Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft: 10-Team NL-Only Rotisserie League
Here are the results of theScore's 10-team NL-only rotisserie mock draft, using standard 5x5 categories (AVG, R, HR, RBI, SB, W, K, SV, ERA, WHIP); eligibility minimum 10 games played in 2015 for all non-pitchers (NOTE: draft took place prior to Ian Desmond signing with Texas):
Participants
Esten McLaren - Fantasy Sports Editor
Dan Toman - Supervising Editor, MLB
Kenneth Conrad - Fantasy Sports Editor
Andrew Potter - Fantasy Sports Editor
Josh Ghatak - Fantasy Sports Editor
Jason Wilson - Fantasy Sports Editor
David Chernish - Fantasy Sports Editor
Gino Bottero - Integrated Content Editor
James Bisson - Managing Editor, Fantasy Sports
Josh Wegman - Fantasy Sports Editor
Round 1
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
1 | McLaren | 1B Paul Goldschmidt | ARI |
2 | Toman | OF Bryce Harper | WAS |
3 | Conrad | SP Clayton Kershaw | LAD |
4 | Potter | OF Giancarlo Stanton | MIA |
5 | Ghatak | 3B Nolan Arenado | COL |
6 | Wilson | OF Andrew McCutchen | PIT |
7 | Chernish | SP Max Scherzer | WAS |
8 | Bottero | OF A.J. Pollock | ARI |
9 | Bisson | 1B Anthony Rizzo | CHC |
10 | Wegman | 3B Kris Bryant | CHC |
McLaren on Goldschmidt: When choosing between Goldschmidt and Harper, it came down to the safety that comes with Goldschmidt. The assured 30-plus home runs, 100 RBIs, 100 runs and 15-plus stolen bases with an average over .300 negates the 40-home run potential of Harper. It's not even guaranteed we've seen the best from Goldschmidt just yet.
Round 2
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
11 | Wegman | 2B Dee Gordon | MIA |
12 | Bisson | OF Charlie Blackmon | COL |
13 | Bottero | OF Starling Marte | PIT |
14 | Chernish | 1B Joey Votto | CIN |
15 | Wilson | SP Jake Arrieta | CHC |
16 | Ghatak | SP Madison Bumgarner | SF |
17 | Potter | C Buster Posey | SF |
18 | Conrad | OF Ryan Braun | MIL |
19 | Toman | SP Jose Fernandez | MIA |
20 | McLaren | SS Corey Seager | LAD |
Conrad on Braun: Braun is somewhat of a risk due to his advancing age and lingering injury concerns, but with 20 home runs and 20 steals in 2015, he's a middle-class man's Goldschmidt. Along with a solid slash line, there's really no weakness in his game aside from the potential for injury. Braun offers support in all categories as my first hitter selection.
Round 3
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
21 | McLaren | OF Carlos Gonzalez | COL |
22 | Toman | 2B/3B Anthony Rendon | WAS |
23 | Conrad | SP Zack Greinke | ARI |
24 | Potter | SP Jacob deGrom | NYM |
25 | Ghatak | OF Yoenis Cespedes | NYM |
26 | Wilson | SP Stephen Strasburg | WAS |
27 | Chernish | C Kyle Schwarber | CHC |
28 | Bottero | 1B Adrian Gonzalez | LAD |
29 | Bisson | SP Matt Harvey | NYM |
30 | Wegman | SP Gerrit Cole | PIT |
Toman on Rendon: Infielders who can hit and run are a scarce bunch, particularly in NL-only leagues. Rendon went 21/17 in 2014, but he was slowed by injuries in 2015, souring expectations of some fantasy owners who pegged him as high as a late first-rounder in mixed leagues coming off the previous season. His high ceiling and multi-position eligibility made this worth the risk.
Round 4
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
31 | Wegman | OF Yasiel Puig | LAD |
32 | Bisson | 2B/3B Matt Carpenter | STL |
33 | Bottero | OF Matt Kemp | SD |
34 | Chernish | SP Johnny Cueto | SF |
35 | Wilson | OF Jason Heyward | CHC |
36 | Ghatak | SP Noah Syndergaard | NYM |
37 | Potter | SP Jon Lester | CHC |
38 | Conrad | OF Gregory Polanco | PIT |
39 | Toman | OF Christian Yelich | MIA |
40 | McLaren | SP Adam Wainwright | STL |
Wegman on Puig: I simply couldn't pass up the last chance at snagging an elite OF. Expect Puig to return to his 2014 form when he hit .296/.382/.480 with 62 of his 165 hits going for extra bases. At just 25, his upside and pure raw talent outweigh the risks of injury or character issues. Puig might be the happiest person in Los Angeles to see manager Don Mattingly leave.
