X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Connor McEleney’s 2018 Bold Predictions

Bold predictions aren't meant to be taken too seriously, but all of these are plausible in my mind.

They’re bold and hot take-esque, but I really believe that all ten of these predictions could come true.

Let's wrap up RotoBaller's bold predictions series for 2018 as we prepare for first pitches across the country.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Connor's Bold Predictions for 2018

Andrew Benintendi finishes the season as a top-10 fantasy player

Benintendi is ascending rapidly and you should’ve been targeting him in every draft. This guy has real five-category ability, so predicting a top-10 finish for him isn’t terribly bold. I’m just not seeing any articles about him and his pick 40 ADP. The nice thing about Benintendi is that he’s guaranteed to improve as he ages into his prime. Last year he was a 2 win player for the Red Sox after performing well during his 2016 premiere tour, chipping in a .295 BA in 118 plate appearances. He’s an advanced batter for his age. He’s an elite talent. You need to roster young players like this.

Ohtani struggles in first half, has top-five second half as a pitcher

If you’re like me, you’re thrilled to see Ohtani’s fantasy stock plummeting heading into Opening Day. I want Ohtani in every league.

I think we can chalk up Ohtani’s struggles to his age and professional playing experience in the U.S., of which there was none before this season. I’m willing to bet that Ohtani’s issues are related to self-doubt and confidence. Can you imagine how tough it would be to go from being utterly dominant to sub-replacement level in only a few months? Ohtani will work through his mental issues by going out and stringing together a few excellent performances during the regular season. Once that happens, get off the tracks. The Ohtani train will be barreling through the league at full speed.

Miguel Cabrera hits .310 and returns fourth-round value

Miggy was wildly unlucky in 2017. Health issues routinely plagued him, the Tigers sold their best players, and a .292 BABIP helped drag his batting average down to .249. Here’s what’s encouraging to see: he had a .289 xBA and a .382 xwOBA, rates well above his actual output. Nearly everything on his profile points to positive regression. Now is the time to ask about his availability, but if you have him already, good job.

Nomar Mazara hits .290 and 30 HR

I’m anointing myself as one of the leaders of the Nomar Mazara Truthers movement. He has two full seasons under his belt at 22-years old. He drove in 101 baserunners at 22-years-old. Steamer and ZiPS love him for 2018. He’s also only 22-years-old. Have I made that clear enough? He’s ONLY 22 YEARS OLD. A Mazara breakout campaign is bound to occur one of these years. If you don’t think it’ll be this year, that’s reasonable. But make sure you acquire him in dynasty. It’s all about age-adjusted production, and if you love owning young studs who produce early in their careers, Mazara is a perfect fit for your team.

A season hitting .290 with 30 HR is probably Mazara’s ceiling. I’m saying he’ll hit that point this year.

Carlos Martinez wins the NL Cy Young

I’ve been trying to acquire C-Mart in all of my leagues this offseason. He’s a bonafide ace entering his age-27 season on a revamped Cardinals team. The wins will be there and the strikeouts will keep rolling in. Best case scenario: his HR/9 drops, his BB/9 drops, he wins over 15 games, and he tacks on a few more strikeouts than usual. Oh, and he needs to stay healthy all year. If all of that happens, Martinez will win the NL Cy Young. He’s so close.

Trevor Bauer ends the year as a top-five pitcher

This is happening, y’all. Hop on board now. Bauer was lights-out in the second half of 2017. I hate to do that first half/second half analysis, but it’s worth noting that Bauer made a real adjustment last year. His fastball zone rate increased and he whipped batters with his slider. The second half result was a 3.01 ERA, 10.0 K/9, and a 2.80 BB/9.

He’s still just 27-years-old. Combine a decreased walk rate with a bunch of strikeouts and 15+ wins, and you have a fantasy ace. This prediction really isn’t as crazy as it sounds.

Eloy Jimenez is 2018’s Rhys Hoskins, only better

There’s a Rhys Hoskins breakout seemingly every season. A player gets called up, torches opposing batters or pitchers, and leads fantasy teams into the playoffs. Hoskins did it last year, Jimenez is doing it this year. His 80-grade raw power will be enough to dizzy pitchers at first, but Jimenez will not peter out like Hoksins did last year. Jimenez will maintain dominance through September.

