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Fantasy Fallout: Derek Carr retires, Tyler Shough era begins in New Orleans

NBC Sports

11-05-2025

Sport
NBC Sports

Fantasy Fallout: Derek Carr retires, Tyler Shough era begins in New Orleans

In a stunning turn of events, Derek Carr announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday. Carr was still recovering from a shoulder injury and seemed to be at odds with the Saints' front office. A clean break was for the best and the Saints now get to move on to the Tyler Shough era. Let's look at the fantasy implication of Carr's sudden retirement for the entire offense. Saints Quarterback Room The Saints spent the No. 40 overall pick on Shough, giving him the best chance of starting Week 1. The other contenders on the roster are Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler. The pair of former Day Three picks ranked nearly dead last in the league in both EPA per dropback and completion percent over expected. If Shough enters the NFL and is the worst quarterback in the league, he will still be in the same ballpark as his competition in New Orleans. That makes him a fairly good bet to start all 17 games. Before Carr retired, Saints reporter Nick Underhill said, 'I have Shough at 80 percent or higher odds to start 80 percent of the games this year.' Rattler or possibly even Haener could get some playing time late in the year if Shough is a disaster, but the job is his to lose. Tyler Shough Rookie Profile Shough was a seven-year college quarterback, getting his start at Oregon as Justin Herbert's backup. He eventually transferred to Texas Tech but couldn't stay healthy, resulting in three partial seasons. He closed out his NCAA time with a breakout season at Louisville where he threw for 3,195 yards, 23 scores, and six picks. At 6'5/219, Shough has the build of a gunslinger but operates more like a point guard. His pressure to sack rate (9.3 percent) and turnover worthy play rate (1.8) were both top-15 in the country last year. Because he took care of the ball so well, 92 percent of Shough's dropbacks turned into pass attempts, the 15th-highest rate in college football. Shough's deep attempt rate of 15 percent was in line with that of Cam Ward, but he was not nearly as potent as the No. 1 overall pick on these throws. Pro Football Focus graded Shough as their No. 31 passer on deep shots. His completion rate of 36.7 percent ranked 73rd out of 150 qualified passers. Shough graded as a top-10 passer on intermediate throws but attempted that at nearly the lowest rate in the country. He made his money on short throws, putting up 1,322 yards and 10 touchdowns on these attempts, both of which ranked top 10 in the nation. The former Cardinal ran a stellar 4.61 Forty at the combine but rarely showed off that speed in college. He ran for just 132 yards and one score last year. Shough is ultimately a distributor with a low floor and ceiling, but he's also free in all formats. He makes for a great flyer in dynasty leagues and is a viable QB3 in Best Ball. Saints Fantasy Outlook While a seventh-year, second-round quarterback doesn't sound like a fun time for his skill position teammates, Shough's profile is that of a passer who can at least get the ball in his receivers' hands at a high clip. That will start with Chris Olave. The former first-round pick saw 44.4 percent of his targets on short throws last year. He led the Saints in targets, catches, and yards on short attempts despite playing in just eight games. Olave has finished top 15 in ESPN's Open Score in every year of his career. He ranks 46th in NFL history in receiving yards through 39 games (his current total). That sandwiches him between Amari Cooper and Tee Higgins. All of our fancy stats and historical comparisons say Olave is a good wide receiver with the potential to be great, although that dream is fading by the year. Olave is a safe bet for a high target share and still has the potential to be the star we thought he was when New Orleans drafted him with the No. 11 overall pick. Coming off the board as a mid-range WR3 in early fantasy drafts, Olave remains a target. Rashid Shaheed, on the other hand, is not in as good of a spot. Of his 40 targets in 2024, 37.5 percent came on deep shots, giving him the fourth-highest deep target rate in the league. He is coming off a season-ending meniscus injury and the Saints' presumptive starter ranked 10th in deep passing grade out of the 12 quarterbacks who were drafted. Shaheed is still the clear favorite to be the Saints' WR2, but his ability to flip fantasy matchups in one play will be muted with Shough under center. Last but not least, the relentless targeting of Alvin Kamara has no end in sight. Kamara ranked second in the NFL in yards per route run (1.8) last year and led all running backs in targets (89). He ran the third-most slot routes among running backs and paced the league in targets beyond the line of scrimmage for a halfback. The rookie will have no issues peppering Kamara with targets and, in turn, PPR points this year.