Round 5
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
41 | McLaren | SP Tyson Ross | SD |
42 | Toman | 1B Freddie Freeman | ATL |
43 | Conrad | 3B Maikel Franco | PHI |
44 | Potter | RP Kenley Jansen | LAD |
45 | Ghatak | OF Hunter Pence | SF |
46 | Wilson | SP Francisco Liriano | PIT |
47 | Chernish | OF Curtis Granderson | NYM |
48 | Bottero | 2B Kolten Wong | STL |
49 | Bisson | SP Michael Wacha | STL |
50 | Wegman | SP Carlos Martinez | STL |
Chernish on Granderson: I drafted Granderson slightly ahead of his ADP because I wanted an outfielder that does everything. He's fresh off a 26-HR, 70-RBI season at 35 years old and he's more than capable of scoring over 90 runs, having done so six times in his 12-year career. He's a safe pick as early as the fifth round in all NL-Only formats.
Round 6
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
51 | Wegman | SS Jung Ho Kang | PIT |
52 | Bisson | OF Billy Hamilton | CIN |
53 | Bottero | RP Mark Melancon | PIT |
54 | Chernish | OF Jay Bruce | CIN |
55 | Wilson | OF Joc Pederson | LAD |
56 | Ghatak | RP Jeurys Familia | NYM |
57 | Potter | SP Raisel Iglesias | CIN |
58 | Conrad | 2B/SS Addison Russell | CHC |
59 | Toman | SP Jeff Samardzija | SF |
60 | McLaren | OF Jorge Soler | CHC |
Wilson on Pederson: Pederson brings big power potential, as he showed in his dynamite first half in 2014. His second-half evaporation is concerning, but he's still a developing player. If he plays to his potential for even half the season, it will be worth the spot because I'll likely get elite home run and RBI production. His poor batting average shouldn't hurt me too much.
Round 7
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
61 | McLaren | 2B DJ LeMahieu | COL |
62 | Toman | OF David Peralta | ARI |
63 | Conrad | 1B Brandon Belt | SF |
64 | Potter | OF Gerardo Parra | COL |
65 | Ghatak | OF Ben Revere | WAS |
66 | Wilson | C Jonathan Lucroy | MIL |
67 | Chernish | SP Shelby Miller | ARI |
68 | Bottero | 1B Lucas Duda | NYM |
69 | Bisson | 2B/OF Ben Zobrist | CHC |
70 | Wegman | SP Scott Kazmir | LAD |
Potter on Parra: Parra was essentially a 15-HR, 15-SB player in a season split between the Brewers and Orioles. He's under 30 and has played 150-plus games in three-straight seasons, so health isn't a factor. He'll play half his games at Coors Field and the Rockies stole the 8th-most bases in 2015. To get a potential 20-20 hitter in round seven is excellent value.
Round 8
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
71 | Wegman | OF Randal Grichuk | STL |
72 | Bisson | C Travis d'Arnaud | NYM |
73 | Bottero | SP Julio Teheran | ATL |
74 | Chernish | 2B Neil Walker | NYM |
75 | Wilson | 2B/3B Matt Duffy | SF |
76 | Ghatak | SS Brandon Crawford | SF |
77 | Potter | 1B/2B/3B Daniel Murphy | WAS |
78 | Conrad | 2B/3B/OF Josh Harrison | PIT |
79 | Toman | OF Matt Holliday | STL |
80 | McLaren | 1B/3B Justin Turner | LAD |
Bottero on Teheran: His win total is going to take a hit on a bad Braves team, but Teheran is a prime bounce-back candidate following a 2015 campaign which saw him start slow before getting things together after the All-Star break. Teheran has a little bit of Pedro Martinez in him. He can lead a fantasy staff if he's able to cash-in on his vast potential in his age-25 season.
