP) Team 4
5. Neftali Feliz (Tex – RP) Team 5
6. Chris Young (Ari – OF) Team 6
7. Matt Cain (SF – SP) Team 7
8. Aramis Ramírez (ChC – 3B) Team 8
9. Jered Weaver (LAA – SP) Team 9
10. Jacoby Ellsbury (Bos – OF) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 10
As I mentioned before, I thought the crop of first basemen is a bit shallow this season, which is why I was thrilled to see Kendry Morales available this late. He was as good as Mark Teixeira when healthy, and this offers me some depth since the injury-prone Justin Morneau is my starting first baseman. I was hoping Mike Stanton would fall to the next round, but that was a solid pick here. Mike Aviles has a good bat and nice position eligibility.
1. Kendrys Morales (LAA – 1B) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. Delmon Young (Min – OF) Team 9
3. Francisco Liriano (Min – SP) Team 8
4. Corey Hart (Mil – OF) Team 7
5. Chris Carpenter (StL – SP) Team 6
6. Mike Stanton (Fla – OF) Team 5
7. Max Scherzer (Det – SP) Team 4
8. Mike Aviles (KC – 2B,SS) Team 3
9. B.J. Upton (TB – OF) Team 2
10. Colby Rasmus (StL – OF) Team 1
Round 11
Entering this round, I started to get a little nervous about my pitching. I have Verlander and that was it, so clearly I was going to nab either a closer or starter in this round. I would have loved K-Rod, but I figured someone else would draft him. Mark Reynolds was a great pick in this round by Team 6. A change of scenery could allow him to blast upwards of 40 home runs. I drafted Shaun Marcum, which is dangerous because he is injury-prone, but of all of all the hurlers out there, I see him having the best potential now that he moves out of the AL East and into the National League.
1. Nick Markakis (Bal – OF) Team 1
2. Francisco Rodríguez (NYM – RP) Team 2
3. Geovany Soto (ChC – C) Team 3
4. Curtis Granderson (NYY – OF) Team 4
5. Matt Wieters (Bal – C) Team 5
6. Mark Reynolds (Bal – 3B) Team 6
7. Clay Buchholz (Bos – SP) Team 7
8. Kelly Johnson (Ari – 2B) Team 8
9. Jonathan Broxton (LAD – RP) Team 9
10. Shaun Marcum (Mil – SP) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 12
So I was supposed to draft a closer, but instead I could not pass on Pedro Alvarez. I see Alvarez as a big talent who can post some really nice numbers such as 30 home runs and 100-plus RBI. I did not like the Vernon Wells pick in this round, however, Team 5 came up big by nabbing Elvis Andrus so late.
1. Pedro Alvarez (Pit – 3B) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. Brett Gardner (NYY – OF) Team 9
3. Brett Anderson (Oak – SP) Team 8
4. Vernon Wells (LAA – OF) Team 7
5. J.J. Putz (Ari – RP) Team 6
6. Elvis Andrus (Tex – SS) Team 5
7. Ben Zobrist (TB – 1B,2B,OF) Team 4
8. Huston Street (Col – RP) Team 3
9. Chad Billingsley (LAD – SP) Team 2
10. Vladimir Guerrero (Bal – OF) Team 1
Round 13
The Gio Gonzalez pick was a nice one by Team 1. He can rack up a lot of K’s and great overall numbers because of the Oakland Coliseum. Bailey, on the other hand, is injured and will likely start the season on the DL. I was hoping Jose Valverde and John Axford would fall to me, but that was wishful thinking. I settled with Brad Lidge. Yes, that was a very risky pick, but the guy is on a great team and had stellar numbers last season.
1. Gio González (Oak – SP) Team 1
2. Andrew Bailey (Oak – RP) Team 2
3. Carlos Quentin (CWS – OF) Team 3
4. Rafael Furcal (LAD – SS) Team 4
5. José Valverde (Det – RP) Team 5
6. John Axford (Mil – RP) Team 6
7. Chone Figgins (Sea – 2B) Team 7
8. Wandy Rodríguez (Hou – SP) Team 8
9. Casey McGehee (Mil – 3B) Team 9
10. Brad Lidge (Phi – RP) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 14
In need of another closer, I went with Matt Thornton. Though he has very little experience as a closer, he has dominated in middle relief and offers plenty of K’s with a great WHIP. I liked the Brandon Morrow pick in this round, since he has so much potential. Team 5 came up with an undervalued ace in Ryan Dempster. Joel Hanrahan was actually a great value pick by Team 3.