Yahoo

06-05-2025

Sport
Yahoo

Fantasy Football is here for the 2025 NFL season: Sign up to play!

Fantasy Football is here for the 2025 NFL season: Sign up to play! It's been another memorable NFL offseason, and the draft is fast approaching — which can only mean one thing: fantasy football season is upon us. We're excited to announce that Yahoo Fantasy Football is officially open for the 2025 season! That's right, the wait is over. It's time to create or join a league and get ready for the championship-caliber squads you're going to draft — not to mention the competition, bragging rights and all the fun playing fantasy football provides! [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Everything you love is back for the 2025 version of our game. But even if you're new to fantasy football and/or need a refresher on how to play, we have you covered. Live now Coming soon Live drafts Survival Football Best Ball April 24-26: 2025 NFL Draft September 4: First regular-season game Amped to build some teams now? You can practice with a mock draft to get ready for the real thing. You can also start prepping with our 2025 fantasy football rankings. And that's just the beginning of our draft content. We will be delivering all kinds of advice leading up to the season from some of the best analysts in the business, including Matt Harmon, Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don and Scott Pianowski. Once the action kicks off, we'll keep you up to speed all season long with waiver wire targets, trade tips, start-sit advice, emerging trends and much more so you can stay ahead of the competition on your journey toward that coveted fantasy football trophy! So stay locked in with Yahoo Fantasy for everything you'll need to make this a season to remember. And be sure to sign up for our fantasy football newsletter, Get to the Points! for tips all season long. You can also follow us on X and Instagram. Now go join or create a league and let the fun begin. Happy Fantasy Football season!

Fantasy football 2025 NFL Draft player grades: Every pick from Cam Ward to Brashard Smith and more

New York Times

27-04-2025

Sport
New York Times

Fantasy football 2025 NFL Draft player grades: Every pick from Cam Ward to Brashard Smith and more

