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

How To Prep for Fantasy Baseball Drafts - The Do's and Don'ts

Corey Seager - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Mike's advice for how to win fantasy baseball drafts including "do's" and "don'ts". Use Mike's 10 tips and strategies to prep for your fantasy baseball drafts.

We are nearing the end of winter here in the Midwest. This morning, the sun is shining, the coffee is hot and flavorful, and people are preparing their chore lists for the day. But not us. We are continuing the preparations for the coming fantasy baseball season.

Draft season is in full swing for many of us. Is there a better time to be alive than during fantasy baseball season? I think not. But we know we must be ready to go into that draft room and assemble a championship roster.

As we prepare ourselves for the season, there are some guidelines we can use to shape our thought processes. Let's look at some "do's" and "don'ts" as we dive headlong into the best season of the year. Once more into the breach, dear friends.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

DO Know the Exact Scoring System

I say this first before anything else every time I write a piece like this.

Know your scoring system backward and forward. This seems like a foregone conclusion, but many players simply assume they know the scoring system. Make sure you know every way in which you gain, or perhaps lose, points. For example, a friend asked for some assistance to prep for his draft. When asked for the scoring system, he told me it was "standard."

Upon further investigation, it was an on-base percentage league, not a batting average league. That changes your strategy considerably. So, first things first, spend time to fully understand the scoring components. Is it just saves? Saves plus holds? Are you penalized for certain things like batter strikeouts? Rotisserie versus points league?

Know the system! It's the first and easiest way to start preparing.

 

DO Use Tools to Prepare

How do you prepare for your drafts each season? Has your preparation led to success in your leagues?

Some tools that you might consider using in your preparation:

It's important to remember that all projections, by nature, have a degree of imprecision. They are a guide and a roadmap for us but know that the perfect system does not exist. Yet, it's better to have some roadmap than not. Much of it still comes down to your decision-making process in critical moments.

 

DO Some Math

You don't have to do a ton of math, but it might be a good idea to set some soft targets on numbers you might wish to attain, especially for counting statistics. For example, in some leagues, fantasy players will shoot for the 80th percentile in say, home runs, and then find targets to gather those statistics. Your league might have historical data that can easily give you this information. This quick math gives you a potential baseline of where you need to be as you stockpile counting stats.

 

DO Watch for "Cliffs"

Many people draft off the idea of tiers, which is a great strategy. This helps you avoid "falling in love" with certain players. When you sense a cliff coming, the drop-off in players at a specific position becomes palpable. Here's an example: currently drafting in TGFBI, I have historically found it difficult to find saves on the waiver wire. So I wanted to leave the draft with two solid closers.

I drafted Devin Williams in the third round (maybe too early), and by the time we got to the eighth round, many of the closers I felt comfortable with as my No. 2 closer were off the board.

Clay Holmes of the New York Yankees was the last RP before (in my mind) "the cliff" hits. Adbert Alzolay and Kenley Jansen scare me. So instead of rostering a catcher like Salvador Perez or a middle infield option like Ketel Marte, I picked Holmes to try and lock in 60-70 saves on this roster. I will add a third relief pitcher later as a speculative pick for saves; at the very least, another reliever should help me with ratio controls while I hope for potential saves. As you can see below, there is much to like about Holmes.

 

DO Populate a Strong Queue

In a snake draft, a strong queue is your best friend. This is especially important in draft rooms where you only have one minute to decide on your next player. Starting from the beginning, populate a strong queue. Add to it as the draft goes, paying attention to those players dropping that may interest you.

For example, take a pitcher like Braxton Garrett, falling due to the uncertainty of his injury return. Does he represent value to you if he falls to the 20th round like in my TGFBI league? He did to me, and I snagged him there, and now hope he's only missing a week or two at the beginning of the season.

Some people will remove players from the queue after they roster that position. My advice would be not to do that; even if your position seems full, a guy you like falling to you could represent a great opportunity.

In the example above, you see the arbitrary top-five players in my queue for a league I am drafting with my son, Jack. Try to create a queue that has positional flexibility to it so you can pivot as necessary. I also like to add players that I need to remember for later in drafts for the proverbial dart throw at the end.

 

Don't be Married to ADP

My good friend Dave Funnell always reminds me of this mantra with a simple statement: at the end of the day, it's your team. So get your guys. Average Draft Position (ADP) is simply a guide that tells you how other people in similar leagues are drafted. So, if you want to roster a player a round or two before his ADP, do it. Do not be married to ADP; you are only married to your spouse if you have one.

