FantasyPros - Fantasy Baseball Podcast

Jennifer Piacenti from Fantasy Alarm goes head-to-head against Bobby in our latest mock draft episode! We get the party started with Bobby grabbing Mookie Betts (4:59) at sixth overall. Is the uncertainty surrounding where games will be played concerning for Chris Paddack (10:53), why should you be excited about Eduardo Escobar (22:18) this year, and how should drafters approach relief pitching heading into a shortened season (32:54)? Listen all the way through to hear who had the better draft!

With baseball's return edging ever closer, Dan Harris takes a look at the impact of the universal DH on some key National League hitters. Is Ryan Braun someone who can be a difference-maker in fantasy leagues, will Wil Myers turn out to be a draft-day steal, and what will the Reds so with their surplus of outfielders? All that and more in this week's Leading Off.

We are joined today by Jayson Stark of The Athletic to break down our favorite mid-round targets heading into the season. Julio Urias (14:49) has dominant stuff, but will he get enough innings to be fantasy relevant? Also, will Franmil Reyes (22:13) play everyday and is Sean Manaea (32:16) finally starting to live up to his potential? Players: Eduardo Escobar - 0:04:05 Danny Santana - 0:05:37 Mitch Garver - 0:06:47 James Paxton - 0:08:38 Jesus Luzardo - 0:10:03 Nick Anderson - 0:12:08 Zac Gallen - 0:13:35 Julio Urias - 0:14:50 Shohei Ohtani - 0:17:20 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - 0:19:22 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - 0:20:53 Franmil Reyes - 0:22:13 Carlos Martinez - 0:24:24 Max Kepler - 0:26:10 Wilson Ramos - 0:27:36 David Dahl - 0:29:09 J.D. Davis - 0:30:49 Sean Manaea - 0:32:16 Kenta Maeda - 0:34:19 Byron Buxton - 0:36:23 Mike Foltynewicz - 0:37:47 Lorenzo Cain - 0:39:12

Dan Harris is back looking at the impact of the season's delay on some late-round prospects. Is Dylan Carlson likely to have everyday at-bats with the probable introduction of a universal DH, can Nate Pearson crack the Blue Jays' rotation, and will Spencer Howard benefit from fewer major league games? All that and more in this week's episode of Leading Off.

Mike Podhorzer of RotoGraphs returns to the show as we analyze which players have the best chance to bounce back this season. Why is Justin Upton (6:39) worth the risk after his career-worst 2019 campaign, how come Manny Machado (17:09) is being taken around pick 60 despite his consistency, and is poor durability all that prevents Garrett Richards (31:39) from being a solid option? Players: Yasiel Puig - 0:00:48 Giancarlo Stanton - 0:04:05 Justin Upton - 0:06:20 Wil Myers - 0:10:01 Andrew Benintendi - 0:11:31 Khris Davis - 0:13:45 Manny Machado - 0:17:10 Adalberto Mondesi - 0:19:53 Joey Gallo - 0:21:51 Corey Kluber - 0:23:26 Chris Archer - 0:25:26 Rick Porcello - 0:27:03 Edwin Diaz - 0:28:27 Yusei Kikuchi - 0:29:44 Garrett Richards - 0:31:40 David Price - 0:33:48 Justin Smoak - 0:35:47 Masahiro Tanaka - 0:37:19 Domingo Santana - 0:38:50

With baseball looking more and more likely to return each day, it's time to get back into draft mode and talk about auction preparation. Dan Harris breaks down his auction primer, including tips on how to best create auction values, how to prepare your auction sheet, and how to execute an auction to maximize value. He also looks at the impact, if any, of the current delay in preparing for an auction.

As more optimism pours in over baseball's return this season, we are talking about some players we're avoiding. What is it about Anthony Rizzo that has Dan opting for other first basemen, why isn't he buying Marcus Semien at full price, and where would he feel comfortable picking Yuli Gurriel? All that and more this week on an early episode.

2019's most accurate fantasy baseball expert, Ariel Cohen of FanGraphs, has come back to join us for a mock draft. Bobby snags Juan Soto (2:19) with the seventh overall pick and Ariel snatches Jacob deGrom (3:27) at ninth overall. Is the eighth round too early to grab Roberto Osuna (16:11) and are fantasy owners overlooking Paul DeJong (28:30)? Listen all the way through to see whose squad comes out on top!

We're breaking down the impact of the delayed start on the closer landscape generally, as well as talking about the effect on specific relievers. Is Nick Anderson's role on the Rays worth more or less now, will Ken Giles find success, and which three relievers see the biggest drop in value? All that and more discussed in today's closer primer.

Today we break down which young players have the highest chance of becoming breakout studs in 2020 and we've got Michael Beller of The Athletic in the house to share his thoughts. Is this the year Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3:11) produces superstar-caliber numbers, will Eloy Jimenez (18:50) carry his strong second-half from 2019 into the current season, and was Elieser Hernandez (35:03) merely a victim of bad luck last year?

With word of a plan to start the baseball season in Arizona as early as may, Dan Harris offers his take on the logistics and the impact on fantasy. How should you approach hitters in daily and weekly lineup leagues, what happens to the value of top starting pitchers, and when can we expect to see prospects? Dan discusses all that and more in today's episode.

We examine our favorite over and undervalued players entering the season with Derek Carty from ESPN. A sneaky good park upgrade improves Eric Thames' (7:38) stock and Eugenio Suarez (16:52) figures to see a boost from the delayed start to the season. Is Jo Adell (31:03) worth drafting though, and why should fantasy owners be concerned about taking Madison Bumgarner (42:37)? Salvador Perez - 0:01:54 Will Smith - 0:05:07 Eric Thames - 0:07:38 Carlos Santana - 0:11:59 Starlin Castro - 0:13:28 Garrett Hampson - 0:15:26 Eugenio Suarez - 0:16:45 Tommy Edman - 0:19:02 Paul DeJong - 0:21:05 Marcus Semien - 0:22:51 Fernando Tatis Jr. - 0:23:08 Bo Bichette - 0:23:32 Dexter Fowler - 0:26:25 Tyler O'Neill - 0:26:25 Andrew Benintendi - 0:27:46 David Dahl - 0:29:19 Jo Adell - 0:31:04 Joey Gallo - 0:33:09 Ramon Laureano - 0:34:44 Lance McCullers Jr. - 0:36:21 Jack Flaherty - 0:38:22 AJ Puk - 0:39:15 Carlos Carrasco - 0:41:12 Madison Bumgarner - 0:42:37 James Paxton - 0:45:44 Marcus Stroman - 0:46:37 Eduardo Rodriguez - 0:48:30 Keone Kela - 0:49:57 Josh Hader - 0:50:48 Edwin Diaz - 0:51:14

With no baseball to recap, Dan Harris is breaking down his five most-owned players from this draft season. Why is he willing to give Rhys Hoskins a pass for his third straight year of decline, and what gives him optimism about Mike Foltynewicz's future? Dan also justifies his love for Hunter Harvey, Kyle Hendricks, and Christian Walker, and explains why all three represent draft values.

Steve Gardner from USA Today is on with us to chat about this year's top draft bargains and interpret whose value rises the most due to the regular season's postponement. Brandon Belt (9:07) figures to be a big beneficiary of Oracle Park's new dimensions, Maikel Franco (17:53) is primed to get a boost in Kansas City, and it may be unwise to count out Diego Castillo (32:11) as a sleeper closer. In addition, how much do players with innings limits or injury concerns benefit from the season's delay (42:18)?

We analyze our most risky players and our favorite late-round dart throws with friend of the show, Joe Pisapia, author of the best-selling Fantasy Black Book series. Is Trey Mancini (4:11) a solid bet late in drafts and does Khris Davis' (20:54) home-run potential outweigh his risk? Also, will Wander Franco (36:27) arrive in the majors this year and is Chris Archer (52:13) poised for a big bounce-back season?