It’s draft season, which means you better get prepped before you're on the clock without an idea of who you should pick. Lucky for you – and everyone who I’m in a league with – I’m going to outline my entire draft plan for 2016, from who I’m targeting in each round to which positions I’m focusing on getting early in the draft and those to wait on. All my favorite players are here in one place for each position, with a round-by-round outline at the end. The rounds are a rough estimation, and should give you a general idea of when you should be looking to grab them.
Before we begin, there are a few things to note:
- This outline is meant for a redraft, 12-teamer 5x5 league. It still applies to most variants, but obviously it’s not a one-size-fits-all.
- I have purposefully left some holes since drafts are fluid creatures that need affection and constant-attention to nail down just right.
- Don’t follow this so rigidly that when Ryan Braun falls to the 8th round you ignore him.
Let’s get to it.
Catchers
Catchers are an interesting breed this year, as some people are very willing to sit on Catchers until the 150s and beyond, making it more like a game of chicken to see who is willing to sacrifice the earlier pick to snag the catcher of their choosing. There are a handful of catchers I could see myself drafting, and it really depends on who are the final men standing. Say no to the heavyweights, as someone like Travis d’Arnaud has been regularly sneaking past #130, and could be available in the 15th round or so. Otherwise, my eye is honed in on grabbing Yasmani Grandal once I get comfortable in the draft, which should be around round 16 or so. If Grandal gets snatched earlier than anticipated, I’d be willing to wait it out for Wellington Castillo later or snag one of Devin Mesoraco/Matt Wieters if they were skipped over for Grandal.
- Travis d’Arnaud - Round 15
- Yasmani Grandal/Devin Mesoraco/Matt Wieters – Round 16/17/18
- Wellington Castillo – Round 20+
