Live Chat With Todd Zola: Thursday, 7 pm ET

[Navel Lint]

Thanks for the as always honest answers.

I can HEAR Kemp, Buchholz, and Bruce falling as you type.

[ToddZ]

GRATUITOUS PLUG ALERT!!!

As part of a Mastersball Platinum Subscription or as a stand alone product, you can purchase a series of essays written by NFBC League Champions in the 2014 NFBC Primer. The first part deals with Draft Champion Leagues. The second part will be rolled out beginning about Feb 15 and will contain essays pertaining to all the NFBC March formats.

The cost is $10 all by itself but you can save $5 if you purchase the NFBC Primer along with a standard Mastersball subscription. The subscription is normally $34.95 but you can get both for just $39.95.

Here are the present essays:

Fantasy Camp by Dan Kenyon
Early Composite Draft Championship Rankings by NFBC veterans
DC Leagues: Why Play, How to Succeed and How I Did in 2013 by Gordon Gekko
So Close but Yet So Far: Thoughts from the 2013 DC Overall Runner-up by RJ Uganski
Best Use of Picks 41-50 in DC Leagues by Eric Miller
Review of a Championship Team by Greg Morgan
Building a Winning DC Team by Gary Cutler
Draft Champions Strategy of Dumping Saves by Jon Stadtmueller
Draft Championship Reserve Round Drafting by Gregory Doyle (revised posting)
DC Leagues: Catchers, a Necessary Evil by Gary Cutler
DC Leagues: Gimmick Teams by Gary Cutler
DC Leagues: Pitching Strategies by Doug Cassidy
Strategies for Drafting Pitching in NFBC DC leagues by Mike Mager
DC Average Standings for Category Targets ($150 and $375 leagues) by Todd Zola

Now back you your regularly schedule Q&A

[ToddZ]

Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time....

Anyone?

[jasonw0326]

If you were to look into your crystal ball, which pitchers currently slated to start in the minors do you see making an impact once they are called up?? Do you foresee any major impact pitchers like Sonny Gray was for teams last year?? Thanks!

[viper]

where are the posts

[Gekko]

Why are people taking George springer in the early teens? I mean it's pretty clear he will be in minors to start the year. And all the AAA comps I've ran don't equate him to anyone good

[Gekko]

Who is the lowest/worst adp SP you'd feel comfortable as your staff ace?

[ToddZ]

If you were to look into your crystal ball, which pitchers currently slated to start in the minors do you see making an impact once they are called up?? Do you foresee any major impact pitchers like Sonny Gray was for teams last year?? Thanks!

Again, I don't have a crystal ball.

Speculation isn't my thing.

Guys like Bradley on D-Backs, Walker and Paxton on Seattle, Taillon on Pittsburgh. Kyle Crick on SF, Mark Appel of Hou, Meyer of Minn may pitch in MLB -- success/impact is a crapshoot. This isn't the subset of players I choose to chase.

[ToddZ]

where are the posts

What posts?

[Ando]

I typically do not take catchers early in drafts. Any C's stand out to you that may mirror Jason Castro's jump to relevance as he did last year?

Thanks Todd.

[ToddZ]

Why are people taking George springer in the early teens? I mean it's pretty clear he will be in minors to start the year. And all the AAA comps I've ran don't equate him to anyone good

Why do people buy lottery tickets? They'd rather get lucky than do work.

[viper]

in a DC draft, when you you begin looking at minor leaguers who were expected to come up after Super Two dates. Buxton is an example, maybe Syndergaard - I am sure there are others who could/should be drafted but where should serious looking begin.

[ToddZ]

Who is the lowest/worst adp SP you'd feel comfortable as your staff ace?

I honestly don't know the ADP of pitchers so I can't relate to the ADP but I have list of 10-12 guys that I will choose as my SP1. I'll read the draft to make sure I get one of those. It may not be Kershaw, but I'm not going to try to massage together a staff of lower picks either.

The exception is if I decide to take one (or two) of the 100-K closers (Kimbrel/Jansen/Chapman/Holland). In fact, I'm doing a non-NFBC e-mail draft right now where I took Jansen and Chapman at the 5/6 wheel (I pick 15th) and then took Medlen as my SP1 on the 7/8 turn.

A 100-K closer + a tier 3 guy is like a tier 2 guy and a regular closer.

Kershaw is tier 1

The rest of the 12 are tier 2.

[Bronx Yankees]

Biggest differences in drafting strategies between Main Event drafting and the first 30 rounds of a DC?

For a 30 player team, any specific guidelines you always try to follow for your seven bench spots?

Early drafts seem to show Cole and Wacha going several rounds before Salazar and Gray (and, sometimes Miller). Justified or do view them as pretty comparable or close to comparable?

Thanks, Todd

Mike

[ToddZ]

I typically do not take catchers early in drafts. Any C's stand out to you that may mirror Jason Castro's jump to relevance as he did last year?

Thanks Todd.

The problem with these type of questions is exactly what are you asking?

Castro was a highly talented player that had his development curtailed by injury and then when healthy, showed the pre-injury promise.

