JOUR 355 Fantasy Sports Blog

  Kumar Rocker Ready for Another Draft Drew Epstein 7/5/22 ValleyCats Pitcher Kumar Rocker prepares for his final Frontier League start.  On Friday, right-handed pitcher Kumar Rocker made what would be his last Frontier League start with the Tri-City Valleycats in preparation for the 2022 MLB Draft. Rocker, as you may know, was selected by the New York Mets in the 2021 draft out of Vanderbilt with the 10th overall pick, but failed to sign with the team due to health concerns the Mets had without being given his medicals. This season, Rocker made five starts with the Valleycats, giving scouts a chance to watch him a year following his original draft selection.  Rocker helped prove his worth in the Frontier League in twenty innings, giving up only three earned runs on eleven hits, two of which were home runs. He struck out thirty-two while only walking four. Granted twenty innings is a tiny sample size, but these numbers are outstanding without question. Rocker's last start for the

Why Christian Watson is a Fantasy Football Sleeper in 2022  Drew Epstein 6/14/22 While nobody will be Davante Adams for the Packers in 2022, somebody will need to receive his targets. With the greatness of Aaron Rodgers, somebody is bound to receive the opportunity of a lifetime with the departure of Adams in Green Bay. My pick to benefit the most? Second-round rookie Christian Watson out of North Dakota State. The 23-year-old 34th overall pick arrives on scene with a chance to factor into the Packers’ offense right away with the potential to be an elite standout. Even with the two-headed monster of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon in the backfield , and losing arguably the best receiver in football, the Packers will throw the ball often as long as Rodgers is behind center. Many people are looking at Allen Lazard to step into the role of the top target, or perhaps the newly signed Sammy Watkins, but I've shifted my attention to Watson. The book on Watson is that he's got an ideal

  Why Christopher Morel Is a Fantasy Baseball Sleeper 6/3/22  Drew Epstein  You couldn't ask for much of a better start to any big league career than the one Christopher Morel has had. The Cubs 22-year-old utility man has introduced himself in a big way, and he is instantly becoming somebody fantasy owners should be familiar with before it's too late. All Morel has done is hit safely in thirteen out of his first fourteen games, including six stolen bases, which is especially huge in roto leagues for owners who may have a shortage in that category. He is slashing .262/.364/.446 through seventy-seven plate appearances. This solid line shows he's finding ways to get on base and he's holding his own in the slugging department as well, though that may not be as sustainable. There's a lot to like with all this, but I've yet to mention he could create elite position versatility having played nine games in center field, seven at second base, three at third, and one at s

  Rutschman Gets the Call Drew Epstein 5/22/22 Rutschman takes in the scene moments before his MLB debut on 5/22/22. Adley Rutschman’s day began in his AAA manager’s office. It ended with a big league triple in Baltimore. Early this morning, the Orioles promoted the top overall prospect, and 24-year-old switch hitting catcher. A video surfaced shortly after of Adley being notified of the decision, met by several joyous teammates to celebrate with him. The meeting with his manager began with an explanation of his playing time lately and ended with the good news. It was simply one of those moments that captures the beauty of this sport. Rutschman promptly got to Baltimore and began getting ready for his big league debut against the Tampa Bay Rays tonight. Another video shows him taking it all in before his first warm up pitches prior to his official debut. He soaked in this once in a lifetime opportunity, and every baseball player’s lifelong dream came true. If this wasn't a good eno

  Underperforming Fantasy Baseball Players and My Concern Levels For Them Drew Epstein 5/2/22 Zack Wheeler- Phillies SP: Wheeler was an ace last year. He was second in the NL Cy Young voting. This year? Not so much so far. He was great in his last start but before that, he was terrible in his first three starts. Wheeler’s stat line currently sits at 1-3, 5.79 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 18 Ks. There is plenty of room for optimism, however, despite the rough start for the Phillies right-hander. The first thing worth pointing out is his most recent start on Thursday in which he went six scoreless innings while striking out seven, though he did walk four. He only gave up one hit. That is reason to think maybe Wheeler will start to round into form. The metrics also suggest that Wheeler is limiting barrels and hard contact. The issue so far seems to be his command, along with the low strikeout rate he has so far. As with every pitcher, you have to wonder if his slow start was a result of the short

  Overperforming Fantasy Baseball Players and the Confidence I Have In Them  Drew Epstein 5/2/22 Ty France- Mariners 1B: Ty France is a good player and he was expected to be a valuable fantasy baseball piece. With that said, find me someone who saw this type of production coming. France has been a hit and RBI machine for the Mariners through the first month of the season. The current stat line on France is .333/5 HR/21 RBI, with an OPS of .950. Looking at his advanced metrics, this seems to be legit. He is hitting the ball hard and his expected batting average and on base percentage are elite, he's not just getting flukey hits. Another thing to love about France is he doesn't strike out much. He's showing all the signs of a great player to have on your fantasy team.  Confidence Level: High Kyle Wright- Braves SP: I discussed Kyle Wright after a couple of starts and he’s continued to roll. He's gone at least 6 innings in 3 of his 4 starts, a rarity with the short spring,