X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Draft Strategy for Keeper Leagues - Custom Fantasy Baseball Advice

By Sports Crazy on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

RotoBaller's custom fantasy baseball Q&A, analyzing 2014 draft strategy for auction head-to-head leagues, in response to a question submitted by a RotoBaller.com reader.

The following article was written by RotoBaller.com’s team of expert analysts, in response to a question asked by one of our RotoBaller readers.  You can click here for more info if you’re interested in having RotoBaller’s experts answer a custom fantasy baseball question.

 

Question Submitted to RotoBaller

  • Fantasy Baseball Question: I need to pick four keepers. I'm fairly certain of three (Goldschmidt, Puig and Marte), but wanted to know what your thoughts were before choosing the last one. I'll list all of the eligible players. Please list the keepers in order for me and tell me if there's a large gap between any of the rankings. As I mentioned, I'm most interested in spots 3, 4, and 5. Goldschmidt, Utley, Andrus, Cuddyer, Marte, Granderson, Puig, Liriano, Sale.  Thanks.
  • Player Pool: Mixed
  • # of Teams: 11-13
  • League Info and Categories: 12-13 team rotisserie league with the following hitting categories: Avg, OPS, HR, R, RBI, SB, K, BB and the following pitching categories: W, ERA, WHIP, K, QS, Sv, Hld, K/BB
  • Roster Positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, OF (4) Util, SP (3), RP(3) P(3) DL(3) Bench (5)
  • League Host: ESPN
  • Any Other League Details: Because of a glitch in the rules last year, none of these will be eligible to be kept beyond this year. Generally, we're allowed 4 keepers who are drafted in the 6th round or after. Free agent pick ups can be kept. After this year, we're only allowed to keep 4 players. 60 transaction limit, but I generally do well streaming, especially to fill in for injuries. 1600 IP limit GP limit per position (that I never run into, so it's not really relevant). Oh, and if it matters, we are likely using ESPN again, but may be moving to Yahoo if that matters.

RotoBaller Detailed Analysis

Let’s get right to the nitty-gritty of your question and try to guide you through the process of choosing your keepers.
Based on the information that you provided to us, we are going to list, in order of value, the entire list of your keepers and give you our reasoning for the four we chose based on your league’s scoring criteria.
Keeper Rankings:
Keeper Analysis:
#1 & #2 - We don’t have to overthink why we would designate Paul Goldschmidt as the number one keeper on your squad; after all, he is only the best first baseman in all of fantasy baseball heading into 2014. Even Chris Sale at #2 is not too big of a shocker, considering the guy has averaged a 3.058 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over his first two seasons as a big-league starter. Pick No. 3 is where your list starts to get interesting, and we will focus the most time on the players listed in those slots:
Yasiel Puig - With the most raw offensive upside out of almost any outfield keeper in fantasy baseball not named Trout or Harper, this young star is a must-keep in any format that rewards offense.  Simply put, the parts of his game that make him a liability to an MLB team (or manager) are not the parts that would affect his fantasy value negatively (unless somehow his on- or off-field antics finally catch up to him). Since we are not in the business of analyzing baseball players’ personal lives to determine their future success, we have to stick to the facts (and numbers that we know) and those certainly tell us that Mr. Puig is just a stud through and through.  With a full season of MLB action ahead of him, in addition to to a potentially full season of hitting in front of Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez, we think the possibilities are sky high for the former Cuban defector.
Starling Marte - Most people would see your list and surely assume we would pick Elvis Andrus as the fourth keeper for your squad, but we have several good reasons why we strongly feel Starling Marte is your guy here. To begin with, outfield depth is shallower than most drafters assume heading into 2014. Additionally, the difference between the upper tiers of outfielders, middle tiers, and lower tiers is quite large, and the level of high end production severely falls off after the players left available in round 6 or 7 in most drafts.  The largest percentage of all fantasy baseball offense is generated from the outfield slots, so we always recommend to generally stock up wisely whenever possible.  We also have to consider potential upside in this delicate decision.  In this case, even though Elvis Andrus is still relatively young (25), he is more veteran of a player having played for several full MLB seasons, so we more or less know who he is as a player (and a fantasy baseball player). Last year was somewhat of a statistical ceiling season for Andrus as he went on a second half tear with the bat, so those who think he is a lock to improve on his numbers are in for a rather big disappointment. Yes, his stats leave him in the upper crust of fantasy SS and MI, but with a bunch of young and emerging talent at the shortstop position heading into the 2014 season, you can keep the super valuable outfielder (Marte) and target an Andrelton Simmons type of shortstop several rounds later.
 
