All-Purpose Fantasy Baseball 2021 running thread

Figured it was time for a new thread to discuss fantasy baseball outside of the specific league threads.

First order of business is keeper questions. Let's post 'em here.

I'll start. We keep six players and lower in the draft order is more desirable. I know categories can change specific recommendations, but I think the following players' values will translate to most leagues.

Guys I'm considering (definite keepers bolded, draft round in parentheses):
Pete Alonso (8)
Gleyber Torres (18)
Ronald Acuna Jr. (17)
Corbin Burnes (25)
Chris Paddack (10)
Framber Valdez (25)
Lucas Giolito (22)
Teoscar Hernandez (25)
Walker Buehler (21)

My gut says keep Alonso and Paddack with the last two slots, but they are fairly high draft picks compared to the others. I don't yet know what to expect for ADP on them. Maybe Paddack at round 10 is decent value, but Burnes was damned impressive in a short season last year. Valdez was also better than Paddack.

I love Alonso, and he was better than Hernandez last year, but not by a lot. He was ranked 51st overall by Yahoo, while Hernandez ranked 72nd. Given the disparity in their draft position, Hernandez could be a steal at 25th if he can perform like that over a full season.

 

I try to be careful about putting too much stock in last season, Burnes and Valdez are both good enough to be kept at 25 rather than Paddack at 10.

I would go with Hernandez over Alonso for the reasons you cited.

 

Some days I hate fantasy baseball. Let's see if I can explain this one without getting too deep into the woods.

My money league is a slow auction keeper. We keep eight veterans, then fill the rest of our starting lineups with an auction. Then we draft reserves. The whole thing is done on a message board, with the available player broken into six lists. You bid on a player until the last bid stands for 24 hours. It takes about a month. It is frowned upon to abuse the ability to bid on player at the last minute, but it happens. That led to my fun today.

Only about three of us have big money left. At the start of the day, it was four, but Manny Machado ate up about 40 percent of one owner's remaining budget. I had a bid standing for Xander Bogaerts. I was content to let Machado because he cost more and I have more of a need at shortstop, but I was really tempted to go one more dollar on Ozuna, whose 24 hours ended about 20 minutes before the time on Bogaerts.

The moment those bids went final and less than 20 minutes before Bogaerts would have been mine, somebody bid me up a dollar. Strategically, if he wanted the player, this makes no sense for him. Better to do it a little earlier and leave me options. Also, he has no third baseman and he is set at shortstop. He has been doing this to people the entire draft. Is it bad to wish a horrible fate on him?

 

I wish a horrible fate upon every opposing manager in all my leagues and most of them are my very good friends. But fuck them all. I want to win.

 

I get that. If he was actually helping his own team with this crap, it wouldn't bother me. He's screwing us both just because he likes to play these games.

I am just as annoyed with myself as I am with him. I probably should have seen it coming and bid the extra dollar to keep Ozuna available just in case.

 

The bastard just did it again, this time with about 10 minutes remaining.

 

He’s there for one God damned specific reason - to fuck you.

 

I’m surprised no one else has spoken up about it. That would be annoying as fuck, especially if you’re not even bidding on the player.

 

That is a really stupid way to play that game. He hurt his own team and I’m rebuilding, so I can find my own way to return the favor.

 

They have, but he doesn’t care. He isn’t breaking any rules. He is just being a dick. Plus, at this point, it helps everyone else if he can take me down with him.

 

I just wanted a chance to quote Earl Weaver.

 

Sounds like a lousy system. Draft should be one of, if not THE most fun parts of a season. Why be a dick and try to ruin it for others?