It’s A Team Fantrax Writer’s Draft!

It’s been said about a billion times, but fantasy baseball drafts are the best. Especially when drafting against friends. And if those friends happen to be super-smart and knowledgeable baseball writers? Well then you are truly winning at life, friend! If that life happens to have fantasy baseball and all things adjacent as a major focus, that is. You can’t beat being in a room of fellow diamond dorks, all eager to put together a solid roster. That’s exactly what I got to do last week when I convinced 11 of our awesome staff writers at Fantrax to join me in a quick 22-round fantasy baseball mock draft to have some fun and find out where we saw the player pool to be in mid-January.

12-Team Fantrax Fantasy Baseball Draft

Not interested in each analyst’s take on the draft? Skip right to the draft results.

Meet the Team

With the group assembled, the draft order was set:

1. Doug Anderson (@rotodaddy)
2. Michael Hertwig (@2baseballdorks)
3. Ryan McLaughlin (@ldeepee)
4. Lauren Auerbach (@lkauerbach)
5. Mike Carter (@mdrc0508)
6. Ray Kuhn (@ray_kuhn_28)
7. Matt Heckman (@Heckman_Matt115)
8. Dillon Nels (@DillonNels)
9. Nick Dmytrow (@nickdmytrow)
10. Dave Funnell (@sportz_nutt51)
11. Ryan Kirksey (@cableboxscore)
12. Mick Ciallela (@themick23)

The setup was interesting and should be discussed. As I was asking fantasy writers to spend time focusing on a draft of little to no real importance, I knew that I had to make it low-maintenance.  Most of us part-time writers are busy folk and I didn’t want to request more time than necessary, which meant no lineup changes, no free agents, no waiver wire, no IL, no trades, and tight rosters with no benches. And while our lovely readers love deep dives, not even the most fanatical player wants to read about a 45-round draft. so we went small and easy. Settings were standard 5×5 and the lineup was as follows:

• 2 C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, INF, 5 OF, 1 UT, 9 P

As noted a couple of times in the writer’s responses, the lack of bench and injured reserves caused some drafters to feel the need to draft solely for floor and assured playing time, possibly skewing some of the results.

The competitive juices were flowing as well, since we were utilizing one of the more fun features on Fantrax. Mock drafts are treated as season-long leagues, so someone is winning this thing. An engraved wrestling-style belt has yet to be ordered but it’s still early!

Here’s what the crew had to say about our first Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft:

How did you feel about your draft position?

Dillon Nels: I generally don’t love picking in the middle of rounds. I prefer being closer to the start or closer to the turn. I found in this case picking in the middle was beneficial though. For a first draft of the year it allowed me a better sense of where players were going and to follow the trends of the draft as opposed to picking without context.

Lauren Auerbach: I was happy drafting fourth. Ideally, I’m looking to grab an outfielder with my first pick in drafts this season, and picking from the fourth slot secures that. Additionally, I prefer drafting closer to the turns instead of being in the middle of the pack.

Ryan McLaughlin: I was happy to get a top 5 pick. I am a fan of being at one of the turns, which I chalk up to a lethal combination of ADD and my chronic overthinking.

Nick Dmytrow: I would really like to draft an outfielder with my first pick. My only options at pick # 9 were Aaron Judge and Yordan Alvarez. Normally I’m OK with either, but in this format (without a bench and transactions) I didn’t want to take the chance with their injury histories. So I wasn’t too happy with my draft position. I’d rather pick at the top or middle of the round.

Mick Ciallela: I am not a fan of the turn because you usually have to react as opposed to act.

Mike Carter: I would rather draft more towards the middle…the 5 spot was tough when runs started and I missed out on some targets.

Doug Anderson: Hard to complain. Acuna is almost like a cheat code. I’m just glad the organizer of this draft and writer of this article realized his job was on the line when the draft order was decided.

Ray Kuhn: With Ronald Acuña this year, there is a clear advantage to being first, so that is always going to be the desire. That being said, it is almost just as desirable to avoid the back half as well. In a 12-team league, that is less pronounced, but if I’m not first, then I think fifth and sixth (my spot) is the target. Things begin to drop off there and you get a strong second-round pick as well.