Does anyone fit that mold? Not really.

Are their catchers I may draft late hoping they figure it out? Derek Norris and Devin Mesoraco are the two I am looking at. The rest are more being stuck with than picking with the hope of more.

[ToddZ]

in a DC draft, when you you begin looking at minor leaguers who were expected to come up after Super Two dates. Buxton is an example, maybe Syndergaard - I am sure there are others who could/should be drafted but where should serious looking begin.

I don't -- it's not my thing. I've also never won a DC.

[ToddZ]

Biggest differences in drafting strategies between Main Event drafting and the first 30 rounds of a DC?

For a 30 player team, any specific guidelines you always try to follow for your seven bench spots?

Early drafts seem to show Cole and Wacha going several rounds before Salazar and Gray (and, sometimes Miller). Justified or do view them as pretty comparable or close to comparable?

Thanks, Todd

Mike

The only difference for me in ME and DC is I'll take more mid to late round chances in the ME while I want to stay very safe in the DC as those as much survival of the fittest as anything.

I'm rethinking my bench in 30 player teams mainly because it does not remain a 7 man reserve for very long but instead a 3 or 4 man DL and a 3 or 4 man reserve. My current thinking is screw getting Marcos Scutaro and David Dejesus are reserves and instead go for high upside plays. If I have to take a 0 over the weekend because I don't have a guy to use on the Friday switches, so be it.

[Glenneration X]

I wish I could say something like "NFBC pay more for stars than industry" or whatever, but every year/table is different.

Todd, you caught on to what I was alluding to and wondering about based on my one try at an NFBC league a couple years back. Compared to the Touts and LABR, stars went for far greater prices in the NFBC. I know you've played the only formats in both the expert leagues and the NFBC leagues extensively and I was curious if this was a trend you saw as well.

[ToddZ]

I wish I could say something like "NFBC pay more for stars than industry" or whatever, but every year/table is different.

Todd, you caught on to what I was alluding to and wondering about based on my one try at an NFBC league a couple years back. Compared to the Touts and LABR, stars went for far greater prices in the NFBC. I know you've played the only formats in both the expert leagues and the NFBC leagues extensively and I was curious if this was a trend you saw as well.

If I had to predict, I'd say stars go for more in the NFBC but I don't PLAN on it.

[ToddZ]

Thanks everyone. Please feel free to ask me anything anytime on this thread.

[Floyd]

Todd, how do we buy the High Stakes primer from the Masterball site?

I've tried several times and can't figure out ("click here to order now" doesn't seem to work). Then again, if I was smarter I wouldn't need the primer.

[ToddZ]

Todd, how do we buy the High Stakes primer from the Masterball site?

I've tried several times and can't figure out ("click here to order now" doesn't seem to work). Then again, if I was smarter I wouldn't need the primer.

The key is you need to be registered and logged in. Then choose the radio button for primer only and you'll be redirected to the PayPal site. Once you complete the purchase I get notification and send you the link to access the content.

[rockitsauce]

Will the Yankees ever come to their senses and move Gardner up & Jeter down in the l/u ?

Rank these SP and your expectations for each - Corbin, Gray, Peralta, Salazar, Teheran

Somehow you made it to the 20th rd and still need a CI, your choices are Lomo, Smoak, Yonder, Valbuena, or Plouffe, which of these gems seems primed to bring back the most VALUE

Is this the yr we see the Ackley that everyone expected ?

Finally, how many AB's do you expect for Mitchy poo (Moreland that is )

[ToddZ]

Will the Yankees ever come to their senses and move Gardner up & Jeter down in the l/u ?

Ideally they'd use Gardner v RHP and Jeter v LHP but unless Jeter volunteers, I don't see it happening. That said, an injury to either Ellsbury or Jeter and Gardnew moves up.

Rank these SP and your expectations for each - Corbin, Gray, Peralta, Salazar, Teheran

This one's a little tough since it's not all expectation but upside potential of Gray, Salazar and Teheran. Then there's the chance Salazar and/or Gray fall short in innings compared to the rest.

Out of respect for my paying customers I don't want to give my projection but I have Salazar, Teheran, Corbin, Gray then Peralta a very distant 5th. My guys says Salazar is too high and Gray is too low but the quartet as a whole is VERY VERY close.

Somehow you made it to the 20th rd and still need a CI, your choices are Lomo, Smoak, Yonder, Valbuena, or Plouffe, which of these gems seems primed to bring back the most VALUE

20th round I'm looking for upside, not necessarily VALUE (I'm with Doughy, value is the wrong word, the right word is potential). My dart is at Yonder for upside, Plouffe for safer play.

Is this the yr we see the Ackley that everyone expected ?

I don't know what everyone expected -- my expectations were along the lines of Howie Kendrick. I can't say this is the year since there is too much competition for playing time. So I'll say no.

Finally, how many AB's do you expect for Mitchy poo (Moreland that is )

Low to mid 400s

[Atlas]

Todd
If Phils move Papelbon, who steps up?
Bastardo? Managers tend to shy away from lefty closers.