Round 9
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
81 | McLaren | 3B/OF Yasmany Tomas | ARI |
82 | Toman | SP John Lackey | CHC |
83 | Conrad | SP Stephen Matz | NYM |
84 | Potter | RP Trevor Rosenthal | STL |
85 | Ghatak | 1B/OF Wil Myers | SD |
86 | Wilson | 1B/OF Stephen Piscotty | STL |
87 | Chernish | SS Jose Reyes | COL |
88 | Bottero | C Devin Mesoraco | CIN |
89 | Bisson | SP James Shields | SD |
90 | Wegman | RP Hector Rondon | CHC |
Ghatak on Myers: The limited pool of first basemen was evident come Round 9 so Myers was an option with nice potential at this juncture. Health is obviously an issue, as he's played only 145 games over the past two seasons. If all goes well, Myers could post 20 homers and provide 60-plus RBIs and runs, while also swiping 10 bases and hitting for a .250 average.
Round 10
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
91 | Wegman | SP Patrick Corbin | ARI |
92 | Bisson | SP Gio Gonzalez | WAS |
93 | Bottero | SS Jhonny Peralta | STL |
94 | Chernish | 3B David Wright | NYM |
95 | Wilson | SP Kyle Hendricks | CHC |
96 | Ghatak | SP Wei-Yin Chen | MIA |
97 | Potter | SS Jean Segura | ARI |
98 | Conrad | PF Michael Conforto | NYM |
99 | Toman | SP Andrew Cashner | SD |
100 | McLaren | SP Jaime Garcia | STL |
Bisson on Gonzalez: I'm not overly concerned by Gonzalez's elevated WHIP from last season; his FIP remained solid, and he'll be in position to win 15-plus games behind a solid Nationals lineup. Gio isn't without his question marks, but at this point in the draft, I'm looking for consistent pitching options. While his upside is capped, his floor is high.
Round 11
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
101 | McLaren | SP Kenta Maeda | LAD |
102 | Toman | SS Ian Desmond | -- |
103 | Conrad | RP A.J. Ramos | MIA |
104 | Potter | 1B Ryan Zimmerman | WAS |
105 | Ghatak | RP Brad Ziegler | ARI |
106 | Wilson | 2B Brandon Phillips | CIN |
107 | Chernish | RP Jonathan Papelbon | WAS |
108 | Bottero | SP Hyun-Jin Ryu | LAD |
109 | Bisson | RP Santiago Casilla | SF |
110 | Wegman | C Yasmani Grandal | LAD |
Bottero on Ryu: Ryu's two-year sample size in the MLB has produced results more than adequate for a middle of the rotation fantasy starter. He's compiled a 3.17 ERA while striking out 7.7 batters per nine innings and finishing in the teens in wins each season. While he's still on the road back from shoulder surgery, 25 or so starts and 150-plus innings would be a good return at a discounted cost.
Round 12
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
111 | Wegman | SP Mike Leake | STL |
112 | Bisson | OF Dexter Fowler | CHC |
113 | Bottero | 3B/OF Alex Guerrero | LAD |
114 | Chernish | OF Denard Span | SF |
115 | Wilson | SS Eugenio Suarez | CIN |
116 | Ghatak | SP Jason Hammel | CHC |
117 | Potter | 2B Joe Panik | SF |
118 | Conrad | C Derek Norris | SD |
119 | Toman | 3B Hector Olivera | ATL |
120 | McLaren | SP Joe Ross | WAS |
Toman on Olivera: Olivera only played 24 games during his 2015 debut - hitting two homers and posting a .715 OPS. There's still optimism inside the Braves organization that the 30-year-old Cuban can be the "imposing" figure 1B Freddie Freeman once described. Olivera's value gets a further boost by retaining third-base eligibility, while picking up outfielder status.
Round 13
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
121 | McLaren | SP Aaron Nola | PHI |
122 | Toman | RP Will Smith | MIL |
123 | Conrad | OF Marcell Ozuna | MIA |
124 | Potter | SP Tanner Roark | WAS |
125 | Ghatak | 2B Howie Kendrick | LAD |
126 | Wilson | 1B Matt Adams | STL |
127 | Chernish | SS Alexei Ramirez | SD |
128 | Bottero | RP Jake McGee | COL |
129 | Bisson | OF Domingo Santana | MIL |
130 | Wegman | 1B/OF Ben Paulsen | COL |
Wilson on Adams: Adams is set to platoon at first base with Brandon Moss. The injury risk is real, but so is Adams' ability to demolish right-handed pitching. I drafted him as depth, but my lineup is fairly balanced so it would be easy to shuffle the deck to accommodate him if he plays up to his mashing potential. If he falters, he can ride the pine behind Stephen Piscotty.
