Having the No. 2 Pick: 2014 Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy

Last week we looked at who to draft in the #1 spot of your 2014 fantasy baseball draft. This week we look at the #2 spot.

Warmer weather will be here soon, and that means getting ready for the 2014 fantasy baseball season. Every owner needs to have a plan going into the season to be ready for every possible eventuality that could occur during the draft. This means doing several mock drafts at each spot in the order to see which players are most likely to be there when your pick arrives. I decided to do several mock drafts to try to help you along the way, and over the next few articles I will guide you through a ten-team draft and the possibilities in the first three rounds at each draft position. This article breaks down what to do if you end up with the No. 2 pick.

Round 1: Take What’s Left From Trout/Cabrera

It is apparent that the top two picks in this draft are Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera. The person who has the No. 1 pick is going to pick one of them which leaves you with the other one. It’s not a bad place to be, because you are going to get one of the top best players in the draft no matter what. The two players are basically 1A and 1B in my mind, so you can’t lose for getting either one of them. I would be picking Trout with the No. 1 pick so the second pick is likely going to be Cabrera; he will still put up big numbers even without Prince Fielder protecting him in the lineup.

Round 2: Looking For Fantasy Offense

There is a fairly long wait between that second pick and No. 19 overall, but when that pick comes, I would be looking for another power hitter or even a pitcher. Offense would outweigh the pitcher decision here, though. Some options are Adam Jones, Giancarlo Stanton, Jay Bruce and Evan Longoria. If Cabrera ends up being the No. 2 pick, third base is covered to start with. That doesn’t mean you shouldn't consider Longoria, though. I would select Jones over Stanton with this pick, because the odds are that Jones will have a bigger season than Stanton due to the strength of the offense around him.

Round 3: Time For A Fantasy Pitcher

You've got two offensive players to begin the draft, and now it’s time to get a starting pitcher with the No. 22 overall pick. Clayton Kershaw will be gone, and some other top-tier starters will likely be gone as well. This is where looking at someone like Felix Hernandez or Stephen Strasburg comes into play. Hernandez has a better offense around him this season, and Strasburg isn’t going to go 8-9 again. My decision here would go to Strasburg. I believe he will end up being better than Hernandez this season, so take him at #22. Whatever your choice, though, make sure you don’t want until the fourth round and another 16 picks to get a starter.

Next week we'll look at who to pick in the first few rounds of your 2014 fantasy baseball draft with #3 and #4 spots.