Joe Panik Hits First Home Run

San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik hit his first home run of the season off of Clayton Kershaw Thursday evening. Panik finished the night 2-for-4. Batting second in front of Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey and Evan Longoria, Panik should pick of his fare share of runs. He is worth a look in NL-only leagues.

Cesar Hernandez Drills Home Run In Opening Day Defeat

For the second season in a row, Philadelphia Phillies second baseman and leadoff man Cesar Hernandez hit the club’s first home run of the season. The 27-year-old led off the top of the sixth with a solo blast to right, sparking a four-run inning that gave his team a five-run lead. At the time the […]

Jonathan Villar Strikes Out Twice, Replaced Against Padres

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Jonathan Villar went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and was eventually replaced by Eric Sogard defensively in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres. This is not the start that the Brewers were looking for from Villar, as many were projecting Sogard to start at second. After a disappointing 2017 season where […]

Anthony Rizzo Hits Home Run Thursday

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit a home run in the top of the third inning on Thursday. Rizzo finished the game 1-for-4 with two runs scored. He remains one of the more consistent fantasy players for this season.

Ian Happ Starts 2018 With A Home Run

On the first pitch of the Major League season, Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ hit a home run off of Marlins starter Jose Urena. Happ was a monster this spring and so far he hasn’t slowed down. He finished the game 1-for-5 and did strike out three times, but the power is real and Happ […]

Ian Kinsler Expected to Play Friday

Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia confirmed that second baseman Ian Kinsler (groin) should only miss Opening Day and is planning to be in the lineup Friday. It was thought all along that this was a very minor injury for Kinsler, and that appears to be the case. In his absence, Zack Cozart is leading off […]

Ian Kinsler Not in Opening Day Lineup

Los Angeles Angels second baseman Ian Kinsler (groin) is not in the Opening Day starting lineup but is expected to play soon. He will not be placed on the disabled list. Zack Cozart will start at second base and bat leadoff in his absence. Luis Valbuena will play third base and Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani […]

Rougned Odor Wraps Up Rough Spring

Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor finished up a spring training worthy of his name. After a poor 2017 campaign despite 30 home runs, the 24-year-old managed just .200/.262/.400 over 60 at-bats. He also struck out in nearly a third of his plate appearances. Odor is a talented, power-over-hit masher who plays a passable second […]

Extension Talks Between Brian Dozier, Twins "Dead"

According to a report from ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, contract extension talks between the Minnesota Twins and second baseman Brian Dozier are "dead." Sources said that Dozier does not want to have contract talks with the team during the season and plans to become a free agent in November. Dozier has developed into one of the […]

Bill Dubiel's 10 Bold Predictions for 2018

These bold predictions usually go one of two ways--I'm either spot on or I look like a clown. Still rubbing off the white makeup from my face after last year. It's funny, because I'm pretty good when it comes to rankings, but these shots in the dark, not so much. But this year will be […]

Week 1 Waiver Wire: 25-50% Owned Pickups

First, winter was here and the night was truly dark and full of terrors. But now, now it's Opening Day and the ills of the world are all invited to screw off. I love you all, what a great day! In light of this, let's give that free agent pool one last look over before […]

Top 30 Impact Rookies for Fantasy Leagues (Preseason)

Hello everyone, and welcome to my weekly Top-30 Fantasy Rankings for Impact Rookies! In this series, I will be going over the top prospects in baseball and discussing which ones figure to have an impact for the rest of this fantasy baseball season. This might be one of the most star studded prospect lists to […]

Cesar Hernandez Holding On To Starting Job At Second

Despite Philadelphia Phillies second base prospect Scott Kingery’s hot spring, contract extension and promotion to the majors, Cesar Hernandez remains the starting second baseman of the Philadelphia Phillies. The 27-year-old has established himself as one of the most consistent hitters on the team, hitting .294 in each of the past two seasons. The Phillies have assembled […]

Starlin Castro Returns To National League Action On Thursday

Miami Marlins second baseman Starlin Castro makes his return to the National League on Thursday when the Fish open their season against the Chicago Cubs at Marlins Park. Castro, who spent six years with the Cubs before joining the Yankees from 2016-17, looks to build off the .300 average he accumulated last year. His .454 […]

Kolten Wong Had a Rough Spring

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong struggled in Grapefruit League play this spring, posting a slash line of .205/.327/.273 in 18 games. Wong said he wanted to steal more bases this season, and he did steal seven this spring. Still, even with a potential 20-steal season, Wong doesn't have the upside in other categories […]

