I didn't sign up for any NFBC drafts in NYC this year. Haven't since 2019. I do miss the drafts there. Next season for sure.
For this year though, the one draft I signed up for live would be for the Main Event in one of my fave destinations cities in the world, Sin City. I love Las Vegas and I love attending the NFBC there. It's always been a special part of my year and this year no different. It's called Christmas in March for a reason.
It was great seeing all the great players that attend the contests and all the great people that run them. There are too many to name, but it's catching up with each of these awesome people that truly make these events special.
Unfortunately, I do have to draft against these great players as well. And for the one live draft on my schedule, it was on Main Event Saturday in a league filled with legends the likes of Mike Mager, Andre Boucier, Jeff Cox, Jenny Butler, Vlad Sedler, Clark Olson, Chris Schinker/Shawn Childs, Dave Cushard, etc etc. Jeez, what a shark tank! You know what they say, if you look around the draft table and don't see the guppy...
To make matters worse, having only drafted a single NFBC 50 and one DC as my only drafts over the past two years and having only started my prep a few weeks prior, I felt far from ready to take on these stone cold killers. But at the time, this was my only registered live event and my only scheduled Main. So I just focused on creating a draft plan and settling on a handful of must have targets. And on Draft Day, I geared up with my trusty Seaver jersey and made my way down to the Mirage's main ballroom to do battle from the 3-hole.
1.3 - Aaron Judge - OF - Leading into the draft, I debated between starting my roster with Aaron Judge or Julio Rodriguez. I settled on the expected extra homers from Judge rather than steals from Julio as I felt MLB's rule changes involving larger sized bases and fewer pickoffs would make HR's possibly a more scarce commodity than SB's for the 1st time in years.
2.13 - Pete Alonso - 1B - I didn't plan on Alonso here, as prior to this draft he never made it down this far in any of the previous Mains. I did hesitate on grabbing the gift though as Pete was not a perfect fit with Judge. Taking Alonso was doubling down on the same power foundation I had already set with my prior pick. I decided however that I could make it work and again that power may be more scarce and valued than previous years. Well with these 1st two picks, that certainly wouldn't be an issue for this team! And as an added benefit, Alonso plays for the future 2023 World Series champions. That has to account for something!
3.3 - Jazz Chisholm Jr - 2B - The 1st of my must have targets going into this draft. A potential 30-30 skillset who if he can stay healthy and put it all together this year could be an early 1st rounder next year. Jazz has that high a ceiling. An elite performer at possibly fantasy's most shallow position this year is just icing.
4.13 - Luis Castillo - SP - Short of a deGrom or Nola level starter unexpectedly falling to my late 2nd round pick, this was where my draft plan had me taking my 1st pitcher. Pitching seems deeper and more "level" than in recent seasons and therefore makes banging offense early and waiting on pitching like days of yore when I first started playing the NFBC more comfortable. The dream had Shane Bieber falling here and Julio Urias as the backup plan. And Bieber almost made it, taken by Jeff Cox with the pick right before this one! Hate when that happens! But when I got over my grief, I saw that Castillo was unexpectedly still available, like Alonso far later than he had fallen in any prior Main. A more than solid consolation prize.
5.3 - Julio Urias - SP - The draft plan had me grabbing Oneil Cruz here. And he should have been available according to ADP. But as often happens, when the big boys play, ADP goes out the window and Cruz was taken even before my 4th round pick. So I shifted to Julio Urias here who was originally my back up plan in the last round, obviously then a value to me here. And with a 2nd pitcher, my team's foundation is a bit more balanced.
6.13 - Teoscar Hernandez - OF
7.03 - Eloy Jimenez - OF - The draft plan was always to draft a pair of OF's with these two picks. It just seems like a sweet spot for upside OF's. Though the original plan involved choosing between Starling Marte, Tyler O'Neill, Taylor Ward, Byron Buxton and other OF's typically available in these rounds. I had Teoscar & Eloy rated higher than those mentioned, but they were often gone by the time these picks came around. Though the team looks different than what I imagined, grabbing the 2 higher ranked players at the same positions I was targeting here was an easy shift.
8.13 - Luis Severino - SP - I wish I could say I didn't see the news that morning. But I did see it, I read it, I made a mental note of it. I just momentarily forgot it. A pure unadulterated screw up. I had this spot earmarked for an upside SP as there was typically a nice array of options available here. Severino was not part of that plan as he was typically gone a round or two earlier. And while several of the options I considered were grabbed as the draft headed back towards this pick, one of my fave upside SP's made it back to me in Nick Lodolo. I was all set to take him, but one last look just to see if I was missing anyone else unexpectedly available. And that's when I saw Severino. And that's when I blanked on the fact that I read his injury news just that morning. And that's when I shifted off of Lodolo and onto Severino. And that's when I announced his name. Before I even finished saying his name, it started coming back to me. Before I even finished saying his name, I knew I had blundered bad. How bad? In other Mains taking place at that time, Severino was dropping to the mid to late teens. Up to 10 rounds of value plus a dead roster spot while he heals. That bad. Ugh.
9.3 - Nick Lodolo - SP - I was planning on taking my 1st catcher here. But after the screw up last round, I still needed a SP3 and thought that the more critical position to fill. With personal fave Lodolo still out there, I took him here... unfortunately a round later than I should have.
10.13 - Andres Munoz - RP - Taking pitching early was a hard enough transition for an old school drafter like myself. Taking a closer early? I still haven't made that transition yet. So I always find myself here, choosing among the 2nd & 3rd tier options, between the ones with the role but uncertain to hold it or the ones without the full role who could excel if they ever get it. In Munoz, I grabbed one of the latter, and possibly the best of that group. If he ever overtakes Sewald for the full closer job, he has the skills to be the very best at the position.
11.3 - Anthony Volpe - SS - Must have target. The draft plan though had me taking him at the next turn where Main Event ADP to date said he should still be available. Over the break though, I decided to jump him a full round. He's been hot and all it would take is one other drafter to be as fully convinced as me that the job was already his but just not yet announced to miss out on my fave prospect of the year. I didn't want to take that chance to grab anyone else available in the 11th.
12.13 - David Robertson - RP - Go back to my Andres Munoz comments and Robertson is the flip side of that coin. But if he holds the job, there's upside on this team to lead the league in saves. After all, we are talking about the future World Series Champions. The only thing missing is the trumpets! Player I drafted for both Main Event teams.
13-3 - Whit Merrifield - 2B/OF/MI - A bounce back must have target. Specifically for SB's. With the early round construction of this team, we have a NEED, a NEED for SPEED. If Whit is able to produce as in the past, he should help there.
14.13 - Anthony Rendon - 3B - Another bounce back target. Once I missed out on the early round 3B options and Gunnar, waiting on the position until Rendon became the draft plan. Hoping he can stay healthy and return to his once elite status.
15.3 - Jon Gray - SP
16.13 - Jack Flaherty - SP - Filling out the staff with options who've done it before and hopefully are healthy and can stay healthy and reach those levels once again. As they say, once you own a skill... There's also something about riding a bike, but I digress...
17.3 - Wil Myers - 1B/OF/CI - One of the rare corner infield options who can contribute with a handful or two of steals. Moving to Cincy's bandbox may help with the bat contributions as well.
18.13 - Adalberto Mondesi - SS - Major bounceback must have target, especially when the noise was he was possible for an earlier than expected return. Then the season starts and he gets placed on the 60 day IL. Is he worth the wait? Even if he is, can I wait that long?
19.3 - Kyle Bradish - SP - Young upside SP target.
20.13 - Christian Vazquez - C - This is what you end up with at C1 when you have a Severino level screw up. Sigh. Well at least he shouldn't hurt BA too much and could contribute a handful of much needed steals.
21.3 - Kendall Graveman - RP - Bet on the wrong horse to fill in for Liam Hendriks while he recovers. Well at least he had a blow up outing to hurt my ERA & WHIP before I was able to drop him. Sigh. Dropped today.
22.13 - Justin Steele - SP - Young upside must have SP target. Drafted for both Main Event teams.
23.3 - Adam Duvall - OF - Target for cheap power and Green Monster upside. Felt very undervalued in drafts. Drafted for all 4 NFBC teams.
24.13 - Daniel Hudson - RP - Once healthy I believe he gets opportunity at closer role. Can I wait for him though?
25.3 - Joey Wendle - 2B, SS, 3B - Backup at all IF positions and one who can contribute a few steals. Players like this can prove very useful during the long hard season. Drafted for both Main Events.
26.13 - Andrew McCutcheon - OF - Former elite performer during back stretch of career. Betting that he has a little something left in the tank.
27.3 - Bubba Thompson - OF - Young speed target.
28.13 - Kevin Kiermaier - OF - Dropped during last week's pre-Opening Day waiver wire for Will Benson for 52 in FAAB.
29.3 - James Paxton - SP - Should return to throwing off mound this week and to rotation this month. Can I wait for him and is he even worth it? Drafted for both Main Events.
30.13 - Francisco Mejia - C - Again the Severino effect. Dropped in last week's waiver wire for Nick Fortes for 1 in FAAB.
I left this draft pretty happy outside of the pick of you know who. Landed a few of my must have targets and most players at what I considered good value (sorry Doughy). I left with something else though. The need for another draft! The first thing I did when the draft ended was find Greg and ask what Main Even openings still remained.
