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

Lineup Takeaways - An Early Look at Spring Training Trends

As many of you know, tracking lineups is what I am all in on this 2021 season and with it comes an influx of data and information right away.

Going forward, a weekly article will occur - especially as we get into more tangible information and data. However, I wanted to get ahead of the curve before we actually see trends being established.

Some of the info below is direct quotes from managers and clubs and other info is from personal observations.

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

 

Intro

We are far from the start of the season but let this article serve as an idea of what I am trying to bring to you this year. The format may change in the future but this is a warm-up. In Spring Training, writers need a few reps as well!

As this piece moves forward, included will be:

  1. Hot/Cold players who might gain/lose positioning in lineups
  2. Any news in regards to lineups and changes to lineups
  3. Notable trends in lineups (players moving up/down, losing/gaining playing time, etc)
  4. Highlighting platoon splits and any entering or exiting one

It is an ongoing and growing concept that I am excited to introduce this season and hope you all enjoy it. Well, enough said, let’s get to it.

 

What We Know

You may be thinking it is WAY too early to say we know anything. However, that is not necessarily true. Some managers have already been vocal about their lineups.

San Francisco Giants

In game two of the first three games, we saw Tommy La Stella and Mike Yastrzemski set the table for the team batting at the top of the order. They have only shown us this lineup once so far but manager Gabe Kapler already suggests that’s the way it could be

“It was really exciting to see those two hitters hit back-to-back,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “You can tell what a hard grind those two hitters will give opposing pitchers.”

Even La Stella chimed in: “I do like leadoff, but I feel comfortable pretty much throughout the lineup,” La Stella said. “I think maybe my skill set might lend itself to that spot in the order, so I’m good with how it lines up.”

Chicago Cubs

Ian Happ missed the first game but it appeared to be a routine day off and people overreacted to his absence and questioned if he is leading off and such. Well manager David Ross put that to rest.

"Ian gets the opportunity to continue that role," Ross said before his team's 1-0 win over the Padres. "That was a guy that had a phenomenal year for the abbreviated season. He continues to grow and find out his strengths and weaknesses. I can see him continuing to get better."

"We're going to put [Happ] at the top of the lineup to get on base in front of some horses," Ross said. "As long as everybody stays healthy, we'll be working from him backward."

St. Louis Cardinals

Early on, the Cardinals may have somewhat shown their hand (we will revisit this). One thing they have made known early on, they want to get Matt Carpenter involved often and early in the lineup. In the first two games, we have seen Carpenter in there twice and batting 2nd in game one and leading off in game two and playing second with Tommy Edman getting the day off.

If the DH does not come to the NL, which seems less likely every day, we could see Carpenter eat into Edman’s playing time. In spring we should expect to see a bit of Carpenter.

Carpenter noted: “I’m going to get plenty of reps,” Carpenter said. “It's just a matter of, every day, going out there and just trying to get a little bit better, a little bit more comfortable.”

Although this does not guarantee playing time, it does suggest they still really value Carpenter’s bat and if the DH comes to the NL after all, Dylan Carlson could find himself batting at the bottom half of the lineup as we saw in game one with what appeared to be their full lineup. This is still all a big “IF” but worth monitoring.

New York Mets

Brandon Nimmo has the confidence of Rojas to lead off, even against LHP. This will lead to more reps in spring training against them as well and it could further lead to it sticking as a full-time leadoff role.

Rojas has acknowledged Nimmo as the leadoff hitter with multiple statements:

"One of the reasons we're gonna do it. ... is his ability to get on base," Rojas said. "Also when lefties start, we're thinking of getting Brandon back in there as leadoff so he can see more lefties."

"He's gonna be mainly hitting up there either leadoff or second," Rojas said. "We'll keep him up there."

We will see if he sticks to his guns on this one but it is definitely encouraging and Nimmo now finds himself as a deep league value yet again, especially in any format favoring OBP.

Houston Astros

This one is well known by now, but the Astros are actually following through. It has been said the Astros will be letting Myles Straw leadoff. Astros manager Dusty Baker said himself Straw is a candidate for the job.

It doesn’t hurt when he essentially describes Myles Straw when he is discussing replacing Springer at the top of the lineup:

“It’s going to hard to replace [Springer's] power in that spot, but we’re looking for guys that are going to get on base,” Baker said. “That’s No. 1. You’ve got to put the pitcher in the stretch. Hopefully somebody who’s a threat to steal and have the rest of the guys hitting behind him get more fastballs.

Prior to the shortened 2020 season, Straw only stuck out more than 20% once and that was in 2016 in his Rookie Ball campaign. He would often boast OBP rates in the high 300’s and low 400’s while stealing double digits at just about every stop. His career-best mark in steals came in 2018 when he stole 72 (yes 72) across three stops. The on base ability is there (A.K.A) putting people in the stretch) and the speed is there. Not to mention, he typically walks at a double-digit clip. All of this plays into his favor. Dusty is a man of his word as he has had Straw leading off twice in three games ,both against a LHP and RHP so there is a chance this sticks into the regular season.

Minnesota Twins

This one is a bit more ominous, but I guess it is open to interpretation. However, it all but says Byron Buxton won’t bat ninth. Last year they did move him around the lineup and it sounds as though he might do the same but this also opens up the opportunity to hit higher than we excerpt as well.

"We started to move him around a little bit more last year, and I would see him continuing to move around," Baldelli said. "Maybe in a similar fashion as last year, but potentially in other spots, too. He’s been a good player for a long time. But he has the ability to do pretty much anything in this game, so I would not want to hold him back or limit him in any way."

Buxton has hit second and fifth in his two Spring Training appearances. However, that was without Nelson Cruz or Josh Donaldson. We did see Buxton hit top two in four of the final eight games of 2020 and in one of the games he did not, he managed to hit fifth. If Buxton can move up in the order from the start, we might be getting some unforeseen added value in drafts.

Toronto Blue Jays

Today we saw the first lineup with Cavan Biggio, Marcus Semien and George Springer together, all of which have been acknowledged as possible leadoff hitters given their experience. However, Biggio was the first name to fall as he hit in the 6-spot in the order and this was a lineup without Teoscar Hernandez in it as well. It is too early to say he is the odd man out but it does appear that way for the moment and this does not help the skepticism:

Following the game on Tuesday, manager Charlie Montoyo said Tuesday could be “a hint” of things to come. Montoya further spoke on Springer leading off:

“I like when he leads off like we did today. I like that,” Montoyo said. “But we’ll see.”

Again, not ideal for Biggio but I am still holding onto hope we see him earn the two-hole given the on-base ability he offers. A positive note is Biggio successfully stole a base today so at least it is encouraging that the attempts should still come no matter the placement.

New York Yankees

According to a report today, Aaron Boone envisions Aaron Hicks as the three-hole hitter. This is likely helped in part by being a switch-hitter and the lefty bat in the middle of all those right-handers will be helpful.

Here is the report:

Aaron Hicks is projected to begin the season as the Yankees’ No. 3 hitter, according to Boone, who likes Hicks’ switch-hitting ability, on-base skills and ability to keep the ball off the ground. Hicks has said that he feels fully recovered from the Tommy John surgery that he underwent following the 2019 season, and Boone said that the center fielder appears to be in “great shape.”

Here are a few words from manager Aaron Boone:

“I’ve loved his live ABs,” Boone said. “A couple of walks out of the chute, which is very Aaron Hicks, but his defensive work has been really good, and I’ve loved his competitiveness in some of our live BPs. I’m excited about where Aaron is right now.”

Aaron Hicks is another player who will likely move up draft boards with this news. Rightfully so. This is one of, if not, the most potent lineup in baseball and batting third creates such an opportunity for fantasy production. Although, as with many of the Bronx Bombers, be wary of the injury bug with Hicks. Expect solid production while healthy and fingers crossed he can remain healthy.

We do have to keep in mind with Hicks slotting into the three-spot, we can see one of or both Gleyber Torres and Luke Voit fall a little bit. We could see one of the batting sixth and Clint Frazier now is back into the lower half of the lineup as well batting seventh more than likely. This is just an embarrassment of riches. Now if we throw Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela into the mix, we really have no idea how things will fall. This is a lineup to watch closely as we near the season.