The 2025 NFL Draft might be done, but the excitement is still bubbling over. It's time for NFL draft grades for fantasy football. If you haven't seen this piece from past years, each player gets two grades. The first draft grade is redraft-only value (2025). The second is the player's dynasty grade/potential. Advertisement The draft grades are weighted in tiers of sorts. A's are your stars — players who can or will become a No. 1 at their position (RB1, TE1, etc.). For B's, we're talking about second and some third-tier starters in all leagues. When we get to C's, those are fringe starters, maybe some boom/bust plays, etc. D's are waiver wire players with maybe some Best Ball or the rare bye week/matchup play potential. Any player graded lower is a non-factor in fantasy. For those wanting to go deeper, you can find my fantasy football winners, losers and analysis of the fantasy-relevant picks here. OVERVIEW: Neither the Cardinals nor the Falcons added any fantasy relevant players. OVERVIEW: N/A OVERVIEW: Status quo for the Ravens offense, as Wester is a depth weapon. OVERVIEW: Nothing of major note, as Hawes and Prather are depth additions and unlikely fantasy contributors. OVERVIEW: The big name is McMillan, who can be an immediate WR2 and future WR1. Don't overlook Etienne factoring into the RB touches. Evans' peak is Dalton Schultz and Horn is a depth add. OVERVIEW: Loveland has TE1 upside and could make noise late in 2025. Burden gives Caleb Williams a great trio of wideouts and puts Rome Odunze on notice. Monangai could grab the No. 2 RB role and work into RB3 value as a timeshare — a lesser David Montgomery for Ben Johnson in Chicago, if you will. OVERVIEW: I compared Brooks to Chase Brown in my predraft write-up, which keeps Brown safe and gives Brooks intrigue if something happened to Brown. OVERVIEW: Judkins is an immediate RB2 with the potential for more, but Sampson could work in as a complementary piece for RB4 value and cap Judkins as an RB2. Fannin has TE1 potential and is a name to watch next year when David Njoku is a free agent. Sanders still has Geno Smith potential, and this slide could be motivation to push for Jared Goff-like value. OVERVIEW: Blue is as explosive as they come and is interesting given the current backfield of Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. Mafah is a timeshare piece at best. OVERVIEW: Harvey is Sean Payton's new Alvin Kamara, though a slightly lesser version, making him an interesting pick for RB2 value with an RB3 floor. Bryant is another big receiver for Bo Nix but likely no more than a fantasy WR4. I wanted to put the confused monkey thing as a GIF for Lohner. OVERVIEW: TeSlaa could be quite interesting as a WR3 if Jameson Williams is out of Detroit next year. Lovett is just depth at receiver. OVERVIEW: Golden has game-breaking speed and can be what the Packers wanted Christian Watson to be, but he's no guarantee. Williams is Curtis Samuel meets Cordarrelle Patterson and can bring WR4 value. OVERVIEW: Higgins should step in as the Texans' No. 2 receiver with immediate WR4 value, or more. Noel can push Christian Kirk for the slot role, and could be the No. 3 next year if Tank Dell doesn't return well from injury. Marks has a chance to take the No. 2 RB role from Dameon Pierce. Mertz and Lachey are developmental. OVERVIEW: Warren has TE1 upside but could struggle to reach his ceiling with Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones at QB. Giddens should take the Jonathan Taylor backup role and has RB2 upside if Taylor is hurt. Leonard brings rushing upside and could have similar numbers to Jones if he ever starts. OVERVIEW: As long as Hunter plays 90% of the offensive snaps, he should be a WR3 at worst with Top 15 upside. Tuten and Allen make the backfield a bigger headache than ever before for fantasy managers to navigate, but Tuten has serious speed. OVERVIEW: It's the Chiefs, so Royals and Smith are worth stashing in dynasty and deep, deep redraft leagues (reminder that Isiah Pacheco shared with Kareem Hunt after his return, so the