Some Tips for Fantasy Baseball in 2015

March is fantasy baseball draft month. So I'll be giving a few hints that I've learned over the years while running fantasy baseball teams. 

Image Credit: SI.com

1. Don't obsess over a player:

For some reason, us baseball fans like to get emotionally attached to certain players. It's a beautiful game full with colorful and admirable personalities. But statistics speak for themselves. Don't hone in on building a team around one player. If the player isn't the shell of a player he used to be, do not draft him.

2. Don't let your favorite team effect your draft:

Every league has one. The all-too-loyal team owner that lets their loyalty to their favorite team get in the way of drafting a good fantasy team. 

You know them. They will have Chase Utley as their second baseman, Ryan Howard as their first baseman, Ben Revere in the outfield, and Cliff Lee and Cole Hammels as two of their starters. They probably have their team named "The Phanatics."

There isn't a team in Major League Baseball chock-full of fantasy stars, so don't bother to reason having more than three players from the same team. You want a balanced team that doesn't have 5 players missing due to a rain-out. 

Also, make sure your team's rival doesn't deter you from drafting some good players. If you're a Yankees fan, don't be afraid to draft a Red Sox player if he has some value.

3. Wait to draft pitchers:

This strategy is similar to the "wait-on-the-quarterback" approach in fantasy football. Yes, Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed ace Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball, and it isn't close. However, you'll have to draft him within the first couple of picks, but his price is too much when factoring in that pitching is usually available during the late rounds. Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians was taken late during nearly every draft last year, and ended up leading many people to a fantasy baseball championship. He's a rare case, but with all 30 teams in MLB having five-man rotations, it's a lot easier to find a handful of starters to help your team. 

Also, factor in the percentage of starting pitchers who get injured (New York Mets right-hander Matt Harvey in 2013; Miami Marlins right-hander Jose Fernandez in 2014; Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale in 2014; and Texas Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish in 2015), and the risk to draft an ace early is not worth the reward. Another point to consider is a starting pitcher will only help in four of the five categories (no saves), while a strong hitter can help in all five categories.

4. Draft Multiple Category Players:

This is what separates fantasy baseball from fantasy football. In the five-by-five league format, players compete against everyone in the league for the entire season and not against a different opponent every week like football. The key is to draft a player who helps in multiple categories, not just one. For example, Houston Astros first baseman Chris Carter is a home run machine and will help you in that one category. But his career batting average is .222, which will destroy a player in the batting average category. Instead, target a guy like Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, who has a much lower average draft position and will help in multiple categories. 

5. Draft Multi-Position Players:

It works well if you draft players that could be plugged in at multiple positions in your roster. It helps in time of injuries when you a need a roster spot filled. Players like Josh Harrison (Pirates), Ryan Zimmermann (Nationals), Ben Zobrist (Athletics), and Martin Prado (Marlins) are available late in the draft and can be insurance plans for some of your starters. 

6. Don't equate a player's contract with his fantasy baseball value:

Many fantasy owners over the past few years have shunned Jayson Werth and bought Evan Longoria by subconsciously thinking their overpriced/team-friendly contracts equated with their fantasy values.

There a lot of great fantasy players that aren't always the highest-paid or the fan-favorite of their team. However, that doesn't mean the player isn't consistently productive in fantasy baseball (like Jason Werth).   

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO