The sixth spot in a snake draft is an interesting place to be.
You are never more than 12 picks away from your next selection. That means you probably won’t miss out on any runs. On the other hand if you are debating between two guys, you’d better decide who you like better because the odds aren’t great you’ll get both.
Overall, the sixth spot promotes flexibility. You are more able to react to quickly developing trends or changes in how you may have expected things to go. You can scoop up value when you see it, decide to take part in a run if one develops or try to start a run of your own. Locked in the middle of every round, you’ll never be short of choices. The pressure is on for you to make the right one.
More mocks: Picking at the back | CarGo at No. 7 | Draft Kit
1. Joey Votto, 1B, Rangers (No.6). There was nothing wrong with Votto’s base numbers last year. He hit .305 with 24 home runs. But he only drove in 73. I’m banking that was a team problem that won’t repeat this season.
2. David Wright, 3B, Mets. (No.19). On a rate basis last year, Wright was awesome. He batted .307 with 18 homers and 17 steals in just 112 games. The problem is that it was just in 112 games. Still, Wright is a five-category third baseman and those are about as rare as can be. That makes him a second-round value.
3. Matt Kemp, OF, Dodgers. (No. 30). Last year Matt Kemp was a first round pick. After shoulder and ankle injuries ruined his 2013, he fell to me in the third. He’s a risk- Kemp may not even be ready for opening day. But the upside here- a potential first-round value- was too tantalizing to pass up.
4. Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Rangers. (No. 43). He’s been a pretty reliable 20-20 guy for the last five years and he’s moving to one of the best hitters parks in baseball. This might be a reach, but I like guys who can help in every offensive roto category.
5. Ian Desmond, SS, Nationals (No. 54). Did you know that Desmond has gone 20-20 the last two years while posting batting averages of .292 and .280? The biggest sign that I reached for Choo is that Desmond, who put up the same numbers, is younger and plays short, was available a round later.
6. Wil Myers, OF, Rays (No.67). 13 home runs and a .293 average in 88 games. While it’s certainly dangerous to project over a full season, Myers should be able to hit 20-25 home runs and bat .270 while driving in over 90 runs. And he could do a whole lot more than that if he lives up to his billing as a top prospect.
7. Zack Greinke, SP, Dodgers (No. 78). Pitchers dropped in the draft, so much so that Greinke, who posted a 2.63 ERA and won 15 games in 177.2 innings fell to the seventh round. His declining strikeout rate is a touch concerning, but his swinging strike rate suggests he could be in for a rebound in that department this season.
8. Anthony Rizzo, CI, Cubs (No. 91). Last year fantasy owners were all over Rizzo’s potential. A .233 average later and he’s nobody’s darling this season. But Rizzo still jacked 23 homers and had a league average strikeout rate. I like his chances at putting together a better ’14 campaign.
9. James Shields, SP, Royals (No. 102). Shields has been one of the American league’s best pitchers for three years now. The only concern here is that his strikeout rate is merely good- not elite and that pitchers were dropping in the draft. I suspect he'll go around here a month from now though.
10. Rafael Soriano, RP, Nationals (No. 115). I missed David Robertson by one pick. To be honest, Soriano wasn’t very good last year. But he’s got the closer job locked up and relievers can fluctuate a great deal from year to year. So I’ll take my chances his strikeout rate comes back.
More fantasy baseball: Orioles preview | Top prospects
11. Jonathan Papelbon, RP, Phillies (No. 126). In real life Papelbon is a reliable pitcher, not as good as he once was, who is vastly overpaid. That actually makes him an excellent fantasy closer, since the Phillies have every incentive to keep him closing and probably can’t trade him.
12. Norichika Aoki, OF, Royals (No. 139). Aoki didn’t live up to the hype in ’13- he stole 20 bases and hit eight homers while batting .286. But he’s my fourth outfielder and I can live with that, since that makes him a solid three-category guy.
13 Jim Henderson, RP, Brewers (No. 150). Henderson is risky in that you never know when guys with control problems might lose it. But he misses bats and will close day one. That’s worth plenty in fantasy.
14. Jed Lowrie, 2B, Athletics (No. 163). I needed a second baseman and the crop was getting thin at this point. Lowrie probably will never be a great option but he’ll fit the bill for now. At some point, I would have to have enough ammunition elsewhere to upgrade.
15. Wilson Ramos, C, Nationals (No.174). Ramos slugged 16 home runs last year in 78 games. I’ll take that type of power from a catcher any day of the week.
16. Zack Wheeler, SP, Mets (No. 187). An upside pick. Had I known the last few rounds were going to be chock full of arms though, I could have either waited on Wheeler or Shields.
17. Colby Rasmus, OF, Blue Jays (No. 198). The average is a mirage- Rasmus struck out almost 30 percent of the time last year. But the 20-home run power is real and valuable from a fifth outfielder.
18. Adam Dunn, Util, White Sox (No. 211). Dunn slugged 34 home runs last year. No he won’t hit for average, but you don’t normally find his type of power this late.
19. Brad Miller, MI, Mariners (No. 222). Miller, if he wins the starting job in Seattle, could provide 15-15 ability. You can’t ask for much more from a late-round MI.
20. A.J. Burnett, SP, Phillies (No. 235). Burnett is old. Burnett was also one of the National League’s best pitchers last year. While his run in New York will always tarnish people’s evaluation of him, the bottom line is that he’s been very successful the last two seasons. He could regress, but few starting pitchers this late provided top fantasy production as recently as last season.
21. Tyson Ross, SP, Padres (246). A popular sleeper, I suspect he’ll go a round or two higher in the real draft. Ross' numbers as a starter last year were better than his ones in relief. Plus, he pitches half his games at PETCO.
22. Rick Porcello, SP, Tigers (259). Last year Porcello had everything you need to be a successful pitcher- he had a great ground ball rate, excellent control and missed a good number of bats. The results just didn’t come. I’m hoping they will in ’14.
23. Ike Davis, 1B, Mets (270). He was one of the people who torpedoed my Expert’s team last year. But I took him in the eighth round in '13 His power makes him worth a look late here.