Likewise, if a player falls from his ADP, that doesn't necessarily mean you are getting a "bargain." Be more interested in the construction of your team and what players fit that build. Many fantasy players become animated when talking about a player "falling to them." Why is he falling? Do you have the right information on this player? ADP is just a guide. Treat it as such.

 

Don't Let Bias Influence You

Many times we let our biases impact our decision-making for our team. Let's do a brief experiment.  Think of a player whose struggles when you rostered him cost you a winning season. Is that true?  Is it fair? Are you correct in your assertion, or do you have a discernible bias?

We spend too much time thinking about what a player did last year (recency bias) and not enough about the width and breadth of that player's career, or what he could do next.

Here is an example from one of my rosters, and an example of what not to do. Ha-Seong Kim is a great example of this for me last year. I had several opportunities to roster him but was put off by what I thought would be a low batting average and not enough counting stats in 2023.

I was basing this off a 2022 that saw him hit .251 with 11 home runs, 12 stolen bases, and score a pedestrian 58 runs. Not bad statistics, but I felt I could do better for my middle infield spot. All Kim did was hit .260 with 17 home runs, 38 stolen bases, and score 84 runs. I neglected that he makes contact and that he could grow in only his third full season. I thought taking Nick Gordon would be a better idea. It wasn't.

What I got from Gordon:

That is not meant to disparage Gordon, a fine player, but rather look at my faulty thought process.

An even more egregious example: I am a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan. Reynaldo Lopez looks fantastic this spring for the Atlanta Braves and is believed to be the front-runner for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Your old pal Mike Carter can't see that. No, he recalls a floundering Lopez on the mound for his beloved White Sox, unable to command his pitches as a starter years ago.

Should Lopez win that job, he will get wins and strikeouts for perhaps the best team in baseball. Can I see that? Nope. That is bias, my friends. Lopez will not be on any of my teams if I can't shake this trauma response from my head, so learn from me what not to do!

 

Don't Invest in Too Many Leagues

Know your limits. Only play in leagues that are fun, engaging, and challenging. Moreover, know how many leagues are too many for you. I know some fantasy players play in 25-30 leagues or more. My high water mark was 15 two years ago, and it was just too many for me and my current lifestyle. I prefer to be in five or six leagues and at most three NFBC with FAAB. Once I hit that retirement age, look out fantasy world...I will be all over the place!

 

Don't Panic!

At all times, remember this game is about having fun and sharing our hobby with old and new friends. Don't panic if things don't go the way you expected; it never does. Similar to reality, life happens when you are busy making other plans.

Enjoy the drafts, and the parties if that is part of it, and fostering relationships with others in a world where the biggest malady is loneliness. There is always another player to roster if you do not get the player you want. As we change seasons now in many parts of the country, please take care of your mental and physical health, and check in on your friends!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




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

Max Muncy

Batting Cleanup in Return to Dodgers
New York Knicks

Ben Simmons Reportedly Declined Knicks' Contract Offer
Younghoe Koo

Falcons Auditioning Kickers, Could Replace Younghoe Koo
Denver Broncos

Sean Payton Says Broncos Need to be Better With Run-Pass Balance
Tank Bigsby

Eagles Acquiring Tank Bigsby From Jaguars on Monday
George Kittle

Likely Out 3-5 Weeks, Could Land on Injured Reserve
Chase Burns

to be Activated on Friday
Brock Purdy

Dealing With Multiple Injuries, Could Miss Week 2
Tyler Glasnow

Cleared to Start on Monday
Logan O'Hoppe

Placed on Concussion Injured List
Christian Yelich

Returning on Monday
Elias Pettersson

Feeling "Good" Ahead of Season
NHL

Alex Formenton Rejoins Swiss Team
NHL

Grigori Denisenko Heads Back Home
CAR

Kevin Labanc Joins Hurricanes for Tryout
Ross Colton

Healthy for Start of Season
Daniel Palencia

Cubs Place Daniel Palencia on Injured List With Shoulder Strain
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Returning on Monday
Sean Murphy

Done for the Year With Hip Labral Tear
Alec Bohm

Lands on Injured List With Cyst in his Shoulder
Trea Turner

Going on Injured List, Phillies Hope to Have him Back for Playoffs
Brock Bowers

Considered Day-to-Day With Knee Injury
Jonathan Taylor

is "Good" After Taking a Hit to his Neck in Week 1
Caio Borralho

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Kyle Stowers

Suffers Setback on Rehab Assignment?
Nassourdine Imavov

Extends Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy

Gets Submitted
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Taps Out Mauricio Ruffy
Michael King

Expected to Return on Tuesday
Russell Wilson

Remains the Giants Starter
Trea Turner

Undergoing MRI Exam on Monday
Paul Craig

Retires After UFC Paris Loss
Denny Hamlin

Earns his First Cup Victory at Gateway
Kyle Larson

Damage Ruins Kyle Larson's Chance At a Top Finish at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Scores his Third Top-10 Finish at Gateway
Joey Logano

Maintains his Perfect Top-Five Streak at Gateway
Ryan Blaney

Struggles and Recovers for a Top-Five Finish at Gateway
Modestas Bukauskas

Scores First-Round Knockout
Bolaji Oki

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Xavier Worthy

Week-to-Week with Dislocated Shoulder
Mason Jones

Scores Comeback Win
Rhys McKee

Suffers Third-Round TKO Loss
Axel Sola

Successful In His UFC Debut
Robert Ruchała

Robert Ruchala Unsuccessful In His UFC Debut
William Gomis

Bounces Back In The Win Column
Derrick Henry

Scores Twice but has Costly Fumble on Sunday
Lamar Jackson

Shines With Three Total Touchdowns in Loss to Bills
Keon Coleman

Leads the Team With 11 Targets on Sunday
Josh Allen

Totals Four Touchdowns in Win Over Ravens
Chase Elliott

Gets Lucky but Still Has Best Run at Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Wins Stage 2, but Was Let Down by Strategy
Tyler Reddick

Despite Bad Luck, Tyler Reddick Does What he Needed to Do
Chase Briscoe

Recovers from Incident with Daniel Suarez to Finish Second
William Byron

Late Caution Foils William Byron's Shot at Gateway Victory
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Dominates Targets in Seattle, Records 124 Receiving Yards in Week 1
Puka Nacua

Leads Rams in Targets, Catches, and Receiving Yards in Week 1
Logan O'Hoppe

Exits After Concussion Scare, Status Remains Unclear
Christian McCaffrey

Logs 31 Touches in Season Opener
Travis Etienne Jr.

Dominates Backfield Touches in Jacksonville, Posts Monster Day
Jayson Tatum

"Moving Around Way Better"
Russell Wilson

Giants Won't Commit to Russell Wilson as Week 2 Starter
Drake London

Day-to-Day with Shoulder Sprain
George Kittle

and Jauan Jennings to Undergo MRIs
Jake Moody

49ers to Evaluate Kicker Position After Jake Moody Struggles
Daniel Palencia

to Miss Time With Shoulder Injury
Byron Buxton

Exits Early With Knee Contusion
Trea Turner

Suffers Hamstring Strain
Ryan Blaney

Should Contend at Gateway
Denny Hamlin

Fastest in Qualifying, the Favorite to Win at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Looking for Redemption at Gateway
Joey Logano

Has Been Elite at Gateway
Austin Cindric

Should Be On Your Radar at Gateway
AJ Allmendinger

Could Be a Sleeper Again at Gateway
Tyler Reddick

Southern 500 Near-Miss Makes Tyler Reddick a Stronger Option for Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace a Likely Gateway Contender
Alex Bowman

a Long Shot to Advance in Playoffs
Austin Dillon

Richard Childress Racing Looks Slower at Gateway, Which Will Hurt Austin Dillon
Shane Van Gisbergen

Starts 18th in Gateway Debut
Bubba Chandler

to Make First Start on Sunday
Samuel Basallo

Exits Early with Hand Injury
Jeremy Swayman

Ready to Get Back on Track
Connor McDavid

Aiming for More Goals
NJ

Luke Glendening Signs Tryout Deal With Devils
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Leaves Early on Saturday After Fouling Ball Off his Knee
Dylan Harper

Hoping to be Ready for the Opener Versus Dallas
EDM

Derek Ryan Retires From Hockey
Connor Zary

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Flames
Carey Price

Canadiens Trade Carey Price to Sharks
Bobby Witt Jr.

Dealing With Back Spasms
Rasmus Hojgaard

Finishes Tied For Second at Omega European Masters
Tyrrell Hatton

Finishes Tied for 32nd at LIV Indianapolis
Matt Fitzpatrick

Finishes Fifth at Omega European Masters
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied For Second in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Xander Schauffele

Finishes 42nd in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Caio Borralho

Set For A Title Eliminator Bout
Nassourdine Imavov

Looks To Earn A Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Paul Craig

In Dire Need Of Victory
Mason Jones

Set for Main-Card Bout
Bolaji Oki

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Rhys McKee

Set To Open Up UFC Paris Main Card
Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP