Drafting Without Making a Pick

[DOUGHBOYS]

I am currently in a most peculiar draft.
Many draft strategies, many different ways to skin a fantasy cat.
One team went five rounds before drafting a Pitcher.
Another went six rounds.
Another went seven.
Another drafter hasn't appeared....And we're in the 14th round!

Starters were snubbed during the first two rounds.
Stephen Strasburg, who has been a favorite pick up of drafters of Acuna, Trout, and Yelich at the end of the second round was selected at 3/10.
I say 'selected'.
But it was auto'd to the team who was a no-show.
Remember when not showing up for a draft how drafters could expect a Crappy team? (And deservedly so)
Here is team 10's first three picks that were all auto' to him....
Gerritt Cole
Max Scherzer
Stephen Strasburg.

Heck, if I were going to start a draft with three pitchers, that start would be fine by me.
(Can I insert a little rant here?....Too bad, I am anyway....
I believe our default system is too good. I believe their should be some trip ups for those that time out or don't appear at all.
It doesn't have to be a Sale or Syndergaard. Just some players that are easy passes over by 'non-bots' like us...
Thanks for the listen on the mini rant...)

I'll follow up this post with another to keep everybody informed about other aspects.
But for now, I wanted to focus on the drafter who never appeared and his team.
It is clear that we can miss the first three rounds now and not feel like we have a sure-losing team.
But what about the rest of the draft?
Well, roster construction becomes a bit of a problem.
In the fourth round, Blake Snell was at the top of the heap.
Now a start of three primary Starters has become a little too much of a good thing.

In round five, the probable whipping boy for non-health is the choice.
We haven't heard hardly any good news about Aaron Judge since last year.
It has drafters scared, but from many drafts before, Judge sits at the top of the default.
This is the first 'penalty' for the drafter.
The sixth round is great for him.
He gets what many would call a 'value pick'. Believe it or not.
Victor Robles is given to the team at 6/6.
Then yet another pick that most would covet in round seven, Eddie Rosario.
Round eight goes back to what the drafter does not need. Starting pitching.
He gets Corey Kluber in the eighth.
Followed by MadBum in the ninth round.
There is little doubt that this fella will lead the league in strike outs and do very well in three other pitching categories.

In round 10, he is really helped by the system, Amed Rosario shores up a vacant infield.
He is followed up by Danny Santana.
Santana is really loved by some individual drafters.
But is also the type that can be ignored by 14 drafters.
That's what happened here and Santana is his in round 11.
Round 12 finds the drafter getting his second 'penalty'.
Although he has a lot of talent, Yasiel Puig does not have a team.
I'm guessing that owners are in no mood to shell out millions of dollars, when they have to release press info about what great guys they are to pay minor leaguers $400.
In round 13, he gets a quality bat once again in Edwin Encarnacion.
In round 14, our current round, he pulls Garrett Hampson. Not a bad selection for him in many ways, including roster construction.

So, here is his team....

Cole
Scherzer
Strasburg
Snell
Kluber
Bumgarner

Judge
Robles
ERosario
ARosario
DSantana
Puig
Encarnacion
Hampson

Really, this may be the best team anybody can hope for in not showing up for a draft.
He'll have problems if not appearing later.
Closers and Catchers seldom appear at the top of defaults.
And filling his offense with meaningful replacements could be hard.
Still, not bad for a student who never showed up for class.

(Edited for stupid writing errors)

[Bronx Yankees]

Just wanted to quickly weigh-in and support your position that there should be some greater penalty for timing out without anyone in your queue. I would prefer to see a single default list without updates be used. I would rather have folks have to search for players that may be lower on the list than they should be (and if folks don't like searching, change the default list and save it for yourself). Similarly, if a player gets hurt, I don't see a compelling need to move him down or take him off the list. Fantasy owners should be aware of the news and these players should simply be passed over. If an owner doesn't keep up with news and/or fails to pick timely AND fails to have any players in his/her queue, then that owner "deserves" to be stuck with the players that everyone else is passing up consciously. An owner who misses a large percentage of his/her picks should be dead money, not bailed out by an ever-changing default list that "rewards" incompetence by updating for ADP. This is high stakes fantasy baseball - let's not make it too easy for absentee owners!

[Money]

I'm afraid that this season is starting to feel like straight gambling Dan. The unknowns and amount of variables that have never existed make this a pure crapshoot. We might as well just put our money on red or black and hope it hits.

