This year's player pool is already becoming a headache.

It's just so different from anything we've ever seen before, contorting in ways that encourage more extreme strategies. This is especially true in a traditional 5x5 Rotisserie draft, where needs are all the more specific and scarcities aren't as well accounted for.

Recently, 12 of us gathered to take part in such a draft, CBS' second foray into the standard Rotisserie format for the 2020 season, and you could tell everyone was more prepared this time around. Simply put, I feel like the rest of the industry lapped me in terms of taking things to their extreme.

And by "the rest of the industry," I mean these guys:

1) Jorge Montanez, Fantrax (@Roto_Nino)  
2) Adam Aizer, CBS Sports (@AdamAizer)
3) Phil Ponebshek, Patton & Company
4) Frank Stampfl, Fantasy BFFs (@Roto_Frank)
5) Matt Williams, Turn Two Podcast (@MattWi77iams)
6) Mike Kurland, Fantrax (@Mike_Kurland)  
7) Andrew McClintock, Fantasy Front Office (@FantasyAid1)
8) Heath Cummings, CBS Sports (@heathcummingssr)
9) George Maselli, CBS Sports
10) Tim McLeod, Prospect361
11) Scott White, CBS Sports (@CBSScottWhite)  
12) Chris Towers, CBS Sports (@CTowersCBS)

The early rounds were about two things: Stolen bases and starting pitchers. The former everyone is well aware now are in short supply, and there's pressure to secure them early, with a multi-talented player, so that you don't fall behind in the power categories pursuing a specialist later.

Starting pitcher, though ... I thought I was on an island there. Historically, it hasn't been a big draw in the early rounds, particularly in this format, because of its higher risk for injury and year-to-year variability. But the drop-off at the position is so extreme in the middle rounds that you kind of just have to bite the bullet, especially knowing how deep the hitter pool is.

I took a starting pitcher with my first pick and my third pick, which I'm pretty sure I've never done in my history of playing Rotisserie. But then I got caught up gawking at the hitter values round after round, presuming I couldn't afford to pass up that opportunity only to see a similar one the next time around, and by the time I dipped back into the pitcher pool for my third starter, Hyun-Jin Ryu was the best remaining.

It's not a bad staff, but it's not good enough considering I basically punted on stolen bases waiting for "fair value," which meant being a round late on Victor Robles, Tommy Edman and Garrett Hampson. You're just going to have to reach for stolen bases at some point. It sucks, but if you want to keep playing traditional Rotisserie, it's where the game is right now.

So clearly, I'll need to regroup, maybe re-think some of my rankings at the top now that I have a better sense of what others are doing, because I just wasn't satisfied with the way this team turned out. It's too strong in some areas and not strong enough in others, which is precisely how not to build a Rotisserie team.

