It wasn't long ago I was avoiding all starting pitchers in the first five rounds of Fantasy Baseball drafts. Earlier this year I came around on the idea that I really didn't want to pass on one of the top four aces if I had the choice, however. And now I've taken three starting pitchers in the first five rounds (and four in the first seven) of our most recent mock draft, a 10-team league we drafted Friday. What is happening?

One of my biggest problems with targeting starting pitchers is that you're spending valuable draft capital on an inherently risky asset. That hasn't changed, but in a smaller league format I'm not as worried about that risk. There will be so much available on the waiver wire, the upside is really important. And in a points league, it's hard to find hitters with comparable upside to the top pitchers. 

So the combination of a smaller league size and a points setting leads me to a place where I'm picking a roster full of starting pitchers early. It's also leads me to looking more at upside late. In a lot of ways, this is like my theory on Rotisserie leagues, just for different reasons. 

The other thing to remember about smaller leagues like this, especially with smaller rosters, is that position scarcity becomes less relevant. First base is still much deeper than shortstop and catcher is still a wasteland, but outfield becomes much easier to fill and overall the difference by position just isn't as pronounced. So just draft really good players. More specifically, draft really high upside.

Here are the experts who participated in this mock draft:

  • Chris Towers, CBS Sports
  • Heath Cummings, CBS Sports
  • Jamey Eisenberg, CBS Sports
  • Jeff Tobin, CBS Sports
  • Lawr Michaels, Creative Sports
  • malamoney, Razzball
  • Mike McClure, Sportsline
  • Scott White, CBS Sports
  • Sergio Gonzalez, CBS Sports
  • Mike Kuchera, The Fantasy Man
Round By Round
Round 1
Pos Team Player
1 Sean Millerick
2 Scott White
3 R.J. White
4 Frank Stampfl
5 Doc Eisenhauer
6 Tim Kanak
7 Jeremy Heist
8 B_Don
9 Nick Fox
10 Chris Towers
11 Jake Holland
12 Chris Mitchell
Round 2
Pos Team Player
13 Chris Mitchell
14 Jake Holland
15 Chris Towers
16 Nick Fox
17 B_Don
18 Jeremy Heist
19 Tim Kanak
20 Doc Eisenhauer
21 Frank Stampfl
22 R.J. White
23 Scott White
24 Sean Millerick
Round 3
Pos Team Player
25 Sean Millerick
26 Scott White
27 R.J. White
28 Frank Stampfl
29 Doc Eisenhauer
30 Tim Kanak
31 Jeremy Heist
32 B_Don
33 Nick Fox
34 Chris Towers
35 Jake Holland
36 Chris Mitchell
Round 4
Pos Team Player
37 Chris Mitchell
38 Jake Holland
39 Chris Towers
40 Nick Fox
41 B_Don
42 Jeremy Heist
43 Tim Kanak
44 Doc Eisenhauer
45 Frank Stampfl
46 R.J. White
47 Scott White
48 Sean Millerick
Round 5
Pos Team Player
49 Sean Millerick
50 Scott White
51 R.J. White
52 Frank Stampfl
53 Doc Eisenhauer
54 Tim Kanak
55 Jeremy Heist
56 B_Don
57 Nick Fox
58 Chris Towers
59 Jake Holland
60 Chris Mitchell
Round 6
Pos Team Player
61 Chris Mitchell
62 Jake Holland
63 Chris Towers
64 Nick Fox
65 B_Don
66 Jeremy Heist
67 Tim Kanak
68 Doc Eisenhauer
69 Frank Stampfl
70 R.J. White
71 Scott White
72 Sean Millerick
Round 7
Pos Team Player
73 Sean Millerick
74 Scott White
75 R.J. White
76 Frank Stampfl
77 Doc Eisenhauer
78 Tim Kanak
79 Jeremy Heist
80 B_Don
81 Nick Fox
82 Chris Towers
83 Jake Holland
84 Chris Mitchell
Round 8
Pos Team Player
85 Chris Mitchell
86 Jake Holland
87 Chris Towers
88 Nick Fox
89 B_Don
90 Jeremy Heist
91 Tim Kanak
92 Doc Eisenhauer
93 Frank Stampfl
94 R.J. White
95 Scott White
96 Sean Millerick
Round 9
Pos Team Player
97 Sean Millerick
98 Scott White
99 R.J. White
100 Frank Stampfl
101 Doc Eisenhauer
102 Tim Kanak
103 Jeremy Heist
104 B_Don
105 Nick Fox
106 Chris Towers
107 Jake Holland
108 Chris Mitchell
Round 10
Pos Team Player
109 Chris Mitchell
110 Jake Holland
111 Chris Towers
112 Nick Fox
113 B_Don
114 Jeremy Heist
115 Tim Kanak
116 Doc Eisenhauer
117 Frank Stampfl
118 R.J. White
119 Scott White
120 Sean Millerick
Round 11
Pos Team Player
121 Sean Millerick
122 Scott White
123 R.J. White
124 Frank Stampfl
125 Doc Eisenhauer
126 Tim Kanak
127 Jeremy Heist
