Fantasy baseball first rounders, pitchers to target, NL East race, and more...

You're listening to the Fantasy Sports Radio Network. Did we become best friends? Fantasy best friends forever? All right, let's do this thing. Fantasy best friends forever. Frank Standfeld. No, Greg sus mean this week. That means I'm not singing. I can't sing without Greg. I'm not gonna do that to myself. I'm not gonna do that to people who are listening and watching. But Greg Sussman's out. Today's birthday, so happy birthday, Greg. Make sure you wish him a

happy birthday on Twitter at Greg Sussman. You heard the promo before the start of the show today, so I thought, there's no better person that I can get to break down the A A F. Then Matt Modica, what's going on? Mattie moo Hey, what's going on? Frank? Happy birthday too, Mr Susman, are you are you ready to break down the a f That's that's what we're doing for the next hour. Sure, whatever you want to do with my friend that is Matt Modica. You can follow him on

Twitter at CTM Baseball. I want to I want to give up congratulations to Matt Modica for for joining the Athletic Fantasy staff. First and foremost, congrats Maddie mo Like I do for the start of, you know, the past couple of weeks of shows, I gotta I gotta ask you one very important question. How did you sleep last night? Like a baby? Actually actually had some good I usually don't sleep well, but last night, for some reason, I slept like a baby. That's great to hear. Another question.

I mean, look, everyone's dying to know. I'm dying to know. You know, everyone remembers Matmodiga from last year, the work he did with the Fantasy Sports Network. I was on Rodo Experts in the morning, he was on the Frenzy. I'm sorry, Goon Squad. I had to steal Matt Modico away for today's show with the Fantasy BFS. Matt, how many drafts have you done so far? Because I feel like usually at this point you have like you have like fifty in your back pocket or something like that.

I usually do a lot more kind of cut down so far this year and just been mapping things out, uh, trying to use uh a d P as a guide. You should never use it as a bible, but it gives you good indications. And I think we'll talk about KDS later on in the show. Yeah, KDS people are like, what the hell is a KDS. That's Kentucky Derby style, which is basically how picks are determined on the NFBC.

So we'll get into that specifically. Matt. You, uh, you don't play exclusively on NFBC, but i'd imagine you you've have You've had a lot of drafts there already. Am I right? Pretty much? I'm exclusive? Then I do uh a Dynasty league, uh with the guys from Rod to Why I created that. That's really my like one and only and I will be doing the tout Wars draft and hold this year, so those would be my two, uh,

my two non leagues. Yeah, so today on the show, we're gonna break down the first round of fantasy baseball. I mentioned that last week with Greg that I really wanted to do that with you kind of you know, go over all right, the top fifteen picks right now for those who play in fifteen team roto leagues. Talk about Lindor this injury, how far is he's slipping down draft. I don't know if you had any you know, drafts over the weekend where you could see kind of where

Lindora is slipping to. I know that there was an industry type draft, the BARF League that Justin Mason hosts out there on the West coast, so we'll get into that. I know we have data from there to see where Francisco Lindor went and where he was drafted. Manumo, I told you I was gonna bring this up before the show. We were talking a little bit, and this is why we need to stick to fantasy. You know. I try and play some basketball here and there, try to keep

my cardio up. That that's that's how I try and keep in shape. But now I got like this back injury. I got like this Clayton Kershaw thing going on where like, honestly, if Greg was here this week, maybe I'd be putting on like the d L or the ile whatever they're calling it now, but Greig's not here, so I gotta hold it down. Um, I messed on my back playing basketball. Uh. This is this is why we stick to fantasy and

we don't play any sports. Matt. Yeah, you're you're too young to be injured right now during the prime of your life. I don't know if I would put it that way. I feel a lot older than I am. I gotta stop drinking or something. I don't know. I usually do you know it's sober January where I don't drink it all. I think one of these years I'm just gonna do like a sober year and I'm just gonna like, all right, screw it. I'm not drinking at all this year. But let's jump into the first round here, Matt.

Like before we actually look at the ADP of the first fifteen players being drafted, what's like your initial takeaway with the first round of fantasy baseball drafts this season? My initial away is I want to be in the first half. I obviously want one or two. If I have that option, I will take it every time so I can get trout or bets Uh, picked three quite a few times this year, and I was splitting that between Lindor and a Kuna. But now both players and

this is why I like to draft early. Look, there is risk, but both players have you know, warning signs. Now Lindora's obviously out for quite some time. Uh, he's getting knocked down and deserved the show. I don't know how. I don't know how severe the calf injuries. It sounds, you know, like two months he's gonna be out. So that's never a good thing with your first round pick. Do you think with a Kuna? And I love him

and I'm not worried about about the sophomore slump. The only thing I'm worried about is if he's bat and clean up, how is that going to affect his slowan basis, I would love to see him back in the leadoff spot. I know he wants to be a leadoff hitter and so that's something to think about. Yeah, that definitely is.

And I saw the report when they were you know, they were talking to the Braves manager and they said, you know, as of right now, they have a projected starting lineup that has ronaldacun Your batting forth, whereas last year. Most of the damage he did on the base pass in terms of running and stealing bases, You're absolutely right. Uh more so came out of the leadoff spots. So you know, I think he has the speed, he has the potential to steal you know, fifteen and twenty bases.

But if you move them down don the order and he's batting clean up, you know, what do you realistically project you know, ten to twelve is that a fair projection? I mean, I think you do have to cut them significantly. I would think something in that range would sound proudy. When it comes to Francisco Lindor, I mentioned that, you know, there was an industry draft over the weekend he fell

to the eight spot. Now he's dealing with a calf injury and is expected to miss seven to nine weeks, which you know that that kind of puts him right around opening day, like he might miss the first weeks. But a calf injury, especially one that right away they you know, they didn't shy away from it. They basically said right away, you know he's gonna be on the shelf for seven or nine weeks. You know, that is

eye opening for me because a lot of Francisco. Lindoor's value the way that it has been this year and the way that he was being drafted. You know, before this injury, he was a top three, top four pick. I saw him slide to pick eight in this draft. If this calf injury as severe as they're letting on you, I'm not gonna be able to steal t thirty bases here. Matt, Well, here's the thing. It happened now. So that's that's the

that's the positive. That's you know, that's the glass half full kind of mentality where you know, I don't know, maybe he's a quick healer. I mean maybe come opening Day he's ready. He just needs to get some at bats and stuff like that. We know in the past though calf injuries can be really significant for me. It's gonna drop him down anywhere from say twelve to that fifteen range because I don't want to not get Lindor, especially if I'm picking on the turrent, I'm gonna have

a hard time passing on Lindor. And so he misses only a handful of games, so he's ready for the stock of the season. You know that, I don't know, it's something we have time to monitor if you're draft them. Now, to me, there's like he's probably you know, like eleven gat people that I'm definitely taking over him. Uh, no questions. Yes, this re course in that first round, you really don't want to have to worry about anything. So if I'm not having to worry about these other stud players, I'll

take them. But I mean there's a lot of question marks on a lot of players, and Lindor you know, the thirty home runs. Uh, he's gonna batch you around to eighty with the possibility. Yeah, I'm sure we'll have inside injuries on at some point this week, and I'm gonna have to ask them about this injury. You know. Typically, I know that their algorithm is, you know, with lower

leg injuries, especially something like a calf. I have a feeling, this is me speculating right now that they're gonna say that he's gonna be at a very high risk for re injury when it comes to a calf strain, especially a guy that we're expecting to steal you know, anywhere from to thirty bases. So that's just my take on it. Well, we'll find out from inside injuries later on in the week. Matt I've been on the record already saying that, and

I hear what you're saying about drafting in the first round. Look, you, uh, in the first half of the first round, you you get one of these elite talents. You know, first or second you're gonna get trout or bets. You know, you get one of those five outfielders that are also important. Uh in rotisserie drafts um and look, you just can't argue with the talent that's going in the first round.

I have already said that, I think, and you know, I'm still doing drafts and I'm still trying to figure out where i want to be in the first round. But if I were picking my draft slot, I think I would want to be later in the first round and grab one of these aces to pair with a

hitter in the second round or fights first. You know, I think I want to grab one of these legitimate aces, one of these starting pitch years in the first two rounds, one of you know, Scherzer, de Gram, Chris Sale, Corey Kluber. I don't know if you throw Justin Verlander in that mix, but I think he's pretty safe for two plus endings pitched because to me, I feel like there are more first round caliber hitters that are being drafted in the

second round this year or whatever reason. Look, jose L TV was the first round player the past couple of years, and he returned that value. Now he's going in the second round. There's a reason. I mean there's you know, he's coming off an injury played gear. But there's other guys as well. There's Paul Goldschmidt. I think Aaron Judge has first round caliber talent. I think John Carlo Stanton

has first round caliber talent. Getting all those guys in the second round and you can anchor your starting pitching staff by taking one of those you know, Scherzer, de Gram, Chris Sale Cluber types and then kind of you know, you're still getting a first round caliber type hitter. In my opinion, how do you feel about something like that? No, I mean every strategy is you know, if if throw

it out, it can be well executed. And I can't argue what you're saying if I'm picking like eleventh or twelfth, and you know my top ten hitters are off the board. Sometimes, I mean it was happening more back in like November early December. It hasn't happened recently, although it did happen to me in my most recent draft Champions, where I got trade Turner out of eleven. Turner is a first half in the first round, painting for me the other He's one of the most secure assets you can acquire.

All you have to do is stay healthy, and he's gonna score a hundred runs. He's gonna stier. Forty bases will give you double digit homer's and a solid batting image. You know, it doesn't have to be three, but if it's two eighty or around there, that's great. If i'm picking. If he's not there, I'm gonna go with the Graham. And here's why Chris Sale is the best picture in baseball in my opinion. But Chris Sale, we saw what

happened to him last year. Uh, we saw the World Series and all that I know, all the all the reports are that there's a restrictions and all that. I need to see Chris Sale on the bump. I need to see him slinging it. Uh. If everything points out that he goes out of his first couple of you know, warm up sessions or he first spring training game and he looks fine, then I will reassess because right now he's he's steel at the end of the first early

second round if you're getting him. But at current date, I'm not taking Sale there. I'll take the ground. My point with the first half of the draft is I can get one of these players that I really want, and for Garrett Cole is there there's enough pitching for me at that spot in the second round or early third that I can get at least one of those aces if I have the one pick. I mean, I love it because I can get Trout or you know, one or two we can try to bet and then

possibly even go double aces. And I really pound that. So here's the first round as of right now according to the NFBC a DP in the month of February, so you know, there's eleven days worth of data here.

Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Jose Ramirez, Max Scherzer, j D Martinez, Nolan Arronado, Ronald Acuna, Francisco Lindor, Christian Yell, Its Trade Turner, Jacob Degram, Alex Bregman, Javier Bias, Chris Sale, Jose Altuve, Matt Which player in the top fifteen I guess I don't want to use the word worries you most, but who catches your eye most there? Because to me personally, it's Javier Baiez because you know, look as aggressive as he has as a swinger as he is. Last year,

I was completely out on Javier Bias. The guy made me look like a fool. Anybody who was out on Javier Baiaz last year, he made you look like a fool. He was otherworldly. He was amazing to me. I just worried so much about the plate discipline, his aggressive approach. But look, he's you know this is we kind of have a sample by now, like this is who he is. He's going to be an aggressive swinger. He's gonna swing and miss a lot, but when he made contact, he's

gonna make pretty good contact. And you know his ability to hit home runs and steal bases, um, you know, it's it's pretty enticing. So I get why he's going in the first round. But the plate discipline to me is just really scary. Um, you know, who who is someone in this top fifteen in the first round that that has your attention almost that maybe you're shying away from more so than anyone else. Oh, just the real quick on biased. I think that's the popular opinion. I'm

kind of what the thing was. Last year, I got him at such a price, but he was he was priced to be profitable. This year, you're paying he has to live up to that. And I don't think it's just the batting average risk. I think the stolen bases are look at that second half. He was terrible on the base pass. I mean he was thrown out several times. I forget, if it was like three of tang at three stolen bases, he might have been thrown out close

at ten times something like that. So if the batting average goes down, the stelling basis goes down, and you guys can't hit thirty home runs, you know you're looking at a guy who's got the UH infield eligibility all over the place. He's a triple front there. But there's a lot of you know, there's guys like Aaron Judge going in the second round, Paul Goldsmith that you're passing up over there. The other guy would be another multi eligible bull UH position player and Alex Bregman. I think

the kid is a fantastic hitter. He's gonna have a fantastic career. But you know, news came out a couple of weeks back about the elbow and he wanted to win a procedure and stuff like that, So that's always gonna give you pause. I mean, I think Bragman is basically as the mirror skills of Jose Ramirez with less stolen bases. But you know, I don't really want to

have to deal with that right now. I know he felt one of my friends were doing with after you got him my twenty, and yeah, there, I'm I'm more than fine. I can get my whether it's a picture or a hitter, stop my foundation and then get somebody like Bregman a twenty. I'm a lot more apt to do that. Now. We had we had Dr a On from Inside Injuries last week to ask him exactly about that same thing that you brought up, Alex Bregman and the and the elbow injury. You know, he had some

loose bodies um you know, removed from that elbow. But Doc was pretty optimistic man. He said, you know, if anything, this was a proactive pro seizure. Uh and and you know he could actually see that his power can get better from this. So you know you're talking about the elite contact skills. You know, I think he had something like a four point two percent swinging shrike rate last year.

It was the second best in all of baseball. You know, Greg's been doing this thing where he asked me one word to describe how I feel about a player once we get done analyzing said player. And I told him the word that I have for Alex Bregman is bowing. What do you think about that? Now, Look, there's there is, Like I said, there's a lot to lack in this kid's profile. Uh, he was fantastic hitter in college, and I mean everything has led up to him, you know,

ascending to where he is now. It's just it's just something you keep in the back of your mind. I mean, the the first round is even went Lindor getting injured, you still have a stable of studge going off in this first round. Absolutely, when we get back, Matt Moodique is not going anywhere. Make sure you follow on Twitter at CTF and Baseball of the Athletic. We come back, we're gonna talk about k d s, what the heck is that starting pitchers to target this year? All that

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eight four ninety six twenty one scout Fantasy Sports. I do think a lot of people take away too many drafts because if we love drafting, there's a thrill of drafting, but you have to remember that's only a piece of it. You still have to manage your team nurse to here. So I've tried to cut back. I think I was probably in twelve last year. I don't think I'm gonna be in double digits this year. I'm hoping. I think five is for baseball is a real good number for many.

I think I can handle it weekdays to to four BMM Eastern on the Fantasy Sports Network and on your popular podcast providers. Welcome back to the Fantasy Best Friends Forever. Frank stand will joined by special guests today Matt Modica will have a different guest every day this week. Get us ready for the fantasy baseball season. Gregson's out this week, but it's his birthday. Happy birthday, Greg, he turns fifty years old today. For for everyone listening, there you go,

Greg Susten. What is Greg Susten doing right? Now in Florida. I don't know, man, that's a really fruity drink he's got in his hand. Uh he also has a blowout. I don't know what's going on here in this kid. Hey, birthday, Greg, There you go. I think he's counting his gold. Look, he's been around a while, and look, fifty years is a long time. We're celebrating the life of Greg Sussman throughout the week. We'll we'll find out what he's doing

every single day. I I heard through the grape vine that he's going swimming, so maybe we'll get uh, we'll get some video footage of Gregg Sustmen out in the pool in Florida. But nonetheless, happy birthday to Greg. Before we get back into the fantasy baseball talk, gotta let everybody know that the Daily Rodo dot Com partnership with Data Golf is back for with all new premium fantasy

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That's Daily Rohdo dot com. Click on Go Premium, click on golf and enter promo code Golf nineteen or a ten percent discount. Maddie mo I mentioned before the break that when we get back, we're gonna explain what the hell k d S is and this is pretty much how draft picks are determined over at the NFBC. So take it away, Maddie, this is this is your territory. Sure real quick shout out to the production to the stars Chris Pavano for the introim music Love It KDS

is it started with the Kentucky Derbys. How I don't think they still do it that way. I think I might have changed a bit, altered a bit. But you got to choose which post you wanted to go out from, so out of the fifteen draft slots you get to put in your reference. Doesn't mean you will get said preference, but it's giving you an opportunity and a chance to map out the draft board, and especially in high stakes leagues where there's no trading and stuff, it's kind of imperative.

But you do want to set up how you can get your pitching as well. This Uh, aces are gonna go flying off the board. I know. Now you're looking at a DP and in in a month from now, the pictures will get pushed up. It happens every year. It's it's just the right of spring. So what you're doing right now is basically setting your foundation. Those first four or five rounds are very critical to me. And I'm not a person that preaches position scarcity. I think I'll feel the scarce. So you can look at it

that way. I think you have to have a a plan. And you might want to say, you know what, everybody's gonna go for pitching, so I'm gonna back off from pitching, and that's fine, But what are you doing in those rounds? You know, follow in the first four rounds where you walked away without a picture, you're gonna need you need to pound that position pretty hard for the next you know, three rounds or so, You're really gonna need to be

be aggressive in that area. I mean there's a trade off with everything, but at least you're having the ability to set up the board the way you want to and you're not walking in there blind and you know some people you're flustered, like, I don't care how good of a drafted you are. You go live, You're you're in a setting, and you know you need to stay focused. It's sometimes the easiest things can distract you, and you just don't want to miss an opportunity. Don't ever fight

the board. If something comes to you and you have your you know your rankings, you do somebody else's rankings, however you do it. Never fight the draft board, Maddie mo. Look, it's it's taken about minutes here for me to notice. But you know I forgot for a while here that you were a Met fan and that you're wearing a Met hat. We got to represent something, you know. I'm just waiting for them to swoop in and we're here.

They signed Machado or Harper. I mean, I don't understands the Yankees, Oh, you should have signed Brice Hopper like they were a free agency they should, you know, or a Machado, either one of the Chile It just you know they're a New York City team. They've done a lot of good things. But my point is with the Yankees, and until one of these players signs elsewhere, I'm just

waiting to hear that. You know, last minute, the Yankees decided to drop this offer, and so and so is now remember of the Yankees, and he'll be wearing the pinstripes. So I hope that doesn't happen, but you know, hey, it wouldn't surprise me one bit either, and uh I will gladly welcome that. Did you see the Pakoda projections have have the Mets projected to uh be tied for first place in an elysis here with the Washington Nationals. What do you think about that? I don't think you're

gonna be very competitive. I give I give them as a Mets fan, I think it's the Nationals division now. Uh So, I'm I'm not gonna get that high on them. I think Atlanta. I'm concerned about the pitching staff. They do not have the arms needed right now. I think they do need to go out and get an ace on that team. You know, they do have a great lineup and all that, but they need to solidify that pitching and who's gonna be closing our games with them?

The Phillies have really solidified that lineup, but I think they need another picture in there as well. Mattie Moo, You know when I threw it your way to talk about KDS and kind of coming up with a plan for your Fantasy Baseball draft, one of the first things that you said is you have to have a plan for pitching. And you know, as long as I've known you the past couple of years, you've crushed it when

it comes to starting pitching. I know, you know over at CTM baseball dot Com every single year you've done the starting Pitcher Index, Like that's your thing. As long as I've known you, like, you've crushed starting pitching. You know, two years ago you were all over James Paxton. He broke out last year. I know Aaron Nola and Garrett Cohler two are your favorite guys, and and those guys are performed admirably, to say the least in eighteen So what's your plan, dude, Like, what what is your plan

when it comes to starting pitching? I know, you know we tell people you don't want to have a set plan. You know you don't want to have to, you know, strict of a plan going into your draft, because as I've said, you know, I would like to get a starting pitcher in the first two rounds, but if the draft shakes out where you know, there's there's a hitter value that I can't pass up in the early second round.

As much as I would love to have starting pitching, like Matt said, you know, you have to be able to adjust to the draft. So I want a starting pitcher, I want a workhorse, Yes I do, But again, you have to be able to change up your draft plan. You know, if someone falls to you that shouldn't be there. How are you attacking starting pitching this year? You know, like when when are you looking to get your first one? Doesn't work that way, like how are you attaching attacking

starting pitching? If I'm picking late first round, there's a good chance if the Graham's on the board, I'll walk away with him. Otherwise I'm gonna look more towards the you know, end of the second, early third and grab at least one, I mean possibly to it all. It all depends who's there. I think the values now because for me, after the top three from that four to thirteen range. You can make an argument, you know, who should be six as opposed to who should be twelve.

I mean, it's it's really that close. And uh, and it comes down to more of a preference and which guys you trust more, say teams and stuff like that. But two guys that I think that I'll own a lot of are wooka bueller. I'm not afraid of the Dodgers. I know everybody says, oh, the Dodgers are gonna do this, do that. Look, this kid is talented. I don't put every picture in the same box. I think he gets

a hundred and seventy innings. And if you can get a hundred seventy innings, I'm fine drafting him in the third round. Another one is nowhere, syndergo these guys are going, you know, little to late third round during that last tier of aces. Say and if I can get one of those two guys there and say I have two hitters, Say I didn't take a picture and I started with

a walker Bueller. Okay, so I just said he's only maybe have a hundred seventy innings, So he's not getting that one ninety year or say two hundred that you're hoping for. And let's be let's be real here, half the half the pictures that didn't get to two d last year barely made it two hundred. And you know Max Scherrs is the only guy in the last two years to make it to twenty. I mean back in there was a half a dozen starting pictures that pitts

the minimum of two hundred and twenty three innings. So

here's my point. If I'm starting Walker Bueller and I'm and I'm all pensily him in for say a hundred and seventy innings, I will be more aggressive on my second and third picture, which is fine because I have started with the foundation of two you know, premier hitters that I have in my rankings that you know, I can't argue with you in terms of you know, Walker Bueller's skill set what he did last year two point six to e r A, you know three oh four five,

three point two one x fip uh, you know every nearly ten cas per nine last wee. But what you gotta do with Walking Buller real quick is you gotta look at him post all start. Pretty like if you just look at his stats for the season, you seeing, you're seeing eleven percent UH swinging strike rate. That's not that great. So look what he's done post all stop break. I mean he's getting thirty percent UH strike rate, fifty percent ground ball. The swinging strike rate went up in

the second half. It was like twelve and a half percent. I mean, this is a kid that we were told was going to be elite. He arrived. You you staring the you know you saw this kid even when he

got hit in the postseason. That was one of his most impressive starts to me because he was down with four knocking or whatever, and he gave the Dodgers a chance because she went out and pitched it on the four plus five innings, even being even getting sheld in that first And what I wanted to ask about it is the jump in endings uh specifically right because including the postseason last year, looking at this, he had between the miners and the majors in the regular season he

had one fifty three and in another twenty three on top of that in the postseason, so you're looking at around one seventy six. The year before he didn't even get to a hundred endings pitched. This was something that We were talking about this time last year with Severino, the jump from any pitch and mind you look his his first half last year was a phenomenal, but he broke down in the second half for whatever reason, what

he was tired, he was tipping pitches. Does that kind of endings jump from twenty seventeen where he didn't even throw a hundred endings and in the last year he goes all the way up to you know, including the postseason, you know, around a hundred seventy five, almost a hundred eighty. Does that worry you? No, it actually doesn't. I next said, I don't put every picture in a box and Severino, for me, that was you know it was I think it was a combination of say, tipping pitches and the

fast ball command. You look at Sevorino second half, the skills were were still awesome. I mean the guy had like a three oh six fit in that second half. He's still got the strikeouts, just everything. You know, the the left on base percentage, catered babbit went boom and all that. So I think that was a combination of those two things. I don't think it was a combination of him, you know, uh for pitching, you know, having that jump. I'm not scared of it. I know everybody's

gonna tell you. You You know, shy away, the dodges, the ending jump. Look, you know sheep gets sloaded. You know, draft skills, don't draft scared. Uh Walker Bueller right now, you mentioned going at the end of the third round, early fourth round in drafts? Um is he? This year's like You've basically had a few guys the past couple of years that are like your guys like this is the guy that I'm gonna get. You know, I mentioned

two years ago, like James Paxson. I think every draft that you were in that you showed me you ended up getting packed. And last year you were all over Aaron Nola and you were all over Derrett Cole. Is Walker Bueller or even Synderguard in that regard? Um are they? Is that like the Matt Modica guys? This here? Are those like the ones that you're trying to get on every single team? Well, those have been the guys that have been lasting the longest, So I you know, I

don't see why not. I mean synder Guard, he lacks command and he's just if he can. One of the things that frustrated with sending at last year. There's too many counts where he's up oh two or one too

and he's throwing the ball. He's getting too much of the plate, like you gotta have guys chasing and you know, wasting a picture two there and get that strike care So I still think he's a he's an amazing talent, but especially if i'm picking, saying, say I had the fourth pick, and say Garrett Cola, Aaron Nola are still on the board at that point in the second round, and I get one of them, We'll say I saw at Joms, I saw jose Vermirez, and then I know

Garrett Cole. I mean, if Walker Bueller is there for me, and then all the other uh so called nations are gone. Look pitches for Dodger Stadium. I've always been been an advocate of drafting Dodgers. I think that's a magical mound. It's it's you know, the National League, uh reast, My money running out is not there no more. He's he was a great framer. But I still think it's a

great place to be. So if I had to double up there, yeah, if I don't double up, and Buller's my first daughter as I said, I'm gonna be more aggressive in that next year. I'm gonna try and get you know, at least one there, if not to one there, and then two from the next year. So I'm gonna have to, you know, change my plans around a little more.

But I'm not gonna shy away from a guy who has fantastic skills, has the pedigree and all that, just because you know what the Dodgers have done in the past when they've had guys like rich Hill, Hungen Ryu, Alex Wood. These are guys that all broke down consistently, So I don't compare him to that. Mattie. When I was texting you last week, I was asking you, you know, the same question, like, who's that guy that you're getting

on every draft? And you know a lot of the results that I've seen with you, Look, I couldn't be more pleased because it only took a few years, but everyone's finally buying in draft. Joe must Grove, Joe must Grove, Pattimo, You're finally buying in Look. He has elite command. I think at times last year he showed that he does have. He has the skills to get swinging miss is he ever gonna be you know, a strikeout per enning, you know,

ten case per nine. I don't think so. But can he be eight case per nine, eight and a half case per nine something like that with elite command? Uh? And getting groundballs forty percent of the time. I look at his arsenal from last year, his pitching repertoire, and he's all over the place like he you know, he he throws a bunch of different pitches which you know

are gonna keep hitters off balance. I'm looking at it here on his fan graft page with the Pirates last year, thirty three percent four team fastballent hutter uh, seventeen percent sinker. So he throws, you know, three different iterations of a fastball. He has a fourteen percent change up, twenty percent slider. Why is Joe Musgrove one of these guys that you're you know, that you're trying to jump in on. You

know a lot of people talk about race serried. You know, when when pitchers end up with race series, he's able to make a lot out of him. It's a pretty good pitchers ballpark out there in Pittsburgh. You know, I've long been a fan of Joe Musgrove, even when you know Michael Florio and everyone else is basically, you know, pounding my head against the wall and saying, dude, what do you see in this guy? I was the first one, there was one there, you were the first, and now

you won't be the last. Uh. But there's there's a lot to like with him. I mean, look at those skills post Lsober. He was a guy I had on a lot of teams last year. It was frustrating at times, and then it started to seem like he clicked and he in that second half, his first pitch, his chase rate were rarefied at it. He was among what you would call the the if you look at what he was able to do. He got a thirty seven percent chase around se first pitch and the swinging strike rate

is coming. So I mean, those are three things you really gotta like. And he's in a range for me. For me, Musgrove was the top forty picture this year. So maybe that's aggressive, but I am aggressive by nature. Uh. He's in a six pack of pictures that I call them. You know, the Shane Bieber is the Tyler Glass now, uh, musgroveheny E rod Nick Pavetta. I want to get you know, one or two of those arms there that they all of them have uh extreme potential to hit, and they're

not all going to hit. But if I can get at least one, I have a chance. If I can get to I have a better chance. But I think all those names I just mentioned are gonna you know, they keep uh quietly creeping up the draft boards and we'll continue that over the next month. And I love that idea, man, that that's six pack. You're choosing guys that stand out to you from a skill perspective. You know, maybe you didn't see it in the results, but you

see it in the skills, the underlying numbers. Guys that can take that next step forward. Last year, outside the top thirty starting pitchers, the guys that were that we were looking at and talking about the same exact way lakes now, Patrick Corbyn, Jamison Tyne, those are all guys that are being drafted inside the top twenty starting pitchers this year. Those are the starting pitchers that we're looking for.

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nine to join the Fantasy Sports Network. Welcome back to the Fantasy Best Friends Forever Fantasy Sports Radio Network. Frank Standfeld no great Susman. This week He's down in Florida, celebrating his fifty party. There you go, It's day is his birthday, so reach out to on Twitter at Greg Susman. Let him know how you feel. Happy birthday, Greg. He's got a fruity drink in his hand. You know what do old people do to celebrate their birthday. They go

down south, they go hang out in Florida. That's exactly what Greg's doing right now. Matt Modica, make sure you follow him on Twitter at CTM Baseball. He did join the Athletics, So congratulations there to you, Maddie Mo. Before we get back into the rest of the fantasy baseball content on the show, book Day. Are you at the game? You just got a good feeling, No problem. Now you can bet from anywhere, anytime with the all new My

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that's right, one thousand dollars. That's my bookie dot ag promo code f n T S Y eight four four eight four three six eight seven nine is the number to call if you have a question for Maddie mo or myself regarding fantasy baseball this season, starting pitchers, the first round, where should you be drafting? We've covered all of it today, but if you have a question, feel free to call in. And I'm being told that we do have a question. We have a caller on the line.

It is Stephen in Massachusetts. What's going on? Stephen? Hey, Frankie, what's up? Macamodika? How are you guys doing? Doing well? Whats hey? I have two questions if you guys have time, Yeah, what's up? Alright? So my first question it's on our comments. If you guys remember last year when he was at first he was looking good and then he started the struggle and so the team, because of his injury, they

wanted to move him out in the bullpen. I was just wondering, are you guys don't worried, like if you guys dive right back in and let's say that he kind of struggles like he did last year, and they can try to, uh put him in the bullpen like in case sit there in the same situation some last year, whether that like trying to like you know, like go for that playoff push and like everybody else in the bullpen just kind of struggling. Are you worried about that?

I'll start this one off and I'll throw it Matt Modiqa's way. I know last year he was dealing with a lat injury on and off all season long, uh, and he struggled with command. Look, he's a guy that always struggles with command, but I mean it was much worse last year than ever before. So you have to wonder, you know, was the lat injury something that was causing him to have that lack of command as long as you know, for as long as he did last season. I do think that when he's healthy, we kind of

know who Carlos Martinez is. Look, he can he can rack up and a strikeout per ending. He's gonna walk a lot of guys. The whip is gonna be you know, in the one point to one point to five range. But he's a guy that can pitch to you know, a sub three six e r a and you know you can only say that about uh, you know, you know, starting pitchers in baseball. I think as long as he's healthy, he's going to remain in the starting rotation. Modica. What

do you think about Carlos Martinez this year? Yeah, I think you uh, you hit hit on a lot of your points. The one especially, he's got to be healthy. We know he's always struggled with command. He's been a guy I've always liked, and this year, you know, you're getting him at the discount, and it's a deserved discount. I'm kind of willing to give him a bit of a mulligan. I think, you know, as long as he enters camp healthy, he's in that rotation, and they want

him to be in that rocation. I think they need him to be in that rotation as well. So where you're where you're where he's going off, which is probably outside the top thirty starting pitchers in drafts. Uh, it's a spot where I think it's it's a reasonable get. You have some upside here. You know you're gonna be looking at guys where he's going, and he's probably might

be going a little later. But then say, like Chris Archer, Robbie Ray types, and these are all guys that do have the upside to uh get you what you're not paying their previous price. Steve, you had another question, Yeah, you Alex ras and uh Brent Honeywell. I know if those guys were battle on injury with their arms last year. Um, you guys want to try diving in as like a late round flyer, like somebody that maybe towards like when they come back. You know, what's that they're coming back

that you want to pick them up? Or should you just look at them as like the ra instead for value for this season. I think I'm more inclined to jump in on Alex Reys. I haven't done enough drafts to honestly tell you where he's going, so I will ask Matt Modica about that. But you know, look, he's coming back from a major injury. I think his upside

is higher than Brent Honeywell's. I do think that both guys have upside, And you know, maybe Brent Brent Honeywell is more of these guys for the second half of this year, maybe more so the full season of twenty as you mentioned. But even if Alex Reyes is starting and pitching well, he's gonna have an Ennings cap, right, Matt, Like, I can't imagine him going more than twenty Ennings, Max. I look, I don't know when doubts the talent of this kid. And it was a shame what happened last year.

But I have a hard time drafting right now unless I unless I'm saying like a Yahoo league where I could stash him in the thing for like rookies or you know, minor leaguers, stuff like that, I don't. I don't know what I'm gonna get. There's other pictures. I mean, the rookie pictures I want to be after. I want to own is Jesus uh Lazardo. He's the guy I want to own. The best prospect is Whitley. I'm I don't know. Maybe it's just a gut feeling him on.

I think he's gonna get cold upon sooner than later. I know a lot of people projecting that eight inning range. I'm I'm taking me over. I think they call on him. So it's a long season. Somebody's gonna get hurt. I watched the kid live in the NFL, and they saw past November this is the real deal. And I mean I'm really excited for him. We told the same thing last year in one compuller. You know, maybe we'll we'll see him sometime in the second half a bit. Things changed,

that changed quickly. Houston was looking to possibly have him in there before the mentioned last year. They were talking in the preseason that you can play a role. So, I mean, there's there's actually quite a few rookie arms and its skipping my uh blood process at the moment that I'm gonna get all the Alex Ran others, I don't really know how much he's gonna get. I mean,

how many innings are they gonna get. I don't think he comes anywhere near if I if that's possible that I'm in on Alex race, Yeah, but no one's gonna know for sure. So yeah, it's a good call there for Maddie Mo. You're getting a few starting picture prospects that he's looking at this year. I don't doubt the talent when it comes to those guys. Thanks for your call, Steve in Massachusetts. Uh, hey, thanks guys. Thanks man. Uh Maddie Mo, Man, I wish I could talk to you

for like two more hours. It's just about like the starting pictures because it's like so much I'm not gonna like talk to you about here. But there were two players that specifically that I wanted to ask you about that Greg wanted to make sure that I that I asked you about today. You mentioned that six pack of pictures, and I noticed that this player wasn't in there. You told me that you think you're in on this player. And I've seen a few drafts where you've drafted him.

It's Tyler Glass now, and you know, we've heard his name a lot over the past couple of years. One of the top pitching prospects in baseball when he was with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He can never quite figure it out. You know. He's a really really big guy, so it's hard for him to repeat his mechanics over and over,

which has led to command issues. Frankly, you know, to to to put it frankly, Um, you know, while he has not a starting pitcher, they've you know, messed with him, putting him back and forth between bullpen and being a starting pitcher. He's a little bit of upside. Last year when he was traded over to Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay is one of you know these analytical, forward thinking organizations

that I think can get the most out of Tyler Glass. Now, it's just can he have okay enough command to bring back value in fantasy baseball where you know he's not killing your whip and you know in those games where he's walking three, four five guys that he's not blowing up your e r A either. So are you feeling right now on Tyler Glass? Now? I mentioned he you know, I remember you didn't mention him as one of those six He wasn't. Yeah, he's in that six pack. And

here's the thing I say first about it. It's all those guys I mean looking Pavetic people look like after him. We're all excited about what Povetic can do. And he had almost a five r A last year. Shane Beoble, who I love. He got hit hard last year. That was his fault. But I think those corrections will be made. Uh. And you know, guys like Irad gotta stay healthy. Even must Grove has gotta clear that health, Hurtle. But what the thing I like about Glass now is the upside

is there? Is it gonna happen? I don't know, but it's in that one fifty plus range. Or around that range where you're looking to buy upside. He only has two pitches, and you you saw when he went to Tampa Bay the curve bowl got increased. The fast bowl it's still like six, but it was like sevent prior to the move there. If he could somehow get a

third pitched, it's passable. This is a guy that you could you can see with the talent, the strikeout ability, you know, and you can get a winfull of riches. It may not work out. It may not work out for half the guys I mentioned in the six pack, but this is where you're going for that upside where you've you've built a foundation on your rotation and now you're now you're trying to hit checkpot. So yeah, I think last times a guy to target, Uh, you have

to go in. I wouldn't you know. That's why don't wait on pitache and build the floor and have that floor and then last now is definitely acceptable. Guy's a lot to like. He's in Tampa. I know he's gotta face the Yankees and Red Sox, which is uh something you never really look forward to. But yeah, by by

the possible upside here because the skills look nice. Yeah, Tyler last down when he went over to Tampa Bay last year, he lowered his his fastball usage from seventy two and a half percent when he was out in Pittsburgh. And I know that's something that the Pirates their organization, that's like an organizational like theory of theirs that they really like to pump the fastball. That's why when you see guys like Garrett Cole move over to Houston starts

throwing more of his breaking stuff. That's how he's able to you know, have as much success as he did. So Tyler Glass comes over to Tampa Bay last year, lowers his fastball usage, the slider usage goes up fourteen percent. He was at the slider last year percent with the curveball.

So look, if he could become fastball curveball, uh slider, I think that that's something you know that can I think that's Look, it's one thing in the starting pitch of PU I J. And there's one point I kept hammering on the guys with, you know, the slider curve combination or a slider change. If you didn't have that, but having that combination of two off speed pitches is imperative to succeed. And you'll notice with all the pitches when they first start out as young starting pitches, you're

throwing that fastball around six at a time. Then it goes down to like the fifties and then around fifty percent at a time. So that's the evolution of it. It's you know, can you succeed with two pitches? That's really difficult as a stout it if you can get a third that you can throw that threshold at tempercent threshold, that's key. And that's why he was wrestling between being a starting pitcher and a relief picture because you're exactly right.

You know, when a guy can only throw two starting pitchers, that's when you see those kind of pitchers kind of transition into being bullpen arms and become relievers because again, you know, if you're gonna be a starting pitchcher, you can't be as predictable as only having two pitches. You need to have a third pitch. So hopefully Tyler Glass now can continue to build on what he did last year in terms of, you know, building that third pitch

when he was in Tampa Bay. Mattimo, all right, let's actually sign off YouTube here before I ask you the next question. Make sure you give us a thumbs up. Make sure you subscribe to the YouTube channel. If you're listening on demand, if you're listening, uh, you know, on iTunes, if you're listening on Google Play. However you're listening, make

sure you subscribe. You leave us the thumbs up, you give us a like, you leave us a comment, You let us know what you what you like, maybe what you don't like about So, I mean, there's really not much Matt modiquez here. So we're gonna sign up YouTube now, Thank you everybody for watching. Will continue on the radio side for the next five minutes or so. Fantasy football Frenzies coming up next with Chris Ventra and the Fantasy Taz. Jim Day, Maddie, I've seen you. You're back. You were

back on the Luis Castillo bandwagon. And you know I bring up Luis Castillo to Greg and you know he gets he gets all up in arms. Jesus, We're gonna do the same thing with Luise Castillo as we did last year. Look, he's one of those guys that got burned by Luise Castio last year. There was a lot of people. I mean, he was one of the helium arms,

as you like to call him. You know that he was just getting you know, driven up draft war at the you know, at the end of draft season he was being drafted as a top twenty five starting pitcher. The first half he let a lot of people down. The second half was a lot better. You know, I tweeted this out. If you look at his month by month split, it's he was a headache. I mean, one month he had an ear a over five, the next month in the ear under three. You know, I know

in September he had an ear under two. So look, skills are there? I see that you're buying back in on Louise Castillo. Why is that? Here's why he's if you just look at the first half and in the second half he made adjustments, he got I mean he

got obliberated in that first half. The second half he was on the leaderboard amongst am unqualified pictures all over the place from X fit to e r A uh swinging strike percentage walks, I mean he had a K minus UH walks percentage at just above that is very good. He has two pitches that generate whiffs. This is a talented um. I mean I was having an argument about

a team. I had my auction championship that I won last year in the NFBC and finished fourth overrule the two pictures I paid for with Collos Carrasco and then Louis Castillo, and at the break, Collos Carrasco had a four twelve e r a, UH Castillo was over five. Yet I was still able to win because you gotta played the season. The second half stats matter as well. You don't cut talented players. Castill made made Cognizon adjustments

at the break. He loved the fastball. You should just look his fastball is not good, and that to be being kind, but he loved that ten percent. He increased his secondary pitches by ten percent, so that was a tradeoff. You sort results. I think that trend continues. UH. Guys like him, even if he has a Barrios who hasn't made that full leap yet, I think he's ready for it.

I think, you know, you gotta give a little faith on this one, but I think that next step is coming, and it's coming now, and I want to be in on him. With Louise Castillo. It's just so frustrating for me because why and this comes with like really any fantasy for like it happens in football the time to you know it happens in fantasy baseball. It's like some of these guys are just stubborn, Right, Look, he falls in love with his fastball. Everyone sees he lights up

the radar gun, he throws per hour. But if it's clear the year before that he performed so well when he was using the slider and the changeup so much, why does he start off the first half of the season last year throwing the fastball over. I don't expect you to have the answer to that, Madimo, But it's like a rhetorical question that I just never understand that if pictures, or if running backs or you know whatever, in any sport, if they have something that's working, why

don't they go back to it? Right? Like, why did it take him? Why did it take him half a season to realize that he should be using his secondary stuff more? Well, that could be coaching phosophies too. You know, at certain times in fantasy football, you know it's you're drafting the coaching staff two and the schemes that they're gonna run, so with him, that could have been I forget who just went over there. I know who it is. I can't think of top of my head right now. Uh,

they got a new pitching coach. I'm really excited about him. Uh that's another thing. And in the second half of the year, Festball, thank you. The festball velocity uh spiked he you know, it was you know, and his fastball was you know, it was up there. In the second half. He was tied with Jacome the Ground for third for the season. He was tied with Blake Snell for the sixth. So, look, he's got the velocity he needs to make the festball work.

If he makes the fast it doesn't have to be a fantastic pitch for him, it just has to be somewhat near average. It's been garbage and what he has a secondary. This is a kid that could easily easily be you know what you saw in that second half. So, I mean, everybody kills him for that first half, rightfully, So I owned him, But you gotta give him credit for what he did in the second half. And I see a lot of analysts not doing that. Matt Modica

Monday's we're gonna make this a thing. We're gonna have fun with this. You know, I don't know if it's gonna be an entire show. We're gonna try and get Modica on every Monday. Here a segment, he you're a segment there. We'll have some fun. We'll talk fantasy baseball with Matt. Thank you so much, Modica for coming on. Appreciate it. Thank you again, man, thanks for having me. Happy birthday, so happy birthday, Greggy. Coming up next, Fantasy

Football Frenzy with Jim Day Chris vent Stra. Appreciate everyone listening out. We out