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When I set up our latest mock draft -- it being a Yahoo-style Head-to-Head categories league -- I specifically gave myself the No. 8 pick in the hopes of testing a particular scenario.

I wanted to see what would happen if I drafted both Freddie Freeman (in Round 1) and Matt Olson (in Round 2), two first baseman who happened to be the most productive players in 5x5 scoring last year, apart from Ronald Acuna. I think both are being undervalued, and so I wondered if taking both, thereby doubling up at a deep position at the start of the draft, would leave me vulnerable elsewhere.

My takeaway: Not so much. In fact, I'm quite happy with the way my offense turned out. I like the balance between the five categories, and I don't think any position suffered greatly by me taking a double helping of one. I say this with a few caveats, though ..

  • It was three-outfielder league and not a five-outfielder league. The latter would make it harder to pass up Yordan Alvarez for Olson in Round 2, particularly with outfield being regarded as the shallowest offensive position this year. It might also leave me starved for outfield help in the middle-to-late stages of the draft, when corner infield options are plentiful.
  • Even for being a three-outfielder league, I was fortunate to get Adolis Garcia in Round 5, which is awfully late for what most people consider to be a borderline No. 1 outfielder.
  • Standard Yahoo lineups, which we used in this mock draft, feature two utility spots instead of just one, so filling one with Olson in Round 2 didn't prevent me from doubling up at some other position or drafting a true DH.

Still, I like these initial results enough to explore the possibility in other formats as well, provided I get the opportunity. It stands to reason that if we're willing to devote a utility spot to Shohei Ohtani in Round 2, we should be willing to do the same for Olson.

Here's who all took part in this draft:

1) Jason Bouffard, lucky reader who got to join in
2) Michael Polidoro, The Can-Am Super Show (@CanAmSuperShow)
3) Darren "Doc" Eisenhauer, Scout the Statline (@DocHollidayDyna)
4) Mike Carter, Fantrax (@mdrc0508)
5) Chris Towers, CBS Sports (@CTowersCBS)
6) Nick Francis, Nick's Picks (@nicksMLBpicks)
7) Ryan McLaughlin, Ryan and Mike Love Pitching (@2BaeballDorks)
8) Scott White, CBS Sports (@CBSScottWhite)
9) Tim Kanak, Fantasy Aceball (@fantasyaceball)
10) Jake Wiener, Prospects1500 (@GatorSosa)
11) Frank Stampfl, CBS Sports (@Roto_Frank)
12) David Funnell, BS Sports (@Roto_Frank)

Just a few quick observations before you dive into the results:

