| | | | Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | | With less than 24 hours left until the 2024 MLB season kicks off in earnest, one of the last free agent dominos finally fell Monday night, as the Giants agreed to a two-year deal with Blake Snell . It's a deal that keeps Snell in the AL West, where he just won his second Cy Young with the Padres, and keeps him in a very good park for pitching, which is all good news from a Fantasy perspective -- and the deal features an opt-out for Snell after 2024, good news for Snell after failing to find the lucrative long-term deal he was looking for in free agency. | | Snell will probably still need some time to get up to full speed for the start of the season, but we know he recently threw four simulated innings in a workout in front of scouts, so hopefully he only needs a turn or two through the rotation to get ready for games. I'd be surprised if we see Snell for the first turn through the Giants rotation, but I wouldn't expect him to miss too much time beyond that. He's a top-24 starting pitcher for me after Gerrit Cole and Eury Perez's injuries knocked them out of that range, and he's someone I'm willing to take around the 100th pick if he falls that far. | | We are, of course, still waiting for Jordan Montgomery, J.D. Martinez, and a few other big names to sign, and while we're waiting, attrition continues to wreak havoc on the player pool. Over the weekend, we lost Devin Williams, Eury Perez, TJ Friedl, and Josh Lowe, among others, for at least the start of the season, and Monday brought more ill tidings in the form of an oblique injury to Jhoan Duran that will see him start the season on the IL. There's no timetable for that injury as of now, but I'm just kind of assuming he'll miss about a month, enough to push him out of the top-100 in my rankings, and enough to make Griffin Jax someone I'm willing to take in the final rounds on Draft Day. | | There were a few other hopefully minor injuries around the majors Monday, with Byron Buxton (back), Kenley Jansen (back), Bryce Harper (back), DJ LeMahieu (foot) all viewed as day to day now. Hopefully we'll get more details if those injuries will require some time off, but it's also possible we see all of those guys in game action in the coming days; though, as we've surely learned by now, you can't necessarily bet on the best-case scenario when it comes to injuries during spring. | | We'll keep an eye on those injuries and more in the coming days, during the biggest draft week of the year. However, we're also here to help you get ready for your drafts, and with that in mind, it's time to revisit our position previews. I went through each position Monday to update them all, from catcher to relief pitcher to make sure you've got the resources you need to draft. Read through today's newsletter, click through to each preview, and you'll have what you need to tackle the 2024 player pool. Let's get to it. | | | | Catcher preview | | We're witnessing a changing of the guard at the catcher position, and it might be fundamentally changing the way Fantasy Baseball players have to approach the position in 2024 and beyond. | | For Scott White's thoughts on the C position, check out his position strategies column here. | | Top 12 Rankings | | Adley Rutschman, BAL -- $18William Contreras, MIL -- $16 J.T. Realmuto, PHI -- $16Will Smith, LAD -- $15 Yainer Diaz, HOU -- $13 Willson Contreras, STL -- $8Sean Murphy, ATL -- $8 Cal Raleigh, SEA -- $8Salvador Perez, KC -- $8 Francisco Alvarez, NYM -- $7 Mitch Garver DH | SEA -- $6Logan O'Hoppe, LAA -- $5 | | Sleeper: Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays | | Breakout: Francisco Alvarez, Mets | | Bust: Gabriel Moreno, Diamondbacks | | | | First base preview | | One of the questions you'll have to answer when preparing to draft your Fantasy Baseball team this season is whether you want to be one of the four or five players who invests an early-round pick on a first baseman. With Freddie Freeman likely to go off the board in the first round, Brycer Harper and Matt Olson likely second-round picks, and Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. likely to be off the board by the end of the third, close to half the league is going to spend one of their most valuable picks on the position. | | For Scott White's thoughts on the 1B position, check out his position strategies column here. | | Top 12 rankings | | Freddie Freeman, LAD -- $37Matt Olson, ATL -- $33Bryce Harper, PHI -- $32Pete Alonso, NYM -- $28Vladimir Guerrero, TOR -- $26Cody Bellinger, CHC -- $18 Paul Goldschmidt, STL -- $17Christian Walker, ARI -- $15 Triston Casas, BOS -- $15Yandy Diaz, TB -- $12 Spencer Torkelson, DET -- $12 Josh Naylor, CLE -- $12 | | Sleeper: Nolan Schanuel, Angels | | Breakout: Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals | | Bust: Cody Bellinger, Cubs | | | | Second base preview | | Second base has historically been one of the weaker positions in Fantasy Baseball, but in 2024, that looks like it might no longer be the case. We've got a first-rounder at the position in Mookie Betts, three more guys who often go inside the first three rounds, and 11 players with an ADP inside the first 10 rounds of a 12-team draft – that's the same number as both first and third base, historically much stronger positions for Fantasy, for the record. Once you start to dig into the position, though … things look a little dicier than you might think. | | For Scott White's thoughts on the 2B position, check out his position strategies column here. | | Top 12 rankings | | Mookie Betts, LAD -- $39Ozzie Albies, ATL -- $28Jose Altuve, HOU -- $27 Marcus Semien, TEX -- $27Nico Hoerner, CHC -- $20 Matt McLain SS | CIN -- $17 Gleyber Torres, NYY -- $15Ketel Marte, ARI -- $15 Ha-seong Kim, SD -- $15Bryson Stott, PHI -- $14 Andres Gimenez, CLE -- $13 Zack Gelof, OAK -- $11 | | Sleeper: Gavin Lux, Dodgers | | Breakout: Zack Gelof, Athletics | | Bust: Ha-Seong Kim, Padres | | Third base preview | | This time last season, third base was viewed as arguably one of the most shallow positions in Fantasy Baseball, but that isn't the case in 2024. Jose Ramirez is still a borderline first-round pick, Austin Riley and Rafael Devers remain two of the best hitters in the game, and young guys like Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson, and Royce Lewis have shot into the top 50 in ADP in NFBC leagues as of early February, changing the way we view the position. | | For Scott White's thoughts on the 3B position, check out his position strategies column here. | | Top 12 rankings | | Jose Ramirez, CLE -- $34Austin Riley, ATL -- $29Rafael Devers, BOS -- $29Gunnar Henderson, BAL -- $24Elly De La Cruz, CIN -- $24Royce Lewis, MIN -- $19 Manny Machado, SD -- $19Alex Bregman, HOU -- $16 Nolan Arenado, STL -- $16 Ha-seong Kim, SD -- $15Josh Jung, TEX -- $11Spencer Steer, CIN -- $12 | | Sleeper: Michael Busch, Cubs | | Breakout: Royce Lewis, Twins | | Bust: Manny Machado, Padres | | Shortstop preview | | Shortstop is, once again, the premiere position in Fantasy Baseball heading into 2024 drafts. 12 different shortstops are inside the top 85 in NFBC ADP, by far the most of any position besides outfield (which has more spots to fill) -- and that's not even including Mookie Betts, who will gain shortstop eligibility in the first week of the season. And, no matter what kind of player you want, you'll find it at shortstop. | | For Scott White's thoughts on the SS position, check out his position strategies column here. | | Top 12 rankings | | Bobby Witt, KC -- $41Trea Turner, PHI -- $35 Francisco Lindor, NYM -- $28Corey Seager, TEX -- $25Gunnar Henderson, BAL -- $24 Bo Bichette, TOR -- $23Elly De La Cruz, CIN -- $24C.J. Abrams, WAS -- $22Nico Hoerner, CHC -- $20 Oneil Cruz, PIT -- $16Matt McLain, CIN -- $17Ha-seong Kim, SD -- $15 | | Sleeper: Tim Anderson, Marlins | | Breakout: Oneil Cruz, Pirates | | Bust: Elly De La Cruz, Reds | | Outfield preview | | Outfield is the shallowest position in Fantasy Baseball right now. And it's been that way for a few years, if we're being honest. You might look at the NFBC ADP data and see 21 outfielders drafted in the first 100 picks and think that means I'm overreacting, but I think the ADP data actually backs me up. Because, while it is true that there are 21 outfielders in the top 100 in ADP compared to eight first basemen and second basemen, 10 third basemen, and 12 shortstops, you have to keep in mind that it's in a league format where every team starts at least five outfielders. There are middle infield, corner infield, and utility spots to draw from the ranks of those other positions, but even so, it's pretty clear that the outfielders aren't pulling their share of the weight right now. | | For Scott White's thoughts on the OF position, check out his position strategies column here. | | Top 24 rankings | | Ronald Acuna, ATL -- $53Julio Rodriguez, SEA -- $42 Corbin Carroll, ARI -- $39Mookie Betts, LAD -- $39Kyle Tucker, HOU -- $37 Fernando Tatis, SD -- $37Juan Soto, NYY -- $36 Aaron Judge, NYY -- $34 Yordan Alvarez, HOU -- $34Luis Robert, CHW -- $24 Michael Harris, ATL -- $24Randy Arozarena, TB -- $22 Adolis Garcia, TEX -- $22 Mike Trout, LAA -- $20Nolan Jones, COL -- $19Cody Bellinger, CHC -- $18 Jazz Chisholm, MIA -- $18Kyle Schwarber, PHI -- $18 Christian Yelich, MIL -- $17 Bryan Reynolds, PIT -- $16Seiya Suzuki, CHC -- $14 Jackson Chourio, MIL -- $13Wyatt Langford, TEX -- $13 George Springer, TOR -- $13 | | Sleeper: Tyler O'Neill, Red Sox | | Breakout: Riley Greene, Tigers | | Bust: Lane Thomas, Nationals | | Starting pitcher preview | | You should think about starting pitchers in Fantasy Baseball in much the same way you think about running backs in Fantasy Football. They are often the most valuable players in the game, but they are also some of the most difficult to predict. They suffer injuries at much higher rates than the general population of the sport, their success is highly team dependent, and there are always seemingly fewer of them than you need at any given time. | | The concept of the "RB Dead Zone" has become widely accepted in Fantasy Football , and we should apply similar principles here. Because, as with running backs, there are a handful of starters who have proven they can not only pitch like an ace but also provide ace workloads consistently, and those are the guys who are worth early-round picks every year. They tend to provide the best return on investment, and tend to make the biggest difference in terms of winning Fantasy leagues | | For Scott White's thoughts on the SP position, check out his position strategies column here. | | Top 24 rankings | | Spencer Strider, ATL -- $36Corbin Burnes, BAL -- $28 Zack Wheeler, PHI -- $26Luis Castillo, SEA -- $25 Pablo Lopez, MIN -- $24 Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD -- $23Tarik Skubal, DET -- $22 Kevin Gausman, TOR -- $22Zac Gallen, ARI -- $23 Tyler Glasnow, LAD -- $21 George Kirby, SEA -- $20Logan Webb, SF -- $21 Aaron Nola, PHI -- $18Freddy Peralta, MIL -- $18 Framber Valdez, HOU -- $20 Max Fried, ATL -- $18Cole Ragans, KC -- $17 Logan Gilbert, SEA -- $17Zach Eflin, TB -- $16 Jesus Luzardo, MIA -- $16 Justin Steele, CHC -- $15Grayson Rodriguez, BAL -- $15 Bobby Miller, LAD -- $15Blake Snell, SD -- $14 | | Sleeper: Luis Severino, Mets | | Breakout: Chris Sale, Braves | | Bust: George Kirby, Mariners | | Relief pitcher preview | | In some ways, ranking relief pitchers is the most straightforward task there is in Fantasy Baseball: Just rank all 32 prospective closers by job security, and your job is mostly done. The end-of-year rankings are going to mostly reflect which closers spent the longest time in that role for their respective teams, after all. | | Of course, that's also what makes ranking relief pitchers for a standard Fantasy Baseball league kind of impossible. It's hard enough trying to figure out who is going to be good in any given year or not, especially when dealing with a subset of pitchers that will mostly throw fewer than 70 innings. But, when you're ranking closers, you also have to take into account some inherently unknowable factors, like how much job security a guy has, how likely his team is to stick with them through struggles, and how likely they are to get traded. | | For Scott White's thoughts on the RP position, check out his position strategies column here. | | Top 12 rankings | | Edwin Diaz, NYM -- $19Josh Hader, HOU -- $19 Emmanuel Clase, CLE -- $18Camilo Doval, SF -- $17Cole Ragans, KC -- $17 Raisel Iglesias, ATL -- $17Jordan Romano, TOR -- $15 Paul Sewald, ARI -- $13 Andres Munoz, SEA -- $13David Bednar, PIT -- $13 Alexis Diaz, CIN -- $13Pete Fairbanks, TB -- $12 | | Sleeper: A.J. Puk, Marlins | | Breakout: Cole Ragans, Royals | | Bust: Alexis Diaz, Reds | | | | | | | | Concacaf Nations League | | 24/7 Sports News | The Semis begin on Thursday, March 21st for the Men's Concacaf Nations League with USMNT taking on Jamaica at 7 PM ET and Panama vs Mexico at 10:15 PM ET. Exclusively on Paramount+.
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