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7 hours ago
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12 fantasy Do's and Don'ts when drafting this season
Subscribe to Yahoo Fantasy Forecast Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube With the calendar turning to August this weekend, Matt Harmon and John Daigle officially kick into high gear for fantasy draft season. The two share their 12 do's and don'ts when drafting this draft season. From strategies in draft to players and teams to buy into, the two get you ready for any drafts you have for the month of August. (xx:xx) - IMPORTANT POD NOTE: Episodes move to new YouTube channel starting Aug. 4! (xx:xx) - Daigle's 1st DO: Do draft 49ers (all of them) (xx:xx) - Harmon's 1st DON'T: Don't go TOO crazy for training camp clips (xx:xx) - Daigle's 2nd DO: Do wait for Drake Maye (xx:xx) - Harmon 2nd DON'T: Don't forget prior year efficiency metrics can be impacted by environment (xx:xx) - Daigle's 3rd DO: Dd throw your draft lottery to select in picks 9-12 (xx:xx) - Harmon's 3rd DON'T: Don't over think it with Chase Brown (xx:xx) - Harmon's 1st DO: Do put a premium on teams with good offensive lines (xx:xx) - Daigle's 1st DON'T: Don't panic for a TE (xx:xx) - Harmon's 2nd DO: Do figure out the 2-3 huge letdown offenses (xx:xx) - Daigle's 2nd DON'T: Don't draft injured players (xx:xx) - Harmon's 3rd DO: Do take rookie WRs or keep them on waiver wire speed dial (xx:xx) - Daigle's 3rd DON'T: Don't fall for recency bias 🖥️
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
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Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 18-team guillotine league — here are the results
Yahoo Fantasy staff members took part in an 18-team, 14-round guillotine mock draft to help give an idea of how to approach building a roster in this format. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The scoring for this mock is half PPR (point per reception) with the following roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, IR. A big thank you goes out to everyone who participated: Ben Zweiman (Editorial team) Jonathan Bassey (Podcast team) Aaron Tan (Social team) Matt Harmon (Fantasy analyst) Trevor Brigham (Customer care team) Mo Castillo (Editorial team) Jason Klabacha (Editorial team) Brett Rader (Podcast team) Scott Pianowski (Fantasy analyst) Justin Boone (Fantasy analyst) Collin Brennan (Podcast team) Dan Harris (Podcast team) Dan Titus (Fantasy analyst) Jason Jung (Podcast team) John Adams (Customer care team) Mike Graben (Product team) Adam Hellwig (Customer care team) Brett Kundtz (Business intelligence team) Round 1 Pick Player Team 1 Ja'Marr Chase Ben Zweiman 2 Bijan Robinson Jonathan Bassey 3 Saquon Barkley Aaron Tan 4 Jahmyr Gibbs Matt Harmon 5 CeeDee Lamb Trevor Brigham 6 Justin Jefferson Mo Castillo 7 Puka Nacua Jason Klabacha 8 Christian McCaffrey Brett Rader 9 Derrick Henry Scott Pianowski 10 Nico Collins Justin Boone 11 Amon-Ra St. Brown Collin Brennan 12 Ashton Jeanty Dan Harris 13 Brian Thomas Jr. Dan Titus 14 Malik Nabers Jason Jung 15 Jonathan Taylor John Adams 16 Drake London Mike Graben 17 Josh Jacobs Adam Hellwig 18 De'Von Achane Brett Kundtz In an 18-team league, the first round might be the only round that feels fairly normal, since you haven't strayed that far from traditional league drafts. However, the deeper you get into the opening frame, you start to realize how quickly the talent level is falling off and how long you'll be waiting in between picks. Keep that in mind for later, so you don't end up on the wrong side of a position run. My Pick: Collins was the WR8 in fantasy points per game (17.6) last year, despite missing five weeks with a hamstring injury. Prior to getting hurt, he was the fourth-highest-scoring wideout, averaging 21.3 fppg. While having a bye in Week 6 does feel a little early in the season to be without my first-round pick, Collins' talent (and potential path to a top-five finish) was too tough to pass up. Round 2 Pick Player Team 19 Bucky Irving Brett Kundtz 20 Josh Allen Adam Hellwig 21 Ladd McConkey Mike Graben 22 A.J. Brown John Adams 23 Lamar Jackson Jason Jung 24 Chase Brown Dan Titus 25 Jayden Daniels Dan Harris 26 Brock Bowers Collin Brennan 27 Omarion Hampton Justin Boone 28 Kyren Williams Scott Pianowski 29 Trey McBride Brett Rader 30 Mike Evans Jason Klabacha 31 James Cook Mo Castillo 32 Breece Hall Trevor Brigham 33 Tee Higgins Matt Harmon 34 Jaxon Smith-Njigba Aaron Tan 35 Garrett Wilson Jonathan Bassey 36 Chuba Hubbard Ben Zweiman Three elite quarterbacks and two elite tight ends go off the board already, as managers try to find players who will give them an immediate edge. They'll have to hope it's enough of an advantage to overcome the potential holes it could cause in their lineups at other important positions like running back and receiver. My Pick: Some guillotine players shy away from rookies, since they could take longer to get comfortable in the pros, and if they start slow it could result in an early exit for that manager. Any concerns about Omarion Hampton's early-season role are quickly disappearing with each day that Najee Harris sits out due to his eye injury. The first-round rookie is impressing coaches and distancing himself on the depth chart from his veteran teammate Harris. Get ready for Hampton to make noise early and often this season as a borderline fantasy RB1. Round 3 Pick Player Team 37 George Kittle Ben Zweiman 38 Jalen Hurts Jonathan Bassey 39 Tyreek Hill Aaron Tan 40 Kenneth Walker III Matt Harmon 41 Marvin Harrison Jr. Trevor Brigham 42 Joe Burrow Mo Castillo 43 James Conner Jason Klabacha 44 DJ Moore Brett Rader 45 Terry McLaurin Scott Pianowski 46 Alvin Kamara Justin Boone 47 David Montgomery Collin Brennan 48 DK Metcalf Dan Harris 49 Courtland Sutton Dan Titus 50 RJ Harvey Jason Jung 51 Davante Adams John Adams 52 Xavier Worthy Mike Graben 53 Sam LaPorta Adam Hellwig 54 Rashee Rice Brett Kundtz While I'm a big fan of Rashee Rice in redraft leagues, taking him this early in a guillotine format is very dangerous due to a potential suspension that might be handed out before the season. In redraft, you could find replacements and risk losing a game or two while you wait for his return, but in guillotine you might not be around by the time he gets back. Team Kundtz will have to hope Rice avoids a suspension or gets a very short ban. My Pick: Taking Kamara in the third round feels odd, but drafting him as the 19th running back selected feels like a gift. Though he turned 30 years old this summer, the veteran is coming off back-to-back top-five fantasy RB seasons and has finished top-eight in seven of his eight NFL campaigns. Round 4 Pick Player Team 55 Patrick Mahomes Brett Kundtz 56 Jameson Williams Adam Hellwig 57 Baker Mayfield Mike Graben 58 Zay Flowers John Adams 59 George Pickens Jason Jung 60 D'Andre Swift Dan Titus 61 Tony Pollard Dan Harris 62 Khalil Shakir Collin Brennan 63 Tetairoa McMillan Justin Boone 64 DeVonta Smith Scott Pianowski 65 TreVeyon Henderson Brett Rader 66 Kaleb Johnson Jason Klabacha 67 Isiah Pacheco Mo Castillo 68 Calvin Ridley Trevor Brigham 69 Aaron Jones Sr. Matt Harmon 70 Brian Robinson Jr. Aaron Tan 71 Chris Olave Jonathan Bassey 72 Rome Odunze Ben Zweiman Odunze stands out as a very intriguing value at the end of this round. His situation in Chicago has improved greatly since an up-and-down rookie season. New head coach Ben Johnson has continuously praised his sophomore wideout and some people covering the team believe Odunze might emerge as the Bears' No. 1 receiver this year. He also faces the Vikings, Lions and Cowboys in the opening three weeks — all of which finished among the top six in fantasy points allowed to WRs in 2024. That's a great addition in this range by Team Zweiman. My Pick: I'm living on the edge, selecting a second rookie within the first four rounds. But McMillan got early first-round capital in April's draft and landed with a team in desperate need of a true top option in the passing game. He's also on the verge of getting as many targets as he can handle in Carolina. Bryce Young settled in during the second half of the season under Dave Canales' tutelage and now appears