Every season we have dealt with injury prone players. A number of them with great risk reward opportunities. This season we will get dealt 2 week quarantines of who knows how many players. How does one handicap and figure that into their ranking? I'm afraid your dead drafter has as good a shot as any. Like I said, this is straight up gambling this season. I hate it.

[Money]

I'm afraid that this season is starting to feel like straight gambling Dan. The unknowns and amount of variables that have never existed make this a pure crapshoot. We might as well just put our money on red or black and hope it hits.

Every season we have dealt with injury prone players. A number of them with great risk reward opportunities. This season we will get dealt 2 week quarantines of who knows how many players. How does one handicap and figure that into their ranking? I'm afraid your dead drafter has as good a shot as any. Like I said, this is straight up gambling this season. I hate it.

This should add to the fun. I really find this hard to believe.https://twitter.com/SteveAGardner/statu ... 12960?s=20

[DOUGHBOYS]

Agree Joe.
You know, Greg is fond of naming these contest 'Sprints'.

It's not just about the number of games. It's the expanding roster, the threat of Corona, the National League DH, half of a baseball season until arms are sufficiently stretched, a runner on second base in tied extra inning games, no fans, a 'ghost' IL list for Corona, players up and deciding not to play the season, no minor leagues to get sent down to, a six week injury being a season ending injury near the start of the season, relievers having to face three batters, no autographs, no signs in the stands, no booing as the visiting pitcher throws to first base in a pick off move, and on and on.
This isn't about a 'sprint'.
It's about 2020. 2020 is, and will be, a year unlike any other.
'Sprint' unless receiving monetary rewards for using a communications company, does not even start to describe the 2020 fantasy baseball landscape.

I surmised to some friends that 'even-keeled' players may be taken over players that are driven by crowds and in particular, home crowds.
"So now we have to know the psychology of each player too?" was a response.
And we do. We never had to before, because it wasn't needed.
And let's face it, we're guessing on the make-up of players.
In my mind, Ozzie Albies is a player driven by crowds.
For me, this year, a demerit.
Michael Brantley may get a tick up because of his even-keeledness.

Never have hot and cold streaks meant so much.
If Jose Ramirez remains as cold as he was last year over an even shorter time frame this year, his owners could be cooked.
Joey Gallo can hit .300
Tyler Flowers can 'John Buck' April and make a killing for his owners.
Flat out, anything can happen.
The winner will never need more luck to win an Overall Championship than in 2020.
And you know what?
Besides that element of luck needed, it puts our skills to work.
Deciding what is important and what is not.
Deciding which players cope better in an atmosphere never performed in before.
Deciding how much pitching and hitting is effected.
And we haven't even asked if the ball will be juiced again.
It won't be a sprint as much as it will be a roller coaster.
Buckle up!

[DOUGHBOYS]

Just an update on the drafter who did not make a pick....

He still has not shown. I always have a feeling of ambivalence when a drafter doesn't show.
My first thought is "Good, maybe a dead in the water team."
Second thought, especially when not appearing for days is, "Geez, hope the guy is alright."
If not, I don't understand it.
He signed up to play in a league. Put money on the table....and left it there.
Ah well.

Roster construction has unraveled the team a bit.
We're starting Round 22....
First, his pitching is awesome...
Cole
Scherzer
Strasburg
Snell
Kluber
MadBum
Folty
MKeller
Lucchesi
CArcher

Fabulous.
But Archer was a trip up when he desperately could have used offense.
Here is the offense...

C-
C-
1B- D Santana
2B- G Hampson
3B- Berti
SS- A Rosario
MI-
CI- Encarnacion
OF- Judge
OF- VRobles
OF- E Rosario
OF B Reynolds
OF-Y Puig
U- A Aquino

He is six picks away from his next pick.
Fittingly, in my opinion, at the top of the default is Joey Votto.
If Votto sticks, Puig or Aquino would go to the bench and Votto would be his U hitter.
All in all, it's not a bad team for not making a single pick and never having a queue adjustment.
Will it finish in the money?
Doubtful.
Saves are punted.
And even if getting a perfect 60 points from his Starters, his offense will struggle to get even 30 points unless getting heroic performances over the short season.
Really, it is too good of a team for not showing up.
As kids, we are taught that we get a zero for not taking a test.
What will really be interesting is if not showing to manage his team.
If getting beat by this guy, I would turn in my license to play fantasy baseball.
And he will beat some teams in this league in my opinion.

Edit- Updated- Joey Votto is all his.

[gellin]

Perhaps it's an experiment to illustrate the randomness of a 60-game season. If his auto-drafted team finishes in the money, he can make the point that you can have a computer make your picks in a shortened season and still do well in the standings.