What better topic to get Grey’s blood boiling early in the week than top starting pitchers for fantasy. If you don’t know, not sure how you couldn’t, but Grey hates pitchers in the top three rounds. He’d rather live out his days as Pablo Sandoval’s bosom sweat mediation pad than draft Clayton Kershaw. So we use Grey’s Top 40 Starting Pitchers as our guide, and dive into the strategy of building a pitching staff. We go tier by tier, directing you on who to avoid, who to draft, and where to buy the best boba filled refreshments. #Bobalife. 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:
Find all of the 30 Minor League Previews, and Offseason Rankings on the Minor League Index
On Twitter as @ProspectJesus
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Hey Ralph, quick prospect question for you. We have a prospect draft every mid-year where we each draft 3 prospects, and we can keep 3 above our normal keepers for that year plus 2 more. The other trick in our league is we have one starting spot each for rookie hitter and rookie pitcher. Here are the ones I have to pick three from – I think the choices are obvious, but thought I’d get your thoughts:
Kyle Tucker (2 more years)
Scott Kingery (2 more years)
Walker Buehler (2 more years)
Josh Hader (this year only)
Lourdes Gurriel (this year only)
I heard you saying Buehler may not be too impactful this year, but I still need to keep him over Hader given that he’s still a rookie, and since I get to keep him an extra year, correct?
@Milarky: Yeah, Top three kids are no brainers for me. Do that!
Ralph where would you rank Reynaldo Lopez in the SP list if he makes the rotation? I’m talking redraft here
Thank you!
@Sport: I like him, but he’s that back end tier with like German Marquez and other guys with some warts. He has the aresnel to take the next step and I love Don Cooper.
Hey Ralph!
Great pod. You guys got me all worked up for Aaron Nola. Where do you think he’ll fall on your rankings?…. and when can we look forward to seeing your top100 SP rankings?
Thanks man!
@RICE: Next week. I’m finishing the Top 100 Prospects as we speak.
@Ralph Lifshitz: Thanks man! Can’t wait!
@RICE: OH WAIT….. best guess on where Nola lands for you? Higher than Grey? Lower?
@RICE: Nola will be around there.
I asked Grey the same question but I wanted your take on it since it is a dynasty league.
This is a 12 team 6X5 with OPS added & QS instead of wins. Also no CI or MI & using just 3 OF spots (LF, CF& RF) but having 2 utility spots
For hitters I am planning to keep: Arenado, Goldy, Correa, JDM, Myers, Hamilton, K Davis, Domingo, Schoop, Segura, W Calhoun, & A Hays.
Piching: Thor, Archer, Cole, Bauer, E Diaz, Herrera, Treinen, Soroka, Allard, & Buehler (top 50 type prospects are highly valued)
So I would need to pick 3 from this list: Franco, DeShields, McCann, Semien, Dahl ( I want to keep if he has a position), Healy, Maeda, C Anderson, Morton, Lamet, Barraclough, Hader, B Marsh, & J Albertos.
Am I right with the prospects I am keeping & dropping?? Which 3 would you keep? or more if you switch any around ? Should I keep Dahl even if he starts in the minors??
@henncoop: I’d keep the guys you have and add Dahl, Healy, and Lamet. If you’re looking more 2018 focused go Anderson or Morton over Lamet.
@Ralph Lifshitz: Thanks much… I won the league 2 years ago but last year was 4th mainly because of Thor being out all year. I think I want to hold on to Dahl. My big issue is keeper list is due @ midnight today so no way to know how things play out this year. He makes for a good player on my NA list if he gets sent down.
I like what Morton did last year & pitching is probably my biggest need. That being said I’d love holding on to Lamet as well.
That would have me dropping Healy but since he is dinged up maybe I can draft him back in this year’s 5 round draft.
Overall it is a solid team so it is hard to get the list down to 25 players.
