Snake Draft Tip – Reach
You draft a team. Ideally, each player performs at or above the level at which he was purchased, but sports are obviously an inexact science. While everyone else at the table is taking the safe route of, “Adrian Beltre is a consensus third or fourth-round pick, so that’s where I’m going,” don’t fall victim. If you aren’t sold on Beltre – that is, unequivocally convinced that he is worth not only your confidence, but a starting roster spot on your squad – skip ahead. In a few weeks, you may be contemplating what to do with Beltre if you never loved the pick in the first place. You won’t feel that way if you’re high on Nolan Arenado this year.
The belief is that one player’s floor or ceiling should be compared to another, thus defining their draft position. But there is a reason why the later rounds of a fantasy baseball draft are critical – they provide the most opportunities to make up lost ground. If David Wright can be obtained with a later draft pick, suddenly his upside offsets Arenado’s potential downfall.
In addition, your belief in a player holds merit. You drafting Arenado earlier than the rest of the league ensures that no one else benefits from his success, and that you are committed and locked-in to a specific player at a specific price. After all, you paid a premium. You set the value.
