Fantasy Baseball 2010!

So with the first Spring Training game less than a week away, it's time to start getting serious about Fantasy Baseball! I've already joined a league: the same group in which I finished just inches away from last place in 2009. But it's a new service (sure, I'll send a plug to ESPN's FREE Fantasy games) with a new layout and new statistical categories, so I'll have a chance to start somewhat fresh.

I've already performed in-depth analysis of last year's stats, including breaking all the top players down by position. I'm currently working on draft strategies that will help me make the most of my roster spots. For example, the pool of top-ranked players in such offensively-light positions such as catcher or shortstop is significantly shallower than positions such as first base. When you're drafting, do you use a higher pick to snag one of the top guys in a lower-depth position, banking on the fact that you can usually get decent production from a middle of the road first baseman? Or do you just write off catchers and middle infielders as a wash (except for the power players like Joe Mauer, Chase Utley, and Hanley Ramirez) and spend your top picks on the best of the best - first basemen like Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder who are just one of a very deep field of talent at their position, but who are guaranteed to put up stronger numbers than any other player?

And to top if all off, how should you distribute picks between hitters and pitchers?

Most of these calculations have to be done on draft day itself, because everything changes due to who's available and what position you're in. But we do the diligence to keep as little as possible up to ... CHANCE.