  • Again, we modeled this draft after the standard Yahoo league, which allows for daily lineup changes. Relievers are elevated in such a format because they help fill in the gaps when certain starting pitchers are unavailable. One drafter, Jason Bouffard, pushed this idea to its limit, selecting three relievers before his first starting pitcher. His final roster is worth looking over.
  • I've decided that the Rounds 11-14 (Picks 121-168) are the most frustrating for me in every draft. Some of the best values can be found there, but I only get four cracks at it, with my choices generally being dictated by need. My needs in this draft were mostly pitching-related.
  • This was our first draft since the Orioles revealed Kyle Bradish's sprained UCL, and the right-hander was drafted 201st overall. That's a reasonable enough spot for him, given what we know now, though I rank him closer to 250 and would have preferred some of the pitchers that went in the next couple rounds.
Round By Round
Round 1
Pos Team Player
1 Scott White
2 Nick Fox
3 Phil Ponebshek
4 Kayla Walz
5 Sean Millerick
6 Frank Stampfl
7 Zac Morain
8 Nick Francis
9 B_Don
10 Michael Waterloo
11 Chris Mitchell
12 Doc Eisenhauer
Round 2
Pos Team Player
13 Doc Eisenhauer
14 Chris Mitchell
15 Michael Waterloo
16 B_Don
17 Nick Francis
18 Zac Morain
19 Frank Stampfl
20 Sean Millerick
21 Kayla Walz
22 Phil Ponebshek
23 Nick Fox
24 Scott White
Round 3
Pos Team Player
25 Scott White
26 Nick Fox
27 Phil Ponebshek
28 Kayla Walz
29 Sean Millerick
30 Frank Stampfl
31 Zac Morain
32 Nick Francis
33 B_Don
34 Michael Waterloo
35 Chris Mitchell
36 Doc Eisenhauer
Round 4
Pos Team Player
37 Doc Eisenhauer
38 Chris Mitchell
39 Michael Waterloo
40 B_Don
41 Nick Francis
42 Zac Morain
43 Frank Stampfl
44 Sean Millerick
45 Kayla Walz
46 Phil Ponebshek
47 Nick Fox
48 Scott White
Round 5
Pos Team Player
49 Scott White
50 Nick Fox
51 Phil Ponebshek
52 Kayla Walz
53 Sean Millerick
54 Frank Stampfl
55 Zac Morain
56 Nick Francis
57 B_Don
58 Michael Waterloo
59 Chris Mitchell
60 Doc Eisenhauer
Round 6
Pos Team Player
61 Doc Eisenhauer
62 Chris Mitchell
63 Michael Waterloo
64 B_Don
65 Nick Francis
66 Zac Morain
67 Frank Stampfl
68 Sean Millerick
69 Kayla Walz
70 Phil Ponebshek
71 Nick Fox
72 Scott White
Round 7
Pos Team Player
73 Scott White
74 Nick Fox
75 Phil Ponebshek
76 Kayla Walz
77 Sean Millerick
78 Frank Stampfl
79 Zac Morain
80 Nick Francis
81 B_Don
82 Michael Waterloo
83 Chris Mitchell
84 Doc Eisenhauer
Round 8
Pos Team Player
85 Doc Eisenhauer
86 Chris Mitchell
87 Michael Waterloo
88 B_Don
89 Nick Francis
90 Zac Morain
91 Frank Stampfl
92 Sean Millerick
93 Kayla Walz
94 Phil Ponebshek
95 Nick Fox
96 Scott White
Round 9
Pos Team Player
97 Scott White
98 Nick Fox
99 Phil Ponebshek
100 Kayla Walz
101 Sean Millerick
102 Frank Stampfl
103 Zac Morain
104 Nick Francis
105 B_Don
106 Michael Waterloo
107 Chris Mitchell
108 Doc Eisenhauer
Round 10
Pos Team Player
109 Doc Eisenhauer
110 Chris Mitchell
111 Michael Waterloo
112 B_Don
113 Nick Francis
114 Zac Morain
115 Frank Stampfl
116 Sean Millerick
117 Kayla Walz
118 Phil Ponebshek
119 Nick Fox
120 Scott White
Round 11
Pos Team Player
121 Scott White
122 Nick Fox
123 Phil Ponebshek
124 Kayla Walz
125 Sean Millerick
126 Frank Stampfl
127 Zac Morain
128 Nick Francis
129 B_Don
130 Michael Waterloo
131 Chris Mitchell
132 Doc Eisenhauer
Round 12
Pos Team Player
133 Doc Eisenhauer
134 Chris Mitchell
135 Michael Waterloo
136 B_Don
137 Nick Francis
138 Zac Morain
139 Frank Stampfl
140 Sean Millerick
141 Kayla Walz
142 Phil Ponebshek
143 Nick Fox
144 Scott White
Round 13
Pos Team Player
145 Scott White
146 Nick Fox
147 Phil Ponebshek
148 Kayla Walz
149 Sean Millerick
150 Frank Stampfl
151 Zac Morain
152 Nick Francis
153 B_Don
154 Michael Waterloo
155 Chris Mitchell
156 Doc Eisenhauer
Round 14
Pos Team Player
157 Doc Eisenhauer
158 Chris Mitchell
159 Michael Waterloo
160 B_Don
161 Nick Francis
162 Zac Morain
163 Frank Stampfl
164 Sean Millerick
165 Kayla Walz
166 Phil Ponebshek
167 Nick Fox
168 Scott White
Round 15
Pos Team Player
169 Scott White
170 Nick Fox
171 Phil Ponebshek
172 Kayla Walz
173 Sean Millerick
174 Frank Stampfl
175 Zac Morain
176 Nick Francis
177 B_Don
178 Michael Waterloo
179 Chris Mitchell
180 Doc Eisenhauer
Round 16
Pos Team Player
181 Doc Eisenhauer
182 Chris Mitchell
183 Michael Waterloo
184 B_Don
185 Nick Francis
186 Zac Morain
187 Frank Stampfl
188 Sean Millerick
189 Kayla Walz
190 Phil Ponebshek
191 Nick Fox
192 Scott White
Round 17
Pos Team Player
193 Scott White
194 Nick Fox
195 Phil Ponebshek
196 Kayla Walz
197 Sean Millerick
198 Frank Stampfl
199 Zac Morain
200 Nick Francis
201 B_Don
202 Michael Waterloo
203 Chris Mitchell
204 Doc Eisenhauer
Round 18
Pos Team Player
205 Doc Eisenhauer
206 Chris Mitchell
207 Michael Waterloo
208 B_Don
209 Nick Francis
210 Zac Morain
211 Frank Stampfl
212 Sean Millerick
213 Kayla Walz
214 Phil Ponebshek
215 Nick Fox
216 Scott White
Round 19
Pos Team Player
217 Scott White
218 Nick Fox
219 Phil Ponebshek
220 Kayla Walz
221 Sean Millerick
222 Frank Stampfl
223 Zac Morain
224 Nick Francis
225 B_Don
226 Michael Waterloo
227 Chris Mitchell
228 Doc Eisenhauer
Round 20
Pos Team Player
229 Doc Eisenhauer
230 Chris Mitchell
231 Michael Waterloo
232 B_Don
233 Nick Francis
234 Zac Morain
235 Frank Stampfl
236 Sean Millerick
237 Kayla Walz
238 Phil Ponebshek
239 Nick Fox
240 Scott White
Round 21
Pos Team Player
241 Scott White
242 Nick Fox
243 Phil Ponebshek
244 Kayla Walz
245 Sean Millerick
246 Frank Stampfl
247 Zac Morain
248 Nick Francis
249 B_Don
250 Michael Waterloo
251 Chris Mitchell
252 Doc Eisenhauer
Round 22
Pos Team Player
253 Doc Eisenhauer
254 Chris Mitchell
255 Michael Waterloo
256 B_Don
257 Nick Francis
258 Zac Morain
259 Frank Stampfl
260 Sean Millerick
261 Kayla Walz
262 Phil Ponebshek
263 Nick Fox
264 Scott White
Round 23
Pos Team Player
265 Scott White
266 Nick Fox
267 Phil Ponebshek
268 Kayla Walz
269 Sean Millerick
270 Frank Stampfl
271 Zac Morain
272 Nick Francis
273 B_Don
274 Michael Waterloo
275 Chris Mitchell
276 Doc Eisenhauer
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
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
22 263
23 266
Phil Ponebshek
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
Kayla Walz
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
Sean Millerick
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
Frank Stampfl
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
Zac Morain
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
Nick Francis
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
B_Don
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
Michael Waterloo
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
Chris Mitchell
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
Doc Eisenhauer
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