It’s draft season, which means you better get prepped before you’re on the clock without an idea of who you should pick. Lucky for you (and everyone with whom I’m in a league), I’m going to outline my entire draft plan for 2019, from whom I’m targeting in each round to which positions I’m focusing on getting early in the draft and those on which to wait. All my favorite players are here in one place for each position, with a round-by-round outline at the end.
Before we begin, there are a few things to note:
- This outline is meant for a redraft, 12-teamer 5×5 league with 23 rounds. It still applies to most variants, but obviously, it’s not a one-size-fits-all.
- I have purposefully left some holes because drafts are fluid creatures that need affection and constant attention to nail down just right.
- Don’t follow this so rigidly that when Carlos Carrasco falls to the eighth round you ignore him.
- Round targets are created based around Fantasy Pros’ ADP, which merges NFBC, Yahoo, and CBS data. They are a rough estimation and should give you a general idea of when you should be looking to grab them.
- There are certain players who have round labels well before or after their ADP. Either I want to reach or I’ve seen them fall consistently and will watch their stock mid-draft.
- These aren’t the only players I’m looking to draft, but they are the ones that I’m hoping fall to the right place.
I’ve done more mocks this offseason than any other year, testing strategies from different positions, and I’m going to bring in more bullet points to go over the general approach I have in drafts:
- The BIGGEST note I have is to be patient grabbing starters. I know, this is Pitcher List, and my confidence in finding starters is not for everyone. I urge you to just follow along this guide, and you’ll have a fantastic staff to get you through the year and win your playoffs. There is so much more starting pitching depth than people realize.
- First base is shallow at the top with its value bookended: Grab one of the elites or wait until late.
- Outfield and second base value lies around rounds six to 12, i.e. the opposite of first base.
- Closers are dumb, and I hate them. You’re better off solidifying your offense than feeling OK with a stat that makes up only 10% of your week-to-week and isn’t even a guarantee.
- The final eight rounds or so will be shooting for upside starters and bats. There are so many to choose from. I have specific guys I like; you’ll probably have different ones, and that’s cool. Get your guys.
Alright, I think you understand the flow. Get tons of offense early, with two or at most three starters in the first 10 rounds and trust in the starting pitching depth. Let’s focus on the specific players to target during your drafts by position and later round-by-round.
First Baseman
One of the toughest positions right out of the gate as I love the first three options off the board — and not a whole lot after. I’ve seen Paul Goldschmidt and Freddie Freeman fall to the middle or end of the second rounds, and I’d love to grab them there if I’m slotted in the front half of the draft, maybe slightly early in the second round if few starting pitchers are taken. I’m hoping to grab Anthony Rizzo at back end or front of the fourth if I have a later pick, then otherwise, I’m waiting a long time to find my first basemen if the current options go at their ADP.
Then it gets a bit fishy. I don’t love Cody Bellinger/Rhys Hoskins/Matt Carpenter/Joey Votto at their prices. Jose Abreu and Jesus Aguilar also bring risk at their price, pushing my first base options past Pick 100 with Matt Olson, Edwin Encarnacion, Max Muncy, Miguel Cabrera, and Luke Voit — yes, that Luke Voit. If I’m still searching deep in the draft, I’m all for taking chances on Pete Alonso, Justin Smoak, Jake Bauers, Justin Bour, and Trey Mancini — in that order — as I hope to find something stable.
| Player | Round |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Middle 2nd |
| Freddie Freeman | Middle 2nd |
| Anthony Rizzo | Late 3rd |
| Matt Olson | Rounds 9/10 |
| Max Muncy | Rounds 9/10 |
| Edwin Encarnacion | Rounds 9/10 |
| Miguel Cabrera | Rounds 13/14/15 |
| Luke Voit | Rounds 13/14/15 |
| Peter Alonso | Round 20+ |
| Justin Smoak | Round 20+ |
| Jake Bauers | Round 20+ |
| Justin Bour | Round 20+ |
| Trey Mancini | Round 20+ |
Second Basemen
I want Jose Ramirez third overall (2B-eligible in Yahoo leagues). If I miss out on JoRam, I’m not interested in Jose Altuve/Javier Baez/Whit Merrifield/Ozzie Albies unless they dramatically fall. Gleyber Torres is an intriguing option, but his ADP is currently too high as I’d be OK taking him around rounds six or seven. Daniel Murphy’s signing with the Rockies makes me intrigued in the sixth round as we begin getting to the meat of the 2B options. Scooter Gennett, Travis Shaw, Jonathan Villar, Robinson Cano, and Jonathan Schoop become the main targets, with one of them often falling outside the first 10 rounds. I’d also consider Rougned Odor and Brian Dozier if you miss out on all the above options. For the late snags, late value could lie in Ketel Marte, Luis Urias, and Garrett Hampson, who is ranked surprisingly low.
| Player | Round |
| Jose Ramirez (yahoo) | Third Pick |
| Daniel Murphy | Rounds 6/7 |
| Gleyber Torres | Rounds 6/7 |
| Travis Shaw | Rounds 8/9 |
| Scooter Gennett | Rounds 8/9 |
| Jonathan Villar | Rounds 10/11 |
| Robinson Cano | Rounds 10/11 |
| Jonathan Schoop | Rounds 13/14 |
| Rougned Odor | Rounds 13/14 |
| Brian Dozier | Rounds 13/14 |
| Garrett Hampson | Round 18+ |
| Ketel Marte | Round 20+ |
| Ian Kinsler | Round 20+ |
Third Basemen
I’d get the aforementioned Ramirez at No. 3, with Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado, and Alex Bregman as worthy consolation prizes in the first round or even second round if you’re lucky. Kris Bryant is a very worthy option in the middle of the third and beyond, while Anthony Rendon should be considered early in the fourth. I’d go for Eugenio Suarez in the fifth round, though take a small break thereafter. Matt Chapman and Josh Donaldson become solid grabs in the eighth round, with Mike Moustakas and Rafael Devers becoming steals in the 11th and beyond. Later, I’d consider shares of Nick Senzel, Jake Lamb, and Eduardo Escobar.
| Player | Round |
| Jose Ramirez | Third Pick |
| Nolan Arenado | Round 1 |
| Manny Machado | Rounds 1/2 |
| Alex Bregman | Rounds 1/2 |
| Kris Bryant | Round 3 |
| Anthony Rendon | Round 4 |
| Eugenio Suarez | Round 5 |
| Matt Chapman | Rounds 8/9 |
| Josh Donaldson | Rounds 8/9 |
| Travis Shaw | Rounds 8/9 |
| Mike Moustakas | Rounds 11/12 |
| Rafael Devers | Rounds 11/12 |
| Nick Senzel | Round 18+ |
| Eduardo Escobar | Round 18+ |
| Jake Lamb | Round 20+ |
Shortstops
With Francisco Lindor hurt, I’d still consider him at the end of the second round, though Trea Turner, Machado, Bregman, and Trevor Story should be considered first. I’m avoiding Carlos Correa and Corey Seager for their injury histories, while I like aiming for Xander Bogaerts in the late fourth or early fifth round. Gleyber Torress and Jean Segura are options in the sixth, and those who are worried about steals could consider Adalberto Mondesi as well, though I have too much skepticism of his small sample to trust it. Jonathan Villar and Jose Peraza are cheaper steals options who should suffice in the ninth and 10th (ninth for Villar here if you can smell SS getting thin, otherwise wait for 10th at 2B), with discount options following. Eduardo Escobar, Paul DeJong, Garrett Hampson, and Jorge Polanco could return solid value in the 16 round and later, while Ketel Marte and even Troy Tulowitzki could be sneaky picks at the end.
| Player | Round |
| Trea Turner | Rounds 1/2 |
| Manny Machado | Rounds 1/2 |
| Alex Bregman | Rounds 1/2 |
| Trevor Story | Round 2 |
| Francisco Lindor | Round 2 |
| Xander Bogaerts | Late 4th/Early 5th |
| Jean Segura | Round 6 |
| Gleyber Torres | Rounds 6/7 |
| Jonathan Villar | Rounds 9/10/11 |
| Jose Peraza | Rounds 9/10/11 |
| Garrett Hampson | Round 18+ |
| Eduardo Escobar | Round 18+ |
| Jorge Polanco | Round 18+ |
| Paul DeJong | Round 18+ |
| Ketel Marte | Round 21+ |
| Troy Tulowitzki | Last Round |
Outfielders
With outfielders, don’t forget that you only have to fill in three slots. Most of the time, you’ll have at least one in as a UTIL, but it can limit you going elite OF in each of the first three rounds. Even so, going two early is not a bad call; just allow yourself to take advantage of rounds six to 12, where there are plenty of stellar options to grab. Early on, all of Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, JD Martinez, Christian Yelich, Ronald Acuna, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Charlie Blackmon, Andrew Benintendi, and Kris Bryant should be considered. All of them, it’s just a matter of what other positions are available, but I’d be picking these bats before any starter.
I’m ignoring the next tier of outfielders for the most part, though I’d consider Starling Marte, Khris Davis and Juan Soto in the fourth rounds. Entering the sixth, Tommy Pham, and Lorenzo Cain should be considered, with Yasiel Puig, Marcel Ozuna, Mitch Haniger, and Eddie Rosario in the following rounds. At the ninth and 10th, Aaron Hicks, and Eloy Jimenez should be heavily considered as well.
At this point, I expect to have three outfielders and turning to pure upside later in the draft. Options here include Stephen Piscotty, Brandon Nimmo, Hunter Renfroe, Franmil Reyes, Domingo Santana, Austin Meadows, Ramon Laureano, Cedric Mullins, and even Lewis Brinson.
| Player | Round |
| All Outfielders through Kris Bryant | Rounds 1 through mid 3rd |
| Starling Marte | Round 4 |
| Khris Davis | Round 4 |
| Juan Soto | Round 4 |
| Tommy Pham | Rounds 5/6 |
| Lorenzo Cain | Rounds 5/6 |
| Yasiel Puig | Rounds 6/7/8 |
| Marcell Ozuna | Rounds 6/7/8 |
| Mitch Haniger | Rounds 6/7/8 |
| Eddie Rosario | Rounds 6/7/8 |
| Eloy Jimenez | Rounds 8/9 |
| Aaron Hicks | Rounds 9/10 |
| Stephen Piscotty | Round 15+ |
| Brandon Nimmo | Round 15+ |
| Franmil Reyes | Round 16+ |
| Hunter Renfroe | Round 16+ |
| Domingo Santana | Round 16+ |
| Austin Meadows | Round 16+ |
| Ramon Laureano | Round 16+ |
| Cedric Mullins | Round 20+ |
| Lewis Brinson | Round 20+ |
Catchers
The catcher game is simple as ever — either get JT Realmuto or Gary Sanchez at a discount or wait until the final rounds for a decent backstop and call it a day. If Realmuto falls to the sixth, I’m fine grabbing him there, with Sanchez needing to fall into the seventh for me to consider him.
Otherwise, my primary target is Danny Jansen around the 16th round, with backups in Wilson Ramos, Yasmani Grandal (both likely won’t drop), Francisco Mejia, Yan Gomes, and Francisco Cervelli, backstops who you most likely can wait past the 18th round to snag.
Let’s move on.
| Player | Round |
| JT Realmuto | Round 6 |
| Gary Sanchez | Round 7 |
| Danny Jansen | Round 16+ |
| Wilson Ramos | Round 16+ |
| Yasmani Grandal | Round 16+ |
| Francisco Mejia | Round 18+ |
| Yan Gomes | Round 20+ |
| Francisco Cervelli | Round 20+ |
Starting Pitchers
The draft really opens up if you buy into my SP plan, which comes in two forms: Either you get great value in the third and fourth rounds, or you go a little early in the fifth and sixth and back it up with two in ninth and 10th. Either way, you’re going to grab four of my top 40 through the first 13 rounds, then grab another four or five in the final eight rounds. That’s the idea, and you’d be surprised how formidable your staff will be as you tout around one of the best offenses in the league.
