Fantasy Baseball Analysis Draft: Round 13

by KFFL Staff on February 15, 2012 @ 16:45:45 PDT

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Rnd: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28
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1) Yu Darvish, SP, Texas Rangers

Team: Steve Gardner, USA TODAY/Sports Weekly | Roster

The opportunity to draft Darvish in the 13th round of an experts draft was one I just couldn't pass up. His Mock Draft Central ADP is 115 - 30 spots higher than where he was available here. I've been skeptical about his ability to make the transition from Japan to the majors, but Darvish spent the entire 2011 season preparing himself to make the jump. He increased his workload, threw side sessions in the bullpen to help simulate the five-day rotation schedule and even used the MLB ball (there is a difference) on those bullpen days. His stats in Japan are astounding and I'm beginning to think I underrated him in my initial rankings.

2) Dustin Ackley, 2B, Seattle Mariners

Team: Ray Flowers, Baseball Guys/SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio | Roster

Hanny had to wait awhile

I was tempted to go with a fourth outfielder here, and if I didn't already have three third base eligible guys (Mark Reynolds, Kevin Youkilis and Miguel Cabrera), I'd have taken Martin Prado.

3) Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

Team: Joe Hamrahi, Baseball Prospectus | Roster

I might very well be the biggest Jeremy Hellickson fan outside of Florida. I've watched this kid for some time, and his stuff is just electric. The AL ROY has already proven he can play with the big boys, and I won't be surprised to see him post 15 wins, a sub-3.00 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 150-plus strikeouts.

4) Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks

Team: Pasko Varnica, Mastersball | Roster

Of other players who qualify for CI and still left on the board, I was scared by Carlos Lee's age and Carlos Pena's low batting average. After considering Gaby Sanchez, I went with Goldschmidt.

5) Adam Dunn, 1B/DH, Chicago White Sox

Team: Howard Bender, FanGraphs | Roster

Dunn's ghastly 2011 was an aberration, not a decline. He's got 35-40 bombs and AL Comeback Player of the Year written all over him.

6) J.J. Putz, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks

Team: Mark Chamberlin, Baseball Sharks | Roster

This feels like the time to get in on closers before the run hits, as there hasn't been many taken in a couple of rounds.

7) Martin Prado, 3B/OF, Atlanta Braves

Team: Nicholas Minnix, KFFL | Roster

Hot corner insurance, corner-infield possibility, outfield depth - he'll be in there somewhere every week. A staph infection turned his 2011 sour. He's an outstanding hitter who should deliver a batting average near .300 and about 15 bombs.

8) Jordan Zimmermann, SP, Washington Nationals

Team: Bill Macey, Baseball HQ | Roster

Like Cory Luebke, Zimmermann is another up-and-coming SP who had a fantastic strikeout-to-walk rate in the second half last year. He'll pitch more innings in 2012, which means more wins and strikeouts even if he can't maintain the skill's growth.

9) Joel Hanrahan, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Team: Josh Shepardson, The Hardball Times | Roster

Ackley fell a bit

I don't usually pay for saves, but in Hanrahan I'm not just paying for saves. He has done it differently the past two seasons, but he has been amongst the most effective relievers. He's my bullpen anchor.

10) Andrew Bailey, RP, Boston Red Sox

Team: Doug Anderson, RotoExperts | Roster

Didn't plan on taking two closers in a row but liked the idea of pairing him with Bell. His health is the only thing keeping him from being a top-three closer.

11) Josh Johnson, SP, Miami Marlins

Team: Tim Heaney, KFFL | Roster

My pitching already has four big names, but having Johnson's elite numbers for my No. 5 could be one of the steals of the draft. Of course, he'll have to actually stay on the mound for a significant period. The shoulder woes that cut his 2011 are scaring many off, but this late, snagging his ace skills is worth it.

12) Alex Rios, OF, Chicago White Sox

Team: Jeff Paur, RTSports | Roster

This is the first pick I made that I regret. I probably could have waited another couple rounds to grab Rios, who is coming off a disappointing season. I still like his 20-20 potential but he has been more bad than good of late, which is a concern. Hopefully, he figures it out this season and rounds back into old form.