CBS Sportsline Fantasy Baseball Experts Head-to-Head League Draft, Part 1

by Dave Gawron

Howdy. I recently completed a CBS Sportsline Fantasy Baseball Experts Head-to-Head League Draft. Go here for all the rules and complete results and such...

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/fantasy/story/9271751

Before I hit the sack today, I wanted to share my first ten picks and some thoughts behind the selections. Soon, I'll let you know how the rest of the draft went and give you advice, should you find yourself in a similar draft. Okay, here we go...

1.05, Mark Teixeira, 1B, TEX

There was really no contest here. He went .301-43-144 last year, is young, in a good lineup in a great ballpark. He should approximate those numbers again in 2006, but even if he falls a bit short, he'll still outscore the other available players like Abreu, Ortiz, and D. Lee in this system.

2.08, Andruw Jones, OF, ATL

I know he won't hit 50 home runs this year, but in this system, the big boppers are the ones that carry teams, so I'll take his consistent 40 HRs and 110 RBIs with potential for more. He's in his prime, so he could out-earn this draft slot.

3.05, Carlos Beltran, OF, NYM

I was debating between Beltran and Sheffield, but Beltran won. Sheff has a higher ceiling, but a lower basement. I think Beltran stays healthier this year, which immediately boosts his numbers. I also believe that having Delgado behind him in the lineup and just on the team in general will also help him out a great deal. He's still in his prime, so though I don't expect him to top 25 HRs or SBs, the potential is still there.

4.08, Rafael Furcal, SS, LA

After nabbing a 1B and 2 OFs, I steered my attention towards the infield. In order for the Dodgers to manufacture runs this year, Furcal will have to get on base and steal bases. He started slowly last year, but finished strong. I believe that he can stay strong all year this year. 28 is an age I like.

5.05, Carlos Delgado, 1B, NYM

Carlos is a masher that proved down the stretch last year that it doesn't matter which park he calls home. He's aging, and the nagging injuries seem to mount by the year, but 33 is by no means over the hill. True, his new home park isn't much better than his old one, but he's in the middle of a fearsome lineup, and he's a lock for at least 30 HRs and 100 RBI with a decent average to boot.

6.08, Jorge Cantu, 2B/3B, TB

I was thinking Ensberg here, but he was snagged a few picks earlier. The fact that Cantu doesn't walk at all hurts, but he's surrounded by good hitters in his lineup, he has mulitple position eligibility, and he's young, so he should at least come close to what he did last year. I'll take .280-25-90 from a second-baseman in Round 6.

7.05, Joe Mauer, C, MIN

After carefully considering my options here, I felt that between what's available now and who the next ranked player is by position, Mauer's gap to the next catchers was greater than the best available 2B/3B/OF and the next best available 2B/3B/OF. I guess I'm saying that I played the "position scarcity" card here. There are certainly other good catchers out there(Varitek, Posada, etc.) but just not as good as Mauer in this scoring system.

8.08, Pat Burrell, OF, PHI

Burrell started strong in 2005, then regressed, then finished strong. He's in a great home park surrounded by great hitters. He finished strong because he increased his walks and cut down on his Ks. If he can continue those trends in 2006, we could see a .300-40-120 year out of him. I'll take .280-30-90 in this draft slot, though.

9.05, Troy Glaus, 3B, TOR

Glaus does have a history of injury and a low batting average, which is why he lasted until Round 9. However, he toughed it through his 2005 injuries for a strong season. The hope here is that he can simply give me a repeat performance, though in that nice Toronto lineup, he could exceed his 2005 numbers and maybe even approach 40 HRs.

10.08, Chad Cordero, RP, WAS

Cordero turned into an elite closer last season. He pitches in a pitchers' park for a team with good starting pitching but questionable offensive support, so he should get plenty of opportunities in 2006.