Jason Kipnis Had an Excellent Spring

Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis had a very strong spring, slashing .346/.424/.769 in 19 Cactus League games. He also swatted six home runs and drove in 12 runs. Kipnis struggled for most of last season with inconsistency and injury issues, but he looks healthy this spring and might be ready to be back near […]

Tyler Wade To See Significant Playing Time

Although he lost out on starting for the New York Yankees on Opening Day, manager Aaron Boone has publicly assured Tyler Wade that his time is coming. During a press conference, the first-year manager said that Wade would play “a lot,” something the 23-year-old should be excited about. Considering Neil Walker’s ability to play first […]

Brandon Drury Getting Third Base Start

Arriving in New York via trade last month, third baseman Brandon Drury seemed poised for the starting gig at third base, despite Miguel Andujar’s electric start to spring training. While the Yankees tried their best to publicly keep pressure on Drury by announcing he wasn’t guaranteed a starting spot, Drury has earned the spot. On Thursday, […]

Neil Walker Starting At Second Thursday

While New York Yankees infielders Tyler Wade and Ronald Torreyes spent most of spring training fighting for the starting job at second base voided by Starlin Castro’s departure, it will be Neil Walker manning the position for Opening Day. The 32-year-old signed with the Yankees earlier this month, managing to get 18 at-bats with the club […]

Brian Dozier Wraps Up Slow Spring

Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier wrapped up a slow spring on Tuesday. Dozier finished the spring batting .222 with two homers, four runs, three RBI and one steal. The slow spring shouldn't be a cause for concern, as the veteran infielder has established himself as one of the premiere fantasy options at second base […]

Braves Option Rio Ruiz And Several Others To Minor Leagues

The Atlanta Braves sent infielder Rio Ruiz to Triple-A Gwinnett and they also sent outfielder Ezequiel Carrera, infielder Sean Kazmar and pitcher Anibal Sanchez to minor league camp. None of this really impacts people from a fantasy standpoint.

Anthony Rizzo Has Strong Spring

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is coming off of a very nice spring. Rizzo hit .354 with three home runs and 10 RBI over 48 at-bats. Rizzo has been one of the more consistent fantasy players over the past few years and he should continue to be a safe pick. It also doesn’t hurt […]

Ian Kinsler Questionable for Opening Day

Los Angeles Angels second baseman Ian Kinsler is dealing with a groin issue and is questionable for Opening Day. If Kinsler is unable to go, the Angels would likely slide Zack Cozart over to second base and play Luis Valbuena and/or Jefry Marte at third base. Kinsler is not expected to miss much time, but […]

Post-Hype Middle Infielders Set to Break Out in 2018

Scouting prospects who will be future big-league stars is an inexact science. Middle infielders can be hard to project because defense often outweighs offense at those positions. For every player who went on to become a superstar right away like Corey Seager or Francisco Lindor, there’s another one who never panned out like Dustin Ackley […]

Eduardo Nunez Starts The Season With No Knee Concerns

Boston Red Sox utility player Eduardo Nunez feels more confident in his knee than he has all spring, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI. Nunez finished the spring with a .259 average, one stolen base attempt and zero extra-base hits. In the field, he had very few opportunities to test his injured knee. He does […]

Later-Age Fantasy Breakouts for 2018

Common wisdom used to suggest that a hitter’s true prime was his age-27 season, but in recent times that seems to have shifted to a younger age as more and more players break into the league earlier. That said, we’ve still seen our fair share of late breakouts over the last number of years, with […]

Top Fantasy Baseball Prospects - NL Central

The next stop in our journey through the top prospects in the league is the National League Central. The NL Central is home to some of the top pitching and outfield prospects in the National League, if not all of baseball. The Reds have one of the top 10 farm systems in baseball — as […]

Eric Sogard Has Neck Stiffness

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Eric Sogard is dealing with neck stiffness, however, he is not expected to miss any time. In the spring training game on Wednesday versus the Astros, he actually ended up pinch hitting for Travis Shaw and went 1-for-2. Sogard is projected to be the opening day second baseman for the Brewers. However, […]

Jonathan Schoop Ready For Regular Season After Hot Spring

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop heads into this season as a hot commodity instead of a sneaky good pick. He showed why this Grapefruit League, bashing six homers. Now the homers are going to really count, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that he could have over 40 by the end […]

Robinson Cano Ready To Roll After Hitting .406 This Spring

Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano finished up his spring going 13-for-42 for a .406 batting average. For a veteran like Cano, getting through the preseason healthy is all that really matters. But Cano has been hitting the ball on the screws and looks to improve after a dismal second half to his 2017 season. […]