Michael Hertwig: Good, #2 was nice as it gave me lots of options in rounds two and three. After taking the clear #2 Bobby Witt, you have options like Vlad Jr, Gausman, Wheeler, Gunnar, and Semien.

Dave Funnell: I didn’t like picking 10th, but happy to get Judge where I did.

Did you go into the draft with any specific strategy in mind? If so, was it based on where you were picking or the format of the league or something else entirely?

Dmytrow: With no bench and no transactions, I think the winner of this league will have won the battle of attrition. It will probably be the manager who took the fewest zeros from players who either got injured, got sent back down to the minors, or just flopped so badly they lost their job. I’m normally conservative with my first four to six picks, but I knew in this case I’d have to be even more so.

I wanted to prioritize players who have a track record of production and health; so pretty much the highest floor possible. I carried out the strategy for the most part. Three of my first four picks – all hitters – have averaged over 150 games played for the last three years. And the fourth, Luis Robert, at least proved he could play a full season in 2023. It’s harder to carry out that strategy the deeper into the draft you go, but I tried to use that idea as my tie-breaker for players I was targeting at a given time. Who is less likely to give me a zero? That’s why I ended up with Logan Gilbert over Blake Snell. Or Gavin Williams over Justin Verlander. Or Tommy Edman over Eloy Jimenez. Or even my last pick of JD Martinez over Starling Marte/Giancarlo Stanton.

Carter: Build a broad offense with guys who get HR and SB. Don’t get AVG drains. Wait on pitching.

Hertwig: I want to have an ace early in all Roto leagues this year. With Burnes, Cole, and Strider gone, I picked a bat in Round 2 and was happy when Wheeler was taken thus having Gausman fall to me for Round 3. After this, I wanted to tackle OF early since mid-round OF are really non-existent. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a Tier 2 OF, and with the league setup having no bench and no IL, I wasn’t willing to take on Trout’s injury risk. In a normal 12-team with bench and IL and transactions, I love Trout where he went (pick #49). All that being said, I was very happy to get Machado at pick 47. What a discount.

Nels: No specific strategy. I mostly wanted to feel out the rest of the group and take a few guys who I’ve deemed “My Guys” ahead of the 2024 season.

Ciallela: I don’t set out with a specific strategy, to be honest. It is usually best player available for the first few rounds. Having said that, I did want to make sure I was comfortable with at least two quality starting pitchers, one solid reliever, and one upper-tier catcher since we are playing two catchers.

Anderson: The main thing I was looking for is upside. You don’t win shallow leagues like this with average players. I wanted every player I drafted to have the potential to post huge numbers in multiple categories. I have some prospects that may not play right away, but in a 12-team league, I think I can plug and play until they are up permanently.

Auerbach: I didn’t have a specific strategy in mind for this draft. Generally, I take a balanced approach to drafts. I try to get reliable power and speed guys early on, while keeping in mind batting average and position scarcity in the early rounds. With my first five picks, I like to have three hitters, one starter, and a closer. After that point, I go where the draft takes me.

Funnell: Best Player Available for the first four rounds and then fill out rosters afterward.

McLaughlin: After learning that I had pick three, I decided that I was going to attempt to force some runs in the draft and be aggressive with my moves, try and set the tone a bit. This is a big departure from my usual style: I am more of a keep an even keel, draft evenly and for floor, high-ceiling-pick only after you’ve filled out your starters, etc., type of player. But with it being a room full of such smart drafters, I didn’t think sitting back was the way to go.

Kuhn: With a 12-team league, I really just want to get the best available player while avoiding any reaches and runs. Since this is just a straight draft (no bench or waivers), I wanted to play it relatively straight as far as health issues. In a 12-team league, it is easier to secure two strong closers in the first 10 rounds without reaching (Emmanuel Clase in the fifth and Paul Sewald in the 10th). The catching position was similar as I have no issues with Jonah Heim and Elias Diaz is rounds 14 and 17.

Were there any players that you were targeting, a guy that you had to get? Conversely, did you have a no-draft list or players to avoid?