poised to break out with McMillan as his premier weapon. He even has the benefit of friendly matchups with the Jaguars and Falcons in two of the first three weeks. Round 5 Pick Player Team 73 Jordan Mason Ben Zweiman 74 T.J. Hockenson Jonathan Bassey 75 Travis Kelce Aaron Tan 76 Jaylen Waddle Matt Harmon 77 Jaylen Warren Trevor Brigham 78 Josh Downs Mo Castillo 79 Justin Fields Jason Klabacha 80 Kyler Murray Brett Rader 81 Mark Andrews Scott Pianowski 82 Travis Hunter Justin Boone 83 Tyrone Tracy Jr. Collin Brennan 84 David Njoku Dan Harris 85 Bo Nix Dan Titus 86 Jauan Jennings Jason Jung 87 Evan Engram John Adams 88 Quinshon Judkins Mike Graben 89 Jordan Addison Adam Hellwig 90 Jerry Jeudy Brett Kundtz Addison is in a similar situation as Rice, with a possible suspension looming before the season. There are still a lot of comparable receivers available in this range, so it seems like an unnecessary risk for a fantasy starter at Addison's level. My Pick: Hunter is one of the most exciting rookies to enter the league, maybe ever. Unfortunately, we won't score points for his defensive snaps in this format. The good news is that he's apparently excelling on both sides of the ball at Jaguars' practices. He's even shone as the hardest Jags' receiver to cover in one-on-one drills, according to beat writer John Shipley. Make no mistake, Hunter is not a safe pick due to the uncertainty around how he'll be used on offense and defense, but I'm confident in him as a flex option. Round 6 Pick Player Team 91 Tucker Kraft Brett Kundtz 92 Travis Etienne Jr. Adam Hellwig 93 Jayden Reed Mike Graben 94 Joe Mixon John Adams 95 Dallas Goedert Jason Jung 96 Najee Harris Dan Titus 97 Ricky Pearsall Dan Harris 98 Emeka Egbuka Collin Brennan 99 Brock Purdy Justin Boone 100 Stefon Diggs Scott Pianowski 101 Jakobi Meyers Brett Rader 102 Javonte Williams Jason Klabacha 103 Jake Ferguson Mo Castillo 104 Dak Prescott Trevor Brigham 105 Deebo Samuel Matt Harmon 106 Cooper Kupp Aaron Tan 107 Zach Charbonnet Jonathan Bassey 108 Caleb Williams Ben Zweiman Team Brennan took one of my favorite values in this year's drafts in Egbuka. With Chris Godwin's recovery timeline unknown and his status for Week 1 unclear, the first-round rookie could play a very big part in the Buccaneers offense right out of the gate. It helps that everyone around the Bucs, including Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, have been highlighting Egbuka as a player who will make his mark this season. My Pick: When drafting in a typical redraft league, I'm more than willing to wait on the one-off positions like quarterback, but the goal of a guillotine league is to survive — so filling out your starting lineup is a priority. Purdy is a steady performer who finished as the QB8 in fppg in 2023 and the QB12 last season. He also has the fourth-easiest fantasy strength of schedule in my matrix. Round 7 Pick Player Team 109 Matthew Golden Ben Zweiman 110 Michael Pittman Jr. Jonathan Bassey 111 Geno Smith Aaron Tan 112 Drake Maye Matt Harmon 113 Tyler Warren Trevor Brigham 114 Rhamondre Stevenson Mo Castillo 115 Dalton Kincaid Jason Klabacha 116 J.K. Dobbins Brett Rader 117 Jared Goff Scott Pianowski 118 Colston Loveland Justin Boone 119 Trevor Lawrence Collin Brennan 120 Cam Skattebo Dan Harris 121 Kyle Pitts Dan Titus 122 Bhayshul Tuten Jason Jung 123 Justin Herbert John Adams 124 Rashid Shaheed Mike Graben 125 Rachaad White Adam Hellwig 126 Tank Bigsby Brett Kundtz By the end of the seventh round, all 18 teams had found a quarterback. That's important to note, since all of the passers chosen so far have low-end QB1 fantasy finishes within their range of outcomes. While some teams are selecting RBs in split backfields at this point, you could be the manager locking down your starting QB or TE. It's something to consider when deciding on your build and where you want to invest draft capital. My Pick: I went with a tight end here in an effort to complete my starting lineup as soon as possible and maximize its Week 1 potential. When I miss out on the elite TEs, I tend to target the tier of Kraft, Kincaid, Warren and Loveland. When