March 7th, Hour 1: Injured players, relief pitching, and more...

You're listening to the Fantasy Sports Radio Network. Fantasy Best Friends Forever. M Do do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do do do do I'm not even gonna try. And welcome to the Fantasy Best Friends Forever. I am Frank Standfeld. Greg Sussman out doing activities. Sorry, he'll be here soon. It is Thursday, March seven. Shout out to my dad, my birthday Dad. I know your home watch. So there you go, Thursday March seventh. Uh, you're gonna have fun show here, can

have fun show obviously h talking. We're gonna wrap up the relief picture position. I know some people last week we're asking us about holds, categories and some relief pictures that you can target there, so we'll do some of that.

We'll also talk to Virginia zakas of inside injuries, get some updates on Luis Savarino, obviously the latest there, and then the rest of the show, we're really gonna talk about some of those injured players and how they're being valued thus far through I mean, we have a lot of ADP data, so we'll see where a lot of those injured players are going, what we expect from them this year, when they're gonna return, how they're gonna return,

what they're gonna contribute, a whole bunch of stuff going on, and with that I will come in. Yeah, this is the Fantasy best Friends Forever Here the Fantasy Sports Radio Network. Frank's Happy Birthday, to the Dawn, to your father, appreciate you watching. Did he make the Fantasy basketball playoffs? He's gonna make it. We're in two leagues together. He finishes one of the top seeds and one of them and finished last place in the other one. So listen, he

went to championship. Well worth it, you know it will be. And that is the more expensive league anyway, So all right, it's one of that. That's that's the one that matters more of course. Uh so, yeah, So on the show that I Frank mentioned it, we'll talk to between Zaka

is inside injuries. We're actually gonna do a whole hour on guys that are injured and where do you draft them because we always are so hesitant, right like, we stay away because we don't know how to deal with this and a lot of the times makes sense, I get it, but some of the times you're getting a nazed discounts on these guys. So we're gonna take a look at some where some of these injured guys are going and see what we can do. So that's kind

of the injured guys, um. But I wanted to start almost where we left off yesterday, frankief you didn't mind and relievers, Like we did a lot of these guys that get saves and the quantity, and we made it through all the ones we wanted to. Shockingly like, we did a really nice job over the two hours going over all the relievers. But we also got some breaking news. It is rosel To injured, removed from the lineup today dealing with side soreness. General left side soreness. Removed from

the line of today. Alex Bregman, another one removed from the line up yesterday, was dealing with a back injury. So the Houston Astros here we go. I think it's a it's a great day to talk about injuries because now we're getting even more Greg so mosel To already a guy that I was kind of avoiding. I don't know about you. I did this little right up for Fantasy Pros where they asked a bunch of experts. That

would be me. I'm an expert. Um ask you know who, who's a player going in a hitter going inside the top third hitters? Oh, you were avoiding and why? And my pick was and my reason was, I don't think that he's going to run as much as he has before last year, basis in each of his last six seasons. I just if he's not gonna give you thirty store basis or even close at thirty store basis, if he's not even given twenty stolen basis, is he returning that

you know, early second round value. And now we're already dealing with a with a left side injury for for Josale two Bay two, So I just thought I'd keep keep the injury news going. Greg sprinkle that on top here a little. I don't know what is that Injury Bay, Salt Bay? No, you don't like that Salt Bay school. I've never did. I've never been there. I kind of wanted to, I've never done. Is he still a thing? I think so. I know a lot of like famous athletes.

Go visit his restaurant wherever it is. I don't know where it is. I've looked him on Instagram. He first of all, he's hilarious. He owns the Salt Bay thing and owns it. Every single post that he puts on Instagram, there's like hashtag salt, hashtag salt. But like ease, he embraces the brand. Maybe you should embrace like sasamania. Morow not gonna start yelling about stuffing. No, no no, it says, everyone yells me. Just stop yelling. I'm just like, okay,

that's true. The happy medium. There is no happy medium for great, there's not either. He's you know today, Greg's a little like lax. He's like maybe a little tired. Have you sleep us now? You're right better than I happen? Alright, because you seem a little like down. I mean today I think I'm getting this right, Murphy's law. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Pretty much. The theme of today so far hasn't been a great day, hasn't

been a great day, has been a great week. Hopefully that turns around because you know, we got some drafts coming up that we need to uh study up on together. We have an auction next Thursday. I think tomorrow tomorrow after work, I think things will turn around for me. I'm going to a brewery in Brooklyn. You know you have plans tomorrow. Um but and this is a pity invite, by the way, just real wise that, oh, Frank, you live close to bok. I actually was not hearing about

it right now. I was actually going tom So yesterday as we were leaving, you said, hey, we really got to come up with the time to go over the draft so to do some research and sit and talk. And I'm at that moment occurred to me, was like, Hey, I'm gonna frank out if you want to doing Friday night because it's gonna be well relatively close to where he lives. We like drinking beer. This is a perfect opportunity to do this. What are you doing this? Grim Brewery?

Grim Brewery? I never heard of it. It's like a half hour from here. M yeah, Metropolitan not it's not too far, not far from me at all. You wanna come, uh before you go wherever you do whatever you're doing, No, because that wouldn't really make sense because of what I have to do is the city. So yeah, I go back to Brooklyn. Are you going straight from here? Opens at five o'clock. I'm hoping to leave here around then this is this is right and Williamsburg. It's close to

where I live. So yeah, so I'm doing that, and then evidently it's close to like another one. You're taking the L train there, I'd imagine. Really, I thought I did take the A C E there. The Google map stole there close to the close to the L train though, I'll figure out tomorrow. I'm excited to do that. I also had an Inner Borrow Breweries right around there as well. It sounds a little more familiar. It's more a bit

