After months of waiting, months of draft prep, many, many drafts, it is finally time for baseball. We got a brief taste with the World Baseball Classic but now our fantasy teams come front and center. You could sit down at 10AM (PST) and not leave the couch until 10PM, filling your entire day with non-stop baseball. If that doesn’t excite you then well, I’m not really sure what to tell you. This is the moment you’ve all been training for. Look, I get it, draft season is great and super exciting but now the real fun begins, There’s an old fantasy adage that you don’t win your league at the draft and I am a firm believer in that. The waiver wire is a key component of the quest for a title. So who should you be eyeballing as the season kicks off?
Jordan Walker is long gone, but he’s still one of the guys I’m most excited to watch. Sorry if that’s not particularly helpful but I just wanted to mention how excited I am for his debut. He did suffer a shoulder injury in Spring Training and his stats took a hit when he returned. It isn’t anything to be overly concerned about but an impatient manager may cut and run too early if it lingers into the season. I don’t think that will happen, I expect him to take the majors by storm but it’s something to keep an eye on.
Blake Sabol has made the Opening Day roster for the Giants and should see a good chunk of playing time in the outfield. He had a great spring, batting almost .350 with 3 home runs. However, the part that gets me all hot and bothered is his eligibility at catcher. The fantasy world is in love with Daulton Varsho because he’s a catcher who doesn’t actually get in the squat. In theory, this should allow him to play more games since he won’t be subject to the normal wear and tear that plagues catchers. It remains to be seen precisely what his role will be and Gabe Kapler can be a real fantasy headache with his platoons but there could be huge value here. If he can carve out a regular role in the outfield a top 5 catcher season is not out of the realm of possibility.
Trevor Larnach is rumored to be batting 4th to open the season. If that holds, i.e. if he hits, there’s big time power potential here. His batting average could cost him a regular spot in the lineup but if he can be decent in that department he can make a splash. I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s one of the top adds next week.
Oscar Colas may have already been drafted in your league because hype for him has been growing and he has been rumored to have a roster spot for a minute now. With the news that he has made the Opening Day roster that hype will soon be off the charts. We don’t know if he will start immediately or what his role will be but that dude can hit. Grey thinks he’s a smart bet for Rookie of the Year at 30-1 so there’s obviously potential here. Scoop him if you can and see what happens.
Jared Shuster looks to be in line for a spot in the Braves rotation, at least to open the season. Spring training numbers should always be taken with a grain of salt but he was dominant with 18 Ks in 18 innings. His competition with Dylan Dodd will extend into the regular season and whichever of the two wins the battle will have season long value. Dodd was pretty impressive himself with 20 Ks in 18 innings but for some reason think Shuster comes out on top. Either way, both should be in the mix as early streamers.
Luis Cessa has a spot in the rotation, at least for now, and that means innings. He’s definitely a deeper league target for now but there is upside here. Deep leagues take notice, but he’s probably gone there anyways.
Happy Opening Day and here’s to a great fantasy season. As always, hit me up here or on Twitter with all your fantasy needs.