Getting specific with pitchers, I’m looking to see if Trevor Bauer or Noah Syndergaard are falling to me at the end of the third or early fourth round. If not, I look to the fifth or sixth for Jameson Taillon or Mike Clevinger, coming back around the eighth for Zack Wheeler. Around the 10th and 11th, I’m aiming for Miles Mikolas and Yu Darvish, then turning to Ross Stripling, Nick Pivetta, Andrew Heaney, or JA Happ to round out the first four.
Now it gets fun. There are so many options. You could shoot for ceiling in Alex Reyes, Jimmy Nelson or Joe Musgrove, a bit more stability in Yusei Kikuchi, Tyler Skaggs, and Kyle Freeland, or wait plenty and fill your team up with a ton of intriguing names — Michael Fulmer, Derek Holland, Collin McHugh, Matt Strahm, Reynaldo Lopez, and Merrill Kelly often find their way on my teams. Jesus Luzardo, Justus Sheffield, Forrest Whitley, and even Chris Paddack make for fun final-round prospect targets, and I could also see myself grabbing Jerad Eickhoff, Jeff Samardzija, Luke Weaver, or Brad Peacock if other leaguemates are aggressive at the position.
There are plenty more in addition to these names, and the goal is to have about eight starters — nine if you’re a bit lacking at the top and need to spend another bench spot on shooting for upside (take one of the prospect names in this case!). Don’t go chasing too early as the upside bats get taken earlier than the starters.
| Player | Round |
| Trevor Bauer | Late 3rd/Early 4th |
| Noah Syndergaard | Late 3rd/Early 4th |
| Jameson Taillon | Late 5th/ Early 6th |
| Mike Clevinger | Late 5th/ Early 6th |
| Zack Wheeler | Rounds 7/8 |
| Miles Mikolas | Rounds 9/10 |
| Yu Darvish | Rounds 9/10 |
| Ross Stripling | Rounds 12/13/14 |
| Nick Pivetta | Rounds 12/13/14 |
| Andrew Heaney | Rounds 12/13/14 |
| JA Happ | Rounds 12/13/14 |
| Alex Reyes | Round 14+ |
| Yusei Kikuchi | Round 15+ |
| Tyler Skaggs | Round 15+ |
| Kyle Freeland | Round 15+ |
| Jimmy Nelson | Round 16+ |
| Joe Musgrove | Round 16+ |
| Michael Fulmer | Round 18+ |
| Derek Holland | Round 18+ |
| Collin McHugh | Round 18+ |
| Matt Strahm | Round 18+ |
| Reynaldo Lopez | Round 18+ |
| Jesus Luzardo | Round 18+ |
| Forrest Whitley | Round 18+ |
| Merrill Kelly | Round 20+ |
| Jeff Samardzija | Round 20+ |
| Justus Sheffield | Round 20+ |
| Jerad Eickhoff | Round 20+ |
| Luke Weaver | Round 20+ |
| Chris Paddack | Round 20+ |
| Brad Peacock | Round 20+ |
Relief Pitchers
Now for closers. I don’t like closers. I will not be one to grab an elite one as there’s too much value elsewhere to spend time on saves. The rule of thumb for grabbing a closer is easy: “If there isn’t anything you like on the board, grab a closer.” This usually happens around the 11th round — which means I’ve found myself with a good amount of Jose LeClerc and Kirby Yates shares. It could also mean Wade Davis as well.
Later in drafts, I’ll take a chance on Andrew Miller getting saves for the Cardinals, as well as Corey Knebel grabbing the job back in Milwaukee. Matt Barnes, Hunter Strickland, Mychal Givens, and Will Smith are all in good positions to steal the saves in their ballclubs, making for solid late-round choices as well. I’d grab two total — maybe three if they are sitting there at the end of the draft — and bank on grabbing one off the wire during the year.
| Player | Round |
| Jose LeClerc | Round 11 |
| Kirby Yates | Round 11 |
| Wade Davis | Round 11 |
| Corey Knebel | Round 15 |
| Andrew Miller | Round 17 |
| Matt Barnes | Round 18+ |
| Hunter Strickland | Round 18+ |
| Mychal Givens | Round 18+ |
| Will Smith | Round 18+ |
All Targets Round By Round
Instead of just doing one long table, I instead made this handy chart for you to reference through your draft:
