JOUR 355 Fantasy Sports Blog

  Fantasy Impact of Universal DH Drew Epstein 2/28/22 As of now we still have no CBA agreement with just hours before the deadline that would result in the season being pushed back. One of the things we already know from the discussions though, is that it looks like we will finally have a universal DH when baseball returns. This had been a hot topic of debate for years with strong opinions on both sides. Now that we have our answer, let's dive into the fantasy impact.  The Designated Hitter position has been a weak link in fantasy baseball for years. Not too long ago it was seemingly David Ortiz and then the rest. With the way analytics have grown and how teams are more likely to give a player the half day off to maximize rest, the position has grown a bit. Even with that, the position still has been a thorn in the side of fantasy owners. With the likely implementation of the DH in both leagues, the position is set to continue to expand rapidly.  From a production sandpoint,

  Drew Epstein’s Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Points league Rankings Shohei Ohtani- Angels SP/DH  Ohtani guaranteed himself this spot last year in his historic MVP season. The clear number one provides you a rock solid pitcher AND hitter to kick start your roster.  Juan Soto- Nationals OF Soto finished the season on fire last year putting himself in MVP consideration, finishing second. My clear #1 hitter this year.  Vladimir Guerrero Jr.- Blue Jays 1B Would've won MVP most years with his performance last season. I expect him to only improve as he and the rest of the Blue Jays stacked lineup continues to mature.   Gerrit Cole- Yankees SP People will make their arguments about “sticky stuff”, but the fact is some of Cole’s best work last year came after the crackdown. I blame his less than stellar second half on his hamstring injury as he was still one of the better pitchers in the league before he suffered from it in September.  Fernando Tatis Jr.- Padres SS This is a risky one top 5 but

Dealing With The Trickiest Position in Fantasy Baseball  Drew Epstein  2/15/22 Been stuck with a lack of production at catcher? You're not alone. One of the hardest positions to fill confidently these days is undoubtedly catcher. There are, of course, the exceptions. Guys like Salvador Perez, J.T. Realmuto, and Yasmani Grandal certainly are set it and forget its options. Beyond that? Good luck. There are a few other usable options but not many.  Maybe the trickiest part of filling the catcher spot is lack of plate appearances. On top of the lack of production, the opportunities can also be limited due to the difficulty of managing that position defensively. It is demanding to say the least and is not something that can successfully be done every day. That's where my advice comes in. If you are lucky enough to have one of the top few catchers, great, but you likely had to overpay for them. This brings up a lose/lose situation.  I recommend that if you aren't one of those wil