All-Purpose Fantasy Baseball 2021 running thread

[bigpern23]

Figured it was time for a new thread to discuss fantasy baseball outside of the specific league threads.

First order of business is keeper questions. Let's post 'em here.

I'll start. We keep six players and lower in the draft order is more desirable. I know categories can change specific recommendations, but I think the following players' values will translate to most leagues.

Guys I'm considering (definite keepers bolded, draft round in parentheses):
Pete Alonso (8)
Gleyber Torres (18)
Ronald Acuna Jr. (17)
Corbin Burnes (25)
Chris Paddack (10)
Framber Valdez (25)
Lucas Giolito (22)
Teoscar Hernandez (25)
Walker Buehler (21)

My gut says keep Alonso and Paddack with the last two slots, but they are fairly high draft picks compared to the others. I don't yet know what to expect for ADP on them. Maybe Paddack at round 10 is decent value, but Burnes was damned impressive in a short season last year. Valdez was also better than Paddack.

I love Alonso, and he was better than Hernandez last year, but not by a lot. He was ranked 51st overall by Yahoo, while Hernandez ranked 72nd. Given the disparity in their draft position, Hernandez could be a steal at 25th if he can perform like that over a full season.

 

[outofplace]

I try to be careful about putting too much stock in last season, Burnes and Valdez are both good enough to be kept at 25 rather than Paddack at 10.

I would go with Hernandez over Alonso for the reasons you cited.

 

[outofplace]

Some days I hate fantasy baseball. Let's see if I can explain this one without getting too deep into the woods.

My money league is a slow auction keeper. We keep eight veterans, then fill the rest of our starting lineups with an auction. Then we draft reserves. The whole thing is done on a message board, with the available player broken into six lists. You bid on a player until the last bid stands for 24 hours. It takes about a month. It is frowned upon to abuse the ability to bid on player at the last minute, but it happens. That led to my fun today.

Only about three of us have big money left. At the start of the day, it was four, but Manny Machado ate up about 40 percent of one owner's remaining budget. I had a bid standing for Xander Bogaerts. I was content to let Machado because he cost more and I have more of a need at shortstop, but I was really tempted to go one more dollar on Ozuna, whose 24 hours ended about 20 minutes before the time on Bogaerts.

The moment those bids went final and less than 20 minutes before Bogaerts would have been mine, somebody bid me up a dollar. Strategically, if he wanted the player, this makes no sense for him. Better to do it a little earlier and leave me options. Also, he has no third baseman and he is set at shortstop. He has been doing this to people the entire draft. Is it bad to wish a horrible fate on him?

 

[bigpern23]

I wish a horrible fate upon every opposing manager in all my leagues and most of them are my very good friends. But **** them all. I want to win.

 

[outofplace]

I wish a horrible fate upon every opposing manager in all my leagues and most of them are my very good friends. But **** them all. I want to win.

I get that. If he was actually helping his own team with this crap, it wouldn't bother me. He's screwing us both just because he likes to play these games.

I am just as annoyed with myself as I am with him. I probably should have seen it coming and bid the extra dollar to keep Ozuna available just in case.

 

[outofplace]

The ******* just did it again, this time with about 10 minutes remaining.

 

[Scout]

He’s there for one God damned specific reason - to **** you.

 

[bigpern23]

The ******* just did it again, this time with about 10 minutes remaining.

I’m surprised no one else has spoken up about it. That would be annoying as ****, especially if you’re not even bidding on the player.

 

[outofplace]

He’s there for one God damned specific reason - to **** you.

That is a really stupid way to play that game. He hurt his own team and I’m rebuilding, so I can find my own way to return the favor.

 

[outofplace]

I’m surprised no one else has spoken up about it. That would be annoying as ****, especially if you’re not even bidding on the player.

They have, but he doesn’t care. He isn’t breaking any rules. He is just being a ****. Plus, at this point, it helps everyone else if he can take me down with him.

 

[Scout]

That is a really stupid way to play that game. He hurt his own team and I’m rebuilding, so I can find my own way to return the favor.

I just wanted a chance to quote Earl Weaver.

 

[bigpern23]

They have, but he doesn’t care. He isn’t breaking any rules. He is just being a ****. Plus, at this point, it helps everyone else if he can take me down with him.

Sounds like a lousy system. Draft should be one of, if not THE most fun parts of a season. Why be a **** and try to ruin it for others?

 

[outofplace]

I just wanted a chance to quote Earl Weaver.

I figured you were quoting somebody. I just wasn't placing it.

 

[outofplace]

Sounds like a lousy system. Draft should be one of, if not THE most fun parts of a season. Why be a **** and try to ruin it for others?

I have no idea. Perhaps he's just trying to see how much he can squeeze out of me. We'll find out. I'm putting in one last bid. If he passes, I get Bogaerts and I've still got enough left over to pick up a few decent guys to fill out my remaining roster spots. If he matches, then he is handcuffed and I have a lot of money to spend when the last round of players goes active at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning.

 

[outofplace]

We are past the 23-hour mark again. Will he do it for the third day in a row? Will he shorten the time spare even more? The first time was 20 minutes before my bid went final. The second time was four minutes.
Will he go for one!?

 

[outofplace]

Hey! He didn't do it this time. I got an insanely overpriced Bogaerts!

 

[Songbird]

Sounds like a lousy system. Draft should be one of, if not THE most fun parts of a season. Why be a **** and try to ruin it for others?

"The greatest pleasure, when you break his ego, that's where it's at."​

 

[outofplace]

And we just had a $69 bid for Nolan Arenado, who was the best player remaining. The funny thing is the previous bid had been $30 and it stood for 22 hours. The best part of it was the guy who had been messing with me is the one who just had Arenado snatched away from him.

 

[bigpern23]

Updating my earlier post, we're now starting to see some ADP results, bringing the decision of who to keep into clearer focus. Below are the players I'm considering, followed by the round I will draft them in with their ADP in parentheses:
Buehler 21 (2)
Giolito 22 (2)
Burnes 25 (5)
Acuna 17 (1)
Torres 18 (5)

Paddack 10 (7/8)
Alonso 8 (4/5)
Valdez 25 (8)
Teoscar Hernandez 25 (6)

It seems a no-brainer to take Burnes at this point and Paddack in Round 10 isn't much of a value. If I want to grab him a round or two earlier to get him back, I'm not losing much draft value. Teoscar and Valdez both offer the greatest value. Hernandez broke out last season, but I'm not honestly sure he can sustain that level of production. Alonso would still be a good value at 8, especially since there are 72 players kept. He'll probably be more like a round 3 pick.

I guess it comes down to whether I think Valdez can match/exceed his production from last year vs. the more known quantity of Alonso.

 

[bigpern23]

A guy just offered me his first three draft picks for Acuna, who I get in the 17th round as a keeper. I also have the first overall pick. He has the third overall selection. That’s a tough call.