LOGIN
When the MLB started juicing the balls back in 2015 there were a few players we all expected to not reap any benefits. Elvis Andrus was on most everyone’s list. But those juiced balls found their way. Bartolo Colon even hit a homer! In 2016, Andrus produced a line consistent with his career averages, yet the following year he became the next member of the 20/20 club. 20 home runs! Andrus never had a season with more than 8, and that high mark was the year before. In 2014, he only hit 2 in 157 games. Most people, like Grey, should look at that inflated number questionably. However, Andrus, just like many other players recently, decided to hit for more power. You’re telling me a player that hit 2 home runs 3 years ago can just decide to be a 20 home run hitter? Yes I am, and yes they can.

Learn more about our 2025 Fantasy Baseball Subscriptions!

The best daily/weekly player rankings/projections (hitters, starters, and relievers) for each of the next 7-10 days + next calendar week starting Friday. Kick-ass DFS lineup optimizer and projections for DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo!.

I don’t have enough spam, give me the Razzball email newsletter!

Weekly Razzball news delivered straight to your inbox.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

See all of today’s starting lineups

# MLB Starting Lineups For Sun 5/18
ARI | ATH | ATL | BAL | BOS | CHC | CHW | CIN | CLE | COL | DET | HOU | KC | LAA | LAD | MIA | MIL | MIN | NYM | NYY | PHI | PIT | SD | SEA | SF | STL | TB | TEX | TOR | WSH | OAK
The royal we already went over all the hitters for 2018 fantasy baseball rankings.  That’s not the “royal we” as that term usually implies.  It was me writing it alone while wearing a Burger King crown.  I refuse to draft a top starter where they are usually drafted.  Unlike hitters, you need six starters, depending on your league depth.  Simple math tells us there’s plenty of starters to go around.  Simple Math also says, “Stop putting words in my mouth!”  In most leagues, there’s a ton of pitchers on waivers that can help you — all year.  Not just in April, and then they disappear.  With the help of the Stream-o-Nator, you can get by with, say, three starters while streaming the rest.  There’s also the fact that three stats by starters are difficult to predict due to luck.  Wins, ERA and WHIP are prone to shift due to which way the ball bounces and whether or not the guys behind the pitchers can score runs.  Finally, the best starters can give you four categories.  The best hitters can give you five categories.  As always, where I see tiers starting and stopping are included and my projections.  Anyway, here's the top 20 starters for 2018 fantasy baseball:
Wooooooooo! It’s the Nature Boy Grey Albright back for another week of pre-season ranks on the Razzball Podcast! This week we dive into one of the most fantasy relevant positions in today’s game, the top 20 first basemen for 2018 fantasy baseball! We go from Goldy to Smoak and everything in between. We debate Hosmer vs Hoskins for 2018, and talk the strategy behind when to fill your first base and corner infield spots. We go 20+ deep and still had another 20 players we didn’t get to. First base be deep yo! Finally, please make sure to support our sponsor by heading over to RotoWear.com and entering promo code “SAGNOF” for 20% off the highest quality t-shirts in the fantasy sports game. It’s the latest edition of the Razzball Fantasy Baseball Podcast:
Steven Souza, Michael Conforto, Avisail Garcia, Corey Dickerson, Eddie Rosario, Michael Taylor.  What do those players have in common?  Guys that were in last year’s top 100 outfielders post that made it out like this is Orange is the New Black and those guys were Taystee.  Only then Taystee got reincarcerated and brought with her that badass b*tch Vee, and Vee then started running shizz and that white ho, who the show was originally about that is annoying AF, started getting institutionalized with panty-selling and lez ho’ing and–Well, anyway, you get the point.  There’s not a ton of sunshine in this top 100 outfielders, but occasionally you do get glimmers of hope.  All the 2018 fantasy baseball rankings are under that link-ma-whosie.  As always, my projections and tiers are included.  Anyway, here's the top 100 outfielders for 2018 fantasy baseball:
You shouldn't have to read tea leaves or do a sneaky scroll down to see who I am talking about in this week's closer report.  If you are new to this guessing game and word association type stuff, it is Brad Hand.  Why Brad Hand, I say why not?  I hear what you are all saying closers on losing teams are not that fantastic fantasy options, and for the most part you are right.  Because the stats behind that prove that... mostly,  But we can get into that a little later with handy-dandy stats and percentages and such.  So all Brad Hand did last year is basically his job, which in most instances gets you paid.  Which he just did by inking an extension this offseason.  The stats are all there for him to be a legit closer numero uno, with flair.  The flair that I am talking about is kinda like the buttons worn on suspenders at Shenanigans, but only with fantasy intrigue. He boasted a 11.8 K/9 rate last year, amassed 21 saves and 16 holds.  All stuff we can read on any fantasy bio sheet. Dig deeper though, and he does have a few kinks in the armor, namely a HR/FB rate that is not what you are looking for in a an elite closer, but he's being drafted as a number two.  He falls just outside the elite though, because he is capped by being on the Padres and their expected win totals... or is he?
As we continue our 2018 fantasy baseball rankings, we head into the homestretch of ranking hitters.  For those confused, homestretch isn’t when you shoot up late at night, remembering there’s a Dorito under the couch and go reaching for it.  That is the opening to my short film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dorito.  The main character has just been "Frito-laid off" and is described as Pringley and Ruffled.  Last year, this post had Aaron Judge, Domingo Santana, Josh Bell and Hunter Renfroe.  Well, they're not all gems.  My point (PLEASE!) there is some value to still be found in the outfielders, it’s just a matter of finding it, like in the landmark film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dorito.  As with the other rankings, my projections are included and where I see tiers starting and stopping. Anyway, here's the top 80 outfielders for 2018 fantasy baseball:
O Captain! My Captain! is a poem by the esteemed poet Walt Whitman. According to my go-to source, Wikipedia, it's a long metaphor about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. This piece of literature in the space of fantasy baseball, can tie, in a very improper sense, to players you'll consider undraftable due to personal vendettas come 2018. Everybody's favorite triple crown winner, Miguel Cabrera, is where my mind wanders when thinking of players that fit this criteria. (Sorry Yastrzemski, I'm a millennial.) Instead of focusing on my terrible metaphors, let's talk about Cabrera's rough 2017.
What an off-season it’s been here on the Razzball Prospect Podcast. As we roll through system by system, leaving nothing but intelligent minor league coverage in our wake, we’ve had the good fortune of interviewing some of the top prospectors in their respective organizations. It all culminates this week, as we welcome The Athletic’s Emily Waldon into the fold. Emily is a friend and the go to resource for all things Tigers Prospects related. Lance goes back and forth between Emily’s Tigers list for the Athletic and my list for Razzball, going Player by player discussing their fantasy and real life impact. It’s another banner week here on the Razzball podcast. Finally, please make sure to support our sponsor by heading over to RotoWear.com and entering promo code “SAGNOF” for 20% off the highest quality t-shirts in the fantasy sports game. It’s the latest edition of the Razzball Fantasy Baseball Prospect Podcast:
In this series I’m going to be helping you find values at each position. There are players whose ADP has risen higher than their actual fantasy value based on name value or anticipated performance. Like a health-conscious cook book I’ll give you the alternatives to the unhealthy high calorie options that will give you heart trouble in a few months. Draft This: [player]Mike Zunino[/player], SEA Not That: [player]Salvador Perez[/player], KCR This first recommendation is not for the risk averse. Perez is the picture perfect example of your safe, average fantasy catcher. In standard leagues where only 10-12 catchers will be drafted, Perez can be pretty attractive mid-round pick. Over his last 4 season he has a .258 average with .260, .260, .247, .268 averages over those seasons. You can pretty safely predict he’ll hit within that narrow range again in 2018. In that same time he has slightly increased his home run power over that time too: 17, 21, 22, 27 (4-year average: 22 per season.) So why would I recommend one of the most disappointing catchers over the past 4 seasons over Perez? Well when you look at their ADP and their 2017 stats -- you could make the case. Well not you I guess -- ME! And according to ME you should be looking at drafting a player for $1 and hoping he produces like a $10 player not drafting a player for $5 and him producing like an $5 player.
For the top 60 outfielders for 2018 fantasy baseball, we're going to change it up.  Instead of listing every player rank and projection for the top 60 outfielders, I'm going to list their favorite seltzer flavor:  apricot, mango, mango, mango, lemon-lime, coconut.  COCONUT?!  Oh, c'mon, Schwarber!  Maybe I should go back to listing outfielders and projections.  Yeah, that's likely best since I don't even remember who liked Cucumber-Guava.  As with all of my 2018 fantasy baseball rankings, my projections are included and where I see tiers starting and stopping.  Anyway, here's the top 60 outfielders for 2018 fantasy baseball:
As I was scrolling through the FantasyPros rankings, looking for someone to write about, I started getting despondent. There was no one to write about because the stable of great writers at Razzball seemingly touched on everyone! But, like a good little grasshopper, I kept mining for the Bitcoin. Then, I found him: Manuel Margot. Sexy? Definitely not, but neither was Biggie, and he got us to bob our heads up and down and wave our arms in the air from side to side. Speaking of which, I couldn't get this song out of my head while I was thinking about Margot.  Yes, I was hypnotized. You want the fantasy hoops? Even if it sounds like a STD? SON's got you covered over Razzball Basketball!
Hey, guys and five girls, we're (I're) back!  Today's 2018 fantasy baseball rankings tackle your favorite (I'm guessing!), the top 40 outfielders for 2018 fantasy baseball.  Last year, Stephen Hawking was hitting his keyboard robotically telling us, "It’s a black hole for outfielders, we need to spontaneously combust some new ones."  Then, between outfielder rants, Stephen would jot down a letter to Eddie Redmayne about a sequel to The Theory of Everything.  Well, no sequel on the horizon, but don't underestimate Hawking's ability to spontaneously combust some new outfielders, because this position is deep AF.  As always, my projections are noted for each player and where I see tiers starting and stopping.  Also, all of Rudy's hitter projections are under that easy-to-click link.  Anyway, here's the top 40 outfielders for 2018 fantasy baseball: