XFL Draft Results
The 15th annual Xperts Fantasy League (XFL) draft took place in Scottsdale, AZ on Friday November 4. The XFL is the fantasy baseball industry’s only keeper league, although it has been described as a keeper-dynasty hybrid.
The 15-team mixed league drafts 40-man rosters, with the 23 players auctioned in November and the remaining 17 snake-drafted in March. The format is standard 5×5, with on base average replacing batting average.
Major leaguers receive an annual $5 salary bump. Players originally drafted with farm eligibility receive an annual $3 salary bump. Players may be kept forever.
I posted my keeper list a few weeks ago. You can now review these final draft results. (Note that protected players are in yellow.) The 17-man reserve draft next March will be important, but until then, who do you think has the strongest roster thus far? Comment below.
It’s always hard to tell who has best team this early, I look more at the trends. Interesting #1 Winick kept so many ML players. Reload vs. rebuild? #2-3-4 on the other hand kept only 1 ML each, appear to be going for it and worry about the future later. At the other end #15 Dennis kept the maximum number of minors, classic rebuild it seems. Always fascinating to see what you “experts” do!
From a BABs perspective I found it interesting that Tyler Naquin, rated among the BAB-best in baseball (and whom I have at a great keeper price in my league), didn’t get touched at all in this deep of an auction. Was he really just a flash in the pan?
I was actually offered Naquin in a deal before the draft as he would have been very inexpensive to protect. It would have cost me one of my starting pitchers, which is an area where I had a glut anyway. I ended up dealing Kyle Hendricks for Hunter Renfroe and a draft pick instead.
I do like Naquin but I had limited OF spots open and opted for a more proven commodity (Granderson) and a player who I believe has more speed upside (Broxton). But I agree that it was surprising that nobody else took him. We still have the 17-round reserve draft in March and I’m certain he will go then.
I like your 1rst-3rd guys at those prices and Smyly at a buck is a real nice speculative buy
Thanks. Smyly was actually 7. I tried my best to navigate the large scale draft inflation in a league where so much good value was protected.