backfield isn't a certainty). OVERVIEW: Jeanty is an immediate Top 10 RB. Bech would be a Top 30 WR if he was the No. 2 option, which could happen as early as late this year. Thornton is a big-play machine but needs to be a top-two wideout on the Raiders to carry WR4 value. Mellott and Miller are lottery tickets for the Raiders. OVERVIEW: Hampton will push for an immediate timeshare and could take the lead this year with Top 20 potential and RB1 upside if Najee Harris gets hurt/is gone next year. Tre Harris brings his downfield ability for potential WR4 value if he wins the No. 2 job. Lambert-Smith will be a developmental player, as is Gadsden, who could hit as early as 2026. OVERVIEW: Ferguson has mid-to-upper TE2 potential, maybe even as a rookie, given the landing spot. Hunter can be Kyren Williams' backup immediately, and that makes him a premier backup pick in fantasy. Mumpfield is great after the catch and a worthy dynasty flier. OVERVIEW: Gordon would be an RB3 if timesharing with De'Von Achane or Jaylen Wright, but otherwise is a dynasty stash. Ewers, if healthy and starting, would be a mid-level QB2. OVERVIEW: Felton has Xavier Worthy similarities, so remember that if Justin Jefferson or Jordan Addison gets hurt. Bartholomew is an athletic, developmental tight end. OVERVIEW: Henderson is as explosive as running backs come and has RB2 value even on mid-teen touches per game. Williams gives Drake Maye another weapon to help his breakout, and Williams can be a Marquez Valdes-Scantling type WR4 by 2026. OVERVIEW: Shough might start this year, given Derek Carr's injury, and would be a mid-QB2. Neal is interesting with his ability and the chance to be the timeshare piece to Alvin Kamara. Matavao is a developmental tight end. OVERVIEW: Dart has all the potential and concerns of Daniel Jones, and he might not start until 2026. Skattebo should push to be the lead RB immediately, potentially bringing RB2 value and pushing Tyrone Tracy to RB3 value. Fidone is another of many developmental tight ends. OVERVIEW: Taylor should win the starting tight end job, and if so, he'd be a high-end TE2. Smith, like Taylor, has an opportunity to push for meaningful snaps and be their version of Rashid Shaheed. OVERVIEW: McCord's ceiling is Bo Nix without similar rushing upside. OVERVIEW: Johnson should replace Najee Harris, putting up RB2 numbers and keeping Jaylen Warren in a timeshare with RB3 value. Howard has some Kenny Pickett to his game, but could hit unlike Pickett, and be a mid QB2. OVERVIEW: Like the Chiefs, the 49ers make you pay attention to every skill pick, but Watkins and James are particularly interesting with Watkins being a slot with WR3 potential if he's a top-two wideout for the 49ers, and James having the ability to push Isaac Guerendo for the backup job. OVERVIEW: Arroyo can be a matchup problem and back-end TE1 in time. Milroe has Lamar Jackson rushing upside with better rushing touchdown potential, but needs to develop his passing ability … and he might never work out. Horton can be a boom/bust WR4/5 in 2-3 years. Ouzts is likely fantasy irrelevant but Martinez could be intriguing if Kenneth Walker doesn't return in 2026. OVERVIEW: Egbuka is a great receiver in a tough spot. He ruins Jalen McMillan's fantasy potential, but Egbuka could be a Top 25 wideout if Mike Evans gets hurt (or is gone in 2026) and/or Chris Godwin misses time again. Tez Johnson is Tank Dell and a depth weapon in real life. OVERVIEW: The Titans did all they could to help Ward succeed immediately, and he has fringe QB1 upside. Dike, Helm, Ayomanor and Mullings are all future depth, but Helm could be the top tight end next year if Chig Okonkwo fails to break out. Dike is a Hail Mary WR4/5 type. Ayomanor is buried but has Robert Woods WR3-value potential and Mullings is a power back, needing timeshare work for RB3 value. OVERVIEW: Lane is very fast and at best, likely carries Tyler Boyd-like WR4 value. Croskey-Merritt has good speed, but is pretty straight-line and a timeshare RB, who would be an RB2/3 at best, if the lead of that timeshare.

