2013 Draft Prep: 10-team, H2H NL-only mock draft

League-specific drafts have their own flavor, and our recent 10-team NL-only Head-to-Head mock was no exception. In typical CBSSports.com mixed leagues, Joey Votto has been the fourth National League player off the board, but in our NL-only mock, Votto went in the second overall spot, just after Ryan Braun. First base is generally not a scarce position, but in the NL, there aren't many safe options once Votto is gone.

Scarcity impacted other positions as well. The four most-popular second basemen all play in the American League, but the NL is home to several second-tier types. Owners felt they could afford to wait on the position until Rickie Weeks was taken in the fifth round. Higher-end third basemen are more plentify in the NL, but with Chase Headley (thumb, out four to six weeks) and David Wright (intercostal strain) banged up, did owners get antsy to pursue someone for the hot corner? Wright was actually taken with the 18th pick overall, though 3B-eligible Hanley Ramirez went three spots earlier. (This draft was held just before it was reported that Ramirez's thumb injury could keep him out for up to eight weeks.) Apparently, Headley's injury was not too much of a deterrent, as he was drafted with the last pick in the third round.

It's difficult to predict in any league when owners are ready to start drafting closers, and in this mock, there was little urgency to strive for saves. As is usually the case, Craig Kimbrel was the first projected closer to get drafted, but he wasn't taken until Round 6. Aroldis Chapman went later in the same round, even though he has yet to be appointed as the Reds' closer. In most NL-only drafts, owners can probably expect both relief-eligible pitchers to get snagged earlier, especially if Chapman's closer status is cemented. This draft was completed before the announcement that Chapman was back to being the team's closer.

Here are the owners who set out the master the intracacies of the senior circuit.

1. Nando Di Fino, Senior Fantasy Writer
2. Peter Madden, Director, Fantasy Sports
3. Chris Towers, Fantasy Writer
4. Dave Richard, Senior Fantasy Writer
5. Jeff Tobin, Associate Managing Editor
6. Igor Mello, Fantasy Writer
7. Scott White, Senior Fantasy Writer
8. Al Melchior, Data Analyst
9. Adam Moore, Fantasy Writer
10. Ed Gauna, Fantasy Writer

And the Fantasy squads that they produced are listed below for your perusal, as well as the round-by-round breakdown of how the draft developed.