The Rest - We really like the season Cuddyer put up last season (and his position flexibility in some leagues), but he does not fit the criteria of what we consider a “safe” or high upside keeper.  Curtis Granderson is coming off of a disappointing and injury filled 2013 campaign and will surely be playing with a chip on his shoulder, but given his age and the weak Mets lineup around him, we would avoid that kind of batting average liability and potential for bust moving to the NL (and a less hitter friendly home field environment) for the first time in his accomplished career.  As for Chase Utley, we simply would never recommend keeping a player who has proven to be an injury risk as he’s aged.  Missing way too much time over the past two seasons with severe knee issues has relegated Chase Utley to a more of a draft day lottery ticket, than a player that you could not live without heading into the season.
We hope that this analysis gave you the reassurance and confidence to make the best possible decision for your fantasy baseball keeper league.  Please don’t hesitate to write us back with any feedback you may have, and also check out all of our MLB preseason and fantasy baseball draft prep articles at RotoBaller.com.

 

Like What You're Seeing?

This fantasy baseball analysis was a custom response to a question submitted to RotoBaller. If you like this analysis, then you're going to love reading much more of the same with our 2014 Draft Kit. Hundreds of articles, and thousands of hours of fantasy baseball research and analysis has gone into preparing the content for our draft kit and your 2014 draft prep. Our fantasy draft kit provides you with 2014 rankings, analysis, sleepers, prospects and much more. Click here to see everything that comes in the kit. And we are practically giving this away – all of our super high-end analysis, including exclusive access to subscriber extras, costs you just $2.99. Let's win some leagues!

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Corey Heim

Does Not Qualify for Cup Race at Chicago Street Course
LaJohntay Wester

Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting on Saturday
Corbin Carroll

Activated from 10-Day Injured List
Cincinnati Bengals

Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Potential Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade may not Happen Until "August, September"
Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
NHL

Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Houston Rockets

Jock Landale Waived by Rockets
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Considering Returning to Europe
Miles Sanders

Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
Jabari Walker

Signs Two-Way Deal With Sixers
Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Byron Young

Still Improving?
Cody Simon

Jonathan Gannon has Been Impressed With Cody Simon
SirVocea Dennis

has Impressive Offseason
Trevor Penning

Could Still Have a Role in New Orleans
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors Decline Recent Offer for Jonathan Kuminga
Orlando Magic

Moritz Wagner, Magic Agree to One-Year Deal
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
José Soriano

Jose Soriano Throws Gem Against Braves
Robbie Ray

Earns Ninth Win in Complete Game
T.J. Watt

Likely to Reset the Edge-Rush Market
George Springer

Blasts Two Homers, Drives in Four
James Wood

Goes Yard in Five-Hit Night
Bradley Beal

Suns Discussing Potential Buyout
Los Angeles Lakers

Jaxson Hayes Staying with the Lakers
NBA

Damian Lillard "Open" to Signing With a Team This Offseason
Max Muncy

Out at Least Six Weeks
Clarke Schmidt

Leaves Start with Forearm Tightness
Colson Montgomery

Promoted to the Major Leagues
Pittsburgh Steelers

Omar Khan, Steelers Agree to Three-Year Contract
Max Muncy

Goes on Injured List With Knee Bruise
Max Muncy

Out of Thursday's Lineup
James Wood

Joining Home Run Derby
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
Max Scherzer

Cleared to Start on Saturday
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
Kodai Senga

Could be "in Play" to Return Before All-Star Break
Ha-Seong Kim

Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim From Injured List
Chau Smith-Wade

Having Stellar Offseason
Ace Bailey

Inks Rookie Contract With Jazz
Divine Deablo

Could be the Quarterback of the Defense
Isaiah Rodgers

a Likely Starter for the Vikings
Jacob Monk

Sees Plenty of Work With Starters
Avonte Maddox

has Impressed Dan Campbell
Boston Celtics

Josh Minott Inks Deal With Celtics
Chicago Bears

Ruben Hyppolite Shows Notable Improvement
Sandro Mamukelashvili

Heading to Toronto
Daron Payne

Commanders Coaches Impressed With Daron Payne
Danny Gray

Makes Impression During Offseason Workouts
Jared McCain

Not on 76ers Summer League Roster
Dylan Harper

Unavailable for California Classic
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs with Islanders for Two Years
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal with Mammoth
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
NJ

Evgenii Dadonov Joins Devils on One-Year Deal
BUF

Sabres Snap Up Alex Lyon on Two-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Ryan McLeod

Inks Four-Year Extension with Sabres
NAS

Predators Bring in Nick Perbix on Two-Year Deal
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
LA

Cody Ceci Moves to Los Angeles
Charlotte Hornets

Spencer Dinwiddie Lands With Charlotte
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
Milwaukee Bucks

Taurean Prince Staying in Milwaukee
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF