Marcus Semien (SS, OAK) - Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 10-12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 40% of leagues ANALYSIS: Semien is poised to split leadoff duties with Matt Joyce for Oakland, with the 27-year-old seeking a rebound to his 600-plus PA seasons in 2018 and challenging for a 100-20-75-15-.250 season. It’s very unlikely his average jumps much past that, but he did pop […]

Andrelton Simmons (SS, LAA) - Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues OWNED IN: 50% of leagues ANALYSIS: I have to assume that his homerless (and unlucky) September left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth, and that’s why he’s not being drafted like a guy who nearly went 15HR/20SB with a helpful average that is now part of a juiced lineup. Or maybe […]

Trea Turner Batting Sixth, Ryan Zimmerman Returns To Major League Action

Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner is batting sixth in the lineup for the team's first game against the Reds on Friday. Ryan Zimmerman, who was held out of Cactus League action for all but one game, is batting cleanup. In a move that would have seemed unthinkable during the Dusty Baker era, Anthony Rendon is […]

Trevor Story Strikes Out Three Times

Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story picked up right where he left off in 2017 by striking out three times on Opening Day. Last season, Story struck out a massive 34% of the time, and he was nearly unownable for the first two months of the season as he couldn't stay above the Mendoza Line. His […]

Marcus Semien Delivers Walk-Off

Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien delivered a walk-off victory against the Angels in the 11th inning. Semien capped off a successful day with the home run, finishing 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs. Semien dealt with a wrist injury in 2017 that affected what could have been a career year. Fully healthy, Semien could […]

Xander Bogaerts Has Strong Day At The Plate

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts had a productive day in the season debut. He went 3-for-4 with two runs against the Rays on Thursday. Bogaert has has been struggling to demonstrate both power and speed in a single year, but his average has been consistent. However, he only hit for a .273 average in […]

Eduardo Nunez Hits Inside-The-Park Home Run

Boston Red Sox utility player Eduardo Nunez hit an inside-the-park home run in the second inning against the Rays. Only recently did Nunez start getting more confident with the strength in his knees; knee injuries ended his 2017 season. The Rays outfielders get an assist for this home run because they misplayed the ball. However, […]

Freddy Galvis Provides Bulk of Offense in Padres Loss

Making his San Diego Padres debut after six seasons with Philadelphia, shortstop Freddy Galvis went 2-4 with a walk and an RBI in the Padres loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Galvis drove in the game-tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the game into extra innings. He could be […]

Tim Anderson Hits Two Home Runs

Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson was 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored. Anderson was dealing with a sore shoulder near the end of spring, but appears to be fully recovered. Aside from the all around effort, the most impressive stat was his ability to draw a walk. Anderson’s kryptonite […]

Amed Rosario Comes Up Big On Opening Day

New York Mets shortstop Amed Rosario, a former top prospect, has something to prove in 2018 after a somewhat lackluster MLB debut last summer. With one game in the books, Rosario showed why scouts thought so highly of him. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBI in the Amazins 9-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, coming […]

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 […]

Elvis Andrus Ready to Build on 2017

Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus wrapped up a mighty impressive spring with a .432/.463/.703 slash line, dispelling concerns about the long-term impact of back spasms he suffered in February. Andrus had a career year in 2017, pairing a strong batting average, low strikeout rate and stolen base production with a surprising 20 home runs. The […]

Alcides Escobar Promoted In Batting Order

Kansas City Royals journeyman shortstop Alcides Escobar was promoted to the eighth spot in the batting order for Opening Day after All-Star catcher Salvador Perez went down with a torn MCL. Escobar was replaced at the bottom of the lineup by backup catcher Drew Butera, but fantasy owners should not be fooled into thinking this […]

Didi Gregorius Dropped Two Spots In Order

After finding his groove as the cleanup hitter for the New York Yankees last season, shortstop Didi Gregorius has fallen down to sixth for Thursday’s Opening Day lineup against the Blue Jays. The 28-year-old is coming off career year that saw him smash 25 home runs and drive in 87 RBI while batting .287, and […]

Paul DeJong Set for a Strong Sophomore Season

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong had a somewhat disappointing spring, slashing just .234/.302/.574 with four home runs and nine RBI in 18 Grapefruit League games. DeJong broke out in his rookie season last year and became one of the top fantasy shortstops. He should continue his success this season in an even stronger Cardinals […]

Francisco Lindor Struggles a Bit Through Spring

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor struggled a bit in Cactus League play this season, slashing just .231/.282/.538. He showed good pop, hitting five home runs and driving in 12, but wasn't getting on base at the clip he's used to. Still, it's not a concern at all with Lindor, one of the best shortstops in […]

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 […]

Tim Anderson To Work Out Wednesday

Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson (shoulder) plans to work out on Wednesday. Anderson hurt his shoulder this past week and has been held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons. He should be good to go for Opening Day and offers owners a power and speed option at shortstop.

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.

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 […]

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, […]

Manny Machado Heads Into Regular Season On Fire

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado is laser-focused. He's not going to let playing a different position affect him as he gears up for his free-agent season. His spring training numbers (.357/3/17) show that. If he stays healthy all season, and there's no reason to think otherwise, he could put up some monster numbers. It's going […]

Taylor Motter Finishes Second On Mariners In Spring RBI

Seattle Mariners infielder Taylor Motter finished up his spring strong, hitting .297 and coming in second on the team with 14 runs batted in. Motter played in 25 spring games, the most on the team, and will need to be more consistent this season to be effective. He started off hot last season, racking up […]

Cleveland Signs Adam Rosales

The Cleveland Indians signed free-agent infielder Adam Rosales to a minor league contract. Rosales was with the Philadelphia Phillies for most of spring training, but was cut last week. He'll provide depth at Triple-A Columbus for now but should see work as a utility infielder in the major leagues at some point this season. He's […]

Champ or Chump - Trevor Story and Mookie Betts

"Sometimes, a little bit of knowledge is worse than having none at all." Most fantasy owners are now savvy enough to perform basic BABIP regressions, but blindly regressing everything to the league average or even a given player's career work is a great way to set yourself up for disappointment. For example, Trevor Story is […]

Tim Anderson And Nick Delmonico Remain Out

Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson (shoulder) and outfielder Nick Delmonico (thigh) remain out of Monday’s lineup. Both players are being rested as a precautionary measure and are expected to be ready for Opening Day. Anderson offers more upside with both power and speed, while Delmonico is worth a roster spot in AL-only leagues and […]

Ketel Marte Inks Five-Year Extension With D'Backs

Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte is officially part of the Diamondbacks future infield after signing a five-year, $24 million extension with the team on Monday. The contract includes two option years worth $22 million, bringing the total possible contract to seven years and $46 million. Marte has settled in as the team's starting second baseman as […]