juan-soto.jpg

For our first Head-to-Head points mock since the calendar flipped to 2021, the first overall pick was Juan Soto.

Is it so much of a stretch, really? Going by points per game, the leader among hitters in this format last year wasn't the usual Mike Trout. It wasn't reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman or his AL counterpart, Jose Abreu. It wasn't Mookie Betts, Ronald Acuna or Fernando Tatis. It was Soto, at 4.70.

And it stands to reason. In addition to being a top-shelf hitter who led the majors in both on-base and slugging percentage, he had 41 walks to just 28 strikeouts, the sort of inverted ratio that's known to prop up hitters in a format that scores both walks and strikeouts. It's why Alex Bregman and Anthony Rendon had no chance of slipping past Round 3, like you might see every now and then in a 5x5 league.

Conversely, hitters who excel largely because of stolen bases but are lacking in plate discipline tend to go later in Head-to-Head points leagues, as demonstrated by Luis Robert and Starling Marte lasting to Round 7 and Adalberto Mondesi lasting to Round 11.

This format has also been the one that's tended to favor starting pitching, though it stands out less and less in that way as pitching gains importance across all formats. The run on it began in earnest at the Round 2-3 turn, and we were nearly 30 names into it by the end of Round 6. You'll notice that innings eaters like Kyle Hendricks and Zack Greinke went before ratio darlings like Corbin Burnes and Dinelson Lamet. More than anything from starting pitchers, this format rewards work.

There were a number of oddball picks, like Brian Anderson and Trey Mancini going in Round 8 and Giancarlo Stanton and Jorge Soler going ahead of Nelson Cruz, Yordan Alvarez and J.D. Martinez (we're not use to having so many DH-only types, clearly). But in a format that rewards different things, you have to expect people to venture off the beaten path.

One thing to watch out for: shortstops drafted for utility spots. I thought there were more than enough with early-round upside to go around in a 12-team league, but that kind of upside is an attraction regardless of whether the position is already filled. Had I known that Micah Henry opened his draft with two shortstops or that James Ganey had grabbed a second one along the way, I would have drafted Carlos Correa or Javier Baez as my starter in Round 11 and not gotten stuck with Didi Gregorius. Live and learn.

Here's who took part in this draft:

1) Dan Gilbert, Fantasy Fisticuffs podcast (@DabberDanLit) 
2) Nick Mimikos, Stack Attack podcast (@NMimi)  
3) Frank Stampfl, CBS Sports (@Roto_Frank)  
4) Scott White, CBS Sports (@CBSScottWhite)  
5) Chris Mitchell, FantasyData (@CJMitch73) 
6) R.J. White, CBS Sports (@rjwhite1)  
7) James Ganey, Fantrax (@CubbyNole) 
8) Phil Ponebshek, Patton & Company   
9) Nick Vanderah, Fantasy Life App (@MiniVan25) 
10) Micah Henry, New Life Fantasy (@FantasyCentral1) 
11) Chris Towers, CBS Sports (@CTowersCBS)  
12) B_Don, Razzball (@RazzBDon) 

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