Garrett Richards doesn’t get hurt, almost wins the AL Cy Young

What’s the bolder prediction? Richards doesn’t get hurt or he almost wins the Cy Young? If you’re familiar with his injury woes, the former prediction is probably bolder. Basically all Richards has ever done is dominate when healthy. He looked fantastic when pitching late in the season last year and I expect him to carry that into 2018. A high strikeout rate, low walk rate, good peripherals all factor into this prediction. He won’t win the Cy Young, but he’ll be in contention for it. If he actually does win the AL Cy Young after I said he’ll almost win it, I’ll be pretty pissed off. I should go all the way with this prediction, but I’m not going to.

Travis Shaw almost wins NL MVP

A full, healthy season from Travis Shaw in his age-27 would certainly be MVP material. Assuming he actually improves, a high batting average and 30+ HR is not out of the question here. Shaw is locked into a stacked Brewers lineup that’ll result in him loading up on runs and RBI. Since I’m saying he’ll almost win NL MVP, that means I think he’ll be a top-three fantasy third baseman.

That’s right. Bryant, Arenado, Shaw. That’s your end-of-the-year order.

Trea Turner proves doubters wrong by hitting by hitting .305, 20 HR, 60 SB, with 110 runs

I was really glad to see the Trea Turner anti-hype train pass me by this offseason. I waved to the passengers as they headed towards the consolation bracket.

“Bye, guys! Thanks for all you’ve done to lower Turner’s draft stock!”

This’ll be the full Trea Turner breakout season. We haven’t seen Turner play a complete year yet, but it’ll happen this season. When it comes, you’ll want to own him. I honestly believe that no one other than Mike Trout has a higher fantasy ceiling.

 

More RotoBaller Predictions




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Corey Seager5 hours ago

Leaves Early On Tuesday With Hamstring Tightness
George Klassen5 hours ago

Strikes Out Nine In Latest Double-A Start
Michael Pittman Jr.5 hours ago

Back Injury Is In The Past
Marcelo Mayer5 hours ago

With Fourth Straight Multi-Hit Effort On Tuesday
Bailey Falter5 hours ago

Leaves Outing On Tuesday With Back Tightness
George Pickens5 hours ago

Steelers Appear Unlikely To Trade George Pickens
Jaylen Warren6 hours ago

Steelers Believe Jaylen Warren Can Be Their RB1
Leodalis De Vries6 hours ago

Hits For Cycle, Collects Eight RBI On Tuesday
Jeferson Quero6 hours ago

To Resume Baseball Activities
Andrew Novak6 hours ago

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Roman Anthony7 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Soreness
Ben Griffin7 hours ago

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Nick Pivetta7 hours ago

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Brandon Marsh8 hours ago

Nearing Rehab Assignment
Mitchell Parker8 hours ago

Tosses Eight Shutout Innings
Javier Assad8 hours ago

Exits Rehab Start With Injury
Pablo López8 hours ago

Pablo Lopez Nearing Return
Cristopher Sánchez8 hours ago

Cristopher Sanchez Exits With Forearm Soreness
Jaylen Warren9 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Steelers
Luis Rengifo10 hours ago

Out After Having Root Canal
Tyler Matzek10 hours ago

Joins Big-League Roster
Chandler Simpson10 hours ago

Back In Leadoff Spot On Tuesday
Wade Miley10 hours ago

Starting His Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Sam Moll10 hours ago

Starting Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Tyler Stephenson10 hours ago

Starting Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Marcus Semien10 hours ago

Dropped To Five-Hole On Tuesday
Cody Poteet10 hours ago

Placed On 15-Day Injured List With Shoulder Inflammation
Will Levis10 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Traded
Houston Texans11 hours ago

Texans Considering Trading Up
Cleveland Browns11 hours ago

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Appears At Offseason Program
Thomas Detry11 hours ago

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
Christian McCaffrey11 hours ago

Has No Restrictions
Terry Rozier11 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Damian Lillard11 hours ago

Will Have His Minutes Monitored Tuesday
Jayson Tatum11 hours ago

Listed As Doubtful For Game 2
Robert MacIntyre11 hours ago

Returns To Zurich Classic With High Hopes
Derek Forbort11 hours ago

Recovering From Surgery
Martin Fehérváry11 hours ago

Martin Fehervary To Miss Postseason Following Knee Surgery
Shane Lowry12 hours ago

