Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy: Guide to Securing Success on Draft Day

Any fantasy baseball draft is like a dance. You come in with a wealth of knowledge but still have to listen to the rhythms of the room you are in. 

Spring Training is here and baseball fantasy leagues are popping up around every corner of the nation. We are a sabermetrics-loving and PECOTA-amorous fanbase, but that is only part of the story. 

Your baseball draft research and startegy may start with picking up the latest edition of Baseball Prospectus, but it doesn't end there. 

The most fun you will have all season is on the day you decide to hold the draft because that is where information meets improvisation for the best couple hours in the fantasy season. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you wait for your turn to pick that sleeper you have been dying to place on your team. 

Practice Makes Perfect

Average Draft Position is a term that will get thrown around a lot. There are sites that will get you acclimated to where you can expect a player to be taken in your upcoming draft, but the best way is to get your mock on well before the actual draft. 

There are sites all over that will allow you to simply log in and start drafting. This sounds like a chore, but it can be a ton of fun, and it allows you to get a feel for where the true ADP of players may be. 

That way you don't have to mess around with a cheat sheet on draft day. 

Improvise

Take what you know and then throw a good chunk out the window when the draft starts. There will be waves for first basemen or hard-hitting middle infielders. 

You will want to get in on that before all the good ones are taken. If you are too late to the closer run, don't panic, a great deal of saves can be had from bullpen anchors losing their jobs all through the season. 

Keep it Simple

Lastly, keep it simple. Aside from closers, you can stick to a simple strategy that will make the usual clutter of draft day far more manageable. 

I like where Steve Gardner is headed with his "Core Four" article in USA Today. 

If you are playing a regular 5x5 league, then you can target Home Runs, Hits, Stolen Bases and Strikeouts and still make it out of the room in one piece. 

This is, of course, just a starting point. 

You will want to do your own set of reaching and picking of sleepers. The only way to truly win is to gamble a bit on draft day and hope those sleepers pay off. 

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