Owners don’t have to look hard to find draft information.  The fantasy sports media world has exploded, encompassing everything from websites to podcasts to old-fashioned magazines that still get snapped off shelves every March.

Considering the avalanche of information, it’s easy for fantasy owners to get a little overwhelmed.  Before heading into the draft, owners should step back and organize their thoughts by focusing on a few key strategy points.

Even if you played in a league for years, it’s a good idea to review your rules and scoring system.  Fantasy baseball scoring structures can vary greatly, making some players more valuable in different formats.  Perhaps the stat service changed or enhanced features your league can institute.   Were there any rules that hurt you in the past?  Any structure changes you would like to purpose? 

Some of the most crucial aspects of Spring Training are the position battles and depth chart movements.  It’s absolutely imperative for owners to remain current on the latest news regarding the favorite to start and receiving playing time.

Another important step is to review a player’s recovery from offseason injuries and surgery.  Chase Utley appears to be all-systems-go while Joe Mauer is still struggling and progressing slowly.  Clubs tend to be cautious this early, and have no problem holding back players due to lingering injuries.  John Lackey and Cole Hamels will receive a little extra rest at the beginning of April, so owners need to monitor their status closely. 

Average draft position trends are a useful resource to analyze before the draft.  It’s interesting to identify  some major differences in ADP among the major fantasy sites.  Usually, resident expert commentary and different default scoring systems are the cause, but owners need to be aware of any late-breaking information.  ADP trends are not a driving force for your draft picks, it’s more of a tool to give you perspective on how other owners are feeling.

Generic and expert league mock drafts can prove helpful in draft preparation.  They provide an easier way for owners to visualize the progression of the draft.  The best exercise is to mock your own league for the first couple of rounds.  Who would you draft if you had the 2^nd pick? … How about the 8^th ?… Who would be available on the way back down in round 2?

After narrowing information, create your own cheatsheet.  No one knows your league better than you, so your own personalized cheatsheet should be the major guideline on draft day.  Again, owners don’t have to necessarily drilldown the 287^th best pitcher, simply take a more measured approach.  If you are in a 10-team mixed league that requires 1 catcher each, you don’t have burden yourself with ranking the 24^th or 30^th catchers, ranking 15 is sufficient.