ADP is more than just a number to fantasy owners

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Aggregated average draft position (ADP) data, like what can be found at Fantasy Pros, is an invaluable draft-day resource for any fantasy baseball format. It's essential to use this information as a resource but not as a straight guide or alternative for your own rankings.

ADPs would be perfect if your draft were to follow them accordingly, however, this will never, ever be the case. Real drafts will always have fellow owners making reaches for young, up and coming players, while fading stars who are believed to be nearing an end or coming off injury. They're also prone to positional runs on players as owners worry about missing out on the top remaining talent at a thin position such as catcher or a sparse statistic such as saves or stolen bases

Here are some of the advantages of using ADP data and some of the pitfalls of standing by it too closely during a real draft. Always be sure to cross reference which ADP source you're using with your own research and opinions.

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Pro: Remove player/team bias

An advantage of aggregate data is the inclusion of many sources with many different personal preferences, and regional biases. No matter how experienced you may be as an owner, it is always difficult to resist the temptation to include a player from your hometown/favorite team or a player who has helped you find success in fantasy baseball in the past.

Using ADP data combines all these biases, effectively erasing any singular favorites. Large-market teams such as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox can tend to stand out even still, but it can help mitigate players you may be overvaluing. It's a lot easier to realize where others are wrong than it is to accept your own imperfections.

Con: Potentially outdated

Due to the nature of ADP data, it can take time for the averages to reflect role changes, injuries or even spring training production. While it's typically wise to ignore a lot of the noise surrounding spring numbers, a handful of jobs are won and lost each season.

When using ADP data as a primary resource, it's essential to remain focused on current events and track the news on your own. It can take weeks for an injured player or a closer with a tenuous hold on his job to fall down the ranks. Alternatively, players moving into a starting role as injury replacements or who surprisingly won a roster spot in spring training could remain buried in the ranks.

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Pro: Sources of value

After doing all of your statistical research and making your own rankings and tiers, compare those with the aggregate ADP data. This will show you the players you are higher or lower on than the general population and your competing owners. No matter how high you are on a player, there is no sense in grabbing him in the second or third round, when he isn't being selected until the fifth or sixth by the majority of your potential competition.

The same goes for the opposite. With articles being written about sleeper players earlier and earlier every passing season of fantasy baseball, there comes a point in the research/draft preparation process where these players are no longer viable sleepers. Owners need to adjust their ranks accordingly and promote players they were targeting in the 20th round in February up to the 12th round by late March, if need be.

With so much content being written it's difficult to keep secrets. You'll rarely be the only one in your league with a particular well-researched opinion of a player.

Con: Too much trust in unproven players

It's human nature to be attracted to the shinier, newer object, no matter how reliable the slightly older object has been. This is a common flaw in fantasy baseball, as owners reach every year for players with only small sample sizes of success with the expectation of them performing as infallible stars.

to T his theory is doubly flawed as it not only increases the likelihood of wasting a high pick on a bust, but it also makes owners pass up reliable production. As this trend plays out through more and more leagues these young players will soar up the ADP ranks. Instead of reaching for New York Yankees C Gary Sanchez with the expectation he'll be the next version of San Francisco Giants C Buster Posey, just opt for the safety provided by Posey.