Kuhn: There are obviously players I like more than others and I have “my guys” and the same can be said for players to avoid. Ultimately, it is all relative to price though. In the second round, Pete Alonso is on my no-draft list, but I’ll happily take him in the third. Same with Tyler Glasnow in the fourth round instead of the third. My philosophy is having players I like more or less than the market and finding value with every pick.

Ciallela: I was hoping to get Strider at the 1-2 turn because I felt like if I did not take a starting pitcher there, then my options at my next go-around (3-4) would be a tier below, whereas I felt the dropoff in hitters would be less noticeable. I don’t really have a “do not draft” list. I think every player is viable at a certain point but there were no players that I purposely avoided.

Anderson: I really wanted to make a statement with Wyatt Langford. I see him as one of the next multi-category studs and it’s going to happen at some level this season.

Nels: There are certainly players that I am lower on than the consensus so while they may not be on a do-not-draft list for myself, it would have taken the perfect storm for me to take them. I loved Soto in the first round. I think he is the front-runner for AL MVP in a contract year at Yankee Stadium. I also wanted to leave the draft with O’Neil Cruz because I think he would have broken out last year and following injury he is being slept on a bit heading into the year.

Hertwig: Not really, it’s all about when a player goes in respect to their value. At their current prices, I’m fading Abrams, Hoerner, and Kim. I’m not looking to draft specialists because if they get injured there is a clear categorical hole. I am trying to draft more balanced so that if one person is injured it’s not as big of a blow.

Auerbach: I don’t go into drafts targeting specific players. Instead, I try to be aware of pockets of players I like and where they’re going in drafts, then draft accordingly. This process naturally weeds out the need for a “do not draft” list.

Funnell: Players that I targeted: Kirby for stability, Hoerner for speed up the middle, and Musgrove as an under-rated ace.

Dmytrow: I generally try to avoid need-to-get players because drafting is all about value relative to position. But I was certainly avoiding any player I thought was excessively injury-prone because, without transactions and a bench, I wouldn’t be able to replace the missing production. Just to name a few that scared me off: Aaron Judge, Tyler Glasnow, Royce Lewis, Walker Buehler, and Shane Baz (whom I often target in a standard league).

McLaughlin: I certainly don’t have a don’t draft list, but I definitely have guys that I just can’t get behind at their ADP and prefer to let others take on that risk. But every player has a fair price, so you would be shortchanging yourself if you passed on someone just because you told yourself that before the draft.

Carter: No I don’t draft that way. I think it is dangerous. Read the room. There are tiers of players that are similar. View them as commodities.

What was your favorite pick and why?

Anderson: Langford. One, because I think he’ll produce great numbers. The other is because I sniped Michael Hertwig which means I didn’t reach any more than I had to.

Hertwig: Holliday because he’s my only high-upside pick and I think he has a legitimate shot at cracking the Opening Day roster. Going 15/30 with good counting numbers is a safe projection in my mind.

Ciallela: Probably Elly De La Cruz. He’s the type of player who I don’t want to overpay for, and I don’t necessarily want him in leagues where I have to start/sit him. But in this format and at that spot in the draft, I loved grabbing him where I did.

McLaughlin: I really liked getting Carter in the 7th, not only because I sniped Hertwig which is a wonderful feeling. I think that he is going to continue to progress in 2024. But I’d have to say that my favorite pick to make was Shane Baz in the 18th. My pitching was already highly volatile so it felt like a proper dice roll at that point.

Auerbach: I was pretty excited to land Robert Stephenson at pick 244. I was on the clock when news broke that he signed with the Angels, and it was a no-brainer to scoop him up. As far as relievers go, it’s tough to top Stephenson’s upside at that point in the draft.

Nels: My favorite pick was Francisco Alvarez, if his playing time increases as it should I believe he has a chance to have a similar breakout that Adley Rutschman this past season with a lower ADP.

Funnell: (Mike) Carter’s Rodon pick…potential ace in the 16th round is a steal.

Dmytrow: Even though it doesn’t fit my overall strategy because either could end up in the minors this year if they take a step back, I’m super excited about Eury Perez and Cole Ragans. I felt both were a great value where I got them (7th and 9th round respectively) and could win me the league if they fulfill their potential.