more popular inter Borrow. Yes, like Inner Burrows, Yeah, I got it, Greg, but not Burrows for that just b or b o r oh. I think that's right there as well, inter Borrow Spirits and ales that at the place that kind of just sounds like a liquor store. I'm not making this brewery somewhere close to that, never less, That's what I'm doing tomorrow, Frank, So you're really welcome to come, of course. I actually passed this every day on the bus. Really. Yeah, well I never even noticed

that it was the brewery. Is just look, uh, it might be. It kind of just when I passed it, it it just kind of just looks like a warehouse, so it definitely could be. Yeah, that's pretty cool. So I'm really hoping my day turns around like then, you're just gonna drink yourself to oblivion and that everybing gets better. All I want to do, man, that's all I want to do. All right, let's start. Um, let's start with these relievers before we get the injury guys. Virginia z

is coming up at the bottom of the hour. We don't have necessarily the like b I don't I don't think recommends on here is he? Like, I don't think I have a breaken on here. I put almost all starting pictures on here for the most part late yesterday. Yeah, it's mostly all starting pictures this week because we did a lot of that. Um, A couple of other guys, these Astrois guys are still ingering by next week, then we'll definitely, yes, absolutely, but let's start with the relievers.

Brank we talked really, the only guy we talked about really was Josh Had. Out of the guys that are gonna get you holds for the most part um because Hayter is amazing and Frankasm I believe is his nights rank reliever. Give her take. It might have changed since then. No,

I don't think I'm ever going to own him. It just seems like that's where you should be, right because he's so I'm gonna yeah, But we've seen guys be down in the past and then not as downar the next year, you know, So you know, I don't know if I don't think that's gonna be the case for him. I think he's still gonna be really, really good. I mean, his his delivery and stuff. It's just like the way he pitches, it's so hard to pick up and his

stuff is absolutely filthy. I think it's gonna translate. But I mean, you're right, I mean, from year to year, it's pretty hard to project relief pictures. I mean, these guys some sometimes they'll just they'll emerge out of nowhere and then the next the next year, you know, they take a back seat. I don't necessarily think that's gonna be the case for Josh had I still think he's gonna be really, really good. I don't know that I'm

gonna own him. He's just I rank him this highly because he's really dominant, and I still think they can pick up like ten of fifteen saves along the way. So let me let me ask this, outside of Josh Hayter, who are you looking to next? If you want holes, if you're looking for a dominant reliever that's gonna give you holes and really help you in the e R A wit and strikeout category, where do you head to next?

And how early do you do it? So, I mean it's gonna it's gonna sound like a Homer here, but I think Dylan Patances, right, I think Dylan Patances has to be up there as one of the top guys. I mean, he's just been so dominant for so long and he gets so many strikeouts. He's a legit three category contributor in RHODO. Not gonna help and saves unless something happens with Chapman I do think that he would be the direct replacement the next man up in the

Yankees bullpen if anything were to happen to Chapman. We saw that last year as well. But with Patances, you do get legitimate like e. R A whip numbers, and you get a lot of strikeouts too, So I don't think that's just like, uh, I don't think that's a homwer thing, Greg, what do you think? I think both. I think both Telebatances and Zach Brittan are both on this list for guys that are gonna I mean Britain not gonna get as many strikeouts, definitely gonna get hold

for sure. I mean like holes are tricky, right, Like I was trying to look this up yesterday. Do you even know what the definition of a hole is? Greg? It's just like protecting a three run lead in a safe situation. I thought it was. That's what I thought it was too. I don't really, to be perfectly honest, I don't have a lot of experience playing with holds,

but I would never do it. I just imagine that they're really good set up men, and you want to target players target He set up pictures on teams that are gonna win a lot of games because obviously you'll get more opportunities for for holds that way. So I think, I guess just targeting relievers on winning teams that are really dominant. Ryan Pressley is another one that comes to mind. We mentioned him yesterday. You know, I think he could be in the conversation if something would have to a

Sono or if if it'll soon have faltered. I know Hector Rondon is there and he has closing experience as well, but Ryan Pressley once he joined the Astros last year, you know these Astros, everything they touched turns to gold. He develops this, you know, a new breaking pitch that he's using, and he throws a to a zero point seven seven e R eight with his Astro stint last year. So I would put Ryan Pressley in that conversation as well. Even Adam Outavino, right, all the Yankees guys, Yeah, I

think all that. But like I agree with you, You're you're picking really good teams and you're saying, hey, I want their dominant relievers. I think the same toil be said for even the Red Sox, right, Like we don't know who the closer is there. It's a closure by a committee, and the Cubs said yesterday they're a closer recommittee too. But the point being, like the Cubs really said that. Joe Maddens, I believe he came out and

said that yesterday. Yeah, there goes pedro Strope. I guess, but I mean I think pedro Strope will still get the majority of them. But doesn't Well what I'm saying he's like, doesn't there go pedro Strop because maybe those are the situations that are even better than the Yankees, because you're getting a guy that in a holds league, I have a lot of options. To remember, they signed

Brad Brock, Carl Edwards is an amazing reliever. There's a lot of options there with the Cubs too, and then last year they signed Brandon Morrow and he's always hurt and he's not gonna be ready to start the seat. I'm looking at holds leaders from last year. Greg and Adam Montavino was number one with thirty four. Uh, you know what, holes go a lot similar to saves here. I mean, there was only seven guys that had thirty

plus holds last year. Last yesterday, when I mentioned saves, there was only eleven players who had thirty plus saves last year. But you know, I think the high of the high for saves and closers are, you know, obviously Edwin d haz with fifty seven saves. I mean, there's no one here that has like fifty seven holds. It's

really between thirty and thirty four. And you're looking at Adam Davino, Archie Bradley, Tony Watson, Yoshihisa Harno from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chas Row with Tampa Bays, Alvarado Emma Bay have good relievers. Is just you don't know who's gonna be the closer. I would still put my money on Alvarado. I tend to agree with you, and his stuff seems

to be the best. But what what it was getting at is when you look at these dominant relievers, even separately from the Yankees, like like, yes, we can talk about it just holds. But to me, I would go after situations where you're going to get holds and you also have the possibility of potentially getting saves, right, so you think of a weird closer situation. And I don't know why this comes to mind, Frankie, but the White Sox with Kelvin Herrera and Alex Colinet, like we assume

it's Colone right now. That could change. And I think your Red Sox example was even better though, because the Red Sox are just gonna win more games us, right, But Herrera and or column A are probably the better reliever. I would think then Matt Barnes or what's his name, Ryan Brasier, Right, So I think Matt Barnes is pretty good. I'm actually gonna get more. I think he's gonna get more strikeouts in both of those guys. So maybe Matt

Barnes is the guy. Maybe that's really way that saves plus hold league or even just like have a hold category, like maybe sorry, both friends. I think it's really interesting both of them changes and save plus holds leagues, Like how much of this would change ranking wise? Like when and we talked about that history, Like is that the way that fantasy baseball and just baseball in general is

going towards its trending towards? Is we need to just eliminate the saves category and make it saves plus holds or if you play in a home league, h you know, a points league should hold be worth the same as much as savings, because that then we're looking at just drafting the best relie possible reliever, which is how it

should be. Well again, well, my follow up question is, you know how a lot of a lot of leagues or people and not really basically but advanced leagues or just eliminating wins right, because it's just arbitrary, but arbitrary to an extent, they're they're replacing it with quality starts, right,

which is also arbitrary in its own right. Um, should the seething happen to saves like a save, like a win like you have because there's times you just have the tie runs on deck and you have a reliever come in and pitch one pitch and get a save, and that's like ridiculous. Obviously, Um, every save is not created equal, like every one is not created equally. You pitched ninety but eight shut out endings, you deserve a win.

Sometimes you don't get it. You pitch five inutings of six run ball on your team's up thirteen six, Like, you don't deserve that one either, So it's very hard. I I think saves plus holds on and we said this yesterday on the show. I think saves plus holds is probably where it should go because you're gonna draft the best reliever. It's gonna take a long time, though, is it for people. I just don't think it will be an industry standard for home leagues. I mean, people

could do it now whatever they want. Yeah, definitely. I'm still I'm still pushing for errors. What Yeah, what do you what do you mean? I think error should be a category? Why Why is feeling that counted? It's like that's like the same reason why most people don't play I d P. You know, I don't think like too much going on, Like I don't think why you draft I play hitter, play hit play hitter case. Well, it's all about the play, right you. If you're a wide receiver,

they fumble, you lose point. People like offense. I don't really care about defense. I mean, I'm just kidding in my opinion. Yeah, you know, what I always thought is, you know, if you play in a point because if you get penalized for strikeouts, why don't you get penoize for hitting into a double play? It's much worse, worse than striking out. I was looking at a few names here that are coming to mind from from last year. If you're just looking for some holds, I think Craig

Stammon is another one with the San Diego Padres. He's dominant last year obviously. Jeremy Jeffers, you got hurt yesterday, Joaquin Storia, Fernando Rodney, it was Oakland, but well, Joe Himenez, take a break. We're back after this. Daily Rodo dot Com Learn from the game's best DFS players. We don't just give you advice. We play every day, all major sports,

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how we can help you. Eight six six four eight four nine six two one eight six six four eight four nine six to one. That's eight six six eight four ninety six one scout Fantasy Sports end up taking the door. I think it's a bold but brilliant move here at him because guy's the top three pick when healthy. Maybe people are over reacting. I think there are people were talking about taking him at eleven, twelve, thirteen, and you're getting him at pick twenty nine. Yeah. I was

thought he was there. And that's why I always say you really can't find out a draft because you can sit there and plot all you want. I'm gonna get this guy. I'm gonna take two pictures. I never thought in God gonna be now. I like started to see him stuff on Mike Is he really gonna make it? Week days to the four pm Eastern on the Fantasy Sports Network and on your popular podcast Providers Back with You Fantasy best Friends Forever, Fantasy Sports Radio Network, Swing

of the Fences. This daily Fantasy Baseball season with Daily Rotor dot com. You're playing MLB DFS or Draft Kings or Fan Duel Daily Rodo, Well you hit your first home run. As twenty nineteen MLB Daily Rodo Premium package is now live. A lot of alerts are weather updates. They have you covered, fantasy projections that have covered a lot of optimizes. The pros. Yeah, they may have you

covered there too. Sam Tever said off tempt states Ever said on winning MLB DFS advice with the early bird special using the promo code leadoff nineteen or f and T s Y. That's twenty nine MLB Daily Rodo Premium package at Daily Rotor dot Com. Use the promo code leadoff nineteen or f and T s y and get your ten percent early bird discount today. With that, we are joined by our good buddy, Virginia Zackets of Inside Injuries. What's going on, Virginia? Hey guys, it's good to be back.

It has been a long timetime, a lot of dr A. He's in better color now, which is great. Uh, a new camera. We feel updated and it's good to have you back on the show today. Unfortunately, it wasn't a great day for us yesterday, or I guess two days ago, where I was very much on tilt where the giants are making all these dumb NFL decisions, and then Louis Savarino went down with inflammation in the right rotator cuff.