Yahoo

16-04-2025

Sport
Yahoo

Fantasy Football is here for the 2025 NFL season: Sign up to play!

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Tyler Soderstrom, Jack Leiter open season strong

NBC Sports

30-03-2025

Sport
NBC Sports

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Tyler Soderstrom, Jack Leiter open season strong

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season. The premise is pretty straightforward. I'll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I'll list the category where I think he'll be helpful or the quick reason he's listed. I hope that it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs or not. For a player to qualify to be on this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, 'These players aren't available in my league,' and I can't help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they're available in many places and that can hopefully satisfy readers in all league types. TJ Friedl - OF, CIN: 38% rostered (RUNS, SPEED UPSIDE) Friedl is not a sexy waiver add, but he's the everyday centerfielder for the Reds and has been productive in that role whenever he's been healthy. In 2023, he hit .279 with swiping 27 bases and crushing 18 home runs in 138 games. He had nine steals and 13 home runs in 85 games last year. He makes an elite amount of contact and hits leadoff which should mean a decent amount of runs in that offense. He is likely going to get hurt at some point, but that doesn't mean you should pass up on him for a player who has less fantasy value right now. You're in a redraft league, not a Best Ball league, so stop thinking about August and September. Kristian Campbell - 2B, BOS: 38% rostered (BREAKOUT POTENTIAL, EVERYDAY ROLE) Kristian Campbell didn't have the best spring, so he started falling in late drafts even though it was clear the Red Sox wanted him to be their starting second baseman. So far, Campbell is 5-for-10 with two walks, one home run, and two strikeouts while playing second base in two games and left field in one. He is one of the top prospects in baseball, and if he's going to get everyday run in a good lineup, he needs to be on your roster. If you're just looking for speed, you can add Campbell's teammate Trevor Story - SS, BOS (33%), who stole a base in each of his first two games. People love to rag on Story because he gets hurt often, and that's sapped a lot of his offensive juice, but he will run, and he's been a really good defender for Boston when he's healthy. He's going to play almost every day, and that's a good lineup to have pieces of. Ivan Herrera - C, STL: 34% rostered (POWER UPSIDE, GOOD SCHEDULE) Early in draft season, I mentioned that Ivan Herrera was a decent draft value since he hit .301/.372/.428 in 259 plate appearances last year with five home runs and five steals. The offensive upside was there, but the worry was that he was likely going to have to fight for time with Pedro Pages, which gave us some pause about him getting over 400 plate appearances. Well, Herrera started the first two games of the season, which makes me think that this could be more of a 70/30 type of split this season. That makes Herrera worth a gamble in all two-catcher formats. I also think that Alejandro Kirk - C, TOR (13% rostered) is in for a good season and has some viability in one catcher leagues, even. He is going to play almost every day in Toronto and has been an elite contact hitter his whole career. Tyler Soderstrom - 1B, OAK: 33% rostered (POWER UPSIDE, EVERYDAY ROLE) Soderstrom got off to a huge start to the 2025 season with a 2-5, two-home run game against Logan Gilbert and the Mariners. He's 5-for-12 in his first three games, but this is really about him being the everyday first baseman on a team that will be playing games in a minor league ballpark. Soderstrom also struck out just five times in the spring after striking out 25% of the time last year. That hasn't carried over in the first three days, but at just 23 years old, it's not crazy to assume Soderstrom is continuing to evolve as a hitter and may add at least a passable batting average to his 25+ home run power. Right now I'd only be adding for power upside, but there's some additional intrigue in here. Michael Busch - 1B, CHC (28% rostered) is another power-first first base option. The 26-year-old hit 21 home runs in 152 games for the Cubs last year and is going to be the everyday first baseman in a lineup that's deeper than it was last year. He's off to a slow start in 2025, but I do love that he's taken three walks in his first five games. His 11.5% swinging strike rate last year wasn't that high for a player with plus power, so I think we could see another step forward from Busch this year. Victor Scott II - OF, STL: 30% rostered (SPEED UPSIDE, BATTING AVERAGE POTENTIAL) Last year, we were all going gaga over Scott because of his game-changing speed, but this year we seem to have forgotten about him despite him having a great spring training. That's the unfortunate power of one bad sample of MLB data. No, Scott is not going to hit many home runs or help you much in counting stats given that he hits at the bottom of the Cardinals' order, but the speed upside remains, and he's stolen two bases so far through two games. If he can just hit .250 or higher, then he's not going to hurt you in your batting average category, and he's going to carry you in stolen bases. Matt Wallner - OF, MIN: 27% rostered (POWER UPSIDE, GOOD LINEUP SPOT) The Twins faced three right-handed starting pitchers this weekend, and you saw exactly what that will mean for Wallner this season with him batting lead off in each game. No, he didn't get a hit in either of the first two games, but this is a guy with a 17% career barrel rate who tweaked his approach in the second half last season and hit .275 with 12 home runs, 34 RBI, and three steals over the final 73 games. There is some volatility in his