Playing in a mono-league can be taxing on the brain. Having half of the league as options for a player pool tests everyone’s skills during the season. This forces owners to find the most out of slimmed-down waiver wire while paying close attention to lineup construction. It’s important to remember that playing time is key. Any player that is likely to get consistent time in a team’s lineup gives owners the edge over the competition. After all, it’s impossible to compile stats if you’re on the bench.
There are two different draft formats as well. In a snake draft, it’s more straightforward than usual. Here, owners take the best player available at the beginning of the draft and then fill in positional and categorical needs later on. For auction drafts, however, there are different ways to attack fantasy roster construction in mono leagues.
The season is not here yet, but why not get a head start and jump in a Fantrax Classic Draft contest? Get a jump on the season with a Best Ball league or maybe a Draft and Hold. Or put some green on the line with a new season-long league to try and conquer. There’s no better time than now to get your baseball on!
Auction League Strategies
- Stars and Scrubs: owners will build the top of their lineup with as much elite and expensive talent as possible. This affords them the opportunity to get as many top-rate stats as possible while other teams struggle to keep up. The downside to this is that the bottom half of your roster, the scrubs, is filled with players who may not be productive. They may be speculative adds to their team’s roster or on the short side of a platoon and get sporadic at-bats throughout the season. This is a more aggressive approach as it could help owners have the best team by the season’s end if their small-budget players hit.
- Balanced Attack: owners will build their lineup with a more balanced approach, not spending too much of their budget on one single player. Instead, the middle of the pack is where most players will be focused in drafts. This way provides less dependency on a single player in the season and gives the owner some flexibility to make decisions. This is considered a more safe approach but requires help after the draft to push for a league win.
- Positional Stack: owners will attack a position relentlessly and hoard as many possible players as they can. Whether it’s overloading on pitching or hitting, you’re essentially handicapping the rest of the league and making them draft players with far less talent. This approach only works if players in the other areas actually produce and stay healthy.
Player Headed to the American League
The good news when playing in mono leagues is that the player pool can change. The offseason is a great time for this to happen, especially with free agency being so rampant. This year was no different, as there were plenty of players swapping leagues, causing an influx of new talent to be up for grabs by owners. In keeper leagues, this is especially helpful, where teams are already filled with contracts and pricing heading into the new season. This then might not allow for the newest additions to have even greater value as they would enhance rosters already built.
Here are the fantasy-relevant players that are heading into the American League this year. These are players that did not sign minor league contracts and should have an impact on their respective teams.
Pitcher
Nick Anderson – Atlanta
Chris Bassitt – Toronto
Mike Clevinger – Chicago
Jacob deGrom – Texas
Zach Eflin – Tampa Bay
Carlos Estevez – Los Angeles
Kyle Gibson – Baltimore
Andrew Heaney – Texas
Kelley Jansen – Boston
Pablo Lopez – Minnesota
Trevor May – Oakland
Kyle Muller – Oakland
There is a lot of high-quality pitching headed to the American League… Jacob deGrom is an absolute stud when healthy and should command a lot of attention in drafts… Pablo Lopez and Chris Bassitt are solid SP3 in AL-Only Leagues and have their spots in the rotation locked… the legal situation facing Mike Clevinger clouds his fantasy value… Carlos Estevez looks to get the first chance to save games in Los Angeles, increasing his value… Kenley Jansen should reign supreme in Boston, though some worry about him and the pitch clock.
Catcher
Cooper Hummel – Seattle
Daulton Varhso – Toronto
Daulton Varsho will get consistent playing time and contribute in steals, thus elevating his draft-day price…..Cooper Hummel is a work in progress to see where and how he fits in Seattle.
First Base
Josh Bell – Cleveland
Brandon Belt – Toronto
Lewin Diaz – Baltimore
Josh Bell is a must-add player as he brings some much-needed power to the Cleveland lineup… Brandon Belt looks ready to bounce back after a down season and his park upgrade seems favorable… Lewin Diaz is a shot in the dark because of the talent he possesses.
Second Base
Kyle Farmer – Minnesota
Jace Peterson – Oakland
Kolten Wong – Seattle
Kyle Farmer currently is currently on the Minnesota bench, but his versatility to play almost anywhere gives him some worth…..Jace Peterson could be a low-cost dart throw at some cheap speed…..Kolten Wong should provide double-digit power and speed despite the park downgrade.
Third Base
Brandon Drury – Los Angeles
Justin Turner – Boston
Brandon Drury looks to capitalize on last year’s resurgence and will play every day in Los Angeles… Justin Turner is likely the new DH in Boston, but his eligibility enhances his value.
Outfield/DH
Adam Duvall – Boston
Joey Gallo – Minnesota
Hunter Renfroe – Los Angeles
Estuary Ruiz – Oakland
Matt Vierling – Detroit
Masataka Yoshida – Boston
Joey Gallo will be given a chance to bounce back in Minnesota, but time will tell if he can do it… Hunter Renfroe brings consistency to the plate, making him a safer target… Esteury Ruiz should run a muck along the base paths, as he has league-winning speed potential… Masataka Yoshida comes attached with unknown adaptability, but one thing is for certain is that he can hit.
Players Headed to the National League
Here are the fantasy-relevant players that are heading into the National League this year. These are players that did not sign minor league contracts and should have an impact on their respective teams.
Pitcher
Matt Barnes – Miami
Johnny Cueto – Miami
Javy Guera – Milwaukee
Joe Jimenez – Atlanta
Julian Merryweather – Chicago
Kodai Senga – New York
Gregory Soto – Philadelphia
Ross Stripling – San Francisco
Jameson Taillon – Chicago
Justin Verlander – New York
Justin Verlander leads the way as being the most valuable pitcher addition… Jameson Taillon can be productive when he is healthy and should get plenty of opportunities… Kodai Senga should succeed in New York, though his questionable medical report could lead to problems down the road… Gregory Soto, Joe Jimenez, and Matt Barnes all have closing experience and could save some games this season.
Catcher
Austin Hedges – Pittsburgh
Gabriel Moreno – Arizona
Sean Murphy – Atlanta
Sean Murphy goes to a much more favorable ballpark and could be a top 5 catcher by season’s end… Gabriel Moreno is more of a dynasty add, but the future is bright and he could play consistently later this season.
First Base
Luis Arraez – Miami
Carlos Santana – Pittsburgh
Luis Arraez is a batting-average machine and will play all over the Miami field… Carlos Santana was the Pirates’ biggest free agent acquisition in years, so the chances of him sitting are slim.
Second Base
Josh Harrison – Philadelphia
Josh Harrison is more of a depth piece for the Phillies at this moment.
Third Base
Jeimer Candelario – Washington
Abraham Toro – Milwaukee
Jeimer Candelario gets a chance to revert back to his productive 2021 ways and will try to do so in Washington… Abraham Toro struggled last season, but he’s shown the ability to succeed before.
Shortstop
Xander Bogaerts – San Diego
Owen Miller – Milwaukee
Xander Bogaerts will likely continue to hit for average, but his new ballpark downgrade is too big to ignore… Owen Miller flashed some great moments in Cleveland, but the depth in Milwaukee will make it tough for him to emerge.
Outfield/DH
Matt Carpenter – San Diego
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. – Arizona
Mitch Haniger – San Francisco
Kyle Lewis – Arizona
JD Martinez – Los Angeles
Jesse Winker – Milwaukee
Eli White – Atlanta
Jesse Winker gets a big boost in his new ballpark and could reclaim his old ways if he stays healthy… JD Martinez will get a chance to bounce back in Los Angeles and has the tools to do it… Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a rough season last year, but he’ll get everyday at-bats in Arizona and is worth taking a shot on… Mitch Haniger has struggled to stay healthy, but San Franciso has a way of changing players.
Are you buying in on Tyler’s favorite bounce-back players? For more great analysis check out the 2023 FantraxHQ Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit!