kirby-yates.jpg

This scoring format, Head-to-Head categories, is where you might expect to see the biggest changes going from a 162-game schedule to a 60-game schedule.

It already tends to favor relief pitchers over starting pitchers because the gap in strikeouts isn't as noticeable in one-week increments. And if you suspect, like many, that the innings gap between starting pitchers and high-end relievers will also be less in a 60-game season, with maintenance obviously being less of a priority, then it makes sense to lean all the more into a reliever-heavy approach.

The lineup construction allows for it. It's modeled after the standard Yahoo format, featuring four flexible pitcher spots to go with two dedicated starting pitcher spots and two dedicated relief pitcher spots. Options are limited somewhat by a weekly innings minimum of 25, but it's still not uncommon to see teams start four or five relievers.

I thought I'd try it myself this time, taking the second costliest of the relievers, Kirby Yates. Ultimately, I ended up with just three others: Ken Giles, Sean Doolittle and Corey Knebel, in case he ends up playing a major role in the Brewers  bullpen. Once the closers started going off the board, they were depleted fairly quickly, which always seems to happen in this format.

I'm generally not one to pay up for closers, but I don't think the Yates splurge set me back too much. I probably should have focused less on hitters, though, to secure myself another high-end starting pitcher or two. Grabbing Max Muncy as my first baseman in Round 9  is a pick I'd especially like to have back. Short season or not, the late-round hitters are still so much more attractive than the late-round pitchers, and ultimately, I may be frustrated that I don't have a place to play Luke Voit.

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Here are the fine folks who took part in this draft:

1) Dan Gilbert, Fantasy Fisticuffs podcast (@DabberDanLit) 
2) Scott White, CBS Sports (@CBSScottWhite)  
3) George Kurtz, RotoWire (@GeorgeKurtz)  
4) Chris Mitchell, Fantrax (@CJMitch73) 
5) Phil Ponebshek, Patton & Company  
6) Nicholas Mimikos, Stack Attack podcast (@NMimi)
7) David Doak, Roto Joe's (@DaveDoak_70)
8) Micah Henry, New Life Fantasy (@FantasyCentral1)
9) Ed Gonzalez, lucky reader who got to join in
10) Garrett Atkins, Fake Teams (@13atkins13) 
11) Ted Vinson, lucky reader who got to join in  
12) Adam Aizer, CBS Sports (@AdamAizer) 

And here are the results:

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