Houston Astros infielder Alex Bregman led my “Plant My Flag” article last season, but as a coveted selection in the early rounds coming off a breakout sophomore campaign, there would not be many chances to get him in a draft. Bregman went in Round 4 much of the time and that meant if you wanted him, and were truly sure he would break out statistically even further, you had to reach a bit. In the end, Bregman got even better; he finished No. 26 on the Player Rater.
In hindsight, it seems wiser this season to highlight more players to get later in drafts, and more inexpensively in auctions. Oh, I still heart plenty of players in the early rounds that I am willing to reach a bit for, like Bregman last season. They are on the list below as well. Ultimately, the true test of which players I like more than most tends to come from the drafts/auctions in which I have already competed, and how I react with seconds to decide. Whom do I keep getting? It is easy to proclaim you would reach for – or target – a certain player but until you must decide, you never know.