RotoBaller.com Daily League Analysis: How to Approach Daily League Snake Drafts, Part 1

March 18, 2013

Click here to read strategy on fantasy baseball daily leagues and analysis on how to draft your players in daily leagues.

The information in this Daily League Strategy piece is limited to those sites which permit daily snake drafts such as the ones described. Stay tuned to RotoBaller.com for more articles covering all of your favorite Daily League formats in the coming days and weeks!

Daily Snake Drafts: Part I

One of the fun things to do while playing fantasy baseball on DraftStreet is participate in Snake Drafts. Most of us wait all year for our favorite league's draft but once it's over we have to wait until next year to draft again. This can be especially painful when you have a bad draft and a mediocre team all season. The option of playing in daily leagues, where every day is a fresh start, is a fun way to keep interest no matter how poorly your team is performing in regular yearly leagues. Plus, if you play for money and you win, you get money deposited into your account right away. The feeling of winning is addicting, the feeling of losing is frustrating and I often see a trend in those who lose consistently. Here are some tips on how to approach snake drafts for daily leagues.

Prepare: I can't emphasize this point enough. I see too many people join daily snakes with no game plan whatsoever. They haven't analyzed matchups and they intend to use their “knowledge” to draft the best players. You can guess what almost always happens with these guys. They draft the big name players, regardless of the matchup, and they finish dead last. Discouraged and frustrated, they decide daily leagues aren't for them and stop playing. Think of it this way: How confident would you feel if you approached your most expensive season long fantasy league the way you just approached the daily league? You'd be shaking, nervous, unsure of yourself, and scared that every pick was a mistake. Take the time to visit MLB.com's Injury Report, and look at the day-to-day matchups. I always avoid players that are considered questionable, regardless of the random blog out there reporting he is “likely” to play.

Utilize the player queue: It is there to help you! Use it! If you are serious about playing and winning your snake leagues then you shouldn't join a Daily Snake until you have some players you are targeting. You won't know your spot in the draft order until five minutes before the draft starts. By the time the draft starts your player que should include 10-15 guys you want on your team for sure. Don't settle for a player you don't want because he has slid a few spots and a couple of guys you really wanted were taken instead. Take the time given to you and evaluate which player makes the most sense. Go with him and don't dwell on it. Start looking for a few guys you want with your next pick.

Learn from your mistakes: So maybe you took all our advice and still finished last. Don't be discouraged. Every other player who just finished higher than you has finished last before. Avoid the knee-jerk reaction moves like withdrawing or blowing all your remaining funds. The best thing to do if seriously discouraged is take a day off from daily games. The best way to stop a losing streak is to put yourself in a position where you can't lose. To get your mojo back, play in some free leagues using our tips and advice until you feel comfortable playing with real money again. We are here to help so just ask us!

Part II of How to Approach Daily League Snake Drafts can be found here.   

Have questions? Tweet them to us @RotoBaller or Cole personally @RotoCole