I've been playing fantasy baseball for much of my life, but nothing I've ever played can compare to the league I entered last week. On March 19, I became one of the 18 owners in RotoWire's brand-new Staff Keeper League 3 (or SKL3 for short). To start the league from scratch, we scheduled an auction to fill a standard 23-man roster with a reserve snake draft to fill out the remaining seven reserve and 10 minor league roster spots.

Going into the auction, I had a few goals. For one, I wanted an elite hitter, as well as a top-tier starting pitcher and closer to anchor my squad. Beyond that, I would try to gather solid pitching and fill up the other roster spots with fairly cost-effective options.

For the reserve draft, I focused on acquiring some top prospects right out of the gate while adding some starting pitching depth as well as bats with a somewhat clear path to at-bats.

The following table summarizes my team after all was said and done:

Overall, I was happy with the team I ended up with. I achieved my first goal of the auction by paying an arm and a leg for Manny Machado ($51), while also adding Chris Sale ($32) and Kenley Jansen ($23).

I'm pretty happy with the way my pitching staff rounded out. In my mind, getting Rick Porcello for $20 was a bargain. Of course, I don't expect another Cy Young-caliber season out of the 29-year-old, but his excellent control paired with run support from the dynamic Red Sox offense should help him produce another solid campaign.

J.A. Happ was another value buy I was excited about. Yes, he's 34 years old, but how many 20-game winners normally go for $3 in an auction draft? So far, my strikeout numbers aren't looking all that great, but I'm in line to dominate the WHIP category if everything falls my way.

One final pitcher that made me happy following the auction was Cam Bedrosian, who I also swept up for $3. Given Huston Street's recent health woes and Bedrosian's success in the role last season, I think this was a really cheap source of saves to pair nicely with Jansen. However, I am a bit disappointed that I'm lacking in the saves department beyond those two, as the only other relievers on my entire roster are Adam Ottavino (who will likely be usurped from the closer role by Greg Holland) and Sammy Solis (the oft-injured lefty who hasn't been considered for the closer role this season). If Bedrosian pans out, at least I'll have two solid options to make up for my lack of depth on that front.

I'm fairly mixed about how the auction shook out for my hitters. There were some bargains, as well as plenty of overpayments. Let's start with the value picks. For starters, I'm excited about getting Josh Bell for just $4. He's likely going to get consistent playing time all season, and his price is incredible if he winds up being a staple in the middle of Pittsburgh's lineup for the next few years. I'm definitely satisfied even if he experiences some sophomore struggles this season, as his future payout is incredibly intriguing to me.

I'm also happy that I managed to swipe up David Peralta for $3. His value plummeted from last season due to his injury woes and disappointing slash line, but I like him as a bounceback candidate. If his wrist is fully healthy following the surgery he underwent last August, he could be a major contributor for my team.

Some of my other decisions were ones I'd like to get back, however. Due to inflation and the high demand on the top catchers, I ended up paying $9 for Yadier Molina. While he is a serviceable option at catcher (and was significantly better than many of the remaining options), that price was a lot more than I was anticipating to spend on my first catcher. I think that decision to outbid the other owners on Molina cost me in other areas, most notably in the outfield.

Although I was happy to get Peralta at such a good price, my outfield as a whole ended up being mediocre at best. Kevin Pillar, Josh Reddick and Jacoby Ellsbury are all decent players worthy of a roster spot, but they really aren't "top options" at the position. Plus, I have to fill Austin Meadows' spot on the active roster until he's ready for big league time, which will likely have to be done through the FAAB process since Alex Dickerson (back) is going to miss a bit of time in April and Raimel Tapia is starting the season at Triple-A.

As for the reserve draft, I was generally happy with the results. My first two draft picks were Jesse Winker and Josh Hader, high-profile prospects who likely will find their way to the big leagues at some point this season. I got a few other top prospects, but I think I'm happiest about my last minor league selection: Dillon Tate. He was a former first-round draft pick of the Rangers, and although he experienced some struggles last season, he performed better after being traded to the Yankees and being placed in a bullpen role. Even if he's unable to make it as a starter, Tate possesses a live arm that could translate well into a closer's role in the future.

The reserve portion was ultimately hit-and-miss for me. I was very happy about getting top prospect Raimel Tapia and veteran Mark Reynolds, players I think will find extra success due to their future playing games at Coors Field. I was also alright with landing Alex Dickerson, as he could bolster my outfield once he returns from his back injury. However, the starting pitching pool thinned out very quickly, and although I landed Mike Clevinger with my final pick of the 17-round snake draft, I'm not thrilled that Hector Santiago is my most viable starting pitcher to fill in for Sonny Gray (back) until he's healthy.

Again, I like how things turned out. There are certainly things I could've changed, but we'll see how things play out this season. There's a good amount of potential for success this season, and I have some tools to be successful for years to come, as well.

Of course, my standing at the end of the season is partly dependent on the success of the other owners in SKL3, some of whom made some especially shrewd moves during the auction.

For one, Todd Zola paid $2 for Mitch Haniger, a popular breakout candidate. He's been mashing this spring and seems poised to be a regular in the Mariners' lineup this season, so this could prove to be a total steal for years to come.

Similarly, I was a fan of James Anderson nabbing Domingo Santana for $3. Largely for the same reasons as Haniger, Santana is a popular breakout candidate and will have a long leash throughout the course of the season given his pedigree and past success.

I also like D.J. Trainor taking Adrian Gonzalez for $10. First base is a very deep position, and Gonzalez is a consistent source of average and power (even if the latter is regressing a bit with age). This move allowed him to spend more in other areas, most notably filling his outfield with four players who cost $20 or more (Ryan Braun, Lorenzo Cain, David Dahl (ribs) and Carlos Gonzalez).

One other move I really liked was Steve Broihahn swiping up Michael Brantley for $5. He filled his outfield with other solid options (including Denard Span and Michael Saunders for $1 apiece), so it makes total sense to use a little money on a high-risk high-reward player like Brantley. If he gets healthy and is anywhere near the player he used to be, this could prove to be a real game-changer.

Finally, Clay Link selected a player who was on my radar for the later portion of the auction: Greg Bird. Clay also managed to take advantage of inflation at the top of the draft with this one, as his purchase of Bird for just $1 was one of a handful of great bargains toward the end of the auction. If I didn't end up going for Justin Bour, Bird was a player who seems to be an excellent value pick based on youth, upside and expectations for playing time heading into the season. Bird is also slated to hit third in the Yankees batting order right between Gary Sanchez and Matt Holliday, which should play nicely for Bird to amass good numbers in both the RBI and runs categories as long as he cuts down on the strikeouts.

All in all, I'm thrilled to be a part of this league. It's an honor to play against so many household names in the fantasy community, and I look forward to competing with all of them for years to come. May the best man win!