Earlier in this section of the Guide (Never Draft a Starting Pitcher Early) I mentioned how I won an experts league in 2014 with my top-3 selections being Joey Votto, Troy Tulowitzki and Shin-Soo Choo. In the previous section I talked about the massive amount of volatility at the closers spot and how you could have cleaned up in saves from the waiver-wire if you had been smart. So let me ask you a question. Why is it that all everyone wants to talk about in the preseason is who to take in the first or second round of the draft? The only things people want to talk more about than the first two rounds are things like 'Ray, can you share with me how you get all the hot ladies to follow you on Twitter (@BaseballGuys)?' Personality of course.

Yes, the foundation of your team matters. Of course. But there is way more to building a successful fantasy squad than simply thinking about the first few rounds of your draft. That's why in this Guide you won't find a focus on that. We'll touch on those players for sure, but we're way more about helping you to understand how to evaluate players than we're going to sit here and argue about whether or not you should draft Adam Jones or Jacoby Ellsbury. If that's all you care about, you aren't going to win. 

It's way more valuable to be thinking about undervalued assets than it is to worry about drafting Edwin Encarnacion. Which players can you select in the 15th round that could perform like 5th rounders? Which players are 25th rounders that could perform like 15th rounders? Which players are others looking past that you should be looking at? When is the right time to think about rostering hurlers? Are there any rookies that are worth taking a shot on? Which second year players are being overlooked and represent post-hype sleeper upside? Which players performed well in 2014 despite the fact that their skills eroded? Those are the kind of questions that we should be discussing in draft season, not the top-25 players. 

I understand the need to be on top (insert a sexual joke here, I'm afraid to in case my boss reads this and decides to fire me). When you go to the car lot, do you gravitate to the car that looks sexy as hell and runs to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, or do you look at the affordable, gas millage savvy, four-door sedan? Duh. But the point is the same in this example as it is in fantasy baseball. Sometimes slow and steady wins the race over flash and dash. Be mindful that you win a fantasy baseball league in the middle and late rounds of a draft just as much as you do from taking Robinson Cano to be your second baseman.