Round 14
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
131 | Wegman | SP Vince Velasquez | PHI |
132 | Bisson | RP J.J. Hoover | CIN |
133 | Bottero | OF Jayson Werth | WAS |
134 | Chernish | SP Alex Wood | LAD |
135 | Wilson | SP Jimmy Nelson | MIL |
136 | Ghatak | SP Anthony DeSclafani | CIN |
137 | Potter | SP Lucas Giolito | WAS |
138 | Conrad | SP Taylor Jungmann | MIN |
139 | Toman | RP Jeremy Jeffress | MIL |
140 | McLaren | SS/2B Trea Turner | WAS |
Potter on Giolito: Other SPs at this level have concerns about health or statistical regression, while Giolito is an ace in the making. He's set to start the season in the minors but with the Nats pushing for a pennant, any injury to the rotation would mean a promotion for baseball's No. 5 prospect. That's a big if, but his upside is greater than any other player on the board at this point.
Round 15
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
141 | McLaren | 1B Justin Bour | MIA |
142 | Toman | 2B/SS/3B Javier Baez | CHC |
143 | Conrad | 1B Chris Carter | MIL |
144 | Potter | OF Ender Inciarte | ATL |
145 | Ghatak | SP/RP Brandon Finnegan | CIN |
146 | Wilson | SP Brett Anderson | LAD |
147 | Chernish | 3B Yangervis Solarte | SD |
148 | Bottero | 2B/SS/3B Cesar Hernandez | PHI |
149 | Bisson | SS Asdrubal Cabrera | NYM |
150 | Wegman | OF Nick Markakis | ATL |
Conrad on Carter: Carter admittedly won't help at all in terms of batting average, but he fits the bill as a late-round power threat. He hit between 24 and 37 home runs each of the past three seasons in Houston, and now gets to play half his games at Miller Park, which can be considered a more favorable stadium for power hitters, according to ESPN's 2015 Park Factors.
Round 16
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
151 | Wegman | SP Zack Wheeler | NYM |
152 | Bisson | 1B Ryan Howard | PHI |
153 | Bottero | SP Jerad Eickhoff | PHI |
154 | Chernish | OF Andre Ethier | LAD |
155 | Wilson | OF Aaron Altherr | PHI |
156 | Ghatak | OF Odubel Herrera | PHI |
157 | Potter | SP Robbie Ray | ARI |
158 | Conrad | RP Arodys Vizcaino | ATL |
159 | Toman | SS Erick Aybar | ATL |
160 | McLaren | SP Tyler Glasnow | PIT |
Bisson on Howard: Nobody feels good about drafting Howard at this point in his career - but with the player pool running desperately-low on players with 25-HR potential, he was worth the pick. He's no longer capable of working the count, and his OBP will probably never see .300 again - but he's still a decent matchup-based option who could wind up with 80+ RBIs.
Round 17
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
161 | McLaren | SP Archie Bradley | ARI |
162 | Toman | SP Matt Garza | MIL |
163 | Conrad | RP David Hernandez | PHI |
164 | Potter | 2B/3B Martin Prado | MIA |
165 | Ghatak | 1B/OF Brandon Moss | STL |
166 | Wilson | 3B Jake Lamb | ARI |
167 | Chernish | 2B Jace Peterson | ATL |
168 | Bottero | RP Fernando Rodney | SD |
169 | Bisson | RP Tyler Clippard | ARI |
170 | Wegman | SS Trevor Story | COL |
Wegman on Story: Jose Reyes is likely to face a suspension from MLB, opening the door for Story to start at shortstop. A highly touted prospect playing in Colorado's hitters utopia usually leads to good things. If he gets off to a strong start, the job could be his for good. It can't hurt taking a sleeper Rookie of the Year candidate in the 17th round of an NL-Only draft.