Round By Round
Round 1
Pos Team Player
1 Scott White
2 Chris Mitchell
3 Doc Eisenhauer
4 Frank Stampfl
5 Chris Towers
6 Patton & Co
7 Sekulski
8 Jeremy Heist
9 Team Polidoro
10 Nick Francis
11 B_Don
12 Jake Holland
Round 2
Pos Team Player
13 Jake Holland
14 B_Don
15 Nick Francis
16 Team Polidoro
17 Jeremy Heist
18 Sekulski
19 Patton & Co
20 Chris Towers
21 Frank Stampfl
22 Doc Eisenhauer
23 Chris Mitchell
24 Scott White
Round 3
Pos Team Player
25 Scott White
26 Chris Mitchell
27 Doc Eisenhauer
28 Frank Stampfl
29 Chris Towers
30 Patton & Co
31 Sekulski
32 Jeremy Heist
33 Team Polidoro
34 Nick Francis
35 B_Don
36 Jake Holland
Round 4
Pos Team Player
37 Jake Holland
38 B_Don
39 Nick Francis
40 Team Polidoro
41 Jeremy Heist
42 Sekulski
43 Patton & Co
44 Chris Towers
45 Frank Stampfl
46 Doc Eisenhauer
47 Chris Mitchell
48 Scott White
Round 5
Pos Team Player
49 Scott White
50 Chris Mitchell
51 Doc Eisenhauer
52 Frank Stampfl
53 Chris Towers
54 Patton & Co
55 Sekulski
56 Jeremy Heist
57 Team Polidoro
58 Nick Francis
59 B_Don
60 Jake Holland
Round 6
Pos Team Player
61 Jake Holland
62 B_Don
63 Nick Francis
64 Team Polidoro
65 Jeremy Heist
66 Sekulski
67 Patton & Co
68 Chris Towers
69 Frank Stampfl
70 Doc Eisenhauer
71 Chris Mitchell
72 Scott White
Round 7
Pos Team Player
73 Scott White
74 Chris Mitchell
75 Doc Eisenhauer
76 Frank Stampfl
77 Chris Towers
78 Patton & Co
79 Sekulski
80 Jeremy Heist
81 Team Polidoro
82 Nick Francis
83 B_Don
84 Jake Holland
Round 8
Pos Team Player
85 Jake Holland
86 B_Don
87 Nick Francis
88 Team Polidoro
89 Jeremy Heist
90 Sekulski
91 Patton & Co
92 Chris Towers
93 Frank Stampfl
94 Doc Eisenhauer
95 Chris Mitchell
96 Scott White
Round 9
Pos Team Player
97 Scott White
98 Chris Mitchell
99 Doc Eisenhauer
100 Frank Stampfl
101 Chris Towers
102 Patton & Co
103 Sekulski
104 Jeremy Heist
105 Team Polidoro
106 Nick Francis
107 B_Don
108 Jake Holland
Round 10
Pos Team Player
109 Jake Holland
110 B_Don
111 Nick Francis
112 Team Polidoro
113 Jeremy Heist
114 Sekulski
115 Patton & Co
116 Chris Towers
117 Frank Stampfl
118 Doc Eisenhauer
119 Chris Mitchell
120 Scott White
Round 11
Pos Team Player
121 Scott White
122 Chris Mitchell
123 Doc Eisenhauer
124 Frank Stampfl
125 Chris Towers
126 Patton & Co
127 Sekulski
128 Jeremy Heist
129 Team Polidoro
130 Nick Francis
131 B_Don
132 Jake Holland
Round 12
Pos Team Player
133 Jake Holland
134 B_Don
135 Nick Francis
136 Team Polidoro
137 Jeremy Heist
138 Sekulski
139 Patton & Co
140 Chris Towers
141 Frank Stampfl
142 Doc Eisenhauer
143 Chris Mitchell
144 Scott White
Round 13
Pos Team Player
145 Scott White
146 Chris Mitchell
147 Doc Eisenhauer
148 Frank Stampfl
149 Chris Towers
150 Patton & Co
151 Sekulski
152 Jeremy Heist
153 Team Polidoro
154 Nick Francis
155 B_Don
156 Jake Holland
Round 14
Pos Team Player
157 Jake Holland
158 B_Don
159 Nick Francis
160 Team Polidoro
161 Jeremy Heist
162 Sekulski
163 Patton & Co
164 Chris Towers
165 Frank Stampfl
166 Doc Eisenhauer
167 Chris Mitchell
168 Scott White
Round 15
Pos Team Player
169 Scott White
170 Chris Mitchell
171 Doc Eisenhauer
172 Frank Stampfl
173 Chris Towers
174 Patton & Co
175 Sekulski
176 Jeremy Heist
177 Team Polidoro
178 Nick Francis
179 B_Don
180 Jake Holland
Round 16
Pos Team Player
181 Jake Holland
182 B_Don
183 Nick Francis
184 Team Polidoro
185 Jeremy Heist
186 Sekulski
187 Patton & Co
188 Chris Towers
189 Frank Stampfl
190 Doc Eisenhauer
191 Chris Mitchell
192 Scott White
Round 17
Pos Team Player
193 Scott White
194 Chris Mitchell
195 Doc Eisenhauer
196 Frank Stampfl
197 Chris Towers
198 Patton & Co
199 Sekulski
200 Jeremy Heist
201 Team Polidoro
202 Nick Francis
203 B_Don
204 Jake Holland
Round 18
Pos Team Player
205 Jake Holland
206 B_Don
207 Nick Francis
208 Team Polidoro
209 Jeremy Heist
210 Sekulski
211 Patton & Co
212 Chris Towers
213 Frank Stampfl
214 Doc Eisenhauer
215 Chris Mitchell
216 Scott White
Round 19
Pos Team Player
217 Scott White
218 Chris Mitchell
219 Doc Eisenhauer
220 Frank Stampfl
221 Chris Towers
222 Patton & Co
223 Sekulski
224 Jeremy Heist
225 Team Polidoro
226 Nick Francis
227 B_Don
228 Jake Holland
Round 20
Pos Team Player
229 Jake Holland
230 B_Don
231 Nick Francis
232 Team Polidoro
233 Jeremy Heist
234 Sekulski
235 Patton & Co
236 Chris Towers
237 Frank Stampfl
238 Doc Eisenhauer
239 Chris Mitchell
240 Scott White
Round 21
Pos Team Player
241 Scott White
242 Chris Mitchell
243 Doc Eisenhauer
244 Frank Stampfl
245 Chris Towers
246 Patton & Co
247 Sekulski
248 Jeremy Heist
249 Team Polidoro
250 Nick Francis
251 B_Don
252 Jake Holland
Round 22
Pos Team Player
253 Jake Holland
254 B_Don
255 Nick Francis
256 Team Polidoro
257 Jeremy Heist
258 Sekulski
259 Patton & Co
260 Chris Towers
261 Frank Stampfl
262 Doc Eisenhauer
263 Chris Mitchell
264 Scott White
Round 23
Pos Team Player
265 Scott White
266 Chris Mitchell
267 Doc Eisenhauer
268 Frank Stampfl
269 Chris Towers
270 Patton & Co
271 Sekulski
272 Jeremy Heist
273 Team Polidoro
274 Nick Francis
275 B_Don
276 Jake Holland
Team by Team
Scott White
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
22 264
23 265
Chris Mitchell
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
22 263
23 266
Doc Eisenhauer
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
22 262
23 267
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
22 261
23 268
Chris Towers
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
22 260
23 269
Patton & Co
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
22 259
23 270
Sekulski
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
22 258
23 271
Jeremy Heist
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
22 257
23 272
Team Polidoro
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
22 256
23 273
Nick Francis
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
22 255
23 274
B_Don
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
22 254
23 275
Jake Holland
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
22 253
23 276