Now I've done a lot of research on my own about this particular injury, and I was very nervous because, yes, there's inflammation in the right rottator. Coffee, takes some pain killers, you take a cord zone shot, it'll get rid of the inflammation. He'll start throwing again. But the big question is what is causing said inflammation, which is what scares the heck out of me, and which is what I'm hoping you have the answer for. So right now, the plan is to shut him down for two weeks, receive

a cortisone shot, and see how he responds. UM. A lot of the time, this is enough to calm down that inflammation if there isn't an underlying cause for it. UM. In this case, it sounded like the m R I was clean. But if there's a smaller problem, maybe you know a very slight tear or some slight cartilage damage. There's a chance that wouldn't show up on the m r I. UM. Right now, it's not clear exactly what's

causing the inflammation, but hopefully it's just Um. You know, he put his shoulder through a lot in the first few weeks of spring training and it wasn't really ready for it, and there isn't something more serious going on. But you know, right now it's kind of too soon to tell. UM. We're showing an optimal recovery time of three weeks, so it actually looks like, according to our algorithm, that he should shut things down for more than the

two weeks that he has planned right now. UM, But my best guess is they'll sort of see how he's feeling two weeks from now, and then if he's if he's paying free, he'll slowly start to work his way back. Do there a positive or negative Frank, I, I think it's still kind of up in the air. Yeah. I think that's what we're looking at here with with Luis Severio and you know, Greg, since since the news, right so the news came out two days ago. For Luis Severio, over the past two days is NFBC a DP, tell

me what you think about this. For the past two days of NFBC a DP is sixty three. So he's going right behind hi Own and Paxton and ahead of Flaherty and Strasburg. And when I told you I moved him down to SP eighteen, you looked at me and said it might be a little bit too low. The market kind of agrees with me, Greg, it does. But if he comes back and starts throwing it in two weeks, he's back by the end of April. We have seen players come back and some big deal. It's just a

little scarier when it comes to throwing shoulder. Took another guy who's dealing with the with an injury to his throwing arm, not necessarily his shoulder is Mike Fultonevitch, who's dealing with right elbow sore and its now there was an update that said that he feels better and that if this were the regular season, he actually wouldn't miss a star quote wouldn't miss a start because us of

this injury. I'm not really buying that one here. What do you have on mikeful to Knevitch, do you expecting to be ready for the start of the season. How severe is this elbow injury? So thankfully this one sounds pretty minor. Um. He was clear to resume throwing three days later. He threw on Tuesday, and from out everything

I can tell it, it went pretty well. Um. So it's always a good sign when it pictures back out there just a few days later, because if they were concerned it was anything more at this point in the season, they'd shut him down for at least a week. So I think that's actually relatively positive. Um. Now, he still has an elevated injury risk and his HPF is below average, so right now, of course we don't expect him to play very well, but I don't think he'll be ready

for opening day. But I do think it's realistic for him to make a start in the first week or two of the season, as long as he avoids another step back. So that's pretty positive if you're if you're a Mike ful Tovit fan, sure it's great. I mean, there were already reasons that I was off him. I mean, walk too many guys. The swinging strike Ray wasn't really in line with his strikeout right last year, so I was kind of out on him already, so I don't think he's gonna end up on any of my teams.

But hey, if you're a Braves fan, or if you're related to Mike Folton Evitch and you still want to draft him, good news. Listen. It's not as bad as you're making him out. No, he's not terrible. He's not one of those guys. But alright, he was at his price, where like when we first started drafting, he wasn't really a guy I was targeting. What about his teammate Virginia A J Minter who I thought should be the should have been the closer last year. He did a nice

job during the summer for our all. Thisis Guyanny who came back, gave him the job back for the playoffs, and there was a bit of a debate who would be the closure going into the season for the Braves this year if they didn't sign Craig Kimberle Minter Yatt hurt and it looks like this guy who has the job for now, how soon do we expect a j Minter back? So we're actually only showing a one week optimal recovery time for mentor Um. He was dealing with

shoulder tightness. Left his appearance on Friday, but he was supposed to start during again on Tuesday, so sort of a similar timeline to fault navic Um. He was also involved in a car accident two days before he left his appearance, so I think it hopefully has more to do with just kind of being a little sore and banged up from the car accident and not a true injury. So right now, this doesn't seem like it's something too concerning, but we'll definitely want to keep a close eye on

him over the next few weeks. A J mentor if we're talking about relievers who could potentially get you holds, or if you just want to kind of lock up both players in a bullpen, Arrodi's dis guy, you know, in a J mentor unless Craig Kimbrell signs with with the Atlanta Braves. Those are two relief pictures that you can look at Virginia. Another picture starting pitchers specifically dealing

with an elbow injury is Andrew Heeny. And Andrewhini was you know, he was kind of getting some hype here in the in the draft season by multiple analysts, and you know he's dealing with this elbow injury. Now, he did have a bullpen session on Tuesday. He's always kind of been a guy who's dealt with injuries. Um, what do you have on Andrewhini. Yeah, things aren't looking great for him. Um, he's still very high injury risks. Um, and he's his HPF is currently poor. It doesn't look

like it's going to improve. Uh, it might get back to below average by the time the season starts, but it's not going to get into that above average or peak category anytime in April or May. Um, he's making a little progress, but you know he like he said, he's one of those guys he's dealt with a few injuries. Um, and things just aren't looking looking great for him as he deals with inflammation in his elbema. So not a great report there about Andrew Heeny with the Angels, and

he's a guy that's been hurt a lot throughout his career. Unfortunately, hoping for a better report. Maybe you'll give us one when it comes to his teammates Gangs. So currently not dealing with anything serious, but he has a very very concerning injury history. Um, he's one of those players that still falls into the high risk category, and he's up there.

