MLB Fantasy Baseball 2012 Draft Strategy: 3 Winning Keys to Your Draft Plans

Every fantasy baseball manager has his own set of favorite players, cheat sheets and strategies, and you best make these three part of your diabolical plan to destroy your opposition.

There are whole books written on draft strategies for fantasy baseball. If you have the time, go and check some out. While there are few "hard and fast" type rules for this crazy game we play every season, here are three you want to keep in mind. 

Wait, Wait, WAIT on Closers

Look, I love Mariano Rivera as much as the next manager, but once he goes off the board no closer is trustworthy enough to garner a fifth-round selection. I disobeyed my own rule last year, thinking former "Mex-ecutioner" Joakim Soria was a sure thing for a hefty bunch of saves.

That didn't work out so well for me or any of Soria's owners. This position is scarce since every team only has one of these guys, but that doesn't mean you should talk yourself into taking Grant Balfour three rounds early just to say you have a closer on your roster.  

Out of all my years playing fantasy baseball, I've never had an issue finding a closer after the draft. Guys like John Axford and Jordan Walden are going to find their way into that last-inning role, and if you're quick enough on the draw, you can snatch them up in the free-agent pool. 

Make Sure You Get a Lights-Out Ace

Unlike closers, you don't want to wait too long before drafting your first pitcher. You want your ace to be exactly that—an ace.

Guys like Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Justin Verlander are some of the best to be your team's ace, but these players go quick. The sure-thing aces are gone once Jon Lester goes off the board as the 14th-best option, so keep that in mind. Sure, in some leagues you can "stream" pitchers, playing the guys with favorable matchups, but in this game you want as few headaches as possible.

If you have a Zack Greinke, CC Sabathia or Halladay at the top of your rotation every week, you can feel good knowing you have one less thing to worry about for 100-plus games. 

Draft Outfielders Early and Often

For the first time in a long while, outfield is looking thin, which isn't good considering most leagues require you to start three of four of them. Heck, I'm playing in a league with some high school buddies where we have to start six!

With that said, it would be a smart move to get at least two outfielders in the first four of five rounds of your draft. Be smart, though. Don't two or three outfielders who give you the same kind of stats.

What I mean is, don't draft three straight power or speed specialists and expect that because they're all big names, your team is in good shape.

Bad Idea: Drafting Giancarlo (formerly Mike) Stanton, Jay Bruce and Nelson Cruz in the first five rounds.

Good Idea: Drafting Ryan Braun, Andrew McCutchen and Nelson Cruz in the first five rounds.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, you want lots of outfielders, even after you've got your starting three or four.

You want a mix of guys who can get you steals, average and home runs, not just a bunch of home run guys or speedy guys because then you've got a one-dimensional outfield.