Fantasy Baseball 2012: One Last 12-Team Draft Before Opening Day

Here are the results from my last live draft of the baseball season as part of a CBS Sports 12-team, head-to-head money league. For those unfamiliar with CBS, the default settings typically call for only three starting outfielders, and pitchers, in turn, are rewarded with seven points for each victory and save.

Within this twist, starting pitchers tend to be overdrafted early, leading to some insane values for hitters, most notably outfielders.

So, upon viewing my 21-man roster, just know that it's not normal to see Eric Hosmer pulling a Brady Quinn after the 144th pick in standard roto leagues; nor does it make sense for Padres outfielder Cameron Maybin to languish on the board past Round 19.

These scoring rules have some intrigue, of course. In weekly leagues, there is no universal definition of true value, no clear lines of demarcation for certain prospects. It's just one big Bizarro World experience with virtual strangers. I love it!

Round 1 (first overall): 1B Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
Round 2 (24th overall): 1B Prince Fielder, Tigers
Round 3 (25th overall): OF Justin Upton, Diamondbacks
Round 4 (48th overall): OF Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins
Round 5: 3B Brett Lawrie, Blue Jays
Round 6: SP Mat Latos, Reds (special emphasis on strikeouts and wins)
Round 7: SP Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (ditto for this fantasy ace)

Breakdown

The Cabrera-Fielder picks in Rounds 1 and 2 had nothing to do with my Detroit bias...and everything to do with the four points awarded for every home run. The same holds true for Upton and Stanton at picks 48 and 49; it's comical to think that a pair of 24-and-under studs with 30-homer potential (ground-floor assessment in Stanton's case) could tumble so far. But that's the mathematical fallout of pitchers like Ian Kennedy, Adam Wainwright, Yovani Gallardo, Daniel Hudson and Josh Beckett going two or three rounds earlier than expected.

Adding to the fun, some random GM took Ryan Howard in the first 30 picks.

Round 8: 2B Brandon Phillips, Reds (could have gone with Dan Uggla here—wow!)
Round 9: OF Nelson Cruz, Rangers (my third outfielder)
Round 10: RP John Axford, Brewers (Accuscore's choice to lead MLB in saves)
Round 11: SP Jeremy Hellickson, Rays (my one and only "reach" indulgence)
Round 12: SS Elvis Andrus, Rangers
Round 13: 1B Eric Hosmer, Royals
Round 14: RP Chris Perez, Indians (a solid No. 2 closer)

Breakdown

In Monday's Sports Illustrated and Friends draft, I took Hosmer and Andrus in Rounds 4 and 5, respectively; less than 24 hours later, in a pitching-heavy league, they inexplicably slipped through the cracks and wound up in my lap at picks 144 and 145. Andrus fills the shortstop void nicely, but here's the rub with Hosmer: If Miggy Cabrera, Fielder and Brett Lawrie stay healthy and productive all season, there's a chance that Hosmer will never get off my bench.

Before you ask, only seven teams had the 1B-UTIL slots filled at the beginning of Round 13. Hosmer, a safe bet for 23 homers, 90 RBI, 73 runs, 13 steals and .294 average, should never be a victim of fantasy circumstance.

Round 15: SP Vance Worley, Phillies (let's keep the mojo from a great spring)
Round 16: SS Dee Gordon, Dodgers (a lock for 40 steals)
Round 17: SP Bud Norris, Astros (great asset in leagues that glorify strikeouts)
Round 18: RP Huston Street, Padres
Round 19: C Jesus Montero, Mariners
Round 20: OF Cameron Maybin, Padres (an absolute heist at this point)
Round 21: SP Luke Hochevar, Royals (low-risk, high-upside flier; he's also the first one gone when searching for a two-start pitcher)

Breakdown

Montero, the Mariners' prize in the Michael Pineda blockbuster trade with the Yankees, actually has "catcher" status in CBS leagues, adding to his value. With ESPN, Montero is a DH-only, like David Ortiz and Billy Butler. By grabbing Montero, perhaps baseball's best power-hitting rookie, I didn't need to prioritize Brewers backstop Jonathan Lucroy at Round 25.

Verdict

I fully expect this club to contend for a fantasy championship. Sure, there might be a few bumps in the road given my lack of superior pitching depth, but from a starters-to-bench standpoint, no other squad can match my power-speed assets among hitters.

And if Hosmer ends up riding the bench until June...he'll make perfect trade fodder before Interleague play kicks in.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.