USA Today fantasy baseball mag mock: More Matt Moore, please

December 14, 2012 @ 15:06:24 PDT

Hosmer the make-or-break pick

We drafted (15 teams, mixed 5x5) yesterday for the USA Today Sports fantasy baseball magazine, due out on racks in the coming months.

Thanks to fellow Gannetter Steve Gardner and RTSports scribe Jeff Paur for hosting, and the rest of the mockers, including KFFLer Nicholas Minnix, for breaking the ice on another draft season.

December mocks breed excitement because you start helping to establish the market. Of course, much of your player opinions will drastically morph by March due to news, extended research and fluctuating perceived values, but examining every stage of building your fantasy baseball direction produces winning strategy.

"What made me so optimistic then and so pessimistic now, or vice versa?" "Which commodities can I wait on?" Fantasy baseball champs always ask themselves these questions and much more.

End philosophy. Begin mocking my mock. (Pick 3)

Bats	RD	POS	Player	Tm	Notes
C	8	C	Jonathan Lucroy	MIL	Top-5 mixed C upside. Added power to stellar BA profile last year. Will be forgotten by your competitors. Don't fall into that trap.
C	15	C	Geovany Soto	TEX	I'll spin again now that he's back in Texas.
1B	6	1B	Eric Hosmer	KC	My second least favorite pick, only if my preference among midrange 1B will probably shift come spring. Still think there's plenty of profit here.
2B	5	2B	Jason Kipnis	CLE	Regression will come, but a proper fit at this cost. Long wait until my next turn = 2B urgency.
3B	1	3B	Miguel Cabrera	DET	Was going to take Robinson Cano over Mike Trout, but Trout went 2nd. Bonus
SS	3	SS	Jimmy Rollins	PHI	Could've been smart guy in the room and taken SS Ben Zobrist, but J-Roll boasts (fingers crossed) healthy castmates, one more top-flight season.
CI	11	1B/3B	Kevin Youkilis	NYY	Should meet value in full year, but with Kendrys Morales, Adam Dunn or Justin Morneau also available, my least favorite call.
MI	16	SS	Jean Segura	MIL	A Howard Kendrick type with a sturdy SB foundation? Don't mind if I do. He's this year's Jemile Weeks, but better.
OF	2	OF	Jay Bruce	CIN	Imagine if he can get back to .280.
OF	4	OF	B.J. Upton	ATL	Still love him, and this price remains right. My goal is to own one or both Uptons on every team this year, if not every subsequent one, too.
OF	12	OF	Cameron Maybin	SD	2nd-half growth, fence moving could help. SB alone enough to carry weight here, but hope for much more from the 26-year-old. Most were a year early.
OF	20	OF	Peter Bourjos	LAA	Upside HR-SB Play 1: Trade him, Halos!
OF	23	OF	Brett Jackson	CHC	Upside HR-SB Play 2: Let him swing away!
UT	14	UT	Justin Morneau	MIN	Glad he fell back. Funny that people confidently took him around here last year but he now seems overlooked after a promising step.

Arms	RD	POS	Player	Tm	Notes
P	7	SP	Matt Moore	TB	R.A. Dickey and Roy Halladay were available. Moore will trump both of them this year.
P	9	SP	Tim Lincecum	SF	As a No. 2, worth the chance at a rebound. Could land in 'pen, but willing to take this flier. 75 percent of any of his peak years would be a win.
P	10	SP	Josh Johnson	TOR	If you're drafting against me, please continue to slap him with the AL East stigma. Pretty please.
P	13	RP	J.J. Putz	ARI	Not scared of Heath Bell's abilities. Putz is in control, as long as he stays on the field ... and ARI doesn't trade him.
P	15	RP	Andrew Bailey	BOS	Perfect rebound buy with elite skills. Another health risk, but at this pick, mitigated.
P	17	SP	Tommy Hanson	LAA	Can't quit him, despite warning signs. As a No. 4, why not?
P	18	SP	Shaun Marcum	FA	His middle name is "undervalued." Has goods to succeed in any environment. A perfect balance to the Hanson pick.
P	21	SP	Jeff Niemann	TB	Still driving this bandwagon. Wanna hop on?
P	22	SP	Ricky Romero	TOR	If he rehabs well, soooooooooooooo much good can from him this late.

BN	RD	POS	Player	Tm	Notes
BN	24	RP	Brian Wilson	FA	I typically stick with 2 CL in leagues like this. I try for a potential third in the bench portion. Tabbing one with his experience ain't a bad idea.
BN	25	3B	Nolan Arenado	COL	Overhyped last year, a target this year: A common prospect theme of mine during drafts.

Want the whole draft? Buy the magazine when it hits stores!

Until then, stay tuned to our blogs hub for more fantasy baseball hot stove analysis. Follow us on Twitter, and Like us on Facebook.

About Tim Heaney

Tim's work has been featured by USA Today/Sports Weekly, among numerous publications, and recognized as a finalist in FSWA's awards. The Boston University alum competes in Tout Wars and LABR and has won numerous industry leagues in both baseball and football.

During baseball and football season, he's on The Reality Check with Glenn Clark every Wednesday on 1570 AM WNST in Baltimore. He hits the airwaves every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio, where he often crashes other shows, as well.
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