You know what’s better than Steamer-based auction values? Free Steamer-based auction values!

And one last shot at a free FanGraphs Plus subscription too boot.

Guess the player!

One of my profiles:

[Player] is almost an icon: he’s got great real-life value to the [team] while he’s young and cheap, due to his contact rate, nascent patience, and good defense, but none of those things translate well to the fantasy game. You might own him for a stretch next season, but you won’t be happy about it.

For a team that ended the season with a negative run differential and 76 wins, maybe it’s not a good sign that most of the outfield’s playing time is set. But the Padres have some young men on the horizon that might fight their way to the fore, and as is usually the case with their team, they have some under-valued assets that could fit on your fantasy team… if in a part-time role.

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In the coming weeks, we’ll be covering each team’s potential depth charts in an effort to shine a spotlight on the interesting playing time battles that will be waged this spring. Obviously none of these depth charts are set in stone — rather they should function to focus your attention in the right places to find cheap fantasy value.

At first glance, it may not seem like there’s much to look out for on the Giants’ infield. As is often the case with champions, there aren’t many jobs up for grabs, and the positions are mostly manned by returning veterans. But if you dig a little, you’ll find some opportunity.

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There’s news about the Blue Jays closer! It’s not that he’s had shoulder surgery — both of the candidates have already managed that. Instead, it’s that Casey Janssen will get the first crack at the role, according to his manager. So now, instead of wondering if Sergio Santos is the guy, the question is how long Janssen will hold the role.

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The Houston Astros’ shortstop is gone! Long live the Houston Astros’ shortstop.

In all honesty, Jed Lowrie probably wasn’t the kind of guy you build a dynasty around. Call him Edward VIII — to avoid the problems that might arise from entrusting your rebuilding team in the hands of a capable, but oft-injured shortstop, Lowrie abdicated his throne as Edward once did. Then again, his successor may not last long either. Well, Tyler Greene, Jake Elmore and Marwin Gonzalez are all under team control until the end of the 2016 season, but there’s the matter of the other challengers for the title. The Houston Astros have at least three top prospects at the position, including their number one (or two) prospect and last year’s number one overall pick, Carlos Correa.

No matter. In order to put one foot in front of the other and keep an orderly society, all we need to know is who will be on top of the heap this year.

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We’ll be wrapping up analysis of our mock auction from a few weeks back this week, and I wanted to bring you analysis from two more participants in the mock before we did. And give you a chance to win an FG+, since I mucked up the first shot at it this morning with an easy one.

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Paul Sporer of the internets (and the infamous starting pitcher draft guide) on was gracious enough to power through our mock auction with us, so then I pestered him to talk a little more about his team. I spotted a few interesting things about his lineup and wanted to ask him some questions. Here’s our exchange!

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They deserve your sympathy and gratitude. The 14 managers that came in on three separate days and drafted for hours and hours just for your pleasure — they deserve some praise. So, rip up their teams if you will, but maybe add a thank you on the end. Cause this behemoth took almost seven hours, and if it was anyone’s fault it took that long, it was mine, except that auctions take forever. In any case, it was about seven hours that these guys spent for your pleasure.

Well, some of the pleasure was ours. Auctions are fun. In a snake draft, if a guy likes a player just a fraction more than you, you don’t get a chance to draft the player. But in auction, you can spend exactly as much as you want on the dude.

Well, exactly as much as you want in the moment. There are always regrets.

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David Murphy hit over .300 with double-digit power and steals last season. He’s in line for more playing time with Josh Hamilton gone. He just turned 31, so age is only a slight concern.

But David Murphy wasn’t drafted in the RotoGraphs Mock Draft. Maybe he should have been.

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Here are the first five rounds, here are another five rounds, here are the last five rounds, and now here are the final rounds of the draft. It took us six weeks, across the holidays, to do this draft. Slow drafts suck. Your RotoGraphs writers are dedicated men.

But the final rounds are my favorite. You’ll never find me groaning about them — the cost is so low here that you can finally take shots on random guys you like, and those guys are always the most fun.

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