128 B_Don
129 Nick Fox
130 Chris Towers
131 Jake Holland
132 Chris Mitchell
Round 12
Pos Team Player
133 Chris Mitchell
134 Jake Holland
135 Chris Towers
136 Nick Fox
137 B_Don
138 Jeremy Heist
139 Tim Kanak
140 Doc Eisenhauer
141 Frank Stampfl
142 R.J. White
143 Scott White
144 Sean Millerick
Round 13
Pos Team Player
145 Sean Millerick
146 Scott White
147 R.J. White
148 Frank Stampfl
149 Doc Eisenhauer
150 Tim Kanak
151 Jeremy Heist
152 B_Don
153 Nick Fox
154 Chris Towers
155 Jake Holland
156 Chris Mitchell
Round 14
Pos Team Player
157 Chris Mitchell
158 Jake Holland
159 Chris Towers
160 Nick Fox
161 B_Don
162 Jeremy Heist
163 Tim Kanak
164 Doc Eisenhauer
165 Frank Stampfl
166 R.J. White
167 Scott White
168 Sean Millerick
Round 15
Pos Team Player
169 Sean Millerick
170 Scott White
171 R.J. White
172 Frank Stampfl
173 Doc Eisenhauer
174 Tim Kanak
175 Jeremy Heist
176 B_Don
177 Nick Fox
178 Chris Towers
179 Jake Holland
180 Chris Mitchell
Round 16
Pos Team Player
181 Chris Mitchell
182 Jake Holland
183 Chris Towers
184 Nick Fox
185 B_Don
186 Jeremy Heist
187 Tim Kanak
188 Doc Eisenhauer
189 Frank Stampfl
190 R.J. White
191 Scott White
192 Sean Millerick
Round 17
Pos Team Player
193 Sean Millerick
194 Scott White
195 R.J. White
196 Frank Stampfl
197 Doc Eisenhauer
198 Tim Kanak
199 Jeremy Heist
200 B_Don
201 Nick Fox
202 Chris Towers
203 Jake Holland
204 Chris Mitchell
Round 18
Pos Team Player
205 Chris Mitchell
206 Jake Holland
207 Chris Towers
208 Nick Fox
209 B_Don
210 Jeremy Heist
211 Tim Kanak
212 Doc Eisenhauer
213 Frank Stampfl
214 R.J. White
215 Scott White
216 Sean Millerick
Round 19
Pos Team Player
217 Sean Millerick
218 Scott White
219 R.J. White
220 Frank Stampfl
221 Doc Eisenhauer
222 Tim Kanak
223 Jeremy Heist
224 B_Don
225 Nick Fox
226 Chris Towers
227 Jake Holland
228 Chris Mitchell
Round 20
Pos Team Player
229 Chris Mitchell
230 Jake Holland
231 Chris Towers
232 Nick Fox
233 B_Don
234 Jeremy Heist
235 Tim Kanak
236 Doc Eisenhauer
237 Frank Stampfl
238 R.J. White
239 Scott White
240 Sean Millerick
Round 21
Pos Team Player
241 Sean Millerick
242 Scott White
243 R.J. White
244 Frank Stampfl
245 Doc Eisenhauer
246 Tim Kanak
247 Jeremy Heist
248 B_Don
249 Nick Fox
250 Chris Towers
251 Jake Holland
252 Chris Mitchell
Team by Team
Sean Millerick
Rd Pk Player
1 1
2 24
3 25
4 48
5 49
6 72
7 73
8 96
9 97
10 120
11 121
12 144
13 145
14 168
15 169
16 192
17 193
18 216
19 217
20 240
21 241
Scott White
Rd Pk Player
1 2
2 23
3 26
4 47
5 50
6 71
7 74
8 95
9 98
10 119
11 122
12 143
13 146
14 167
15 170
16 191
17 194
18 215
19 218
20 239
21 242
R.J. White
Rd Pk Player
1 3
2 22
3 27
4 46
5 51
6 70
7 75
8 94
9 99
10 118
11 123
12 142
13 147
14 166
15 171
16 190
17 195
18 214
19 219
20 238
21 243
Frank Stampfl
Rd Pk Player
1 4
2 21
3 28
4 45
5 52
6 69
7 76
8 93
9 100
10 117
11 124
12 141
13 148
14 165
15 172
16 189
17 196
18 213
19 220
20 237
21 244
Doc Eisenhauer
Rd Pk Player
1 5
2 20
3 29
4 44
5 53
6 68
7 77
8 92
9 101
10 116
11 125
12 140
13 149
14 164
15 173
16 188
17 197
18 212
19 221
20 236
21 245
Tim Kanak
Rd Pk Player
1 6
2 19
3 30
4 43
5 54
6 67
7 78
8 91
9 102
10 115
11 126
12 139
13 150
14 163
15 174
16 187
17 198
18 211
19 222
20 235
21 246
Jeremy Heist
Rd Pk Player
1 7
2 18
3 31
4 42
5 55
6 66
7 79
8 90
9 103
10 114
11 127
12 138
13 151
14 162
15 175
16 186
17 199
18 210
19 223
20 234
21 247
B_Don
Rd Pk Player
1 8
2 17
3 32
4 41
5 56
6 65
7 80
8 89
9 104
10 113
11 128
12 137
13 152
14 161
15 176
16 185
17 200
18 209
19 224
20 233
21 248
Nick Fox
Rd Pk Player
1 9
2 16
3 33
4 40
5 57
6 64
7 81
8 88
9 105
10 112
11 129
12 136
13 153
14 160
15 177
16 184
17 201
18 208
19 225
20 232
21 249
Chris Towers
Rd Pk Player
1 10
2 15
3 34
4 39
5 58
6 63
7 82
8 87
9 106
10 111
11 130
12 135
13 154
14 159
15 178
16 183
17 202
18 207
19 226
20 231
21 250
Jake Holland
Rd Pk Player
1 11
2 14
3 35
4 38
5 59
6 62
7 83
8 86
9 107
10 110
11 131
12 134
13 155
14 158
15 179
16 182
17 203
18 206
19 227
20 230
21 251
Chris Mitchell
Rd Pk Player
1 12
2 13
3 36
4 37
5 60
6 61
7 84
8 85
9 108
10 109
11 132
12 133
13 156
14 157
15 180
16 181
17 204
18 205
19 228
20 229
21 252