There are two parts to every season that really drive fantasy success. First off, we have the draft that sets your path for the beginning of the season. Coming out of the draft, I believe you should always feel like a winner. Otherwise, your preparation was not as thorough as it could have been. Anytime I leave the draft feeling disappointed, I know I have a long season ahead as the second part of the season gets underway. That second phase is simply free agency where hidden gems are there for the taking if you employ the right aggressive strategy. This week we discuss Free Agency Acquisition Budget (FAAB) strategy and where that money should be spent as we come up to the end of May.
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Under the arch in St. Louis, the weather is heating up and so are the bats of two Nolans. Between Nolan Arenado and Nolan Gorman, the Cardinals boast two of the hottest bats in recent weeks. Over the last 14 days, a total of 12 home runs, 19 runs and 33 RBI has turned the disaster of a season for the Cardinals into some form of senseless hope that the NL Central loves to foster. Between a potential future hall of farmer in Arenado and a young 23-year-old bat figuring things out at the major league level, our Top 100 hitters see the law firm of Nolan and Nolan moving on up. Who else is gaining value for the rest of the season? Read on as we dive into the Top 100 hitters for the rest of the 2023 fantasy baseball season.
Please, blog, may I have some more?The early season waiver wire is starting to dry up with hot starts snatched up and no more James Outman or Josh Lowe breakouts there for the finding. Or are they? For the discerning fantasy owner there is opportunity everywhere. While those offseason breakout lists were good fun, maybe we can find 20 homers or 40 steals sitting there for the taking in mid-May. I cannot promise a championship, but there are a few breakout candidates that deserve a second look. This week, our hitter profiles search for talent that you will wish you had before the rest of your league wises up for the rest of the 2023 season.
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Top 100 Hitters: Running Ronald At The Top
May 7, 2023 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 2 Commentsby: Jeremy Brewer
Welcome to the month of May. As the quote goes “All things seem possible in May”. From a fantasy manager perspective, that is likely great news as nothing has gone to plan for your 2023 season. Whether that is a demotion of a budding young star like Jordan Walker. Maybe it is an injury that kicked you before you even started, like Jose Altuve. Or simply it could be an investment not paying off, like Jose Abreu. Many fantasy managers are glad to be running into May. Speaking of running, we have a new leader atop our Top 100 hitters for the rest of the 2023 fantasy baseball season. That guy is none other than Ronald Acuna Jr. who leads the league in stolen bases and has already amassed a combined 50 Runs + RBI. All of this with a massive leap forward in approach at the plate with his strikeout rate dropping ten points to land below 15%. At this point, we could be looking at a 25 homerun and 50 stolen base season for the Brave. Move over Trea Turner, the top spot belongs to Ronnie.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Hitter Profiles: Figuring It Out Man!
April 30, 2023 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Hitters | Leave a commentby: Jeremy Brewer
A lot has been written about the breakout of young Dodgers outfielder James Outman. He has been off to an outstanding start to the 2023 fantasy baseball season and has showed limited signs of slowing down. Going into the weekend slate, the 25-year old has performed as a top 20 hitter on the Razzball Player Rater. Sitting on pace for over 35 homers and 100 R and RBI, he has been a revelation for owners. This week, we will focus our hitter profiles on identifying what in Outman’s background has produced a valuable fantasy asset through the first month of the season. In addition, we will scour the minors to see if we can find any players the fit the same mold for us to invest in for the rest of the 2023 fantasy season.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Top 100 Hitters: Another One Bites The Dust
April 23, 2023 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Top 100 Hitters | 11 Commentsby: Jeremy Brewer
Can we please stop breaking things already? I mean, we should have all expected that Giancarlo Stanton was going to get injured at some point. But did we need to see Garrett Mitchell out for the season or Will Smith continue to miss time with a concussion? No, we did not! Add in a banged-up Tim Anderson, Corey Seager and Ramon Laureano and there is more pain than gain for the last week. For next week’s article, maybe we will need to run the correlation coefficient between game time and injury frequency so we can blame Manfred for all this chaos! However, until then we are at that time to publish another edition of the Top 100 Hitters for the rest of the 2023 fantasy baseball season.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Hitter Profiles: Hot Starter Buy Or Sell
April 16, 2023 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Hitters | 2 Commentsby: Jeremy Brewer
We are roughly two weeks into the season and have plenty of baseball left to play. This is still the point where it can be hard to tell the difference between a true breakout and a guy that simply had a hot start to the season. Do we believe that Nico Hoerner will steal 80+ bases on his current pace? Maybe Ryan Mountcastle is going to out slug Aaron Judge? Since we all love a buy or sell, we are going to dive into a handful of hot starts this week and see if they should be on your roster long-term.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Top 100 Hitters: Early Learnings
April 9, 2023 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Featured, Top 100 Hitters | 19 Commentsby: Jeremy Brewer
We are merely eight games into the 2023 season and have learned a lot about what we can expect this season. For starters, that lack of steals we have seen in past seasons is long gone with the rule changes going forward. This means that players that derive value from speed will have more than ample opportunity to contribute. We are also reminded that injuries are a reality of our game that will drive any fantasy manager crazy as we see players like Jose Altuve and Michael Harris tumble down the rankings. Finally, we are rewarded for our eternal hope in the prospecting of our fantasy teams through players like Jordan Walker and Corbin Carroll. If the first week of the fantasy season has told us anything, it is that we are in for a fun ride and with that a lot of opportunity for the savvy fantasy owner. Time to break down the top 100 hitters for the rest of the 2023 fantasy baseball season.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Hitter Profiles: Guys I Own Too Much
April 2, 2023 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 4 Commentsby: Jeremy Brewer
If you are a reader here at Razzball, you are likely in a number of leagues ranging from season-long to best ball or dynasty. In the name of the game, we must be thinking about the value of diversification. For the investment mindset of a fantasy owner, owning a wide range of players can lower your risk by weathering the ups and downs of the season. That said, even the smartest fantasy writers do not always follow the principles of diversifying their portfolio. With that premise, every draft season I find myself over indexed to certain players. This week, our hitter profiles break down guys that sit on too many of my rosters and why I kept investing.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Top 100 Hitters: The Full List
March 26, 2023 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Top 100 Hitters | 13 Commentsby: Jeremy Brewer
Over the past three weeks we have been working through the Top 25 (link), Top 50 (link) and Top 75 (link). This week, we unveil the full list and fix all the mistakes of the past few weeks otherwise known as updating for any injury, job update or breakout during spring training. This season, our Top 100 Hitters will be posted every other week and focus on what remains of the season. That means, that while somebody like Lars Nootbar will inevitably start the season hot, that does not make him a top hitter on our list. Alternatively, guys like Bryce Harper and Trevor Story are going to be creeping up the list as their returns draw near. Without further ado, the final preseason installment has arrived in our Top 100 hitters for the 2023 fantasy baseball season.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Top 100 Hitters: The Triumvirate
March 19, 2023 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Top 100 Hitters | 4 Commentsby: Jeremy Brewer
Welcome back to week three of unveiling the top 100 Hitters for the 2023 fantasy baseball season. Over the past few weeks, we have walked through the top 25 (check it here) and then rounded out the top 50 (another link) bringing us to this week. We are now entering the back half of the top 100 hitters for 2023. This portion is where the rankings start to bunch up and hitter #51 is much closer to hitter #75 than #1 is to #2. Maybe that is stating the obvious but it is key for how we handle this portion of the draft. With this group of hitters, we start to think about need, team makeup, and shortfalls in our categories to ensure we have a well balanced team rather than trying to win a single roto category by lapping the field. We all know the guy that drafts only steals or seven closers, so do not be that person! With the formalities out of the way, let us get on with the rankings.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Top 100 Hitters: Rounding Second
March 12, 2023 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Hitters, Top 100 Hitters | 2 Commentsby: Jeremy Brewer
Last week, we walked through my initial top 25 as we began to count down, or rather count up our top 100 hitters for the 2023 fantasy baseball season. While the top 25 was a star studded group on which fantasy dreams are born, the next 25 contain breakout potential and a number of reliable veterans. Once we get past this group, the questions start to grow and the debate will certainly spark. Without further ado, let us jump into our continuing view of the top 100 hitters for the 2023 fantasy baseball season with spots 26 through 50!
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