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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Baseball League Winners: Do the Pirates Finally Have Fantasy Stars?

Ke'Bryan Hayes fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers MLB injury news

The Pittsburgh Pirates started the season 5-0. I repeat... The Battlin' Buccos won their first five games of the season, averaging 7.8 runs per game.

So far, this surprising offense has been led by two recently extended franchise pillars and a young stud-in-the-making. These pieces are critical for the Pirates' success, and perhaps they'll become valuable fantasy baseball breakouts too.

Where might these North Shore hitters end up this season, and can they help forge your path to a fantasy championship? Let's take a look.

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

 

Ke'Bryan Hayes (3B, PIT)

84% Rostered

Ke'Bryan Hayes inked a massive extension with the Bucs last year before earning a Gold Glove at third base while contributing fair numbers on offense. This offseason, the 27-year-old went to work trying to improve his hit tool, and he piqued some interest in Spring Training with a .412 batting average and three round-trippers in just over 50 at-bats.

Over the first five games of the season, Hayes has been planted in the three-hole, hitting .391 with three doubles, five runs, and five RBI. Some batted ball information from FanGraphs helps us fill in the gaps:

Nothing is jumping off the page here that would make us think Hayes has become a batting title contender overnight. However, the line drive rate is enticing, though the lack of fly balls is worrisome from a Roto perspective.

All-in-all, it's fair to optimistically project a .285 average from the 2015 draft pick, which would be .014 points higher than his career-best last year. Fantasy managers would LOVE to see between 15-20 home runs, and 15 steals tacked on. If Hayes can keep this coveted spot in a much-improved batting order, 170 combined runs and RBI are on the table.

Hayes is more of an asset in points leagues compared to Roto leagues, but there's enough value for his bat to be relied upon in both. Let's hope the young leader in black and yellow can stay healthy and keep improving that bat.

 

Bryan Reynolds (OF, PIT)

96% Rostered

Many thought Bryan Reynolds was all but gone from western Pennsylvania this past off-season, but in the end, he also agreed to a massive deal to stay in Pittsburgh for years to come. Reynolds is coming off his third straight year of great health and production at the plate and continued improvement as an outfielder.

The switch hitter has rewarded the Pirates for opening their wallet so far by hitting .333 with a home run and eight RBI through April 1 from the second spot in the order. Some batted ball data from FanGraphs backs up Reynolds' strong numbers thus far:

The 29-year-old seems to be emphasizing a fly ball approach more than ever, and he's paired that with an impressive 29.4% hard-hit rate early on. Reynolds has surprising pop, and he appears to be well on his way to another 25-homer season if this approach and good health continue.

The days of the Vanderbilt product flirting with a .300 average are probably gone, but fantasy managers (and Pirates fans) would be thrilled with something around .280, and with that would come at least 90 runs and 90 RBI. If Reynolds can tack on 10+ steals for the second year in a row, we're looking at a strong second outfielder in both points and Roto leagues.

Reynolds isn't someone to break the bank for unless these trends start to show a 30+ home run pace and/or a .300 hitter. Even still, a switch hitter in the two-hole of a strong lineup who should play 150 games provides plenty of intrigue for any fantasy manager.

 

Oneil Cruz (SS, PIT)

98% Rostered

Oneil Cruz is the biggest question mark of the three, but he undoubtedly provides the biggest fantasy upside. The 25-year-old played just nine games in 2023 before a fractured ankle put him on the shelf for the remainder of what would've been his first full season in the big leagues.

Question marks swirled about whether Cruz would garner the same upside after such a massive injury, but he quieted those concerns quickly with seven Spring Training home runs to go along with a .261 batting average in 46 at-bats.

It's been a quirky start for Cruz to start the regular season, as the Pirates have faced five straight left-handed starters to begin the year. As such, the big lefty has hit sixth and seventh in the order, though he's expected to be in the lead-off spot against right-handed pitchers.

The fact that Cruz started four out of those five games is actually a very good sign, especially considering he hit an opposite-field home run off a left-handed pitcher on Opening Day. The batted ball data isn't going to be sparkling, but when considering that most at-bats have been against southpaws, it becomes much more intriguing:

The lack of any pulled balls can be attributed to the fact that Cruz is trying to stay short against lefties, but the hard-hit percentage and the fly ball tendency are what make us excited. Those numbers should only go up as we see more at-bats against righties in the coming weeks.