Carter: I loved getting Fried where I did. Gave me a third stud and allowed me to wait to fill out the staff with some higher-risk guys. Also, I feel like the stars might align for Hayes.

Kuhn: Eloy Jimenez in round 18. I feel like he has quickly fallen by more than 10 rounds of ADP, and some of that this year is due to his Util only status. With these settings, Util is just like any other roster spot, and at this point in the draft, his upside and skill set is too vast to ignore.

What was your least favorite pick and why?

Anderson: There’s not any one pick I’m upset about but I waited too long at catcher. There is some depth this year but I was hoping for a duo of something like Bo Naylor and Mitch Garver. Once they were gone, the pickings were slim.

Funnell: Me waiting too long on catcher or 2B and finishing SS with Correa and Pena.

Hertwig: Albies. I should have gone with Semien, he’s just so consistent with the PAs.

Carter: I am so lukewarm on Castellanos but needed that third OF. I just don’t have a great feeling on him.

McLaughlin: Muncy in the 14th, LeClerc in 18. Just blegh and this was also before David Robertson was added to the Rangers bullpen, which just made this one sting a bit more.

Ciallela: Well, I got auto-drafted for four picks (another downside of drafting at the turn), so I’d say any picks after Round 14 I would have done differently. As far as earlier in the draft, I probably should have taken a second reliever (Helsley, Phillips, etc.) instead of my Swanson/Cease 11/12 picks.

Nels: Taylor Ward was my least favorite pick. With everyone else, I can envision a scenario where they either rebound or take the next step to be difference-makers. Ward has the hardest path to be a difference-maker in my mind.

Kuhn: Ha-seong Kim in Round 8. At this point, I needed stolen bases, and Kim was the most well-rounded and best option available. Ultimately I moved him to 3B because I drafted a 2B the following round, who I have ranked higher at the position. With that being said, I’ll take my 40 steals from Kim along with 15 home runs and decent production in the other categories. Ian Happ in Round 12 is fair value and production, but that is more of a factor of the OF market than anything else.

Auerbach: I don’t love that I drafted Riley Greene at pick 141. I was hoping to land Ian Happ, but I got sniped by Ray Kuhn. Instead of drafting Chris Bassitt, who was next in my queue, I uneasily pivoted to Greene because I felt squeezed into drafting an outfielder (I only had two at this point). To top it off, Ryan McLaughlin immediately drafted Bassitt, making me not like my decision even more. Regretting this pick is less about Riley Greene and more about losing control in a draft, which is the worst feeling. Looking back, I should’ve trusted my process.

Dmytrow: I’m a bit nervous about my Jake Burger pick. He played so much better for the Marlins once he was traded last year but as Matt Heckman pointed out in his third base bust article, he’s been a one-trick pony most of his career and LoanDepot Park isn’t exactly a launching pad. He’s had his share of injuries too. I guess I kind of just needed a third baseman and he became the guy.

Is there another roster that you look at and say, “Damn, that team is great!”
Who do you think is going to end up winning this thing?

Hertwig: In general I say that anybody who has Acuña this year should win, it’s just a huge advantage. I honestly don’t know how you lost last year if you had him on your squad.

Specifically to this draft I think Team 10, owned by Dave Funnell, had the best draft. Starting with Judge and Jose Ramirez and then getting a top 5 (by my ranks) SP in Kirby is just an unreal floor. He seemed to set the pace for R/HR/RBI while keeping pace on SBs without selling out at the expense of power. He might be a tad light in wins, average and Ks but made up for it everywhere else.

Auerbach: So much happens during the fantasy baseball season that it’s impossible to say which team will win at this point. However, it’s tough to beat Mick Ciallela’s start of Spencer Strider and Shohei Ohtani from the turn. Also, Mick was the only drafter who went with eight starters and one closer, so he could easily wipe the floor with wins and strikeouts. I also like how Mike Carter attacked the outfield position early, given the scarcity of the position this season. Plus, grabbing Carlos Rodon at pick 188 could end up being one of the draft’s biggest steals. Overall, this was a sharp draft room, and I’m looking forward to seeing how everybody’s team shakes out this season!

