Anthony Franco99 posts

It’s a question that plagues fantasy owners every year. Was it a merely a down year, or (insert favorite former star here) over-the-hill? In dynasty, owners might panic and sell off a player on the wrong side of 30 at a low point in value, based on the mistaken belief that the player was trending downward. Anyone shop Justin Verlander amidst his early-2017 skid? Well, it happens to the best of us. Conversely, holding an aged player dreaming on a bounce-back that never comes is among the most frustrating parts of fantasy.…

Power’s been easier to find recently, but there’s evidence that the juiced ball had begun to level off. While the league’s average exit velocity on fly balls ticked up half a mile per hour compared to 2017, the average fly ball didn’t travel any farther. Batters hit the ball a little harder, but it wasn’t carrying quite so much. We don’t have any conclusive evidence yet that the ball lost some of its jump, but it’s possible. If that proves to be the case, then power might be more difficult to find than it has been recently.…

Spring training is here! Meaningful pro baseball is still a month away, but draft season is fast-approaching. With that in mind, I’ll put to bed my offseason player profiles and switch to some quicker hits for owners to consider as draft day approaches. Today we'll look at a few potential breakout starting pitchers I like for the coming season.Last year at this time, I was bullish on Blake Snell, noting that his strong second half in 2017 set him up as a deep-league breakout. At the time, he was being drafted 60th on…

I’ve spent most of the past few weeks considering young, up-and-coming players as part of my ongoing offseason profile series. I’ll continue that trend today by looking at one of 2018’s quiet breakout rookies. Ramon Laureano flashed an impressive collection of tools in his MLB cameo, and he comes with rare power-speed upside at the back end of drafts. He’s still very much boom-or-bust, but if he hits, Laureano could be an exciting fantasy asset.The time is now! Fantasy Baseball leagues are already forming at…

I’ve spent the past few weeks considering young, up-and-coming players as part of my ongoing offseason profile series. Last time, I looked at Max Kepler, who might be on the verge of a breakout based on his plate discipline and batted ball metrics. I’ll stick in the AL Central this week, but I’m going in a completely different direction. This will serve as a quick reminder that Miguel Cabrera still rakes.The Super Bowl is history and it's time to start thinking fantasy baseball. Leagues are already forming at…

Anthony Franco dissects Rockies right-hander German Marquez and finds a nice gooey center of fantasy goodness.

Max Muncy was one of 2018's biggest breakouts. Can he do it again?

Last week, I dove into Padres outfielder Manuel Margot as a potential deep sleeper for 2019. I like Margot because he’s young, he’s got tools and his peripherals showed signs of offensive maturation that his surface numbers didn’t quite reflect. Much of that applies today, too. Max Kepler’s career slash line would suggest he’s a disappointment, at least relative to his prospect status. He was Baseball America’s number 30 overall prospect entering the 2016 season, a big-league ready outfielder with an elite approach and…

I’ve spent this offseason looking at players whose fantasy stock was elevated or depressed by surprising 2018 seasons. Today, though, I’ll look at a player whose age and physical tools make him an intriguing sleeper in 2019. Manuel Margot has fallen into a bit of post-hype anonymity with a San Diego franchise whose top-notch farm system is more exciting than its current MLB product. Nevertheless, Margot’s only entering his age-24 season, and the physical abilities for impact production are in here.If you’re like us…

I’ve spent this offseason looking at players whose fantasy stock was elevated or depressed by surprising 2018 seasons. Today, I’ll touch on a player who bounced back from a series of underwhelming seasons to turn in his most productive performance in four years, only to be traded by the reigning NL champs. Early ADP data suggest that owners are overlooking Yasiel Puig, who can contribute across the board and who Steamer projects as a top 40 hitter in 2019.If you’re like us you can’t wait until spring to get the 2019…