The power/speed combo is what fantasy managers drooled over on draft day, and while we haven't seen the results yet, the opportunity to play is clearly there, which is half the battle for a young, ever-growing prospect like Cruz. It's not out-of-the-question to put a 40/40 season on the table for Cruz if he can hit 10 homers against lefties this year, hit in the lead-off spot against RHPs, and (most importantly of all) stay healthy.

As of right now, though, fantasy managers should approach Cruz as a 30-homer player with 20-25 steals tacked on. The average should only go up with more Major League at-bats, and I imagine the shortstop falls somewhere in the .255 range when the dust settles in 2024... but .270 is absolutely on the table in a perfect world.

There aren't many players that carry the mystique and upside that Cruz does, which makes him a massive high-risk/high-reward option for the 2024 fantasy baseball season. If you're looking to make a big leap before Cruz puts the MLB on notice, your time may be running out quickly.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

De'Andre Hunter55 mins ago

Returns To Action Against Grizzlies
Jaren Jackson Jr.56 mins ago

Returning On Friday
Mason Adams59 mins ago

Exits With Elbow Injury
Stephon Castle1 hour ago

Joins Starting Lineup Friday
Tristan da Silva1 hour ago

Starting Versus Minnesota
Will Klein1 hour ago

Optioned To Triple-A Tacoma
Kai Jones1 hour ago

Out Against Rockets
Simi Fehoko1 hour ago

Signing With Cardinals
Dante Exum1 hour ago

Playing Friday Against Houston
Cory Joseph1 hour ago

Starting Again On Friday Night
Kylen Granson1 hour ago

Headed To Philadelphia
P.J. Washington1 hour ago

Remains On The Shelf Friday
Jared Shuster1 hour ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Sterling Shepard1 hour ago

Remaining With Buccaneers
José Buttó2 hours ago

Jose Butto Dealing With Groin Injury
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope2 hours ago

Resting Against Timberwolves
Cincinnati Bengals2 hours ago

Bengals Not Ruling Out Trey Hendrickson Extension
Cole Anthony2 hours ago

Unavailable Friday
Wenceel Pérez2 hours ago

Wenceel Perez Receives Injection, Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Brandon Williams2 hours ago

Good To Go On Friday
Jose Trevino2 hours ago

Exits Early On Friday
Cooper Kupp2 hours ago

Signing With Seahawks
Trae Young2 hours ago

Good To Go Against Clippers
Ben Simmons2 hours ago

Available For Friday's Matchup With Atlanta
Kristaps Porzingis2 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday
Jake Cronenworth2 hours ago

Not Expected To Play First Base
Justin Edwards2 hours ago

Out Against The Pacers
Al Horford2 hours ago

Available Against Heat
Lance McCullers Jr.2 hours ago

To Make Grapefruit League Debut On Tuesday
Derrick White2 hours ago

Cleared For Action Friday
Giancarlo Stanton2 hours ago

Dealing With Minor Calf Injury
Jayson Tatum2 hours ago

Ready To Rock Friday
Alex Reese2 hours ago

Cleared To Face The Pacers
Jacob deGrom2 hours ago

Throws In Minor-League Game On Friday
Jaylen Brown2 hours ago

Sits Out Friday's Game
Kelly Oubre Jr.3 hours ago

Won't Play On Friday
Wilyer Abreu3 hours ago

To Make Spring Debut On Saturday, Could Be Ready For Opening Day
Grayson Rodriguez3 hours ago

Should Begin Throwing Progression Next Week
Karel Vejmelka3 hours ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Kyle Wright3 hours ago

Hoping To Face Live Hitters Next Week
Dustin Wolf3 hours ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Mikael Backlund3 hours ago

Out Week-To-Week
Alec Marsh3 hours ago

Continues To Build Up His Arm
Bobby Witt Jr.3 hours ago

Does Some Hitting On Friday
Sam Colangelo3 hours ago

Deemed Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Sean Burke3 hours ago

To Open Season In Starting Rotation
Michael Bunting3 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Dallas Cowboys3 hours ago

Dante Fowler Jr. Heading Back To Cowboys
Yandy Díaz3 hours ago

Yandy Diaz Has Club Option Picked Up
Andrei Svechnikov3 hours ago

Expected To Return Next Week
Brandon Nimmo3 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
Nikolaj Ehlers3 hours ago