skillset, but the power is unquestioned, and if the approach changes carry over, he's a great add, especially in daily moves leagues. In deeper leagues, I'm also a big for of Wallner's teammate Trevor Larnach - OF, MIN (3% rostered). Much like Wallner, Larnach will start against all right-handed pitchers, and I wrote about him as one of my favorite post-hype hitters this off-season. I should also note that Pavin Smith - 1B/OF, ARI (2% rostered) is in the same boat as an everyday guy against right-handed pitching and is somebody that I'm in on after he hit .270/.348/.547 with nine home runs and a .896 OPS in 158 plate appearances in a part-time role last year. Joey Ortiz - 3B/SS, MIL: 25% rostered (MODEST POWER/SPEED UPSIDE, GOOD BALLPARK) Much like TJ Friedl, Ortiz is not a sexy fantasy add, and perhaps better for deeper formats, but this is a guy who hit 11 home runs and stole 11 bases in 142 games last year while making elite levels of contact. His batted ball profile in the minors suggests that there is a little more thump in his bat and while that might just mean 15 home runs, there is a good chance that he's a 15/15 guy who can hit .250 or higher and is the everyday shortstop for a Milwaukee team that plays in a good home ballpark. Considering you'll soon be able to play Ortiz at 3B, SS, MIF, and CIF, that is a valuable player to have on your squad. Kyle Manzardo - 1B, CLE: 27% rostered (POWER UPSIDE, EVERYDAY ROLE) I know Manzardo can be harder to roster in formats where he's UT-only, but given his prospect pedigree and what we saw from him in spring, I'm surprised his roster rate is so low. He started on Opening Day against a left-handed pitcher, which makes it pretty clear that he's an everyday guy in Cleveland now. I had the chance to talk to him this spring about his adjustment to the big leagues that led to a strong finish to the 2024 season, so I'd encourage you to read that to see why I'm in on Manzardo this year. Another option at first would be Spencer Torkelson - 1B, DET (28% rostered); although, I'd much rather have Manzardo. Torkelson is off to a better start, going 4-for-9 with a home run and a stolen base, in addition to five walks in three games. However, I have less confidence in his contact profile overall. Additionally, he was challenged a lot last year with high fastballs and it limited his power output, and I need a bit more sample size to believe that's fixed. If you just wanted power, I think Torkelson is the better play over Manzardo, but I'd take Manzardo for everything else. Lars Nootbaar - OF, STL: 21% rostered (BREAKOUT POTENTIAL, EVERYDAY ROLE) I wrote about Nootbaar in one of my off-season articles on hitters entering their peak age seasons, and said: 'I feel like we've been waiting for the Nootbaar breakout for a few years now, but injuries limited him to just 405 plate appearances in 2024. When he was on the field, he hit .244/.342/.417 with 12 home runs and seven steals which hinted a little at what we can expect from him. His career 27.4% flyball rate suggests he might not have elite power upside. Busch Stadium is not great for left-handed power, so this might be a calculated approach from Nootbaar, but it means that even a breakout season might come with just 20 home runs. It could also have a .260 average and 12 stolen bases with an elite on-base percentage, which is great for some leagues.' Also, I know there are a lot of Cardinals on here already, but Jordan Walker - OF, STL (11% rostered) is going to play every day and he was one of the top prospects in baseball not long ago, and I wrote about him in detail for my post-hype hitters article this winter. Ben Rice - 1B, NYY: 10% rostered (POWER UPSIDE, PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY) Ben Rice is in a tough situation because we know the Yankees are going to want to use the DH spot to give days off to guys like Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt, but I look at Rice the way I look at a starting pitcher like Jack Leiter or Max Meyer. The upside is clear, as I covered in my article on potential second-year breakout hitters. He has been hitting the cover off the ball. If we knew he was locked into a starting role, he'd be rostered in way more leagues. Those are the guys I want on my bench for the first few weeks of the season because I want to already have them if the playing time starts to shake out and people are rushing to throw huge FAAB bids on them. Think of the Colton Cowser situation from last year. Otto Lopez - 2B/SS, MIA: 10% rostered (SPEED UPSIDE, SOLID BATTING AVERAGE) Lopez is a bit of an afterthought because he plays on a bad Marlins team, but I think he has some fantasy juice. The middle infielder has gone 5-for-11 with one home run, four RBI, and one steal in his first three games. Last year, he hit .270/.313/.377 in 117 games with the Marlins while stealing 20 bases. This didn't really come out of nowhere either. In 2022, he hit .297 with 14 steals in 91 games in Triple-A for Toronto, and in 2023, he hit .258 with 13 steals in 84 games at the same level. He's a good bet to hit .270 with 20+ steals in a full season as the second baseman in Miami, and that's valuable in a lot of formats. Jeimer Candelario - 1B/3B, CIN: 9% rostered (POWER UPSIDE, GOOD HOME BALLPARK) With Spencer Steer unable to play the field, we've seen Candelario start as the primary third baseman in Cincinnati with Gavin Lux shifting to left field. Candelario struggled in his first season in Cincinnati last year, but this is a guy who hit .251 with 22 home runs the season before and is a career .241 hitter. Given that Cincinnati plays in the best ballpark for offense, I think expecting a .250 season from Candelario with 20-25 home runs while hitting in the middle of the Reds' lineup is a pretty solid bet. If you need another corner infield option, Brett Baty - 3B, NYM (8% rostered) is going to be their second baseman against right-handed pitching, which will add some nice multi-position eligibility. Baty obviously tore up spring training, but remember that he has done that before. There is upside here since Baty is just 25 years old and clearly still evolving as a hitter, but he doesn't have a lot of time to stake his claim to an every day job, and there's not a track record of MLB success here, so I don't think you need to rush to the wire for Baty, even after the strong spring. Jorge Polanco - 2B, SEA: 8% rostered (DEEP LEAGUE OPTION, COUNTING STATS UPSIDE) Polanco is another deep league target with soon-to-be multi-position eligibility, who I wrote about this off-season in an article on undervalued hitters: 'He's a career .263/.330/.435 hitter, and while I know last year was a down season, he was also playing through a knee injury that clearly impacted him. Despite that, he posted an 8.9% barrel rate, an above-average chase rate, and slightly below-average SwStr% and contact rates. We do need to point out that his overall contact rates and swinging strike rates have been headed in the wrong direction for the last two seasons, but for the vast majority of his career, he has been a 77% contact rate guy or better. In spring training this year, he has an 85% contact rate and just a 7.2% SwStr%, so perhaps a lot of that regression was due to injury.' Gavin Lux - 2B, CIN (7% rostered) also appears to be the starting left fielder and regular clean-up hitter for the Reds right now. I'm not sure I believe in the talent or that the role will stick, but we can't ignore a cleanup hitter in that park hitting behind Friedl, Elly De La Cruz, and Matt McLain. Kameron Misner - OF, TB: 0% rostered (STARTING JOB, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE) This is only a deep-league option, but with Josh Lowe potentially out for months with an oblique injury, it seems that Misner will get the first shot to take his job in Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old was once an intriguing prospect for the Marlins, but it never quite clicked. Still, in 113 games in Triple-A for Tampa Bay last year, he hit .248 with 17 home runs and 30 steals. I don't really trust that Misner is any different of a hitter now, but somebody who has the ability to 20/20 in a starting role is worth a look in really deep formats. So is Manuel Margot - OF, DET (1% rostered), who is going to be the everyday centerfielder in Detroit with Parker Meadows and Wenceel Perez sidelined. Margot has been around long enough that we know what he can do, but he's a career .254 hitter who still has the speed to swipe bases in a full-time role. Detroit has also been hitting him fifth or sixth, which could lead to some chip-in RBIs as well. Jack Leiter - SP, TEX (38% rostered) Leiter was one of my most-drafted pitchers this year, and I wrote about him in my article covering undrafted starting pitchers with the talent to finish inside the top 25. The biggest thing for me was command, and I felt that Leiter's new sinker would help him pound the strike zone a bit more to set up his swing-and-miss stuff. The first start doesn't change any of that. His fastball was still 98 mph and missed plenty of bats, but was inconsistent in the strike zone. He struggled to locate his new kick-change, and his slider was fine. I actually wasn't super impressed by the start, but I was happy that he was able to produce a decent outing without his best stuff. The upside remains, and I'm happy to take fliers on him in all league types, but I still think volatility is ahead. Dustin May - SP, LAD: 36% rostered May did not pitch this weekend, which means he's set to make his regular-season debut on Tuesday against Atlanta. We don't love that start, even with Ronald Acuna Jr. out; however, we do love that May is locked in as the fifth starter on probably the best team in baseball. He has impressive raw stuff and is starting to miss more bats this spring as he varies his sequencing and locations. No, May is not going to pitch a full season for the Dodgers, but we don't care about that now. It's March. I'm happy to add May for the first couple of months, try to take advantage of solid ratios and wins and then I'll worry about replacing him when the time comes. Grant Holmes - SP/RP, ATL: 34% rostered Holmes got a raw deal when the Braves reconfigured their rotation so that he could start on Monday against the Dodgers instead of Sunday against the Padres. I really don't want that Monday start, and I probably won't use Holmes there in daily lineup leagues. However, Holmes will also start over the weekend against the Marlins, and I absolutely want to use him there. Holmes unveiled a new changeup this spring that looks like it will be a real weapon for him. He now has potentially three plus secondaries to take the heat off of his average fastball. I think he's being underrated right now. You could also chase upside with his teammate A.J. Smith-Shawver - SP, ATL (25% rostered), who won a roster spot and will start on Sunday against the Padres. Just remember that Spencer Strider is coming back in around three weeks, and somebody is leaving this rotation. Holmes has no minor league options, so the Braves can't send him down, which makes me think Smith-Shawver may not have a long leash in this rotation. Luke Jackson - RP, TEX (30% rostered) Look, I don't buy this, but if you're in a desperate situation for saves, you can chase them with Jackson since Bruce Bochy went to him for save opportunities in each of the first two games. I just don't love that Jackson essentially only uses his slider, and has never really shown the consistent ability to lock down saves. I don't see this lasting a long time, and I'd prefer to add Blake Treinen - RP, LAD (32% rostered) because I believe he's a good pitcher. Treinen is in a committee for the Dodgers, so he won't get all of the saves, but he'll get some of them and will also help with ratios and strikeouts and be far less liable to torpedo your ratio categories. Jason Adam - RP, SD (30% rostered) Everybody is going to chase closer specs this weekend, and I get it. However, instead of adding guys like Graham Ashcraft or Mike Clevinger, I'd rather add Adam. We know Adam is a good reliever. He's going to help your ratios and steal a few wins, and when the Padres finally trade Robert Suarez, who has been on the trade block all off-season, I think it'll be Adam that takes over and starts to get saves. You can add him now and not have to spend big money. Justin Slaten- RP, BOS (24% rostered) Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Aroldis Chapman was the closer in Boston, but he also said that they would use him in the eighth inning if they felt they needed to. At the time, that seemed like a way for Liam Hendriks to pick up a few save chances, but then Hendriks went on the IL with elbow inflammation, and Slaten, who was pitching better anyway, got the first save chance of the season on Opening Day. If the Red Sox need to use Chapman earlier in games, it's going to be Slaten that closes them down, and Slaten has the talent to take that job regardless. David Peterson - SP, NYM (20% rostered) Peterson is yet another intriguing starter who did not pitch this first weekend. He will start on Monday against Miami, which is an elite streaming situation. I wrote about why Peterson is one of my favorite late-round starting pitchers to draft, so I'd encourage you to read that if you want a detailed discussion of why I like the left-hander. Mike Clevinger - SP/RP, CWS (15% rostered) Clevinger is the closer for the White Sox. No, that may not lead to a bunch of save opportunities, but it could lead to a few, and he's looked pretty solid in the role so far this spring and during the first weekend. I'm not running out to pick him up, but I don't think he's going to hurt your team in the same way chasing the Rockies and Marlins closer situation might. Jose Alvarado - RP, PHI (14% rostered) If you're in a fine spot with saves and just want to add an elite high-leverage reliever, I would recommend Alvarado. He was lights out this spring and is the late-inning left-hander in the Philadelphia bullpen. That means he could steal a few wins in close games, but he also could emerge into a timeshare if Jordan Romano were to struggle or the Phillies wanted to be cautious with Romano's innings coming off a shoulder injury. You could also take a gamble on Tony Santillan - RP, CIN (17% rostered), who may be the best pitcher in Cincinnati's bullpen. I know that Emilio Pagan - RP, CIN (2% rostered) got the save on Saturday night, and you can gamble there if you want, but Santillan is the cream of the crop here and could rise to the top. You could also gamble on Graham Ashcraft - RP, CIN (8% rostered), who has plus Stuff+ numbers but never missed enough bats as a starter. He could thrive in the bullpen, but this whole situation is a mess, and I wouldn't place big bids on any of these guys. Max Meyer - SP, MIA (14% rostered) I wrote about Max Meyer and Jack Leiter as two undrafted starting pitchers I think have the upside to finish inside the top-25, so you can read that article to see a more detailed breakdown of why I like taking a gamble on both pitchers in the first few weeks of the season. If you're in deeper leagues, I also like Sean Burke - SP, CWS (16%), but I just don't think we're going to get tons of wins out of him. I guess that's an issue for Meyer as well. Brayan Bello - SP, BOS (11% rostered) If you need an IL stash, Bello is already starting a rehab assignment in Triple-A, and optimism that the Red Sox could have him back by April 11th. I truly believe this is the year he breaks out. Bello tweaked his slider into more of a sweeper at the end of 2023, spent most of the offseason working on it, and then graded out as an above-average pitch by PLV in 2024. He started using it more against righties, and the swinging strike rate on it jumped from 10% to 16% while he also improved his zone rate as the season went on. The issue is that as his slider got better, he seemed to lose the feel for his change-up, which has always been his best pitch. Even though he doesn't throw the changeup often to righties, Bello's command of the pitch suffered in 2024, with a lower zone and strike rate, and it got hit much harder. It still had an 18.5% swinging strike rate to lefties, so Bello checks the boxes now of fastball for strikes and secondary for whiffs to hitters of each handedness, and if he can get the command of his changeup back to be a consistent strike pitch then he has all the things I want from a starting pitcher and we could see a big leap. Tylor Megill - SP, NYM (9% rostered) I wrote about Megill as one of my favorite late-round starting pitching targets this off-season (in the same article as Peterson), and said: 'In 2024, Megill posted a 17.6% K-BB%, 12.8% SwStr%, and 27.6% CSW, all of which were better than the league average despite him having a fairly uneven season. He added a sinker last season, which has a 73% strike rate. He uses it primarily as a strike pitch to righties, which is crucial for him. He also added a cutter in 2024, and despite it having above-average swinging strike rate marks to righties and lefties, it's also a pitch he can command for strikes with league-average zone and strike rates. It also allowed Megill to throw his slider less in 2024, which is good because his slider was a great out-pitch but struggled as a 20% usage really has everything he needs to be a good MLB starter, but the consistency of that command is going to be crucial. With a full off-season under his belt to work on the cutter and sinker, we could finally see that in 2025.' STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS (ranked in loose order) Week of 3/31 Strong Preference Fairly Confident Some Hesitation

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