Thanks again for your take on the situation
Hey Ralph,
How do you feel about the big maple this year? In an AL only auction league, already keeper Carrasco @ $20, would you hold Pax @ $20 as well or go fishing else where? Word is he’s stopped drinking milk in the hopes of avoiding an inflammatory diet (IE TB12) to lessen the odds of him getting injured.
Looking forward to the top 100 SPs!
@J-Money: Hahaha! He’s drinking the Brady Kool Aid and not the Milk! That doesn’t matter to me, at $20 he’s likely good value no? If he goes for a dollar over you have value. You’d know the league better than me, but in salary cap leagues I feel securing pitchers at a good value is tough on the open auction market.
@Ralph Lifshitz: Haha, I’d say that I may not…I’ve been a fantasy baller for years, but always H2H mixed 12 team leagues…I got sucked into this AL-Only Auction league for the first time last year, and I have to say the draft is a rush…but I’m still learning the best way to build a ROTO roster and find value…I think he’s of value there, its just risk/reward for the injury factor.
Thanks man!
Nice it’s here. Going different strategy for pitching this year, not tatgeting top 20ish. Gotta hit on the late rounds so i needed this.
@NewYorkMutts: No worries! We got another 60 coming next week!
Can’t believe I’m asking this, but what do you think of Folty this year? He’s burned me 3 years straight LOL but so far he’s had a great spring
@M: He’s a late round flier that I’ll take a chance on. I’ve long felt he’s on the cusp, and shown flashes. Take a flier!
Looking forward to the 18th!
I need help on a trade please. I took over a really bad 10 team dynasty and I have to start from scratch basically. I have a few good pieces like Jose Abreu, Springer, and Verlander. A guy in the league really wants my Wood!…..I mean a guy in my league wants my Alex Wood and Doolittle. He has offered Starling Marte, Mackenzie Gore, Nick Senzel, and Carson Fulmer. Other than Fulmer I like those other three but is it all enough? What if I asked for his first round pick (4th overall)? Or is it not enough to deal Wood?
@Sport: Is Starling Marte, Gore, Senzel, and Fulmer enough for Wood and Foolittle? HELL [email protected]&$ing Yeah! Make that deal boy!
I’d do that deal for just Marte, or just Senzel let alone all of those.
@Ralph Lifshitz: Thank you! I’m new to the prospect trading so I’m still learning!
Hey Ralph!
In dynasty format (20 teams, 30 max positions) for pitching with scoring W, K, ERA, WHIP and SV+H, is any of these pitchers (Peacock, Maeda, Foltynewicz, De León, Flaherty or Nate Jones) worth keeping for this season? I am planning to keep Severino, Kimbrel, Gausman, Gray, Treinen, Castillo and have 2 spots open.
If not, I am leaning towards keeping Devon Travis, Raimel Tapia, Anthony Alford or David Peralta in batting department instead of above-mentioned pitchers.
Thanks!
@MLB Slovenia: I’d go Alford and Maeda
16 team dynasty. roto. 7 man max prospect list. stuff added to 5×5 is hits, OPS, slugging, total bases, steals % and OBP over average for hitting, for pitching QS, holds, K/9, holds, K/BB, net saves. 1800 max innings
active roster
C zunino
1B miggy
2B jose ram (3B)
3B longo
SS semien
MI solarte (2B/3B/SS)
CI r-zimm
LF mancini (1B)
CF kiermaier
RF jd mart
OF mookie (RF)
OF brocktune (LF/RF)
util mcmahon
util hanram
BN bader (CF), BN mini donkey (1B), travis (2B)
SP (optimally 6, 5 start),
wood/cueto/hamels/morton/lamet/rodon/mccarthy
RP (room for 6)
kimbrel/morrow/neris/rivero/knebel/peacock/yates (still trying to trade a closer for MI value or holds guy or both, probably throwing back solarte party or travis or semien)
gotta drop at least 4 players (mccarthy/mini donkey/yates and somebody likely) before main draft (which is just waivers right at start of season)
prospect list: reyes (when i call him up he’ll be able to DL slot likely), c.stewart (LF), meadows (CF), fedde SP, k.lewis (RF), collins (C), already dropped i.diaz to make room for my upcoming 1st round pick (we only have to drop as many slots per round as we intend to draft). these already went
ohtani (both go to one owner)
andujar
bichette
jupab mart
gore
wright
r.lewis
florial
sixto
riley
l.robert
mckay
with these being at top of your old board: trammell, baez, greene, j.jones, adell, chavis, alvarez, soroka, j.sanchez, hiura
1. with my exact roster, and so much OF depth already on it, nab MI or SP with my 1st pick or just go with the overall value with intent on trading?
2. 2. with as low as you sound on k.lewis, is he the next drop? there are quite a few OF that i could grab with my 2nd pick at 2.1 (we’re on 1.13 now), i could go MI/SP with pick 1, then best OF with pick 2 as mine are back to back. or fedde?
it’d be collins vs lewis or fedde, their old rankings (64, vs 34 vs not listed). quite a few guys available ranked higher than collins from the old list (13) only 3 higher than lewis’ old ranking (34th). basically does my OF surplus vs MI/SP dearth (esp MI) lead my drafting? hiura probably around shortly.
@Joey Jo Jo Jr Shabadoo: hiura just went, so i guess it’s either
1. baez/trammell
2. baez/alvarez (to spread positional value)
@Joey Jo Jo Jr Shabadoo: I’d do Baez/Trammell
@Ralph Lifshitz: yeah went baez/trammell, called up reyes (he’ll likely be DL’d early in year, can stash, or remove fedde and put him back down). what about this trade idea, i had gone after c.green (holds) earlier, but then he got traded weeks ago. the new owner is coming after my knebel (and i need to trade away saves for holds while getting some other equity for the difference).
1. my knebel + rodon + lamet for carrasco + green. this also opens up space i might need and since cueto was NOT the ace i drafted him to be last year it improves my SP for now. but of course it being a dynasty league losing rodon/lamet might not be smart.
or this one
2. my knebel/rodon/lamet/peacock for carrasco/green/pomeranz.
i tried trading some of my prospect OF depth in this rather than both of rodon/lamet but with all of the bigger name OF still out there in prospect draft (adell/j.jones/heredia/yordan/ramos/j.sanchez) he knows he’ll get one probably at his next pick.
@Joey Jo Jo Jr Shabadoo: grey likes both, 2 more so. this does condense my guys, give me holds, give me the best player (and possibly the 2nd best if pom long term is better than either of lamet/rodon)
Hey Ralph,
Great stuff. Would you keep either Greinke ($13) or Verlander ($17) as a a keeper in a $260 budget, or just try and get them at those prices in the Auction?
Also, for hitters I’m leaning towards Acuna and E. Rosario at $5 each over paying for Freeman at $35 or Hosmer $18.
Thanks!
@Joe: I’d go Acuna and Freeman and Verlander if you can swing it.
Hey Ralph! Off topic question for you re: a 12 team standard keeper league (keep 7; weekly lineup, 7 bench spots):
Looking to spend one of my last 2 $0 bench picks on a prospect who could be a superstar, isn’t expected to have full time ABs this year, but could make a huge August/Sept. impact to the point that he becomes a killer keeper for 2019 . . . think 2016 Turner, 2017 Rhys . . .
Who do you think that guy is for 2018?
Looking at your list, Tatis Jr. jumps out to me, as does the deeper-cut of Mateo. Both are projected to debut in 2019, but is there really that much blocking them from full ABs by end of 2018?
running a keep 9 in espn. no way to check this on their site as far as i can see, but do keepers slot into earliest rounds or latest rounds? obviously if it’s earliest rounds i’ll need to reverse the draft order
2. similar question. in espn how do you go about slotting guys into rounds if you want specific rounds for them? this last isn’t my issue now but it’d still be good to know.