Good To Go Against Stars
Mike Clevinger4 hours ago

Expected To Get Save Chances
Buffalo Bills4 hours ago

Larry Ogunjobi, Michael Hoecht Both Facing Six-Game PED Suspensions
Parker Meadows4 hours ago

To Open Season On Injured List
Carlos Rodón4 hours ago

Carlos Rodon Named Opening Day Starter
Tee Higgins4 hours ago

Bengals Making Headway On Contracts For Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase
Ben Skowronek5 hours ago

Back With Steelers
Minnesota Vikings5 hours ago

Eric Wilson Returns To Minnesota
Pharaoh Brown5 hours ago

Heading To Miami
Minnesota Vikings5 hours ago

Justin Skule Signs With Vikings
Mackenzie Blackwood6 hours ago

Battling Illness, Not Starting On Friday
Rasmus Ristolainen6 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury
Lian Bichsel6 hours ago

Not Playing On Friday
Josh Norris6 hours ago

Undergoing Evaluation
JJ Peterka7 hours ago

Not Playing On Saturday
Neal Pionk7 hours ago

Viewed As Week-To-Week
Kareem Hunt7 hours ago

Chiefs Bring Back Kareem Hunt On One-Year Deal
Philadelphia Eagles7 hours ago

Eagles Open To Trading Bryce Huff
Cooper Kupp7 hours ago

Asking For $15 Million Per Year
Christian Kirk7 hours ago

Texans Restructure Christian Kirk's Contract
Rondale Moore7 hours ago

Visiting With Vikings
Bailey Zappe8 hours ago

Chiefs Re-Sign Bailey Zappe
Tim Patrick8 hours ago

Lions Re-Sign Tim Patrick
Roman Dolidze11 hours ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori11 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Cooper Kupp12 hours ago

Cowboys Not Considered Favorites For Cooper Kupp
Chidi Njokuani12 hours ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Laviska Shenault Jr.12 hours ago

Signing With Bills
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos12 hours ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh12 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez12 hours ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson13 hours ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear13 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Quinton Byfield13 hours ago

Scores In Fifth Straight Game
Jesper Bratt13 hours ago

Posts Second Straight Three-Point Performance
Brendson Ribeiro13 hours ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Tristan Jarry13 hours ago

Picks Up Third Straight Victory
Diyar Nurgozhay13 hours ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Adin Hill14 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Blue Jackets On Thursday
MMA14 hours ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Sam Bennett14 hours ago

Strikes Twice In Victory
Brady Tkachuk14 hours ago

Suffers Minor Injury On Thursday
Kevin Vallejos14 hours ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Charlie Lindgren1 day ago

Gets The Nod Against Kings Thursday
Filip Gustavsson1 day ago

Starts Against Rangers Thursday
Jacob Bridgeman2 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard2 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips2 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith2 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick2 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter2 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa3 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre3 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth3 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young3 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim3 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas3 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele3 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy3 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA3 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman3 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee3 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Power-Steering Failure Foils Tyler Reddick's Bid For Potential Victory
William Byron4 days ago

Recovers From Being Trapped A Lap Down To Finish Sixth
Josh Berry4 days ago

Gives Wood Brothers Team Best Run Since 2021
Alex Pereira4 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev4 days ago

Becomes The New UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Justin Gaethje4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev4 days ago

Loses Third Fight In A Row
Ignacio Bahamondes4 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 313
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Scores His Third Consecutive Victory Of The Season At Phoenix
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Strong Phoenix Performance Falls Short Of Victory
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Quietly Earns A Top-Five Finish At Phoenix
Alex Bowman4 days ago

Leaves Phoenix With His Best Finish At The Site Since 2016
Zane Smith4 days ago

Quietly Nabs His First Phoenix Top-10 Finish
Jalin Turner4 days ago

Retires After UFC 313 Loss
Iasmin Lucindo4 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 313
Amanda Lemos4 days ago

Dominates At UFC 313
King Green4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 313
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Phoenix This Week For DFS?
Joey Logano6 days ago

Will Be A Top Contender To Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin6 days ago

