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Participants in the inaugural Baseball America dynasty startup mock draft shared their thoughts on 12-team roto strategy and provided analysis of notable picks. Draft position refers to selection order in the first round. This was a serpentine draft in which the order reverses in even-numbered rounds. Each manager’s first six picks are listed—encompassing the first 72 picks of the draft—to show each team’s foundation. Top 100 Prospects are indicated in parentheses.
The league scoring is standard 5x5 Rotisserie, with AVG, HR, RBI, SB and R as hitting categories and W, ERA, SV, WHIP and SO as pitching categories.
JESSE ROCHE
BASEBALL PROSPECTUS
@jaroche6
First six picks: OF Julio Rodriguez, SS Wander Franco, OF Luis Robert, SP Dylan Cease, SP Julio Urias, 2B Jose Altuve
How you should approach a dynasty draft depends on the league and roster size, scoring format and your own goals for your team.
Typically, I attempt a sustainable, win-now build with high-upside, established hitters under 27 years old within the first few rounds. In a shallower format, such as a 12-team, one-catcher league, I often fade pitchers, prospects and catchers and focus on building a strong offense.
I am also not averse to drafting aging veterans, particularly in formats with high replacement value, because they can immediately contribute and often are undervalued in dynasty.
In this draft I began with three up-and-coming superstars with elite five-category upside in Rodriguez, Franco and