Returning To Zurich Classic With Red-Hot Teammate
Luke Glendening12 hours ago

Available For Start Of Playoffs
Mitchell Chaffee12 hours ago

Available Tuesday
Cody Glass12 hours ago

Good To Go Tuesday
Brenden Dillon12 hours ago

Won't Play In Game 2
Luke Hughes12 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Matthew Tkachuk12 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Damian Lillard13 hours ago

Cleared To Play Tuesday
Brock Purdy14 hours ago

Reports For OTA's Amid Contract Discussions
George Kittle14 hours ago

Skips Start Of 49ers Offseason Program
Dallas Cowboys14 hours ago

Stephon Gilmore Spotted At Cowboys Facility On Tuesday
James Cook14 hours ago

Not At Start Of Voluntary OTAs
Kirk Cousins15 hours ago

Reports To Voluntary OTA's
Cam Ward15 hours ago

Titans Officially Staying Put At No. 1 Overall Pick, Expected To Select Cam Ward
15 hours ago

Ashton Jeanty's Tackle-Breaking Ability Sets Him Apart
16 hours ago

Jalen Milroe Not A Lock To Go In First Round
Denver Broncos16 hours ago

Broncos Willing To Trade Up In This Week's Draft
Indianapolis Colts16 hours ago

Colts Searching For A Tight End That Can Do It All
Daniel Jones16 hours ago

Colts Expect Both Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones To Help Them In 2025
16 hours ago

Giants High On Jaxson Dart
Rory McIlroy16 hours ago

Making Second Appearance At Zurich Classic
16 hours ago

Saints Not Expected To Take Shedeur Sanders
Nikola Jokić19 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Posts 19th Postseason Triple-Double
Kawhi Leonard20 hours ago

Leads Clippers To Game 2 Victory
Jalen Brunson20 hours ago

Leads All Scorers With 37 Points In Monday's Loss
Tobias Harris20 hours ago

Notches Double-Double In Game 2 Win
Cade Cunningham20 hours ago

Leads Pistons To Victory With 33 Points
Rob Dillingham20 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Maxi Kleber20 hours ago

Remains Out For Game 2
GG Jackson II20 hours ago

Available For Tuesday
Evan Bouchard20 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Assists In Postseason Opener
Connor McDavid21 hours ago

Racks Up Four Points In Losing Effort
Nick Taylor21 hours ago

Can Surprise Again In The Big Easy
Phillip Danault21 hours ago

Nets Two Goals In Game 1 Victory
Adam Hadwin21 hours ago

Expects To Contend At Zurich Classic
Mark Scheifele21 hours ago

Bags Two Points In Monday's Win
Alejandro Tosti21 hours ago

Could Get Hot Again In New Orleans
Lane Hutson21 hours ago

Posts Two Assists In Playoff Debut
Joe Highsmith21 hours ago

Struggling As New Orleans Approaches
Dylan Strome21 hours ago

Registers Three Assists In Overtime Win
Karl Vilips21 hours ago

Steps Up To Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Alex Ovechkin21 hours ago

Scores First Playoff Overtime Goal
Michael Thorbjornsen21 hours ago

Ready To Make Waves In New Orleans
Braden Schneider21 hours ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Tom Hoge21 hours ago

Ready To Make Some Birdies In New Orleans
Billy Horschel21 hours ago

Has Game To Win Third Zurich Classic
Aaron Gordon1 day ago

Cleared For Action
Ousmane Dieng1 day ago

Still Out On Tuesday
Kevin Love1 day ago

Remains Away From Team
Terry Rozier1 day ago

Hurts Ankle Monday
Damian Lillard1 day ago

Officially Listed As Questionable For Game 2
Isaiah Stewart1 day ago

Ruled Out For Game 2 Against Knicks
Trent Frederic1 day ago

A Game-Time Call Monday
Leon Draisaitl1 day ago

Returns To Oilers Lineup For Postseason Opener
Jake Walman1 day ago

Available For Game 1
Brett Kulak1 day ago

Ready To Play Monday
Aliaksei Protas1 day ago

Expected To Return During First-Round Series
Isaiah Stewart2 days ago

Iffy For Monday Night
Aaron Gordon2 days ago

Listed As Probable For Game 2
Jaylen Brown4 days ago

Not Expected To Be Limited On Sunday
Ryan Blaney6 days ago

Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF