Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy 2012: How to Beat Your Competition on Draft Day

Some make cheat sheets. Some "X" out certain players. And some close their eyes and point at the screen.

Throughout the years, we've seen fantasy baseball fanatics do all sorts of things when it comes to draft day. Some strategies work. Some, well, don't (note: closing your eyes and pointing at the screen has been proven to fail 99 percent of the time).

Of course, each draft is different. Some years, you have a wealth of second basemen to pick from. Others, you land a decent second baseman and you're celebrating all season long.

Here are some draft suggestions for the 2012 baseball season.

Be Mindful of Positional Depth

If you have a choice between players ranked back-to-back, sometimes it's best to go with the player who will give you a significant advantage at his particular position. So, if you have a choice between an outfielder and a third baseman or shortstop this year, your best bet is to probably go with that third baseman or shortstop.

There are exceptions. Obviously, in the first round, when you have players like outfielder Matt Kemp, it's hard to pass up a guy like that. But when there's not a huge difference between two players, it's best to lock up a shallow position as soon as you can.

Draft Best Available Player When Possible

This is where it gets tricky. The toughest thing in a fantasy baseball draft is deciding whether to fill that open slot or add depth to another position if a better player is available.

I've decided throughout the years to lock up the shallow positions as soon as I can. From there, I can go about just choosing the best available player. You'll be amazed at the teams you can create.

When you become too focused on filling that third outfield spot, it's easy to gloss over that impact starting pitcher or budding second baseman.

The reality is, there are plenty of sleepers in every draft. If you know who they are, you can wait for them and calmly grab the top-ranked player before you.

Which brings me to my next point...

Sleepers Are More Important Than You Think

If you have nice list of sleepers in front of you, it opens up so much for you on draft day. If you have a few players you are excited about in the late rounds, it allows you to go about picking the best player available for several rounds. 

Not only that, why would you draft a ho-hum player in the middle rounds when you can get a player for a bargain later on?

Sure, there is some risk to this strategy. Some sleepers don't pan out. But there is always the waiver wire too. Think about all the waiver-wire wonders throughout the years. They're everywhere.

Don't sell yourself short and go for an outfielder who will give you 20 homers and 75 RBI while hitting .275 for the season. Aim high.

You'd be surprised how high you can soar.

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