CBS Sports Fantasy Draft - prep

 Prepping for a CBS Sports HTH Points Draft

CBS get a D on their Fantasy Sports Draft list.  The CBS Sports predraft process is worse, much worse than Yahoo Sports or ESPN.  The process to organize players into an intelligent list predraft is cumbersome and time consuming.  

Players seem to be listed haphazardly - no real system to begin.  Really good players are somewhere way down the list.  Others are not even on the initial list.  

To add the player you must go all the way down to the bottom of the players listed, many whom no one in their right mind will even draft, and then type a name or part of a name, select the player from a list that pops up, click to select the player.  The player now appears as the last player on the long list of players. 

 BUT be careful.  IF you add another player by name, as I did, then that player you just added replaces the player you just previously added - they go off the list.  Great, huh?  You think, ok, add a player, move them up the list, then  add you second player since the last player on the list is moved off the list to make room for your new addition.  

There is just one problem.  The software won't let you move a player you add to the list unless you first save the list, then exit the list, then  re-enter the list.  Now you can move the player.  See how cumbersome that process is?  The initial process is already by far the worst of the three sports sites.  Now players who you want to add have to be added 1 at a time, save the list, exit the list, scroll to the bottom of the list, move the player you just added up the list, then you can add another player to the list.  Slow, frustrating process that makes me wish I had never clicked the Create a team button to begin with.  

I still have 2 prospects to add to my draft list.  Jonathan India, 2B Cincinnati and Bobby Witt, Jr also 2B for KC.  Both appear to have won starting jobs in Spring Training and both have 15/15 potential - 15 homeruns and 15 SBs plus appear to hit well enough to get on base often which means runs scored.

This CBS Sports draft will be Saturday, the 27th - the final weekend before MLB begins.  A Points league is different from ROTO 5x5 or standard HTH leagues.  Also this league is with 10 teams rather than 12 so not as deep.  

In a points league, you are more concerned with ON-BASE % and Total Bases for hitters - average isn't a concern but high K rate is.  For pitchers, you need innings pitched, Ks and limited walks.  You also want to be aware of Starting Pitchers who qualify as Relief Pitchers.  You start 5 SPs and 2 RPs - if all 7 of those slots are filled with quality starting pitchers you will rack up a lot of points.  This is especially true in leagues with weekly versus daily lineups.  The best Closer will have fewer points than a good starting pitcher.  I didn't say great starting pitcher, just good because you get points for Innings pitched and Ks both of which are limited for closers.  A closer does get 7 points for a save just as any pitcher gets 7 points for a win.

First MLB Draft of 2021 Results

 I am not entirely pleased with my first draft of 2021.

I started at the 2nd position.  The first pick went Tatis leaving me with what most see as as the #1 pick in Acuna.  So far so good.  With my 2nd pick, I took Mondesi leaving me solid on steals but light on HRS, and RBis but that is ok - lots of power left in later rounds; not so many stolen bases.  

In the Third, I took Eloy Jimenez.  Power.

But in the 4th I deviated from my script.  My plan going in was to draft hitters the first 4 rounds and then take pitching in 5 and 6.  in the 4th I took SP B. Woodruff and Vlad in round 5.  I considered taking Kyle Tucker in 4 and probably should have.  It would have solidified RBIs, Runs, SBs and added Hrs.  Vlad won't give me any SBs.  Still it was Ok.

In Round 6 I took Closer Karinchak.  

In 7 I should have taken my second Closer.  Instead I took NYM SP Carrasco.  My 2nd deviation from my plan.  I thought Iglesias or Jansen would fall to me in Round 8 but they didn't.  Hindsight is 20/20.  In my Mock drafts, the other teams held off drafting closers after the first 3 went off the board.

In 8, with Iglesias and Kansen taken before me, I took another SP - Lamet.  

In 9, my internet stalled just as my pick came up. My autodraft was Max Muncy.  He has power and hits in the middle of a powerful lineup for the Dodgers.  No SBs but I should get HRS, RBis and Runs from him plus 3 position eleigibility.

Round 10, I took Reds Mike Moustakis.  He is similar to Muncy but playing for the Reds.  He had an off year in 2020 but should be good for 30 HRs playing in Cincy.

Round 11, I took Dominic Smith when I should have probably taken Dylon Moore.  Moore would give me needed steals while Smith gives me HRS and RBIs.  Hopefully he scores enough runs.  Moore had multi-player eligibility which makes shuffling daily lineups easier.  Still at 11, my roster was OK.

In 12, I took RP Devin Williams - while he is a good pitcher and will improve the bottom line on ERA, WHIP and add Ks, he won't give me Saves or wins.  I should have taken Happ or Mountcastle here.

