On Sunday, January 31, 2010, RotoCommunity.com participated in a fantasy baseball mock draft (on Mock Draft Central) with the other industry experts listed below. Player position eligibility was provided by Mock Draft Central. We assumed standard 5x5 category roto scoring with 23 starters and no reserves (for the purposes of the mock). Here's how the draft went down round-by-round, with analysis following each round.

You can go here to read about my first mock draft of the season last week. That one was a 12-teamer, and this one is a 15-teamer. Obviously, the talent pool doesn't run as deep with three more teams in play, and a blown pick here can be extremely costly. My strategy in deep formats is pretty much in line with my tried-and-true draft philosophy:

1. Load up on offense early, grabbing four and five category performers where possible.
2. Bargain shop for starting pitchers, look for top-notch #2 and #3 rotation guys, with high-K hurlers given preference.
3. Watch for "boring" veterans to fall too far.
4. Keep positional scarcity in mind, and
5. Don't overpay for saves.

ROUND 1

Braun is a no-brainer pick here, especially in a format with five starting outfielders. Mauer at No. 11 was a bit of a surprise, but if he replicates last year's numbers, he'll be a top-10 fantasy pick next season. Miggy at 13 was a nice little bargain -- for a guy who posted .324-34-103 last season, he's not getting much respect in the early going.

ROUND 2

Shortstop runs a bit thin at the upper levels this season, so I wanted to grab a big-time talent early on. J-Roll is a virtual lock for 20-plus homers and 30-plus steals, but he'll need to bump his average back up to the .280 range to warrant a pick this early in the draft. I think he will. Votto at #13 and Werth at #24 seemed a bit early to me, but there's no denying that Joey-V is capable of some big things in 2010.

ROUND 3

It was a bit of a reach for Roberts here, but with such a dearth of elite talent in the middle infield, I wanted to act quickly... and B-Rob would not have made it back. Pedroia was also a possibility here, and I really don't have a preference between the two. Grandy at 3.13 struck me as too early. The guy can't hit lefties, people!

ROUND 4

Theft... larceny... an absolute crime getting Bay with the 57th overall pick. Not too shocking, though. I've found that "boring" veteran players tend to get overlooked in many industry drafts, with the fantasy pros opting for high-upside guys instead. That's fine with me, as I'll be there to give the old guys their due. I see Bay dropping off a bit this year, but he'll still post solid numbers for the Mets. Cruz is a very risky pick here, but he could pay big dividends. I prefer drafting proven players in the early going, and Bay fits that bill perfectly.

ROUND 5

Wainwright was one of the last true #1 starting pitchers on the board, so I decided to pull the trigger. I'm a big fan of grabbing a couple of second and third-tier starting pitchers in the middle rounds rather than overspending to land that big-time ace. Man-Ram seems to be falling way too far in drafts, and I can foresee him ending up on a few of my teams at this price.

ROUND 6

Another classic "veteran coming off a down year falls too far" scenario. Berkman managed .274-25-80 last season in just 136 games. He's far from through at age 34, and he's a steal 87 picks into this draft. I was sorry to see Cain go, as I was targeting him for the next round.

ROUND 7

A good draft gone bad... My battles with the MDC interface and server continue, as I lose a pick to the AI for the second straight draft. Duchscherer was in my queue as a late-round flier pick, and unfortunately the AI grabbed him when I lagged out. Josh Johnson was my "real" pick here, but I never got to make it. I think I've solved the issue with the draft app (too many "live updates" running at the same time), and I'm glad I got it worked out before the season started. Hey, that's what mocks are for, right? This isn't a knock on MDC -- I just overloaded my computer -- but I'll definitely trim things down while drafting from here on out.

ROUND 8

Two-catcher formats mandate that you focus on the position a little earlier than otherwise, and Suzuki is a rock-solid No. 1 backstop. I'll wait (and wait) on catchers in single-catcher leagues, but I can't afford that luxury here. I think Kershaw could develop into a real fantasy force this season, and Ibanez represents nice value this late.

ROUND 9

Third base dries up very quickly this year, and Chipper gives me at least a viable option at the hot corner. If you get him, though, make sure to back him up with another strong option -- Chipper's just too brittle for most managers' comfort levels. I considered a closer here, but saves are generally available on the waiver wire during the season, while good starting third basemen aren't.

ROUND 10

Billingsley is a fine strikeout pitcher who needs only to harness his plus stuff in order to achieve top-shelf fantasy status among starting pitchers. He's still only 25 years old, and that 3.38 ERA with 119 K in 125-plus innings he laid on the board in the first half last year shows that the tools for greatness are there. I like Adrian Beltre this year, but with Tim in the draft, I knew there was no way he'd fall to me.

ROUND 11

Davis hit .325 and stole 30 bases in the second half last season. By way of comparison, Jacoby Ellsbury went .306 with 30 steals during the same period. Davis should have a regular starting gig this year, and 60-70 steals is not out of the question. I love the Brett Anderson pick and was sorry to see all of my targeted closers leave the board this round. Oh well, let's wait a little longer at that position.

ROUND 12

I just couldn't resist the potential value Rios presents at this point in the draft. In last year's "down season", Rios still popped 17 homers and stole 24 bags -- and I'm thinking that there's no way the .281 career hitter bats .247 again in 2010. Ozzie Guillen wants Rios to run more, and Alex swiped 32 bases "way" back in 2008. Reimold is a great sleeper pick, while the Damon selection may or may not pan out, depending on where -- and if -- he signs.

ROUND 13

Pierzynski and Yadier Molina were the last two catchers I was comfortable with, so A.J. got the nod here. I like Mike Cameron and Edwin Jackson, but Stubbs' name might have been called a tad early. I like him, but his minor league track record suggests that last season's power surge may have been a fluke.

ROUND 14

More "veterans falling too far" fun here, as Oswalt joins my pitching staff for a bargain price. Oz has implemented a new workout regimen, which is apparently doing wonders for his problematic back. I'm a big believer in an Oswalt rebound this season, and at this late stage, I consider him a absolute steal. Price was a great pick here, as his command improved dramatically in the second half of '09. He's poised for a breakout season, and at only 24 years of age, he still has considerable upside. There's something just not right about seeing Vlad Guerrero still on the board in Round 14. Health is a concern, but drafting him is a chance worth taking this late in the draft.

ROUND 15

Woo-hoo, a closer! Lidge's 2009 disaster was so far out of character that I'm willing to bet he won't repeat it in 2010. He underwent shoulder and knee surgery in the offseason, and if he's fully healthy, he could regain some of the form that made him one of the game's best just two seasons ago. It's amazing to see Zambrano fall this far, but I get it -- the guy gives my ulcers headaches. Pods is a nifty pick -- I just love cheap speed, and the vet should swipe a bunch in K.C.'s small-ball attack.

ROUND 16

He's no longer a power threat, but Helton rebounded to post .325-15-86 last year. I'll take that from my corner infielder. I liked the Marlon Byrd pick, but I was less than thrilled with the J.D. Drew selection.

ROUND 17

I think Oakland GM Billy Beane is a pretty smart guy, and if he saw enough in Sheets' side session to offer Big Ben $10 million, then I'm willing to risk a 17th round draft pick. Big risk here, but enormous upside... and I'm down with that, here in the late going. Harden is another risk/reward pick, and I like Scutaro and Hardy as solid veteran value here.

ROUND 18

Maybin is still only 22 years old, and he posted .293-3-10 during his September call-up. The kid mashed out a .319 average at AAA last year, so maybe he's ready for the bigs. It would be nice to see him start running again, though. I like the Hudson pick, but I'm not a fan of a post-Dave Duncan, American League Joel Pineiro -- low strikeout rate and still an injury risk in my book. Matusz has some nice upside here, and maybe this is the year Homer Bailey finally puts it together.

ROUND 19

You know what you're getting with Casey Blake, and I see no reason why he won't come close to replicating the .280-18-79 he put on the board a season ago. Barmes was a fine pick here, and in hindsight, one I wish I had made. Oh well. Liriano carries a huge risk, but if he can continue his fine progress he started in Winter League, the rewards will be sweet indeed. I'm not buying the Elijah Dukes pick -- his power vanished last year, and he has more baggage than Southwest Airlines. No thanks.

ROUND 20

Matsui finished strong last season, batting .290-4-14 with six steals in September. It's all about staying healthy for Kaz, but when he's out there, he's a fine fantasy option. This is about right for Strasburg, and I'd have grabbed him myself if I'd had the chance.

ROUND 21

This draft was before the Kevin Gregg signing, so Downs looked to be heading for a competition with Jason Frasor for the Jays closer's job. The lefty did a decent job in the ninth for Toronto last year, and has always been one of the game's better set-up men.

ROUND 22

Lindstrom was awful last season, but his stuff should earn him the first shot at closing for the 'Stros. Posey is a great prospect, but the signing of Bengie Molina may mean another year in AAA. Bumgarner is an intriguing pick -- the kid's only 20 but may start the year in the Giants rotation.

ROUND 23

I love Hughes this year -- his mound demeanor and wicked stuff scream "starter", and the Yanks look like they are finally ready to oblige him with a spot in the rotation. If he gets off to a hot start, look out. Storen may eventually supplant Capps as the closer in Washington, while Rzepczynski could be a surprise for the rebuilding Jays.

All in all, it was a decent draft for me. If Johnson is subbed in for Duchscherer, I have a solid starting rotation, good team speed, and a decent amount of power potential. I'm hurting for saves right now, but as I've said before, that's a category that regularly shows up on the waiver wire, so I'm not worried.

ALSO

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