Round 18
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
171 | Wegman | OF Scott Schebler | CIN |
172 | Bisson | SP Chris Heston | SF |
173 | Bottero | SP Jake Peavy | SF |
174 | Chernish | SP Jonathon Niese | PIT |
175 | Wilson | SS/3B Jonathan Villar | MIL |
176 | Ghatak | C J.T. Realmuto | MIA |
177 | Potter | RP Kevin Siegrist | STL |
178 | Conrad | 2B Cory Spangenberg | SD |
179 | Toman | SP Bartolo Colon | NYM |
180 | McLaren | C Welington Castillo | ARi |
Chernish on Niese: Once the majority of pitchers came off the board, I drafted Niese in the late rounds of the NL-Only draft as a player to fill out my pitching staff. He won't win any categories with a below average WHIP and ERA but with pending UFA status, a bounce-back year could be in the cards. He's worth the risk.
Round 19
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
181 | McLaren | OF/1B Derek Dietrich | MIA |
182 | Toman | RP Sergio Romo | SF |
183 | Conrad | SP Jeremy Hellickson | PHI |
184 | Potter | OF Melvin Upton Jr. | SD |
185 | Ghatak | RP Jason Grilli | ATL |
186 | Wilson | SP Jon Gray | COL |
187 | Chernish | SP Adam Conley | MIA |
188 | Bottero | C Miguel Montero | CHC |
189 | Bisson | 2B/3B Danny Espinosa | WAS |
190 | Wegman | RP Tony Watson | PIT |
Ghatak on Grilli: With Jeurys Familia and Brad Ziegler as my two relievers, I wanted a third option in case one fails me. Grilli shouldn't be doubted as a legitimate option. He had a strong 2015 season with 24 saves and a 12.03 K/9 ratio. The main concerns here are Atlanta's poor offense and Grilli's return from an Achilles injury. Grilli's track record makes him worth the risk as a depth add.
Round 20
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
191 | Wegman | RP Kevin Quackenbush | SD |
192 | Bisson | 2B/SS Jedd Gyorko | STL |
193 | Bottero | 2B/SS Chris Owings | ARI |
194 | Chernish | RP Brandon Maurer | SD |
195 | Wilson | SP John Lamb | CIN |
196 | Ghatak | SP Rubby De La Rosa | ARI |
197 | Potter | RP Hunter Strickland | SF |
198 | Conrad | SS/2B Alen Hanson | PIT |
199 | Toman | SS Zack Cozart | CIN |
200 | McLaren | 2B/SS Jose Peraza | CIN |
McLaren on Peraza: Peraza isn't guaranteed playing time in 2016, but few members of the Reds' offense are. He comes with the ability to play both middle infield positions, potentially sliding into the hybrid spot in fantasy lineups. He's twice stolen 60-plus bases in a calendar year across three minor league levels, compensating for a distinct lack of power.
Round 21
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
201 | McLaren | OF Adam Duvall | CIN |
202 | Toman | SS Wilmer Flores | NYM |
203 | Conrad | OF/1B Darin Ruf | PHI |
204 | Potter | SP Homer Bailey | CIN |
205 | Ghatak | 2B/SS/OF Kike Hernandez | LAD |
206 | Wilson | 3B/OF Adonis Garcia | ATL |
207 | Chernish | OF Gregor Blanco | SF |
208 | Bottero | SP Matt Cain | SF |
209 | Bisson | SP Drew Pomeranz | SD |
210 | Wegman | SP Jeff Locke | PIT |
Round 22
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
211 | Wegman | SP Jorge De La Rosa | COL |
212 | Bisson | 1B/3B Mark Reynolds | COL |
213 | Bottero | SP Wily Peralta | MIL |
214 | Chernish | SP Tom Koehler | MIA |
215 | Wilson | SP Matt Wisler | ATL |
216 | Ghatak | SP Chad Bettis | COL |
217 | Potter | SP Mike Foltynewicz | ATL |
218 | Conrad | SP Mike Bolsinger | LAD |
219 | Toman | SP Ruben Tejada | NYM |
220 | McLaren | SP Colin Rea | SD |
Round 23
PICK | NAME | PLAYER | TEAM |
---|---|---|---|
221 | McLaren | SP Julio Urias | LAD |
222 | Toman | OF Carl Crawford | LAD |
223 | Conrad | SS Orlando Arcia | MIL |
224 | Potter | SP Jameson Taillon | PIT |
225 | Ghatak | 3B/OF Cody Asche | PHI |
226 | Wilson | SS J.P. Crawford | PHI |
227 | Chernish | SP Jarred Cosart | MIA |
228 | Bottero | SP Justin Nicolino | MIA |
229 | Bisson | SP/RP Tyler Lyons | STL |
230 | Wegman | DH John Jaso | PIT |
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