He's in you know, the forties something percentile right now in terms of his injury risk, which is really high for a guy who's technically been healthy for you know, six months or so. Um. Last year, he had problems with both his left and right groin. Um, He's had hamstring issues. He had a series of blique injury in seventeen that forced him to miss three months. So all of these muscular strains are somewhat related, you know, the

groin area. UM. Honestly, I'd be really surprised if he doesn't have some sort of a problem um with one of those injuries again this year. So I definitely think he's something someone that you stay away from, even though it seems like he's okay right now. Were you've ever seen a movie Bubble Boy. Yes, it's a great movie, pretty good. I think with all the angels starting pictures, like after they pitch, they should just enter a bubble, just try and learn to pitch while. It's because I

think they're talented, right. I want to like Andrew Heine. I want to like Tyler's gags. We went over Tyler's gags the other day. His numbers before we get hurt last year. But surprise, surprise, he always gets hurt. He was great last year before he got hurt. But it's just this is always the case with these two guys. So I think that they're talented pictures, but it just

seems like they're always dealing with something. Here. I'm gonna move over to another hyped starting pitcher earlier on in the draft season, not so hype now, which might actually create a buying opportunity for fantasy owners right now, and that's Josh James of the Houston Astros, who has been dealing with a quad issue that has kind of delayed him here in Astro's camp um as of right now. I mean, they have a lot of guys that they

can fill in the rotation without Josh James. But I think, you know, for the long run, I mean, especially in like keeper Kynasy leagues, this guy has legitimate upside. How long do you think this squad as shoe is going to affect him? Is going to start the year on the d L or I L Rather, what do you have on Josh James? Yeah, things are actually looking pretty good for Josh James. Um he's actually already back in

the low injury risk category. Um. He threw a bullpen session today, which is, you know, a very good sign for him. Ram pain free yesterday, so he's definitely trending in the right direction. When he originally heard his quad, we gave him a Grade one strain, which is relatively minor UM and you know, based on how he's progressed

so far, it looks like that's pretty accurate. So may not be ready by you know, the first week of the season, but I don't think he's gonna miss more than a couple starts if he does end up back as a starter, um, and could be available within the first few weeks of the season however they want to use him. That's Josh James. This is Virginia August from Inside Injuries. Good news on Josh James, which is obviously encouraging.

But what about another young pitcher, and that's Alex Reyes who missed a lot of last year and the year before. He's working his way back. Uh, he seems to be pretty in pretty good shape. I don't know what the Cardinals are ultimately thinking, but what's the health side of Alex rays. Yeah, so I actually watched a few of his pitches. From his appearance on Tuesday, he looked pretty

good basketball touch ninety eight miles per hour UM. He even threw a few curveballs, so he's mixing up his pitches already, which is usually a sign that he's feeling pretty comfortable unhealthy. Um. He does remain a high injury risk though, just these are two very serious surgeries. He's come back from the torn loop muscle and Tommy John's surgery.

So his HPF right now is above average, which tells me that he actually started pitch pretty well, but he's he's at a high risk of re injury, and I just it's I have a hard time seeing him not suffering some sort of a slight setback throughout the year, whether it's inflammation, some ten nitis and his shoulder, elbow, um, you know, a little core muscle strain, something like that. But you know, right now should pitch pretty well. But he's going to be someone we need to watch really

closely throughout the entire season. Yeah. I couldn't agree more on Alex Reyes and I think he has a lot of talent, but I do think the Cardinals are gonna baby him somewhat. I'd be surprised if he throws more than a hundred und twenty endings this year. But you know, those hundred endings could be really good. It's just a matter of, all, right, well, when is he gonna pitch?

When can I actually depend on Alex Reyes. So you know, if you have him as as the end of your fantasy rotation, Greg, I think that's fine, but he's not really someone that I want to depend on all that much. I want to ask you about Jimmy Nelson, who has yet to make his debut in spring training, but he's inching closer to it. He's thrown, he's thrown some some batting practice, some bullpens here. Um, he's coming missed the

entire season. He's coming off this shoulder injury. But the last time we saw him was and he was lights out. He was amazing. So you know, one are the chances that Jimmy Nelson could get back to that forum? I mean, how how much of a workload can we expect him to have his first season back? And what's his injury risk looking like? Yeah, so right now he falls into

that elevated injury risk category. Um, definitely an improvement. He was high risk all of last year, um, which of course isn't a surprise considering he never pitched, but so there's still some risk there. Um. That's going to be the case any time when players missed an entire season and is working their way back, just because you don't quite know how their body is going to respond once they start, um pitching, you know, as often as it

takes throughout the season. So um, we actually do expect him to pitch pretty well though, as long as he can stay healthy. He's already back in the peak category. So I think things are looking pretty good for him at the start of the season, but there's always going to be some risk. Um. It's actually when I look at our future projections, that looks like the entire season he'll likely stay an elevated injury risked just because of

the severity of the surgery he went through. All right, greggy, little high risk, high reward was actually more positive than I expected from the crew and inside injuries. In regards to Jimmy Nelson, I thought they'd be can all off. Yeah, that was that was a lot more prepositive than I expected, to be profectly honest with you. For Szaka's inside injuries.

We've asked you a lot about starting pitchers. Let me go off the starting pitchers for a moment, and let me go to a guy that we're gonna talk about later on today, and that's Gregory Polanco, who had um a really nice year last year for Pittsburgh. I know he had a slump in June. You dropped him, Frank, I held on because my waiver claim didn't go through. And when I was dropping him and he really turned around.

It was a really nice season. Like I said, for Polanco, who before uh September, before what happened September, he was going really really great. Actually, he bangs his shoulder in September and as major shoulder surgery and is expected to miss at least the first month of the season. How healthy will he be when he comes back? Is he worth drafting it all? What do you think about Gregory Polanco? Yeah? So his surgery was to stabilize an acute left shoulder

dislocation and repair the labor min his shoulder. This is a very serious surgery. UM. The initial timeline for his recovery was around seven to nine months UM, which would put a return hopefully sometime around June Um, but this is one of those injuries it really takes closer to nine to twelve months to really get healthy and feel back to normal. So I don't think he's going to be out nine to twelve months, but he's not going to be anywhere near one percent. His injury risk is

still very, very high. His HPF is kind of hovering on the border of below average and a bug average right now. So he could play fairly well once he's cleared to return, but he still has a long way to go. Um. He's been throwing from a hundred twenty feet but hasn't taken any throws from the outfield yet. UM. I guess at this point, we probably just need to hope that he can get some at bats in late at spring training so his start to the season isn't

delayed too much. But he's someone I would I would stay away from this year just because there's a lot of risk coming back from the surgery. I know it's not exactly the same thing, Greg, but this reminds me a lot of Michael Confordo from last year. But even like, the timeline is even longer, right, so they rushed back and forth the last year struggled in the first half because obviously he was still kind of like playing through this shoulder injury. It kind of seems like it's just

gonna be a wash year for Gregory Polanco. Like maybe he contributes something late in the season, you pick him up, you know, around then, maybe around the All Star breaks, something like that, but it seems like it might be a wash here, maybe you know, by low in the dynasty or something like that. But for for re draft season long, I just don't know that he's going to contribute much this season. We'll be over to another outfielder, one that we hold very near and due to our

hearts greg Aaron Hicks dealing with a back injury. Fun fact about Aaron Hicks. Every single year he's been in the major leagues, he has been on the injured list. So why would it be any different now We're already in spring training. He just got a seven year contract extension. But dealing with a back injury. Now, this has my attention, Virginia because specifically the next man up for the New

York Yankees, which presumably would be Clint Frasier. That's why it has attention because he's, you know, one of their top outfield hitting prospects. What's the latest on Aaron Higgs? Do we expect him to start the season? Uh? Is this going to be something that lingers throughout the year. What do we have on Aaron Higgs? Yeah, so a few weeks ago we actually talked about him and we warned that he was one of those guys that's a high injury risk but in the peak HPF so hopefully

he plays well, but very head chance he gets reinjured. UM. Of course a few days later, he now is dealing with this back injury and it's been almost a week now that he's been out. Um, they're not making it sound like a very big deal and it really might not be. But like you said, you look at his injury history and it makes this a huge red flag. UM. Last year he dealt dealt with an intercostal strain and hamstring and ankle injuries. UM. Seventeen it was multiple of

a week strains, and then it was hamstring strings. So all of these muscular injuries are very, very easily aggravated. So even if he recovers from his back injury in the next week or two, UM, he's going to deal with something throughout the season in and these core injuries are very very very likely to recur, especially back issues, So this is a major red flag. Um and I think he's probably gonna miss a lot of games this season, right.

This is a classic case of there might be one year in Aaron Higgs's career where he stays healthy to seventy five thirty home runs and fifteen stolen bases, and everyone's gonna say I told you so, I told you Aaron Higgs. But it's only gonna be like one year out of like these next seven that the Yankees have signed him. I think he's gonna be really good, like Virginia said, when he plays. It's just it's more likely than not that he's gonna miss at least twenty or

thirty games every single season. That's just how I view Aaron Higgs. If you have a good replacement, then sure own him. But it's harder to replace guys when you play in these deeper leads, especially fifteen teams or a only it's tough. Absolutely, Virginia Zakis from Inside Injuries, we appreciate the time as always, we have ten seconds to go. MIELSA no draft or don't draft don't draft, but I don't like it. All right, fair enough, Sorry, Frankie, I'm sorry.

Virginia lets you down before she leaves. Let's take a break more over the injured at players. Next hour, we'll be back at the reliever's next The Fantasy Sports Network is hitting you from all angles with the best fantasy sports and betting analysis. You can catch the latest programming on so many platforms. There's no way you'll miss out on any of the award winning programming we pump out

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it was baseball coverage. But because we've gone to NFL three sixty five and we know you still need your baseball coverage, I don't know what my man Frank Snaffle's Patreon page, we will have a graphic for this, I promise you by next week, and you pay ten bucks, you get Frank's Frankings, And if you don't like the way rankings are presented on the site, he'll email them to you. He just told me this off the air.

He will email let me to you directly. Ten bucks a month, you get his rankings and all the advisers would ever need to update this throughout the season, throughout the next three weeks, certainly he'll be on top of his game. I've watched him edit it right here in front of me during our show. That's how quickly things

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that work? Oh? There's actually a really cool like DM process on Patreon that I've been using with with some of the patrons are ready to subscribers. So I think we could either just use the Patreon DM, we use Twitter DM. I mean, if you really need access like from your phone, like sure, I'll text you, like perfectly fine, it's really like whatever you want, all right, cool, So you'll have unlimited, unfiltered access to Frank Staffeld made twenty

five bucks again, that's well worth it. Ten bucks again, I said, he's gonna be mad at me, but like that's the sweet spot. You get ten bucks a month, you're gonna get everything, I think, everything you need. I like to make my own decisions. I don't really need Frank except when I text them and then he doesn't response, So I'll maybe I'll pay twenty five bucks for this month. Um, but that's kind of where my head is at. The one dollar TI or the five dollars year like that,

that's fine. Ten dollars twenty five that's what you need to be that's how you're going to win your league this year. It's Frank Stanfell's baseball Patreon. It's available right now heading over his Twitter page painted up. I still have to put it up on my page and I apologize. Um, check it out right now, Frank Frank Stanfell's Patreon page

for Fantasy Baseball this season. The number three overall rancor in all of Fantasy baseball last year, and for just ten bucks or twenty five dollars you get access to him unlimited, all right, Frankie. Um, some of these other relievers we have not spoken about. Yeah, I want to just do that before we get to the injured guys and where to draft him, where they're going in drafts? Um, some of these other whole guys, who else really stands out to you as someone you want to draft and

hope for holds or at these gratios? Yeah. So, Luke Trevino was one that I was looking at as well with with the Oakland age, Just lu Trovino. I don't think it's a Trevino. It's just like a red blooded American, all right, man. He was someone that I looked at last year at a two point nine to ear a had the one point one four whip if you try god as well over a strikeout or any He's someone that I'm looking at. I mentioned Craig Stalmon a little bit earlier on with the with with the San Diego Padres.

He had a sub three e r A last year as well, he had you know, over ten strikeouts per nine. He had. His walks per nine were under two last year. Greg so, Craig Stammons another one, Eurius familiar. I think familiar makes a lot of sense to especially, you know, a handcuff situation. We know he has closing experience. I do think that you know, when he's on the mount, he's still gonna get a decent amount of strikeouts. You know, last year he was you know, ten strikeouts per nine.

He had a three point one three e r A. I mean, i'd expect an ear a better than that out of out of Eurus Familia. Really, all the Yankees guys, you know, like I don't want to sound like a Homer, but they're Bullpen's amazing. Greg Tances to Adam Outavino to uh what am I forgetting here? Child Green, Adam Zack Britton forgotten Lefty forgot a nice less large contract. If you had to place a wager on who's going to leave the San Francisco Giants and Saves this year, who

would you say? Will Smith may think he's gonna trade it. That's true. I think that they're a prime team to just blow everything up, just like trade Bump under trade away Will Smith and the one person that they're not gonna be able to trade grade contract, Mark Lanson. Yeah, see that's your answer. I think so. I don't think he has the best stuff by any means. I guess he's Sam nice leading and saves. He was random to

last year he popped up how many saves? The end up with last was the last year they had the station. Two years ago he was really good for I think two years ago was he still with Texas years trade? Last year? Uh, it's camp here right, Sam Nicon is very not good. All right, here we go the whole saves. Here we go. So last year he had three. The year before he had fourteen. That was with San Francisco. So that was all fourteen coming of San Francisco. Yeah,

it was two years. Yeah, that's what I thought. Last year. Last year is much Yeah. Yeah, But the thing is he just doesn't strike out a lot of peace eight whip all right, So I mean he's a two category contributor to give you a good ear, a good whip. Not really love it to be Pet van Needy, but it will never be pet. I feel like Mark Moranson is going so late. And again I don't think he's good his ear A and NFBC. I mean his his a DP. It's twenty acronyms. Man like, too many three

letter acronyms that I'm dealing with. Here is a d P in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship, Mark Lanson, it's five a D two. Would you be surprised one bit if he saved twenty games this year? I mean that's like I would. I wouldn't surprised. Because of his contract, They're gonna do everything they can to allow him to be to be the closer. They're gonna give him every

opportunity today, I don't disagree with you. You know, I'm looking at Greg who's kind of picking up some steam here in the spring training all No, definitely not Richard Baier guest. Well, you know, speaking of Richard Bayer leads me into Michael Gibbons got blown up the other day, you know, got blown up yesterday, Gregor another guy that I drafted on my Great Fantasy Basic Invitational team, Second Rider six and runs. What are we doing? Man? What we what do we do? Like? What do the Marlins do?

I don't know? What's your guests? Who's the closer? You know who wouldn't surprise me? I think dark Horse in Miami, Teyron Guerrero. This guy's like six ft eight until it's like a hundred and five miles per hour, but he just doesn't know where the ball is going. Sounds like a pretty good closer, Like your guess is as good as mine. They begin Sergio Romo, I guess he has the closing experience, but he throws eighty five miles per hour.

So alright, nice little twenty difference from Tehran Guerrero. Drew. Second Rider was the one who picked up some saves down the stretch last year once they traded Kyle bear Claw away. What does surprise me if Guerrero ends up being the guy? So yesterday second Rounder gives up sixer and runs, and I think Sergio Romo also gave up like a two run bomb yesterday. Or you give up a couple of runs for sure, Caska, random questions, the reliever,

if you don't mind, what's up? Who you got? I gotta check this out in the FBC, Like I feel like Domingo Santas just climbing. Oh yeah, shooting of draft forwards right, four home runs, ready to spring. He's a guy out a video. He hit home run yesterday. Bomb. He's just and he makes it look so easy too, which makes me think that his power is going to translate. It doesn't matter where he is, like back that he's

like Chris Davis. Then you know, I'm gonna look hang on over the over the last week when I'm tossing and turning in bed. These are the things I think about Outfielers. You know what's the very good values like that? The other day Ronans took him in the thirteenth round though, which is the earliest I've seen. That's early, yeah, but

it's it's good. It's a good idea. How much Domingo Santana in the thirteenth and then he got Austin Medals in the sixteen Like take my money, take my money at Austin Meadows is actually going Johnny spots higher than him in the NFP. Can we do that? This is what I talk like, we do that next Thurs Night. I respect everyone who's in the tout ward draft obviously, but I feel like when obvious, you don't have to know I do. I mean, these are these are proven

fititsy baseball. Michael Florio is a War League pretty good. He's one of our teammates for turns forever. I feel like when people draft with Ronus, they just forget how to draft. You always say that where you no. No, I mean he's really good too, Like he's good at what he does, But like, how does Austin Meadows go in the sixteenth round? Greg? I don't know. I don't I don't get it. Would you ever have aust Meadows Santana. I have Austin Meadows higher, but Domingo Santana's closing the gap.

I wrote a little I wrote a little piece on my Patreon when you can check out about about Austin Meadows, which is in my outfielder rankings. And I'm actually gonna do this for outfields who are getting hyped up in the spring. I'm actually gonna write about Mingo Santana as well. I want to write about these outfielders who are kind of getting hyped up throughout spring, whether or not you can trust it. And Austin Meadows, I think he's a guy that could come close to going this year. Am

I crazy? Great? Got a change? I mean, I'm crazy. I have him forty one in my outfield. He's a foward top prospect of a good reason, right. I also wrote about Byron Buckston. He's in that group. I mean, there's a group of Meadows. Byron Buxton, do mingo santag Jackie Bradley is getting hyped up in the spring. Why why is that? Well? He actually he made off season adjustments, like Jenny Martinez is uh hitting coach, and he's like trying to lift the ball more and so far it's

been paying off. And I also think that he had like a strong second half as well. Did you see the video of him miked up the other day during the game? It was actually really cool. So and I wonder if they're going to start doing this more during like regular season games. They probably won't, but they make up outfielders and they talk to them through other players. So they did it with Jackie. He was talking about how you know the second half, everything started clicking for

him a little bit more of that last year. He's a guy that's had upside before, and he's in a really good Red Sox lineup. So he's another guy that I'm I'm paying it tenn during the spring. But with Domingo said Titana, what I was thinking about right was two years he agoing he was amazing. He hit you know to seventy eight, all right, you don't really want it for batting average? Is everything else that he could do? Thirty home runs, eighty eight run scored, eighty five RBIs,

fifteen stolen bases. And what I thought to myself, Greg was he's obviously very talented. If you give this guy the chance to play every single day, Let's say he just gives you seventy five per cent of the production he did two years ago, he's by far and away worth being drafted where he is right now. If he gives you, you know, to fifty five batting average with twenty three to five home runs, seventy five runs, seventy five r bis and twelve stolen bases, ten stolen bases,

he's a great value. Where he's going, he's still a great value Jesse Winker, let me take the ring because he's closing the gap. I know. I think the Mingos Santana's playing time is more, although new Reds manager David Bell has said he wants Jesse Winker to get at least five season, so he wants him to be near everyday player. So you know what, this is really funny, Greg, I have Domingo Santana fifty first, I have Winker, have them really close. I have Awesome Medals thirty nine. Action

very excited about Awesome. The prospect pedigree is there's a guy that makes a lot of contact. I don't care that he's a lefty and no roster resource has him as a platoon player, but actually fared better against lefties last years than he did against right He's geta It was it was a small sample size, but I think Austin Meadows is a guy that comes in here and hit at the top of a very sneaky, underrated lineup.

Wouldn't surprise you at all. If they're the to their lineuples like Austin Meadows, Tommy Famine and like insert whatever the rest. That's a pretty good top of the lineup. I like Austin Meadows. He come close, dude. How have you not bet on the Rays over under yet? Well? They play in a tough division. Greg love them, but they against the Red Sox. They play against You know what, I understand that there is a lot of As much as I love Tommy Fame, I'm realistic. I could tell

you he's an injury risk. Yeah, I think what. He hasn't played more than a hundred thirty seven games. I love Tommy, al be realistic. Got to be realistic, Believe me. I'm realistic. Moved Mingo Santanna up? How high should I move him? Give me some name, I'll tell you just ahead of him? All right, Well, he's definitely going ahead of Ryan Brown. Yes, I haven't had he Ryan Bron you should go ahead of Brandon Demo. I have very close to Brandon mut Yes, but you play in O BP,

so it's a little bit different. These are just like standard five by five Rod. What about Ian Desmond? Hes been plays in Colorado and should he be? They think the batting average is going to bounce back for Ian Desmond too. He had to twenty last year and the bad bit was unlucky, even though he picked in corps Field you know, he hits a lot of groundballs, very frustrating. Still last year is gonna be like a six hitter. The opportunity probably should have him over and if I

if I wrote it, he's probably have him over Atana. Yeah, just because I think he's gonna steal I'm not going to, but you should have him. What about Harrison Bader? I have him very close as well. He's a little overrated. I agree, I have sent Tanna over Beader. I think I think bad is wanted like the stat cast hero kind of guys that I looked at and like a sprint speed was really good. So I kind of got sucked into like the possibility of him stealing a ton

of bases. I think that was my thinking with ranking Harrison being or forty seven right now? Corie Dickerson, did he be in this mix? Are you still I'm never going to draft court never? Are you still sweating Malex Smith? By the way, you're still doing that? What you're still sweating Alex Smith? You mean sweating Smith? I don't. I never loved Alex Smith. Greg He's a very good ball play.

I think in the second half is o BP was over four dred I know it's not like Malex Smith, but I'm worried about this injury that of course you are definitely worried. And what was that you had dr A on last week? Right? I spoke about Malex Smith and said he's probably gonna miss like a third of the season. I mean that worries me out. So I've lowered him a little bit. I still have him in this mix. He's he's forty three for me. Who would you rather draft today, Greg, Alex Smith or Billy Hamilton's

I'd rather Malex Smith. He's a better hitter, definitely a better here, no question. So well, Billy Hamilton's healthier, faster and is he faster though I don't think so. Really that's pretty cool. I think, well, how much stock do you put into sprint speed? Greg? Which is the new metric tons? I don't really think I MESSR speed while you're running on the basis it's pretty much the truest test of how Yes, So let me pull up Malex Smith for you, and then I'll pull up Billy Hamilton.

I'm pretty sure Malex Smith was top five in sprint speed last year. Iron Bucks was number one again. Iron buckson man, he's very fast as well. Alex Smith was percentile and sprint speed which made him in all of baseball eighth the year before. He hasn't been lower than

seventeenth the past three years. That's Malex Smith. Now we're gonna pull up Billy Hamilton's who I mean, hopefully the Royals taught about a hit because you know the old adage, Greggy, you can't steal first base sprint speed or Billy hamilton'scenti which would make him faster. And Malex Smith, yeah, oh yeah, he's topping. He hasn't been lower than nine in each of the past four years. Billy Hamilton's sprint speed still very fast, still doesn't know it hit or walk for

that matter, Why would you ever walk? Billy Hamilton's that's never m So did this help you figure out how to value Domingo Santana? Yeah? I moved them up? How how did you move them? Because I gotta figure out how how high I should move? And I don't know, you don't remember there's keepers in here and stuff. It's you know, he's in somebody. He's like, how do you feel about Ramon Loriano? He's not really a guy that we've talked about but a lot of people in the

fantasy industry like it. He will like him a lot. I read something I might have been on batting average in the minors when I looked him up. I don't know where did I read that. I read some about Ramon Loriano that hit near the top of the They think that the legal catch up to him now, and that was that an article in the Athletic. Is that where it was might have been, Yeah, it might have been, but I think there was a counter to that. Like he responded to it and said like, no, I know

it's coming and I'm getting ready for it. Oh say right, we'll come back. We're gonna jump around a lot this hour. We're gonna start with the injured players and we're to draft them. We'll tell you that next