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
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Dave Emerick's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

I'll openly acknowledge that I don't really do bold predictions.

I sit, read, think, and then watch the players play. If I see something, maybe I'll write an article.

But in the spirit of fun, I've put together my own version of 10 Bold Predictions that will definitely, almost probably come to pass.

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

 

Paul DeJong is a top-ten shortstop and top-100 player

Here's my position: Your team would be better if you built your strategy around getting Paul DeJong at his current cost. Right now, no other player offers as much bankable profit as DeJong. Yes, there will be end-of-draft picks that return a greater profit, but none that you can count on as much as DeJong. DeJong is currently the 18th shortstop being drafted, but that's far below his actual value.

Last year, DeJong’s season was derailed by a broken hand after being hit by a pitch. He returned a week ahead of his earliest predicted date, and he stunk for a month. Remove that month, and you have a player who should be drafted in the first 100 picks. Here are DeJong’s career numbers without that month:

Now that DeJong has been elevated to either second or third in the lineup, he’ll have Paul Goldschmidt either immediately ahead of him or immediately behind. That should give DeJong 180 R+RBI alongside his 30 home runs. Those numbers would have made DeJong a top-80 player in 2018, but he’s currently being drafted at 180.

 

Miguel Andujar outproduces Vladimir Guerrero Jr, by a lot

Andujar and Guerrero should be flipped on ADP charts everywhere. Even with Vlad’s recent oblique injury, he’s still being taken 25 spots ahead of Andujar, whose ADP is currently 79. Not only does Andujar start the season with the advantage of having a secure and full-time position in the majors, but he also has one of the league’s best lineups to support his stat line.

Andujar already showed the ability to adjust mid-season, and he improved his strikeout rate in the second half. Even if Vlad gets healthy and is called up as soon as the Super-2 deadline passes, he’ll still have the growing pains of a rookie season and the Blue Jays’ lineup around him.

 

Patrick Corbin establishes himself as an elite starter

It’s been almost nine months since I changed my mind about Patrick Corbin and recommended him as a trade target. All he’s done since then is provide a 2.92 ERA, 2.09 FIP, 2.46 xFIP, an 11.1 K/9 rate, a 1.04 WHIP, and whopping 7.27 K/BB ratio, so you can say I'm feeling pretty good about jumping on that bandwagon. Despite his 2018 performance, he's still being ranked outside the top-20 starting pitchers. There’s just no pleasing some people.

If you’ve read my elite-pitchers series, you know I’m not using the term “elite” casually. In 2018, Corbin led qualified starters in swing-rate outside the zone; he was second in swinging-strike rate; his ground-ball rate was top-10; and he was fifth in K-BB%.

All of his peers on those lists are being selected in the first 30 picks. Corbin’s current ADP is 50. By the end of the season, the true believers will be singing Corbin's praises. The only thing that prevented Corbin from being a top-five pitcher last season was his win total. A season with the Nationals should rectify that.

 

The Dodgers’ pitching staff is good enough to carry your fantasy team

Every few seasons or so, there’s a pitching staff or an offense that is so good that a fantasy manager could win his league by only rostering those players. In this case, I’d probably swap out Clayton Kershaw for another top-10 pitcher.

After that, however, owners could draft the Dodgers’ rotation (Stripling and Urias included) plus another reliever and one more top-40 pitcher, and you’d have a rotation that looked something like this: Clayton Kershaw (ADP 46), Walker Buehler (ADP 39), Kenley Jansen (ADP 73), Rich Hill (ADP 166), Hyun-Jin Ryu (ADP 180), Kenta Maeda (ADP 208), Ross Stripling (ADP 214), and Julio Urias (ADP 275). You put those collective arms together, and you get the following Steamer Projection:

Now, if it were me, I’d probably skip Kershaw in favor Patrick Corbin, Noah Syndergaard, James Paxton, or Patrick Corbin again. However, even if we stick with Kershaw, that’s a promising stat line for pitchers going in the 4th, 5th, 6th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 22nd rounds. Obviously, a manager would still need to fill in around the edges with at least another two closers, but it’s hard to ignore the value in the Dodgers’ rotation.

 

Joey Gallo hits .235 and is unjustly ignored as part of the MVP discussion

Luke Voit and others might think that batting average isn’t a thing anymore, but baseball’s traditions die hard. Just ask an NL fan about adopting the DH (don’t @ me). Even if Joey Gallo hits 45 home runs (he might), drives in 110 RBI (he could), and raises his OPS north of .900, Gallo still won’t get MVP votes for two reasons. The Rangers aren’t likely to make playoffs, and because batting average – like the $10 beer – is still a sacred thing in baseball.

