I cannot stress the importance of draft preparation. Year after year I see guys enter into the draft wielding a magazine that was purchased from the local supermarket approximately 30 minutes prior to draft time. While those magazines can be useful, they must be studied with great care, along with any other material you can find. The draft boards have made it easy for fantasy players to slack off during the period between the superbowl and opening day. They think they can go into the draft and follow cheat sheets, choosing the best available players.
I, on the other hand, begin looking for baseball reading material on Monday morning. The more material I can find, the better off I will be during the draft. I don't expect to remember every little detail that some journalist from Pittsburgh has to say about James McDonald. I don't go out and write down every sleeper and bust I can find. But I do expect that when it's my turn to pick, if the "best available" guy was in fact someone that I read about during spring training, I will remember the first impression a guy made and make decisions that will give me the best opportunity to win.
The first thing I do is check the old websites that have helped me in the past. In this post you will find some of the links to various websites with invaluable information. Stuff that every fantasy owner should read. I can only hope that the folks in my own league do not read this blog.
Depth Charts
ESPN has a great page devoted to depth charts. This link will take you directly to the Boston Red Sox. There you can choose between teams by clicking on the drop down menu labeled "More MLB Teams".
Closers
I've read in numerous articles about drafting closers. I can say from experience, this is true. By utilizing this site I was able to snatch up almost every closer the became available in the second half of the season. The turnover rate is so high, there is no need to waste high or even mid round picks on closers. Bookmark this page at check it daily!
Cheat Sheets
For now I am linking to the ESPN Mixed Cheat Sheet. It is based on a 10-Team mixed league with dollar values based on a $260 budget. Later I will update this link to my own cheat sheet, specific to snake drafts, and cross referenced by the depth of players available for each position. I feel that shallow positions should be higher in the draft.
Check back for updates and more links. I will also be showcasing iPhone apps geared towards Fantasy Sports and Fantasy Baseball 2011. I am currently reviewing the ESPN Fantasy Baseball app, which is available for free at the iTunes Apps Store.
