The Value of Drafting by Position

I was having a conversation with Matt the other day. He hasn't qualified for the playoffs in either of the two years of our leagues existence even though 6 teams out of 10 get in. We are doing a keeper league and he has the easiest choice for his three keepers after he declared himself out of the running last season. Pujols, Santana, and Miguel Cabrera. It was that easy.

Unfortunately, not all of us joined fantasy golf during the fantasy baseball playoffs last year. And now it is decision time. Do I keep a guy for his stats or the value of stats at a position. Chone Figgins or Travis Hafner? Victor Martinez or Gary Sheffield?

The answer is too simple. Although Hafner and Shef are going to give you superior stats with the stolen bases being the exception, you have to maximize every constraint. Figgins is a guy that plays at the second weakest position this year. There are only two other players at this position who are guarenteed to succeed. Victor Martinez plays the weakest position. If you drafted Victor and a poor man's Gary Sheffield - say Geoff Jenkins instead of carrying Sheffield and a weaker catcher like Benji Molina the combined stats of Martinez and Jenkins would likely exceed Sheffield and Molina.

Matt says you got to go for the stats. At least with the three keepers he has this year he won't need to have a firesale at the trade deadline.