I’m not suggesting Joey Gallo is going to rival Mike Trout and Mookie Betts for MVP production. However, the 25-year-old Gallo has some of the best batted-ball data in the league, and he showed inconsistent and modest approach changes last season. Gallo doesn’t need to reinvent himself to enter the Khris Davis range of performance. He just needs to reduce his strikeouts by a few more percentage points, and he’ll quickly become one of the game’s best bats.

 

Jose Leclerc challenges Edwin Diaz as the best closer in baseball

In private, I’ve been preaching the gospel of Jose LeClerc as the last elite closer on the draft board. LeClerc is available 30 picks after Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen, and he doesn’t come with the same baggage as either of those players.

The major knocks against LeClerc are his blown saves and control issues. However, from the day LeClerc took over as the Rangers full-time closer, he didn’t blow a single save, and maintained a much stronger 3.00 B/99 and a 35.9 K-BB%. The only two pitchers with a better K-BB% were Edwin Diaz and Josh Hader.

 

Yordan Alvarez is up by the end of June and goes full Cody Bellinger

The subtitle for this one should be: “I’m out on Yuli Gurriel.” Tyler White should hold onto his job in Houston, but the Astros are competing right now, and adding Alvarez’s power and on-base skills will add immediate wins for them.

Alvarez isn’t necessarily an ultra-exciting prospect in the vein of Eloy Jimenez, Victor Robles, or the aforementioned Vlad Jr., but he is a strong candidate to provide an OPS over .800 in one of the league’s best lineups. Once he’s up Alvarez should become an immediate top-100 player.

 

Yasmani Grandal provides the best value at catcher

How many times does Yasmani Grandal have to tell you? He’s not old. He’s 30 years young and coming off the best offensive season in his career. He’s joining a strong offense in Milwaukee and will take advantage of the friendly confines of Miller Park.

In the debate of whether J.T. Realmuto is worth a top-50 pick or whether Gary Sanchez will rebound, Grandal is going at pick 128 and will again be one of the three most valuable catchers in fantasy. Do you know what you want in your catcher? Reliable, low-cost production. Check and check.

 

Jesse Winker hits 15 home runs, maintains a .400 OBP, and scores 110 runs

Here are the facts: Jesse Winker should lead off for the Cincinnati Reds this season. Jesse Winker has both objectively and subjectively excellent plate discipline. Last season Jesse Winker got on base at a .405 clip. The Cincinnati Reds have a very good offense. From this we can calculate the following:

 650 PAs * .415 OBP * (Joey Votto + Yasiel Puig + Eugenio Suarez)GA Park Factor = X

Where X = you should stop being such a rube and just draft Jesse Winker already

The Adalberto Mondesi ride is excruciating

Mondesi owners are going to be so invested in such a volatile asset that I’d compare the experience to owning Taijuan Walker or Francisco Liriano. Expect whiplash.

Unless Mondesi falls apart, he’ll likely return solid value, but his game logs from last season show a player whose chase rate and approach leave him vulnerable to extreme swings in performance. Mondesi might play well enough to justify his draft spot and hold his value for next year, but there will be owners who pull the cord after a bad stretch when Mondesi triggers traumatic memories of owning Javier Baez in 2016.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cody Bellinger43 mins ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
Brandin Cooks44 mins ago

Preparing To Play In Week 12
CeeDee Lamb49 mins ago

Not Seen At Thursday's Practice
57 mins ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Aaron Rodgers2 hours ago

Jets Owner Suggested Benching Aaron Rodgers
Mike Evans3 hours ago

Practicing Again On Thursday
Chandler Stephenson4 hours ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson4 hours ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist4 hours ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies5 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund5 hours ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine5 hours ago

Returns To Practice
Ausar Thompson5 hours ago

Listed As Doubtful For Thursday
Walker Kessler5 hours ago

Still Missing For Jazz
Jordan Clarkson5 hours ago

Questionable To Face Spurs
Devin Vassell5 hours ago

To Miss Third Consecutive Game
Chris Paul6 hours ago

Considered Probable For Thursday's Game
Khris Middleton6 hours ago

Medically Cleared To Play
Chris Sale16 hours ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal16 hours ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Paul George16 hours ago

