X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Reviewing Harris Yudin's 10 Bold Predictions for 2017

So, it makes sense that the worst fantasy season of my life coincides with my worst bold predictions. I failed to finish in the top five in any league for the first time, which I guess makes sense considering how heavily I bought into Joc Pederson and Yu Darvish— as you’ll soon find out.

I actually built some offensive juggernauts this year (Votto, Machado, Springer, Betts, Braun, Bellinger, Longoria, Andrus in a 12-teamer), but my pitching fell apart across the board. Injuries of all sorts — elbows, shoulders, obliques, pectoral muscles — plagued my rotations, leaving me to fend through the wasteland that is the waiver wire to find innings eaters throughout my leagues.

I spent months talking up Luis Severino in the chatrooms as a post-hype sleeper, but did I mention him in my article OR draft him in any of my leagues? Of course not! My proudest accomplishment this year was owning Cody Bellinger in all four leagues, actually drafting him in the three of them. Why didn’t I include him in this article?? Ugh, let’s see how I did.

Be sure to check all of our preseason fantasy baseball rankings for Roto, Points, H2H, dynasty, best ball, prospects and more:

 

Reviewing Harris Yudin's 10 Bold Predictions for 2017

1. Jarrod Dyson leads MLB in stolen bases

This prediction was based on the idea that Dyson would finally take on an everyday role, and that was essentially the case for most of the season. He finished with a career-high 390 plate appearances despite missing most of the final six weeks with a groin injury. Mitch Haniger’s breakout forced Dyson out of the top of the lineup for a good chunk of the year, but the 33-year-old speedster still managed 28 steals and a .324 on-base percentage— 40 SB when prorated to a full, 162-game season. Dyson didn’t stay healthy or hit .280, but it wasn’t a lost season for the center fielder.

Grade: C+

2. Yu Darvish finishes as SP1 in the American League

Another year, another whiff in (bold) predicting the league’s top starting pitchers. Surprisingly, health wasn’t what kept Darvish away from the top of the leaderboards, as he reached the 30-start mark for the first time since 2013. However, he did post career-worst marks in FIP, K/9, HR/FB and Hard%. His numbers improved upon joining the Dodgers in the second half, but Darvish came nowhere close to 20 wins or a sub-3.00 ERA.

Grade: D

3. Joc Pederson hits 30 homers, finishes as a top-20 outfielder

This one’s so brutal— it was certainly a season to forget for Pederson. His swinging strike rate (9.5 percent) and strikeout rate (21.1 percent) both actually improved significantly, but he made less hard contact and pounded the ball into the ground more frequently. Pederson’s OPS dropped over 100 points from 2016, and the 25-year-old was actually demoted to Triple-A for a good chunk of the season. An underwhelming 15.5 percent home run per fly ball rate limited him to 11 long balls, which is, uhhhh, not 30.

Grade: F

4. Carlos Correa OR Corey Seager finishes as the No. 2 overall player

Much like Correa did in his sophomore season, Seager took something of a step back in 2017, striking out more frequently, hitting fewer homers and lowering his OPS by 23 points. His batted ball profile more or less remained the same from 2016, so there’s really no reason for concern. He simply didn’t have as much success as we all expected.

Correa, on the other hand, was enjoying a massive breakout season before missing about six weeks with a thumb injury. He set career highs in homers (24) and runs (82) despite seeing just 481 plate appearances, slashing .315/.391/.550 in the process. The now-23-year-old essentially stopped running this year, but a full season could have easily yielded 30 homers, 100 runs and 100 RBI. I’m still confident both players will compete for a spot in the top 10 next season.

Grade: C+

5. Andrew McCutchen hits over .300

Okay, so McCutchen certainly bounced back from his mysteriously poor 2016 campaign. This year, he smacked 28 homers — his seventh straight season with at least 20 — while managing a .279/.363/.486 slash line. While he didn’t hit .300 or quite revert back to his former self, the newly-turned 31-year-old showed he’s not finished. Cutch fell off a bit in the second half after a strong start, but he remained a reliable fantasy option throughout the year.

Grade: B-

6. Carlos Rodon strikes out more batters than Chris Sale

Rodon didn’t make his season debut until late June, so the chances of this happening were nonexistent even before taking either of their success into account. Let’s pretend for a second, though, that he was healthy for the entire season. The 24-year-old tossed 69.1 innings across 12 starts, racking up 76 strikeouts in the process. If Rodon took the mound as often as Chris Sale did (32 starts) at his current pace, he would’ve finished with roughly 203 punchouts over 184.2 frames. Chris Sale, on the other hand, spun 214.1 innings, totaling 308 strikeouts and a 2.90 ERA. He shattered his career high K/9 (12.93, previously 11.82) en route to becoming the first 300-strikeout pitcher in the American League since 1999, when Pedro Martinez racked up 313. Rodon fell more than 10 percentage points behind Sale in strikeout rate, and failed to play half a season.

Grade: F—

7. Mike Moustakas finishes as a top-10 third baseman

This one’s a bit tricky, because Moustakas sits 14th among all players eligible at third base, but four of those guys played most of the season away from the hot corner. After beginning the 2016 season on a 42-HR pace before going down with a knee injury, Moose belted 38 dingers with 75 runs and 85 RBI across just about a full season, slashing .272/.314/.521 in the process. The lack of walks certainly hurts his value a bit, but he was one of the more productive power hitters in baseball all season long. I predicted a stat line of 30 homers, 80 runs, 90 RBI and a .280 average, so this worked out pretty well.

Grade: A-

8. Tommy Joseph finishes as a top-10 first baseman

Oh, I totally meant Rhys Hoskins here, I swear! (Not that Hoskins finished as a top-10 first baseman, but he had quite a bit more success than Joseph). Joseph slashed. 240/.289/.432 with 22 long balls, taking a step back pretty much across the board. His OPS dropped 92 points while his strikeout rate shot up, and he hit fewer homers per fly ball in a season that saw his ground ball rate skyrocket. The 26-year-old former backstop spurned many owners who considered him a strong sleeper pick, and his mixed-league value for 2018 will likely be nonexistent.

Grade: F

9. Jurickson Profar manages 15/15 season

Profar was given somewhat of another chance in April, but responded with a .424 OPS across 15 games played. The former top prospect came back up for a couple of brief stints in June and July, but again failed to lock down a role. He finished the season with zero home runs and one stolen base, so I’d say it’s safe to give this prediction a failing grade. Profar will turn 25 before the 2018 season, and may have squandered his final opportunity to make something of his big league career.

Grade: F

10. Dylan Bundy finishes as top-40 starter

Check this out. I originally read this one and laughed to myself. But then, I checked… Yahoo! has Bundy ranked as the 46th SP-eligible player, but exactly six of those guys spent most of the season in the bullpen. Which means… Dylan Bundy finished 40th!!!!

NFBC had his ADP at SP71, so cracking the top 40 is pretty solid. The 24-year-old logged a career-high 169.2 innings, managing an underwhelming-but-respectable 4.24 ERA with 152 strikeouts. His swinging strike rate jumped up to 11.4 percent, and his home run per fly ball rate dropped down to 11.5 percent. Bundy didn’t break out, but he was just reliable enough to make me feel smart.