three of those guys went off the board in the last round and a half, I knew it was time to scoop up the final player in that tier. The Bears clearly envisioned a big role for Loveland when they chose him 10th overall and he's already starting to flash in camp. After the immediate success we've seen from rookie tight ends in recent years, it won't be surprising if Loveland is a top-12 fantasy TE this season. Round 8 Pick Player Team 127 Keon Coleman Brett Kundtz 128 Luther Burden III Adam Hellwig 129 Hunter Henry Mike Graben 130 Tyjae Spears John Adams 131 Chris Godwin Jason Jung 132 Darnell Mooney Dan Titus 133 Rashod Bateman Dan Harris 134 Dylan Sampson Collin Brennan 135 Ray Davis Justin Boone 136 Jordan Love Scott Pianowski 137 Marvin Mims Jr. Brett Rader 138 Trey Benson Jason Klabacha 139 Isaac Guerendo Mo Castillo 140 Nick Chubb Trevor Brigham 141 Braelon Allen Matt Harmon 142 Roschon Johnson Aaron Tan 143 Jayden Higgins Jonathan Bassey 144 Tyler Allgeier Ben Zweiman Keeping injury and off-field situations in mind is always smart in guillotine drafts. Godwin and Mooney have injuries that could impact their Week 1 availability, which might turn them into stashes more than potential starting options early in the season. Meanwhile, Sampson and Chubb could get increased volume in the opening weeks if their projected starters (Quinshon Judkins, Joe Mixon) are still not suiting up. My Pick: With my starting lineup filled out, I decided to take a luxury pick in this spot. Davis is the backup to James Cook, who's in the final year of his deal with the Bills and doesn't appear to be close to a contract extension. You always wonder how that will impact a player's desire to play through injuries that may occur during the season. That gives added value to Davis, who proved he can step up when called upon. As a rookie, Davis finished as the RB13 and RB14 in the only two contests where he played over 50% of the snaps last year. Round 9 Pick Player Team 145 Hollywood Brown Ben Zweiman 146 Kareem Hunt Jonathan Bassey 147 Jaydon Blue Aaron Tan 148 Cedric Tillman Matt Harmon 149 C.J. Stroud Trevor Brigham 150 Tre' Harris Mo Castillo 151 Rico Dowdle Jason Klabacha 152 Christian Kirk Brett Rader 153 Adam Thielen Scott Pianowski 154 DeMario Douglas Justin Boone 155 Kyle Williams Collin Brennan 156 Jaylen Wright Dan Harris 157 Jerome Ford Dan Titus 158 Austin Ekeler Jason Jung 159 Jonnu Smith John Adams 160 MarShawn Lloyd Mike Graben 161 Jalen McMillan Adam Hellwig 162 Quentin Johnston Brett Kundtz Ford is another example of a player who has added value in the guillotine format. With so much uncertainty around the team's second-round pick, Judkins, it seems like the Browns' backfield will feature Ford and Sampson at the beginning of the season. That makes them flex-worthy options. My Pick: This was a very guillotine-specific selection for me. Douglas has been generating a lot of buzz as the busiest pass-catcher in Josh McDaniels' offense during camp and we know the history of featuring slot receivers in this system. Though the ceiling for Douglas isn't that enticing, he can be a reliable fill-in if any of my starters get hurt early in the season. It also helps that the Patriots have a Week 14 bye, which means Douglas will be on-call for the first 13 weeks. Round 10 Pick Player Team 163 Joshua Palmer Brett Kundtz 164 Blake Corum Adam Hellwig 165 Brandon Aiyuk Mike Graben 166 Michael Penix Jr. John Adams 167 Jack Bech Jason Jung 168 Wan'Dale Robinson Dan Titus 169 Dyami Brown Dan Harris 170 Miles Sanders Collin Brennan 171 Pat Bryant Justin Boone 172 Isaiah Likely Scott Pianowski 173 Zach Ertz Brett Rader 174 Jalen Coker Jason Klabacha 175 DeAndre Hopkins Mo Castillo 176 Xavier Legette Trevor Brigham 177 Brenton Strange Matt Harmon 178 Jordan James Aaron Tan 179 Kendre Miller Jonathan Bassey 180 Bryce Young Ben Zweiman Aiyuk is an interesting guillotine pick at this stage, mostly because of the injured reserve spot that's available. As he works his way back from an ACL tear, the 27-year-old might end up sitting out early in the season. We know Aiyuk can be a fantasy difference-maker when healthy — the only question is, how soon will he get back to form? Stashing him on IR and hoping he can contribute later is a worthwhile play at this point in the draft. My Pick: Bryant is yet another rookie added to my roster, but based on the comments coming out of Broncos' practices, the third-round pick should carve out a role in Sean Payton's ascending offense. While Denver's No. 1 target, Courtland Sutton, just signed a new deal, the pecking order behind him in the receiver room is up in the air. Beating out part-time players like Marvin Mims Jr. and Devaughn Vele doesn't seem like an insurmountable obstacle. It also doesn't hurt that Payton has compared Bryant to former Saints' star, Michael Thomas. Round 11 Pick Player Team 181 Will Shipley Ben Zweiman 182 Cameron Ward Jonathan Bassey 183 Jarquez Hunter Aaron Tan 184 Jacory Croskey-Merritt Matt Harmon 185 Michael Wilson Trevor Brigham 186 Chig Okonkwo Mo Castillo 187 J.J. McCarthy Jason Klabacha 188 Justice Hill Brett Rader 189 Cade Otton Scott Pianowski 190 Woody Marks Justin Boone 191 Brashard Smith Collin Brennan 192 Alec Pierce Dan Harris 193 Romeo Doubs Dan Titus 194 Mike Gesicki Jason Jung 195 Xavier Restrepo John Adams 196 Matthew Stafford Mike Graben 197 Jaleel McLaughlin Adam Hellwig 198 Tua Tagovailoa Brett Kundtz The fact that McCarthy fell all the way to the 11th round as the QB24 makes me worried people at Yahoo aren't reading my articles. After all, I wrote about McCarthy as one of the biggest breakout candidates at the quarterback position this year. The former first-round pick is healthy after a lost rookie season due to injury, he has an incredible supporting cast around him and Kevin O'Connell is a QB whisperer. Since taking over as the Vikings' head coach, O'Connell has helped Kirk Cousins, Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens and Sam Darnold all average QB14 fantasy stats or better when starting in this offense. Do we really think McCarthy is worse than all those passers? If he had lasted three more picks, he would have been my selection here. My Pick: With McCarthy gone, I took Marks, whose projection could rise dramatically if we find out Mixon is going to miss significant time. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters he doesn't even want them talking about Mixon's injury, which seems like a strange approach if it wasn't a concerning ailment. Ryans also threw some cold water on Chubb's outlook by admitting he's not the same player he once was in the NFL. If Mixon's not available and Chubb is a declining veteran, Marks might have a chance to have a serious role in this backfield. Round 12 Pick Player Team 199 Juwan Johnson Brett Kundtz 200 Elijah Moore Adam Hellwig 201 Mason Taylor Mike Graben 202 Kyle Monangai John Adams 203 Darius Slayton Jason Jung 204 Sam Darnold Dan Titus 205 Pat Freiermuth Dan Harris 206 DJ Giddens Collin Brennan 207 Elijah Arroyo Justin Boone 208 Tyler Lockett Scott Pianowski 209 Dontayvion Wicks Brett Rader 210 Keenan Allen Jason Klabacha 211 Anthony Richardson Sr. Mo Castillo 212 Darren Waller Trevor Brigham 213 Dont'e Thornton Jr. Matt Harmon 214 KeAndre Lambert-Smith Aaron Tan 215 Jaylin Noel Jonathan Bassey 216 Andrei Iosivas Ben Zweiman After pick 200, finding players who will have an impact on your guillotine season can be difficult. These tend to be the first names you drop when other rosters get eliminated and sent to the waiver wire. It's fine to plug any holes or secure some insurance with backups in this range, but we're getting into longshot territory — so don't be afraid to aim for upside. For example, Anthony Richardson Sr. is earning some positive reports in camp and might have the early edge over Daniel Jones. We've witnessed Richardson's fantasy prowess before and if he can have a better command of the Colts' offense, he offers week-winning upside as a potential QB1. My Pick: The release of veteran Noah Fant before training camp opened the door for Arroyo to possibly start as early as Week 1. The second-round rookie excels as a pass-catcher and has been a very active part of the Seahawks' passing attack in practices. Whether that translates into regular production remains to be seen, but I'll gladly take a chance on him as my backup TE. Round 13 Pick Player Team 217 Raheem Mostert Ben Zweiman 218 Diontae Johnson Jonathan Bassey 219 Terrance Ferguson Aaron Tan 220 Aaron Rodgers Matt Harmon 221 Tahj Brooks Trevor Brigham 222 Elijah Mitchell Mo Castillo 223 Jordan Whittington Jason Klabacha 224 Tyler Shough Brett Rader 225 Sean Tucker Scott Pianowski 226 Jalen Royals Justin Boone 227 Isaac TeSlaa Collin Brennan 228 Marquez Valdes-Scantling Dan Harris 229 Dalton Schultz Dan Titus 230 Devin Neal Jason Jung 231 Ty Johnson John Adams 232 Audric Estime Mike Graben 233 Ja'Tavion Sanders Adam Hellwig 234 Adonai Mitchell Brett Kundtz Running backs and receivers in the final rounds of an 18-team guillotine draft are pure Hail Mary selections and would likely require multiple things to happen in order to have fantasy relevance. Grabbing backup quarterbacks and tight ends might prove to be a better use of these draft slots, unless you can paint a picture where the RB or WR could have instant fantasy value for you. My Pick: Royals is a deep sleeper for the Chiefs. Worthy and Brown have both dealt with injuries at different points in training camp, while Rice could face a possible suspension to start the year. If any of those players miss time, the fourth-rounder Royals is the next man up. He probably won't ever crack my starting lineup, but there's at least a path to him returning value in the opening weeks. Round 14 Pick Player Team 235 Amari Cooper Brett Kundtz 236 Russell Wilson Adam Hellwig 237 Antonio Gibson Mike Graben 238 Roman Wilson John Adams 239 Tutu Atwell Jason Jung 240 Jalen Nailor Dan Titus 241 Calvin Austin III Dan Harris 242 Phil Mafah Collin Brennan 243 Daniel Jones Justin Boone 244 Keaton Mitchell Scott Pianowski 245 Tory Horton Brett Rader 246 Elic Ayomanor Jason Klabacha 247 Jermaine Burton Mo Castillo 248 Ollie Gordon II Trevor Brigham 249 Theo Johnson Matt Harmon 250 JuJu Smith-Schuster Aaron Tan 251 Tyler Higbee Jonathan Bassey 252 Cole Kmet Ben Zweiman Nailor is a very sneaky pick here and I was disappointed he didn't fall to me in the final round. Similar to the Chiefs scenario, Minnesota might be without Addison early in the season if the league issues a suspension before then. That would create an opportunity for Nailor to temporarily play the No. 2 receiver role in the Vikings offense. Nailor caught touchdowns in both games Addison missed last year. My Pick: With Richardson playing well so far in camp, Jones seems like the underdog to start for the Colts in Week 1. Even so, I didn't take a second quarterback and wasn't particularly thrilled by any of the names still available when I was on the clock at 243rd overall. So, taking a QB with a chance to win himself a starting job over the next month made sense.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer: Dylan Cease makes for an attractive buy-low candidate for strikeouts
Last week, we looked at hitters who could help fantasy baseball teams in specific categories down the stretch. This week we will turn our attention to pitchers who have a specific area of excellence and could be acquired for a reasonable return. Please note that I did not recommend anyone to help in the wins category, as chasing specific pitchers to provide more wins would be a fool's errand. Rather, those who want to improve in wins should do their best to stream starters with decent skills and favorable matchups. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Strikeouts Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres Cease has appeared in my trade column more than once this season, as he continues to be one of the most frustrating and unlucky pitchers in baseball. His .323 BABIP and 68.5% strand rate are among the highest marks of any starter, and his ERA estimators are all more than a full run lower than his 4.79 ERA. But there is one thing that Cease can do in spades — strike batters out. His 153 punchouts rank fourth in baseball, which makes him an attractive buy-low candidate for those need to take a chance on a high strikeout starter with massive upside. Jesús Luzardo, Philadelphia Phillies Luzardo is a poor man's version of Cease. One could make a case that Luzardo is the more attractive hurler to add. Unlike Cease, he has had some dazzling stretches this season. Still, Luzardo's penchant for ugly outings surely has frustrated many managers, as he has allowed four or more earned runs in six of his past 11 starts. His strikeout total (140) ranks 11th in baseball, making the southpaw a smart buy-low option for those who need to make a move in that category. ERA Eury Pérez, Miami Marlins Pérez has been an ERA asset throughout his brief career, evidenced by his lifetime 3.13 mark. The right-hander struggled in his initial starts following Tommy John surgery, but has allowed four runs across his past five starts. His 32:5 K:BB ratio over those outings supports his outstanding run prevention, and his 2.68 xERA is the third lowest of any pitcher who currently holds a rotation spot. Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds Some managers may have forgotten how well Greene has pitched this season since we haven't seen him in action for nearly two months. He was dominant in his 11 starts, logging a 2.72 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 73:14 K:BB ratio. His groin injury is less of a concern than an arm injury, which means that he could be a dominant ace for the stretch run. Greene could return to fantasy baseball lineups in a week or two. WHIP Matthew Boyd, Chicago Cubs There is no doubt that Boyd has pushed through his ceiling so far in 2025 since his current ratios (2.47 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) are likely unsustainable. He is not worth acquiring if his current manager values him as an ace, but that shouldn't be the case in many leagues. Boyd has two characteristics that should lead to a low WHIP the rest of the way — he generates plenty of fly balls and rarely issues walks. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Zack Littell, Tampa Bay Rays Littell is a poor man's version of Boyd. He doesn't generate enough strikeouts (6.0 K/9 rate) and is too hittable, which is a result of living inside the strike zone. Still, the lack of walks usually leads to a low WHIP, and this year Littell has turned his impressive 3.3% walk rate into a 1.11 WHIP. Both Boyd and Littell are ERA risks for the stretch run, but they could post an ERA over 4.00 and still help in the WHIP category. Saves Will Vest, Detroit Tigers The Tigers not only have one of the best records in baseball, but also have a favorable schedule for the stretch run, thanks to plenty of series against division opponents below .500. Vest has a modest saves total this year (16), but could skyrocket up that category if his team capitalizes on their schedule and logs several narrow victories. My plan with Vest would be to make a trade offer as soon as the MLB trade deadline passes on Thursday.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why it will be hard for JJ McCarthy to fail as a fantasy QB
Yahoo Fantasy analysts Matt Harmon and Justin Boone explain why the second-year quarterback is a steal in dynasty drafts and may end up as a serviceable fantasy option in Kevin O'Connell's offense. Hear the full conversation on the 'Yahoo Fantasy Forecast' podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript McCarthy, in my mind, is a first-round talent, and he has great weapons around him. You have a coach that just seems to make any guy under center perform well. He puts up decent fantasy stats. The fact that he's going, you know, a little bit later than these other guys I think, in hindsight, is going to be a mistake. In the long run, I think he's going to get bumped up right where we're seeing Kayla, but right where we're seeing Mago and Knicks, I think he would be a second-round talent. It might just take, you know, four weeks into the season, eight weeks into the season, or something before people realize that. If Sam Darnold can do it in this offense, I'm sorry, not to be a Sam Darnold hater, but if Sam Darnold, after the career he had leading up to that point, was able to produce like that, what is McCarthy going to do in this offense? Yeah, like, it's like hits to some degree, right? And I think obviously where they fell in this draft really kind of perfectly encapsulates that. And, you know, you can say like, you're apologizing for your Sam Darnold, like if he did it, then JJ McCarthy can do it. The entire industry is saying like, this was less about Darnold and more about what Kevin O'Connell is giving you, and I don't think you could find anybody out there that's got anything bad to say about the way O'Connell designs offenses, the players that they have locked in there for multiple years, like you have the best receiver in football in Justin Jefferson and you just keep going back and charting Jefferson pretty recently for RP, it's like, man, they just do so much to get that guy free, you know, to get him away from, I mean, it's hard to get him away from double coverage, and you know, cloud coverage, and, you know, two-high safety and stuff like that, but they do a lot to get him free on downfield concepts and, you know, Sam Darnold, to his credit, was willing and able to take and make those throws. We'll see if JJ McCarthy is that guy, but I mean, even if he's not a, I don't know, like an elite quarterback or becomes a guy that is, pushing for top-10 finishes, uh, like in these NFL rankings and stuff like that. If he's merely a good starting quarterback, it's going to be hard for him to fail from a fantasy perspective in this offense. Close
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Omarion Hampton is set up to explode for fantasy managers
Yahoo Fantasy analysts Matt Harmon and Justin Boone decide if the Chargers rookie could end up being 'the guy' in the backfield with an uncertain Najee Harris. Hear the full conversation on the 'Yahoo Fantasy Forecast' podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript What about some other guys that maybe were a little bit like third rounders you think could launch themselves into the first round range here next year. Well, not to pump your tires, but we talked about them earlier, but Marion Hampton, right? Marion Hampton. A great pick, you know, a guy who definitely could come out here out of the gate. We've mentioned the Najee Harris situation before. Najee still on the sidelines, still wearing a hoodie, still wearing sunglasses. We don't know when he's going to come back. And meanwhile, during this time, Marion Hampton is just showing off to the coaching staff. He's winning their trust. This guy is gonna hit the ground running in week one. He's gonna have a huge rookie year, and we talk about that value game as soon as he comes out and he's the starter. It's a big volume of touches in week one, and he produces in this offense, which we know running backs can produce in this offense. JK Dobbins did it last year. We're going to see Hampton, who is a much better running back, get out there and put up big numbers. And when he does, he's going to sneak up right into that range behind the Ashghettis and the Robinsons. I think he'll be right in there. I kind of see the way his path could go. At least I thought it was going to be a little more like Jamir Gibbs's rookie season. And yet now, I wonder if Hampton is just going to be the guy in that Chargers backfield and Najee is the one who's going to take a total backseat because we don't know when he's going to play and when he's going to be healthy, and he's missed a lot of valuable reps with a new team here. So, Hampton, certainly with the age, with the draft capital and with the situation he went to, it's not hard to see him vaulting up the rankings and getting up in there, you know, into that 12 turn potentially. Yeah, Jim Harbaugh said today on Tuesday that they still don't have a timeline on Najee Harris, so it's just like Hampton's getting to run all, getting all that run. He's gonna play in the Hall of Fame game, Boon. I don't know if you know that. So I mean, I remember what Josh Jacobs was, I was just gonna say yeah, don't panic when he's the fourth running back that plays in that game, yeah. Close