Exits Game On Wednesday, Hyperextends Left Knee Again
Scoot Henderson17 hours ago

Leaves Game On Wednesday, Won't Return
Jalen Johnson17 hours ago

Active On Wednesday Night
Zach Collins18 hours ago

Uncertain To Play On Thursday
Austin Eckroat18 hours ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English18 hours ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin18 hours ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy18 hours ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Patrick Williams18 hours ago

Likely To Miss At Least One Week
Kyle Anderson18 hours ago

Available For Matchup With Hawks
Victor Wembanyama18 hours ago

Out Again On Thursday
Jusuf Nurkic18 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Stephen Curry18 hours ago

Will Play Against Atlanta
De'Anthony Melton18 hours ago

To Undergo Season-Ending ACL Surgery
Tre Mann19 hours ago

Probable For Thursday Night Matchup Against Detroit
Mike Conley19 hours ago

Appears On Injury Report For Thursday With Toe Injury
Donte DiVincenzo19 hours ago

Questionable Heading Into Thursday
Josh Jacobs19 hours ago

Limited With Multiple Injuries
DeVonta Smith19 hours ago

Misses Practice On Wednesday
Isaiah Hartenstein19 hours ago

To Make Season Debut On Wednesday
Tyrese Maxey19 hours ago

Active On Wednesday
Seth Jones21 hours ago

Expected To Miss Four Weeks
Sam Darnold21 hours ago

Limited With Foot Injury
Max Domi21 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Jalen Hurts21 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Connor Ingram21 hours ago

Out Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Jake Ferguson21 hours ago

Picks Up A DNP On Wednesday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen21 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Kings
CeeDee Lamb21 hours ago

Listed As Limited, Dealing With Two Injuries
Alex Tuch22 hours ago

Available Wednesday
Tage Thompson22 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Sam LaPorta22 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Jordan Eberle22 hours ago

To Remain Out On Wednesday
George Kittle22 hours ago

Will Play In Week 12
Ludvig Aberg22 hours ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Ladd McConkey22 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Si Woo Kim22 hours ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy22 hours ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole22 hours ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
San Francisco 49ers23 hours ago

Nick Bosa Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey23 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
George Kittle23 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Brock Purdy23 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Alexander Mattison23 hours ago

Zamir White Not Practicing On Wednesday
Sam LaPorta24 hours ago

Trending Towards Playing In Week 12
Calvin Ridley1 day ago

Out Wednesday With Illness
Isiah Pacheco1 day ago

To Practice On Wednesday
Connor Bedard1 day ago

Ends Drought With Two Assists
Sam Reinhart1 day ago

Pushes Point Streak To 11 Games
Mark Scheifele1 day ago

Celebrates Ninth Career Hat Trick
Evan Bouchard1 day ago

Rocks Senators With Three-Point Period
Connor McDavid1 day ago

Nets Two Goals During Three-Point Night
TB1 day ago

Nicholas Paul Exits Early With Injury Tuesday
Zach Hyman1 day ago

Sits Out Third Period Versus Senators
2 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers2 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
Jonas Brodin2 days ago

Returns To Action
2 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri2 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
2 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
2 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
2 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
2 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
2 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil3 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes3 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer3 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
3 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
3 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Charles Oliveira3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler3 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva3 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy3 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
Nick Martinez4 days ago

Signs Qualifying Offer With Reds
4 days ago

Luis Severino Likely To Decline Qualifying Offer From Mets
James Llontop4 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig4 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal4 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic4 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones4 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
DJ Moore - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 12 - Thursday Updates for Deebo Samuel, D.J. Moore, Jerry Jeudy, Jonathon Brooks, Jauan Jennings, Tank Dell

Many fantasy managers are in must-win situations down the stretch, so it's never been more important to ace your start-or-sit calls. Our Week 12 TNF fantasy football overall rankings for 2024 are here to help. Ahead of the critical Week 12 slate of action, let's find out where players on the start-sit bubble such as […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football FLEX Rankings (RB, WR, TE) - Week 12 Thursday Updates for Chuba Hubbard, Calvin Ridley, Cedric Tillman, Jonnu Smith, Austin Ekeler

It's always tough to compare two flex options at different positions, but bye weeks and key injuries have made those start-sit decisions even tougher. We're here to help guide you with your lineup calls with our Week 12 TNF fantasy football FLEX rankings for 2024. Navigate the rankings below to find out where top flex […]


Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football Superflex 2QB Rankings for Week 12 - Thursday Updates for Tua Tagovailoa, Bo Nix, Russell Wilson, Austin Ekeler, Jayden Reed

Time is running out to collect "Ws" before the fantasy football playoffs begin, and if you need assistance, our Week 12 fantasy football Superflex rankings (2QB) for fantasy football can assist your start-or-sit efforts. Let's get to it! To begin Week 12 preparation, let's dig into the rankings to find out where key Superflex options […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Running Back Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday RB Updates for Jonathon Brooks, J.K. Dobbins, Bucky Irving, Najee Harris, Kareem Hunt

We're onto Week 12 of the NFL campaign, which can only mean the fantasy football playoffs are just ahead. Whether you're at the top of your league standings, fighting for a playoff spot, or are just trying to play spoiler, our Week 12 TNF fantasy football running back rankings for 2024 are here to help you […]


TNF Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday WR Updates for Cedric Tillman, Jauan Jennings, Josh Downs, Jerry Jeudy, DJ Moore

At the wide receiver spot especially, bye weeks and injuries are major factors in Week 12. If you don't have an excess of must-start WRs and need help identifying the top available options, we're here to help with our Week 12 TNF fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024. Let's dive in below to see […]


Jonnu Smith - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Tight End Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday TE Updates for George Kittle, David Njoku, Will Dissly, Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry

In most leagues, only three weeks of the fantasy football regular season remain. If you desperately need a win to clinch a first-round bye or quality for the playoffs, use our Week 12 TNF fantasy football tight end rankings to help you with tough start-or-sit calls at the challenging TE spot. Ahead of the critical Week […]


Tommy DeVito- Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Not All Heroes...Play On Good Teams - Giants, Patriots, and Cowboys Fantasy Football Outlooks

It's well-known at this point that good offenses can help their players light up the scoreboards in fantasy football leagues. The mantra "trust in good players on good offenses" rings true, and some of the best seasons in fantasy football history have been aided by things like good playcalling and a good supporting cast. The […]


Baker Mayfield - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

TNF Quarterback Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday QB Updates for Anthony Richardson, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Bo Nix, C.J. Stroud

It's a critical week for fantasy football, as the playoffs are just around the corner. If you need help to nail your optimal lineups this week, our Week 12 TNF fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2024 are here to assist. Ahead of the all-important Week 12 slate, let's navigate the rankings below and find out […]


Jaylen Waddle - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Jaylen Waddle Fantasy Football Outlook - What's Wrong With Waddle?

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was widely pushed as a potential league-winner in fantasy football in 2024 due to a variety of factors. The explosiveness and big-play ability of the Dolphins offense, the good play of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and his talent were a few of them. It's not worked out that way. It's […]


Isiah Pacheco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Running Backs

Fantasy Football Injury Reports: Week 12 Updates for Isiah Pacheco, Tyreek Hill, Mike Evans, Jalen Hurts, CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Hurts, George Kittle, Calvin Ridley, more

Week 12 of the NFL's 2024 slate is coming up, and as the fantasy football playoffs draw closer, it's becoming more important than ever to stay ahead of injury news for key players. Leaving a hurt player in your lineup can result in disaster. The author of this article missed out on the fantasy playoffs […]


Jauan Jennings - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Breakouts for Fantasy Football - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends for Week 12 (2024)

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Fantasy Football Breakouts - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends Analysis For Week 12 by Kevin Tompkins Targets are paramount when it comes to evaluating pass-catchers for fantasy football. There are no air yards, receiving yards, receptions, or touchdowns without first earning a target. There’s a reason the biggest and most consistent […]


Video: Week 12 Must-Start Wide Receivers - 2024 Fantasy Football Streamers, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Analysis

As we head into Week 12 we're dealing with multiple teams on byes. Be prepared to navigate those challenges by checking out our favorite 2024 fantasy football must-start wide receivers for Week 12! RotoBaller's Matt Donnelly discusses his top "Must Start" WRs that will have a fantasy football impact in Week 12, as well as […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Steelers vs. Browns TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Jameis Winston, Nick Chubb, David Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, Russell Wilson, Najee Harris, George Pickens

The Week 12 TNF game between two bitter AFC North rivals (Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers) is not likely to end up like the Thursday night game from two weeks ago when two different AFC North teams (Bengals and Ravens) battled to a 35-34 shootout. Somewhere deep in the charter of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I […]