Grade: A-




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Wander Franco14 mins ago

Placed On Administrative Leave
Aaron Ekblad32 mins ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov40 mins ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto46 mins ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin59 mins ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard1 hour ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins1 hour ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist1 hour ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear1 hour ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Keita Bates-Diop2 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season
Dyson Daniels2 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday But Nearing Return
LaMelo Ball2 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of 2023-24
Jose Alvarado2 hours ago

Questionable To Face Milwaukee
Jaden Springer2 hours ago

Considered Questionable
Xavier Tillman2 hours ago

Sr. Questionable Thursday
Gabe Vincent2 hours ago

Expected To Return To Action On Sunday
Al Horford13 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Derrick White13 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
TJ Friedl15 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Aaron Gordon15 hours ago

Cleared To Face Phoenix
Michael Porter15 hours ago

Jr. Good To Go Wednesday
Nikola Jokic15 hours ago

Playing Against Phoenix
Jackson Chourio15 hours ago

Will Start In Right Field Friday
Jrue Holiday15 hours ago

Might Return On Thursday
Khris Middleton15 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday Night
Joel Embiid15 hours ago

To Return Soon?
Jamal Murray16 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Rudy Gobert16 hours ago

Ready To Rock Against Pistons
LeBron James16 hours ago

Officially Active Against Memphis
Eduardo Rodriguez16 hours ago

Starts Throwing Program
Anthony Davis16 hours ago

Won't Play Against Grizzlies
Victor Wembanyama16 hours ago

Playing On Wednesday
Anthony Edwards16 hours ago

Will Play Against Detroit
Garrett Mitchell16 hours ago

Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Chad Green17 hours ago

To Lead Closer Committee In Toronto?
Erik Swanson17 hours ago

Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson Officially Heading To Injured List
Kevin Gausman17 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Sunday Or Monday
Gleyber Torres18 hours ago

Will Bat Leadoff On Opening Day
Mark Hubbard18 hours ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson18 hours ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Max Scherzer19 hours ago

Making Solid Progress
Akshay Bhatia19 hours ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen19 hours ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers19 hours ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers19 hours ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers20 hours ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Jordan Lawlar20 hours ago

To Have Thumb Surgery, Out A Couple Months
Wyndham Clark21 hours ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers21 hours ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
MLB21 hours ago

Braves And Phillies Rained Out On Thursday
Jayden Daniels21 hours ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
MLB21 hours ago

Mets And Brewers To Be Postponed Thursday
Tank Bigsby21 hours ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Will Smith21 hours ago

Inks 10-Year Extension With Dodgers
Josh Reynolds22 hours ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Jon Berti23 hours ago

Yankees Acquire Jon Berti From Marlins
Kodai Senga23 hours ago

Throws Wednesday
Matt McLain23 hours ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Doug Ghim23 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA23 hours ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry23 hours ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox23 hours ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak23 hours ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler1 day ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Colton Cowser1 day ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Sam Ryder1 day ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Yariel Rodriguez1 day ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Jordan Montgomery2 days ago

Diamondbacks Agree On One-Year Deal
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
Jon Gray2 days ago

Dealing With Stiff Neck
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley3 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr3 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR3 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen3 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
Rose Namajunas6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Amanda Ribas6 days ago

Set For Main-Event Matchup
Edmen Shahbazyan6 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Dobson6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla6 days ago

Seeking Victory In Third UFC Appearance
Luis Pajuelo6 days ago

Makes His UFC Debut
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More


Xavier Worthy 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Texas WR Be Selected?

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been one of the top pass-catchers in college football over the past few years. The explosive receiver was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 62 receptions for 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slipped in 2022. Worthy had 60 receptions for 760 receiving yards and nine touchdowns... Read More


Blake Corum - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, RB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Blake Corum 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update - When Will the Michigan RB Be Selected?

Former Michigan running back Blake Corum is one of the most popular prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 23-year-old is fresh off a College Football National Championship victory and a 2023 campaign consisting of over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. However, given the devaluation of the running back position and Corum not being an... Read More


Brandon Aiyuk - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

Will The 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk?

Brandon Aiyuk had a career year last season, finishing seventh in the league in receiving yards (1342), second in yards per catch (17.9), and catching seven touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the Second-team All-Pro. However, despite many expecting them to do so, the 49ers failed to win Super Bowl LVIII and now... Read More