Is Difficult to Recommend As A DFS Option
Carson Hocevar6 days ago

Is Not An Ideal Driver To Add To Phoenix DFS Lineups
Brad Keselowski6 days ago

Is A Solid DFS Choice For Phoenix Lineups
Austin Cindric6 days ago

Could Be Worth Using In Phoenix Tournament Lineups
Kyle Busch6 days ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Kyle Busch At Phoenix?
Michael McDowell6 days ago

Is Michael McDowell Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ty Gibbs6 days ago

Is A DFS Recommendation Despite Inconsistent Track History At Phoenix
Austin Dillon6 days ago

Is Austin Dillon Worth Rostering In DFS For Phoenix This Week?
Cole Custer6 days ago

Is An Underrated DFS Value Pick For Phoenix Lineups
Tyler Reddick6 days ago

DFS Value Likely Hinges On How Much He Leads
Chase Briscoe6 days ago

Despite Strong Phoenix Record, Chase Briscoe Qualifies Inexplicably Poorly
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Free Agency Fantasy Fallout!

Michael F. Florio is back going over the any signings and trades that free agency week brought us! He discusses his winners and losers of players that changed teams - then does the same for players who were not moved but still had their value impacted! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Drake Maye - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Players To Target In Deep Leagues

Fantasy football sleepers are what make the game fun. There is nothing like landing an absolute stud in the double-digit rounds of your fantasy draft. The more teams in your league, the more important sleepers become. As the player pool shrinks, it is an absolute must to hit on at least one or two sleepers. […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Avoids, Busts: 2025 NFL Free Agent Signings

The 2025 NFL free-agency period is well underway, and many wide receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks, and running backs have already found their new homes. While some of them are in better landing spots, or at least should continue having solid production relative to their ADP (anticipated draft position) in fantasy football, some of them should […]


Jaydon Blue - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Picks, NFL Draft

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Sleepers: Late-Round Prospects With Immediate Upside

Players who are thought of as less likely to succeed in the NFL are typically selected later in drafts. When a player falls through the rounds, it's generally because teams have doubts about their ability to produce. It takes a specific family of skill sets to succeed in the big leagues. But sometimes, players fall […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Tight End Sleepers For Best Ball Drafts

Tight end is one of the most important positions in fantasy football, and heading into 2025, the position seems even deeper than it has been in past seasons. Sure, there’s the new cream rising to the top with Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, but a lot of veterans are seen much lower in best ball […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Fantasy Football Bust Candidates: Second Round Avoids For 2025 Drafts

It's a little bit easier to identify potential busts in the second round of fantasy football drafts than in the first round. Of course, the further the drafts wear on, the fewer highly-talented players everyone knows are available. In the second round, there are usually more players with question marks than there are in the […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Free Agency Fantasy Football Analysis: Risers On New Teams (2025)

Sometimes the grass really is greener on the other side, and sometimes NFL players are able to go to said other side where said grass is greener and sign with a team that puts them in a better situation for fantasy football success. Such is the case for several players this season. Sometimes wide receivers […]


Dallas Goedert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dallas Goedert Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Trade Outlook

The Philadelphia Eagles are apparently attempting to trade their top tight end, Dallas Goedert, for at least a fourth-round pick in compensation. Whether or not they get their wish remains to be seen, but Goedert was still a reasonably productive TE in his final year with the Eagles with injuries aside. Part of the reason […]


Kareem Hunt - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Kareem Hunt Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt had a decent season filling in for the injured Isiah Pacheco and later serving in a committee with him when he returned from his broken fibula. He was technically signed "off the street" as he wasn't even in the NFL when the Chiefs reached out to him for […]


Joe Flacco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Joe Flacco Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco has hit the open market, and the Colts have decided to go in another direction for their backup QB job. They signed former New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones to back up Anthony Richardson, though many are rightfully convinced that Jones will end up as the starter, […]


Brandin Cooks - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Brandin Cooks Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks is a free agent for the first time in his career after his contract with the Dallas Cowboys expired this offseason. He is now free to sign with any team he chooses. Cooks did not have his best season in 2024. He only posted a 26-259-3 line in 10 games and […]


Gus Edwards - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Gus Edwards Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

The Los Angeles Chargers recently cut Gus Edwards after one season with the team. He had just signed a two-year deal with Los Angeles last offseason, but apparently, the team wanted to go in a different direction. It’s understandable as Edwards averaged a career-worst 3.6 yards per carry in 2024. His advanced metrics weren’t great […]