Justin Mason’s NL Only Tout Wars Team

Every year, a group of some of the finest fantasy baseball analysts get together for a weekend of auctions in New York City. However, due to recent events, the weekend itself was cancelled, but Tout Wars happened in virtual form.  This was my second year in the NL Only league and I was none too thrilled to be doing the draft online.

I love being in Tout Wars, but I am not a fan of doing online auctions. I feel like there are things lost when you are not face-to-face. There is no ability to read the room. I also typically use draft software and paper simultaneously which become harder to do while also managing online draft software. Of course, I made it even more difficult on myself by live streaming all five and a half hours of the auction. That being said, I feel good about the team I drafted. 

You can see the entire draft board here.

Strategy

I use a modified version of the ATC projections and their auction values. My main strategy was to stay balanced, but attempt to get as many deals as I can based on the values I have. 

My Team

C- Jorge Alfaro $7

C- Tyler Stephenson $1

1B- Max Muncy $30

2B- Robinson Cano $9

SS- Garrett Hampson $12

3B- Matt Carpenter $13

CI- Justin Smoak $15

MI- Eric Sogard $1

OF- Lewis Brinson $1

OF- Christian Yelich $43

OF- Andrew McCutchen $18

OF- Shogo Akiyama $14

UT- Wil Myers $10

SW- Josh Rojas $1

P- Josh Hader $23

P- Chris Paddack $22

P- Joe Musgrove $13

P- Michael Lorenzen $2

P- Mark Melancon $8

P- Wade Miley $3

P- Daniel Hudson $5

P- Jon Gray $4

P- MacKenzie Gore $5

Res- Amir Garrett

Res- Matt Beaty 

Favorite Buys

Jorge Alfaro for $7 ($9 projected value)- Alfaro was avoided because of his low on base percentage and injury status. My team has plenty of OBP and the delay to the start of the season should mean he is fine by the time Opening Day is scheduled. 

Max Muncy for $30 ($29 projected value)- Ok, why would I like an overpay? It’s because of his eligibility. In NL Only, having a guy that can cover three different positions is huge for his overall value. Plus, Muncy has an extremely safe floor in OBP leagues.  

Robinson Cano $9 ($12 projected value)- People are ageist in fantasy baseball, but while I know he is old, Cano is projected to hit cleanup in what should be a pretty good lineup in New York. 

Matt Carpenter $13 ($16 projected value)- Before last season, Carpenter has never had an OBP below .365 and he should be a good bet to bounceback to 20+ home runs. There’s obviously a low floor, but it’s cushioned by the walk rate a bit. 

Eric Sogard $1 ($5 projected value)- He is projected to lead off for the Brewers against right-handed pitchers. 

Lewis Brinson $1 ($-1 projected value)- Threw him out as my first nomination and definitely confused the competition. Brinson was going to end up on my team late in the game, but this was more about having a little fun with the draft. 

Andrew McCutchen $18 ($20 projected value)- If he was healthy, I think he would have gone for $20, but he should be good by the time the season is scheduled. 

Mark Melancon $8 ($9 projected value) and Daniel Hudson $5 ($7 projected value)- These two guys aren’t treated like closers on the market, but I think both lead their teams in saves. As long as one of them does, I am fine with Hader also on my roster. 

Wade Miley $3 ($7 projected value) and Jon Gray $4 ($8 projected value)- I wasn’t targeting Miley or Gray, but got them at discounts while price enforcing. I am happy to get them at their prices. 

MacKenzie Gore $5 ($5 projected value)- I think there is a real shot Gore is in the rotation Opening Day and if not, he should be up super quick. 

Biggest Mistakes

Justin Smoak $15 ($13 projected value)- I got into a bidding war over Smoak and wished I had let him go for another option later on. 

Wil Myers $10 ($11 projected value)- I didn’t overpay for him per se, but he could easily lose his job if he doesn’t hit. The Padres aren’t going to keep running him out there if he sucks. They are in it to win it. 

Tyler Stephenson $1 ($0 projected value) and Josh Rojas $1 ($4 projected value)- I like the players, but I don’t know when they will be in the Majors and I have too many minor leaguers now. 

Final Thoughts

I like my team, but it has flaws. It has a weird mix between old and young. There is a low floor for the team. I am a bit light on power and will need to address that in season. I do like my pitching staff a lot. I am not worried about that in the least. I feel strong in the two hardest categories to come by in stolen bases and saves, which should be easy to trade to address my weaknesses.