Don’t underestimate the new found depth at second base –

There was a time when second base was a desert when it came to offensive production, or better yet, fantasy value. After the first few top players were gone, all you were left with is some dude who may pop five homers and give you a .260 average if you’re lucky. But oh how times have quickly changed.

Going into my first draft, I still held the belief that Alfonso Soriano was a first round pick despite his declining batting average and his new cavernous ballpark in our nation’s capital. Well he was there in the second round and I nabbed him. However as the rounds passed on I realized that I didn’t have to be so quick to fill the position. By the 17^th round, Robinson Cano, the young Yankee with huge upside, was still available and yours truly was already pounding his head for being too quick to fill a shallow position that is not so shallow anymore.

Along with Cano, Craig Biggio, Mark Loretta, Ronnie Belliard, Tadahito Iguchi, Rickie Weeks, Felipe Lopez and Todd Walker should all still be waiting in the mid to late rounds of any mixed-league draft. And hey, if you forget to draft anybody at all, you could always pick Mark Grudzielanek off the waiver wire!

Don’t overestimate the mirage of bottom-less talent in the outfield –

It is just too easy to do. You’re in the early rounds, you picked your big thumper at third, you snagged a damn good second baseman, you just swiped Jeter, and you also grabbed Billy Wagner after that. Then you realize, it’s getting late early, I need outfielders and all I have to choose from is J.D. Drew, Corey Patterson and Matt Lawton! Remember that you’ve got three outfield positions to fill, so try to draft a stud in the early rounds before you’re left with scraps of guys who *may* give you 17 HRs, 75 RBI and quite possibly lots of time on the disabled list.

Keep a close eye on the closers –

This is especially important for those in the traditional 5 x 5 mixed leagues. You’ll want to keep track of when closers start disappearing from the draft board. It doesn’t happen immediately, but it does happen. Usually in the third round, someone picks Mariano Rivera or Brad Lidge and then all hell breaks loose. Now you have to join in on the frenzy before you have to pick Fernando Rodney and be forced to hold a voodoo doll as the season begins while anxiously watching over Todd Jones.

You have other problems in your life that need attention and chasing saves is something you don’t need. I chased saves for one season, and let me tell you - it ain’t fun – always perusing the disabled list, looking to see who’s failing, what manager is making which move to what set-up guy so you can swoop in there collect a few saves for the week. No way, that’s not going to me ever again.

Make a list of at least the top 20 closers. Ideally the list should include all confirmed closers for opening day, but if you don’t want to be that fanatical, then 20 should be fine. As closers start vanishing, you should cross each name off the list. If you still don’t have a major source of saves by the time most names are gone, make drafting a closer an absolute priority. Again, chasing saves is an ugly task that you will want to avoid like a plague of locusts.

A lot of feel goes into drafting, but never underestimate preparation (which would actually add a lot to your “feel” for how to perform with spontaneity in this often stressful, but fun, exercise). Make your lists, study the numbers, target your favorites, and for God’s sakes, man, the draft is only the beginning to this long, drawn out, bloody season. Remember there are still lots of trades and waiver wire pickups to be made. By season’s end half your team will be changed. But the draft is the core from which you build. So draft well.