Anderson: It’s really hard to tell in a 12-team league because every team is stocked full of incredible talent. I like the teams of Hertwig, Kuhn, and Ciallela but everyone will need things to fall just right to win. With no bench, my team probably has too much risk. In a typical league with a bench and the waiver wire, I think I could keep it competitive until Langford and Jackson Chourio are pumping out 4-5 category goodness.

Funnell: If Abrams can be what some think he will be, then Auerbach’s team is solid

Carter: I love Auerbach’s team. A great mix of upside and consistency. Could be a great team!

McLaughlin: It was such a tough room so it’s hard to fault any roster too much. If I had to pick one or two that I especially like though, I’d say the two people drafting next to me, Lauren Auerbach and Michael Hertwig. Both are just really balanced teams with solid floors and enough ceiling to take their squads over the top.

Ciallela: I tend to sell out for starting pitching in these formats, so I like what Lauren did with her staff.

Nels: I like Dmytrow’s roster. But if I’m being honest, if I leave a draft and don’t think I have the best roster and am going to win, then I have already lost.

Dmytrow: Maybe it’s just some early spring fever, but I like my team the best. Hope that doesn’t look too silly in a few months.

Kuhn: Other than mine? All kidding aside this was a strong room with good picks and teams all around. Not trying to curry favor with the organizer here, but it’s Ryan McLaughlin for me. I think Corbin Burnes will rebound well this year, Marcus Semien in round 3 is a great pick. Evan Carter can really have a breakout year, and I wish I didn’t need stolen bases and would have taken Josh Jung instead of Kim.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

Kuhn: As much as I like Corey Seager and Pete Alonso, it’s tough not getting stolen bases from my second and third hitters.

Anderson: I’d probably grab at least one catcher a little earlier but all in all, I think I did what I was trying to.

Funnell: Not double-tapping catchers, despite their importance in a 2C league.

Ciallela: Well autodrafting four picks is up there haha… and if I had known that the computer was going to draft three SP in those slots, I wouldn’t have drafted Cease. But other than that I can’t complain.

McLaughlin: Nothing specific jumps out to me but I do think that I lost a bit of focus in the second half. It’s quite possible that I was just uncomfortable. With the rosters set up as they were, I found myself drafting for positions and that is something I hate having to do.

Hertwig: Maybe I should have gone Julio Rodriguez over Witt because top OF was really hard to find. I also picked Pressly before the Hader signing, so I wish that didn’t happen.

Carter: Shouldn’t have waited as long as I did on closers, but could be okay with Bednar, Kimbrel, and Brash.

Nels: I don’t normally play in category leagues, more of a points league guy. So I should have done a bit more research on how different players translate from points to category leagues.

Auerbach: Overall, I like my team, and I wouldn’t change much. But I’m still debating whether I should have gone with seven starters and two relievers, instead of six starters and three relievers to fill out the pitcher slots. Time will tell!

Dmytrow: Not at this time. Check back in two months.

Did you have fun and would you do another fantasy baseball mock draft?

Anderson: No. Why would I have fun playing a pretend game using silly numbers from grown men playing a kid’s game? Seems kind of childish…

Carter: Absolutely yes. Can we start again this afternoon? Ha!

Dmytrow: Totally. This was my first for-real draft of the year and it was great. 

Ciallela: Absolutely!

Auerbach: Absolutely! I kept notes throughout the draft about my picks, knowing there would be a staff article about the process. It was a great reflexive exercise that proved helpful, especially since this was one of my first drafts of the season. I was more focused on why I made certain decisions and more aware of what other drafters were doing than I usually am during drafts. I encourage people to do the same with one of their early drafts.

Hertwig: Hell yeah.

Nels: This was a ton of fun and I would happily participate again.

Funnell: Yes.

Kuhn: Without a doubt.

McLaughlin: YES!

So much fun! We’ll be posting occasional updates through the season at FantraxHQ.com, check back to see which drafter comes out on top and so much more!

Give all the writers a follow and we’ll see you soon!

Draft Results

You can sort through each round of the draft using the arrows below the table.

For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.