1. Matt Thornton (CWS – RP) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. David Ortiz (Bos – Util) Team 9
3. Brandon Morrow (Tor – SP) Team 8
4. Joe Nathan (Min – RP) Team 7
5. Nick Swisher (NYY – OF) Team 6
6. Ryan Dempster (ChC – SP) Team 5
7. Chris Pérez (Cle – RP) Team 4
8. Joel Hanrahan (Pit – RP) Team 3
9. Aaron Hill (Tor – 2B) Team 2
10. Starlin Castro (ChC – SS) Team 1
Round 15
We are starting to get to the later rounds, which shifts our focus to the sleepers. Great job by Team 3 in nabbing Adam Lind. He’s a big power bat who should slam 30 home runs this season. Craig Kimbrel was a solid relief pick due to his big K totals. Team 8 did very well by drafting Miguel Montero, he is one of the best catchers in baseball. I again went with a closer and was very pleased to pick up Leo Nunez, the Marlins ninth inning man, although he will be on thin ice with Clay Hensley behind him.
1. Gordon Beckham (CWS – 2B) Team 1
2. Torii Hunter (LAA – OF) Team 2
3. Adam Lind (Tor – 1B,OF) Team 3
4. Jonathan Sánchez (SF – SP) Team 4
5. Tim Hudson (Atl – SP) Team 5
6. Craig Kimbrel (Atl – RP) Team 6
7. Michael Cuddyer (Min – 1B,3B,OF) Team 7
8. Miguel Montero (Ari – C) Team 8
9. Ted Lilly (LAD – SP) Team 9
10. Leo Núñez (Fla – RP) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 16
I could not believe Jorge Posada was still out there. There is not much power coming from catchers these days, and yet Posada has blasted 40 dingers over the last two seasons. Now that he is a full-time DH, he should be fresh and avoid injury. I like the Drew Storen, Madison Bumgarner, and Daniel Hudson picks.
1. Jorge Posada (NYY – C) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. Madison Bumgarner (SF – SP) Team 9
3. Drew Storen (Was – RP) Team 8
4. Ian Desmond (Was – SS) Team 7
5. Aubrey Huff (SF – 1B,OF) Team 6
6. Daniel Hudson (Ari – SP) Team 5
7. Brian Roberts (Bal – 2B) Team 4
8. Francisco Cordero (Cin – RP) Team 3
9. Ryan Franklin (StL – RP) Team 2
10. Brandon Lyon (Hou – RP) Team 1
Round 17
Team 1 did well by drafting top prospect Jeremy Hellickson this late. Carlos Pena was also a good value pick, as was Howie Kendrick. Frank Francisco was a poor pick by Team 8, considering we can very well see Jon Rauch closing to start the season. I drafted Jhoulys Chacin because I was desperate for a starter and was thrilled to see the second-year star still available. Chacin managed an ERA just over three last season, despite calling Coors Field home.
1. Jeremy Hellickson (TB – SP,RP) Team 1
2. Howie Kendrick (LAA – 1B,2B) Team 2
3. Clay Hensley (Fla – RP) Team 3
4. Carlos Peña (ChC – 1B) Team 4
5. David Aardsma (Sea – RP) Team 5
6. Ángel Pagán (NYM – OF) Team 6
7. Aroldis Chapman (Cin – RP) Team 7
8. Frank Francisco (Tor – RP) Team 8
9. Hiroki Kuroda (LAD – SP) Team 9
10. Jhoulys Chacin (Col – SP,RP) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 18
In the next round I took fire-baller Alexi Ogando. He may be a starter, but more likely a closer. He throws gas and should rack up plenty of K’s. I like the Manny Ramirez pick here, since he could very well post 25 home runs with solid run production. CJ Wilson was also a steal by Team 1.
1. Alexi Ogando (Tex – RP) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. Juan Pierre (CWS – OF) Team 9
3. Bobby Abreu (LAA – OF) Team 8
4. Manny Ramírez (TB – OF) Team 7
5. Kevin Gregg (Bal – RP) Team 6
6. Brett Myers (Hou – SP) Team 5
7. Neil Walker (Pit – 2B,3B) Team 4
8. Jason Bay (NYM – OF) Team 3
9. Colby Lewis (Tex – SP) Team 2
10. C.J. Wilson (Tex – SP) Team 1
Round 19
Amazing to see Grady Sizemore go this late, good job by Team 5 for keeping an eye on him. Ricky Romero could also be a great value pick this late in the draft. I took Ryan Raburn because he will offer some pop and he’s eligible at second base.
1. Austin Jackson (Det – OF) Team 1
2. Ricky Romero (Tor – SP) Team 2
3. Ricky Nolasco (Fla – SP) Team 3
4. Rajai Davis (Tor – OF) Team 4
5. Grady Sizemore (Cle – OF) Team 5
6. Michael Bourn (Hou – OF) Team 6
7. Daniel Bard (Bos – RP) Team 7
8. Carlos Lee (Hou – 1B,OF) Team 8
9. Fernando Rodney (LAA – RP) Team 9
10. Ryan Raburn (Det – 2B,OF) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 20
I started the 20th round by taking Ian Stewart, a young talent capable of 30 homers. Adam Jones was a nice pick by Team 8, and Travis Snider is a fine sleeper by Team 6.
1. Ian Stewart (Col – 3B) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. Jose Tabata (Pit – OF) Team 9
3. Adam Jones (Bal – OF) Team 8
4. John Danks (CWS – SP) Team 7
5. Travis Snider (Tor – OF) Team 6
6. Phil Hughes (NYY – SP) Team 5
7. Josh Beckett (Bos – SP) Team 4
8. Jason Kubel (Min – OF) Team 3
9. Trevor Cahill (Oak – SP) Team 2
10. Jorge De La Rosa (Col – SP) Team 1
Round 21
Some solid picks in this round, as Carlos Beltran could end up being a steal. I also like the Matt Capps pick since Joe Nathan is far from a sure thing. I took Johnny Cueto since he offers just about everything including K’s and wins. He naturally got injured the day after I drafted him. Yikes!
1. Ike Davis (NYM – 1B) Team 1
2. Kurt Suzuki (Oak – C) Team 2
3. Alfonso Soriano (ChC – OF) Team 3
4. Rafael Soriano (NYY – RP) Team 4
5. Carlos Beltrán (NYM – OF) Team 5
6. Matt Capps (Min – RP) Team 6
7. Coco Crisp (Oak – OF) Team 7
8. Matt Garza (ChC – SP) Team 8
9. Ian Kennedy (Ari – SP) Team 9
10. Johnny Cueto (Cin – SP) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 22
Still securing some extra saves, I took Kyle Farnsworth, a pitcher who could rack up 30 or more if he is able to hold the Rays closer’s gig all season. Team 8 did well picking Edinson Volquez, however, Team 2 could have done better than James Loney, even this late into the draft.
1. Kyle Farnsworth (TB – RP) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. Jaime García (StL – SP) Team 9
3. Edinson Vólquez (Cin – SP) Team 8
4. Derrek Lee (Bal – 1B) Team 7
5. Hong-Chih Kuo (LAD – RP) Team 6
6. Omar Infante (Fla – 2B,3B,SS,OF) Team 5
7. Javier Vázquez (Fla – SP,RP) Team 4
8. Asdrubal Cabrera (Cle – SS) Team 3
9. James Loney (LAD – 1B) Team 2
10. Jonny Venters (Atl – RP) Team 1
Round 23
Never a bad idea to stack up on young live arms this late in the draft, and Team 3 did that well by drafting Chris Sale. Team 5 also got a great steal by drafting John Buck. Brandon League could also end up with some saves as Dave Aardsma misses time to start the season. I took Brian Fuentes since Andrew Bailey will likely start the season on the DL, and there is no telling when he will return, even though he did get some good news recently from Dr. James Andrews.
1. Tsuyoshi Nishioka (Min – 2B,SS) Team 1
2. Plácido Polanco (Phi – 2B,3B) Team 2
3. Chris Sale (CWS – RP) Team 3
4. Brandon League (Sea – RP) Team 4
5. John Buck (Fla – C) Team 5
6. Andrés Torres (SF – OF) Team 6
7. Cody Ross (SF – OF) Team 7
8. Yunel Escobar (Tor – SS) Team 8
9. Scott Rolen (Cin – 3B) Team 9
10. Brian Fuentes (Oak – RP) Rob Shaw’s Team
Round 24
Now in the second to last round, I figured I’d draft a player I will stash on the DL. I’m hoping that Johan Santana will pitch at least half of the season, but there is no guarantee. I very much like Team 8’s pick of Jake McGee. He is the best arm in the Rays bullpen and could overtake Kyle Farnsworth for the closer’s gig. Luke Scott was a nice pick as well.
1. Johan Santana (NYM – SP) Rob Shaw’s Team
2. Ryan Theriot (StL – 2B,SS) Team 9
3. Jake McGee (TB – RP) Team 8
4. Magglio Ordóñez (Det – OF) Team 7
5. Luke Scott (Bal – 1B,OF) Team 6
6. Adam LaRoche (Was – 1B) Team 5
7. Lance Berkman (StL – 1B) Team 4
8. Raúl Ibañez (Phi – OF) Team 3
9. Bronson Arroyo (Cin – SP) Team 2
10. Chris Johnson (Hou – 3B) Team 1
Round 25
In the final round, I thought Jake Peavy was a stellar pick by Team 4. The same can be said about drafting John Lackey and Chipper Jones this late. I finished my draft by taking Jon Rauch, since he stands to close if Frank Francisco is injured. So suddenly I’m armed with six potential closers despite not drafting a single relief pitcher until the 13th round. Don’t be surprised if I lead the fantasy league in the saves category.
1. James Shields (TB – SP) Team 1
2. Jon Garland (LAD – SP) Team 2
3. David Murphy (Tex – OF) Team 3
4. Jake Peavy (CWS – SP) Team 4
5. David Freese (StL – 3B) Team 5
6. Juan Uribe (LAD – 2B,3B,SS) Team 6
7. John Lackey (Bos – SP) Team 7
8. Chipper Jones (Atl – 3B) Team 8
9. Matt LaPorta (Cle – 1B,OF) Team 9
10. Jon Rauch (Tor – RP) Rob Shaw’s Team