1. Pick Up Steals Wherever You Can

This can be one of the more tricky categories to master in any league. I usually tend to lead leagues in steals by a mile or punt the category a month into the season. The best thing to do is not to draft a team full of speedsters, since by definition a speedster will tend to lack in all the other major categories (runs, RBIs, home runs, and average, which are all much more interconnected).

The key is to pick one or even two high steals guys, then try and give more focus to players who pick up 10-15 stolen bases on average. If you can field a team of sluggers who put up respectable low double-digit steals, you’ll be set for this elusive stat.

2. Even the Worst Teams Have Closers

It’s not usually necessary to spend too many high-round picks on closers. It may help you in strikeouts and ERA, but closers don’t pitch too many innings anyways so their benefit in those categories is minimal (though not to be completely ignored!).

If you don’t want to waste picks on the Mariano Riveras and Francisco Rodriguezs, research who has the inside track for closing jobs on bottom-feeder teams. These guys may post higher ERAs and lower strikeouts, but they can still rack up 30 saves a year. Just look at Brian Wilson on the Giants last year or Joakim Soria of the Royals before he broke out.

3. Focus on Pitching

This is a big point of debate with many fantasy baseball managers. Some will swear by hitting, others by pitching. Personally, I like consistency in my pitching corps. Hitters often crawl out of the woodwork as the season progresses, so there are always good pick-ups on the waiver wire. With pitching, it’s a much more complicated and costly game to play if you want to scout free agency for a new starter every week.

4. Re-evaluate Your Needs as You Draft

All too often, managers will not be paying attention to who they already picked in the midst of a 30-round draft. Cheat sheets and power rankings are helpful in getting a general feel for players, but take notice if you’ve already drafted three players projecting to hit .250 or if your pitchers’ ERAs are creeping steadily higher.

The cheat sheets can’t be personalized to your team, so take notice of not only what positions you need to fill, but what categories you are already falling behind in mid-draft.

5. Try to Get At Least One Big Bopper

It’s great to have a perfectly balanced team, but all too often that just doesn’t happen. You may have every position player hitting home runs in the double digits or even 20-something range, but it’s often those few big hitters that put teams in front of the all-important home run and RBI categories.

Nothing against guys who hit 30 dingers annually, but it feels good to have at least one guy on your team who can go for 40 or 50 to make up for a middle infielder who you need to keep on for average or steals.