In 13, I took my 2nd closer.  Rafael Montero.  He should have been my 3rd closer - my plans - but he is my second.

Round 14, I took power - Santander and in 15 my 3rd Closer - Pomeranz.  If he is a definite Closer for Padres and not a committee, I should now have focused on hitting.  But I had my doubts and that hurt the rest of my draft as I mixed relief pitchers still in with hitters taking both Leclerc and Hernandez from Texas (not knowing which will close).

C   Isiah Kiner-Falefa Tex - C,3B,SS
1B   Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Tor - 1B,3B"
2B   Max Muncy LAD - 1B,2B,3B"
3B   Mike Moustakas Cin - 1B,2B,3B
SS   Adalberto Mondesi KC - SS"
OF   Ronald Acuña Jr. Atl - OF"
OF   Eloy Jiménez CWS - OF"
OF   Dominic Smith NYM - 1B,OF"
U   Anthony Santander Bal - OF"
U Nick Solak Tex - 2B,3B,OF"
Bench C.J. Cron Col - 1B


Pitchers
SP Brandon Woodruff Mil - SP"
SP Carlos Carrasco NYM - SP,RP"

SP Dinelson Lamet SD - SP
SP Aaron Civale Cle - SP"

IL SP   MIKE CLEVINGER
IL     SP Noah Syndergaard NYM - SP

RP   Diego Castillo TB - SP,RP"
RP   James Karinchak Cle - RP"
RP   Rafael Montero Sea - RP"
RP   Devin Williams Mil - RP"
RP   Drew Pomeranz SD - SP,RP"
RP   José Leclerc Tex - SP,RP

RP   Jonathan Hernández Tex - RP"

I purposely took Syndergaard with a late pick to add him to the IL.  I then added Clevinger also.  with 4 IL spots, I still have 2 for regular season use and can drop Clevinger or Syndergaard if necessary (IF my team is plagued with injuries).

IF Pomeranz starts the season strong as a closer, I may trade him for a hitter.  Currently my plan is to add a hitter from waivers and go with 4 Starting pitchers with relievers.  

BACK IN THE SADDLE

 Wow, it has been a long time since I blogged about Fantasy Sports.  There was a time when I played Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Football and Fantasy Hockey.  Then in 2009 I moved to South Korea and then in 2011 to Hong Kong - I still played but I quit blogging about it.  

In 2013 I moved to China and my days of playing Fantasy Sports paused.  It was difficult to keep up from the other side of the world especially when the Chinese Government blocked sites.  Did you know Dobber Hockey is blocked by China?  Strange.

Anyway, last year I resumed Fantasy Baseball since Covid19 had me sitting around doing almost nothing (I was still in China at the time) so I went back to playing only to have Covid disrupt the game in the US adding a risk element that made managing .... interesting.  I still managed to eek out one or two first place finishes .

So now it's 2021

It's time to prepare for the new Fantasy Baseball Season.

First - know your facts.

    This includes Stats but isn't limited to Stats.  It means first you need to know the league details in which you are going to play.  How many players?  What positions?  What STATS count?  How are the counted?  Is it Head to Head each week or is it ROTO?  Are lineups set daily or weekly?  Is there a limit on transactions?  Minimums on Innings pitched?  Maximums?  Player Eligibility Rule? 

Get to know the league rules BEFORE you draft.

Second - Know your Players.  I started with the Leagure rules because it affects your players stats you want to know.  If Stikeouts for example is a negative stat for a hitter, you need to know that so you can adjust your ranking of a power hitter who strikes out a lot.  For Pitchers, do HomeRuns allowed count as a negative?  When you know the league rules, then you can look at the Stats that are important for you in that league.

I start with last year's MLB stats.  FantasyPros makes it easy.  https://www.fantasypros.com/mlb/stats/hitters.php?range=2020  They provide you with stats for hitters and pitchers.

I take those stats and copy them into a spreadsheet which allows me to refine what I am looking for in my players.  I am in the process of doing that today.  I add my own columns to both hitting and pitching stats.

For hitting, I create a Runs+RBIs+HR+SB column.  These are the primary 4 stats used in most Fantasy leagues whether it is head to head or Roto.  I also then create a column that takes that combined number and divides it by "at bats".  Now I can see who does the most with opportunity.  

For pitching, I am interested in Strikeouts which the stats show but also Strikeouts per 9 innings and the strikeout / walk ratio.  I also look at WHIP.  Wins and losses depend so much on run support and frankly luck.  So I don't focus as much on a pitcher's win - loss records as I do Quality Starts, ERA, WHIP and K/9 and K/BB.

I'll post more after I finish getting my Stats in order.