 

Any Early Takeaways?

Again, it feels very early, however, some teams have shown things we should expect. Below I will discuss a few trends that I could see easily carrying into the season if it were to start tomorrow. It will also give you a heads up as to what I am noticing and monitoring right out the gates. Keep an eye on some of this.

A few quick-hitting notes:

American League

  • Kepler should be leading off against RHP. He has done so in two games already and has a long track record of doing so at this point.
  • Robbie Grossman has started two games and led off both. Should remain atop the lineup.
  • Orioles have a battle for the CF gig between Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays and both hit leadoff on their respective days. No clarity here yet.
  • Indians appear to have a top-four set in Cesar Hernandez, Jose Ramirez, Eddie Rosario and Franmil Reyes. Beyond that, five through nine appear wide open.
  • Royals have shown a top five that also seems realistic. The only question is: does Adalberto Mondesi slot into this or behind it when he returns to action?

Royals - Sunday 2/28
1 W.Merrifield 2B
2 A. Benintendi LF
3 C. Santana 1B
4 Salvador Perez C
5 Jorge Soler RF
  • Ramon Laureano appears in-line to hit either first or second this season. Elvis Andrus did hit second one of the days. That could be interesting to see if that sticks.
  • Jared Walsh has yet to hit below the cleanup spot but we also haven't seen him in a lineup with the big names either to see how he fits into the puzzle.
  • Lastly, the Mariners really appeared to show their hand on the first lineup of the season. Everything about this seems possible. Haniger was the two-hole hitter prior to injuries. Crawford led off plenty in 2020 and the middle of the order even was something we saw in 2020. With Kelenic all but surely starting in the minors, this could be our Opening Day starting lineup pending injury.

Mariners - Sunday 2/28
1 J.P. Crawford SS
2 Mitch Haniger RF
3 Kyle Lewis CF
4 Kyle Seager 3B
5 Ty France DH
6 Dylan Moore 2B
7 Evan White 1B
8 Tom Murphy C
9 Jake Fraley LF

 

National League

  • The Marlins almost appear to have what I call an “A squad” and B squad” so far. In game two of Spring Training, we saw what looked very close to a lineup they trotted out in 2020 and that would be something close to what I expect the current starting lineup might look like if games started tomorrow. With the exception of  2B being very much up in the air at the moment.

Marlins - Monday 3/1
1 C. Dickerson LF
2 Starling Marte CF
3 Jesus Aguilar 1B
4 Adam Duvall DH
5 B. Anderson 3B
6 Miguel Rojas SS
7 Isan Diaz 2B
8 Jorge Alfaro C
9 L. Brinson RF
  • Trea Turner did bat third and Victor Robles led off with Soto sandwiched in the middle. This could mean a big-time RBI boost for Turner while upping Robles' current value in the process. Again, we are monitoring.
  • Sticking with the Nationals, Castro could hit sixth behind what is a bunch of solid on-base types and could be a sneaky, solid middle infield type or fallback option at 2B given the chance to hit a ton of RBI from the six hole.
  • We mentioned Nimmo leading off, but Fransisco Lindor could find himself hitting second and Jeff McNeil could also find himself dropping in the order if Nimmo and Lindor hold these spots.
  • The Cardinals were another team that showed their hand a bit in the first game. If the NL gets the DH late, watch out for Dylan Carlson falling. Although, no DH could open up that prime two-spot for him. Time will tell.

Cardinals
T. Edman 2B
M. Carpenter DH
P. Goldschmidt 1B
N. Arenado 3B
Paul DeJong SS
Yadier Molina C
D. Carlson RF
T. O'Neill LF
H. Bader CF
  • Brewers may have their top five set. When Lorenzo Cain returns, he could hit second and that would make it a one-through-five featuring Kolten Wong, Lorenzo Cain, Christian Yelich, Keston Hiura and Avisail Garcia. Beyond the top five, it is a mess right now.
  • The Pirates have shown us a consistent one-through-three of Kevin Newman, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds. This is, however, with Adam Frazier out of the lineup tending to a groin injury.
  • Reds are another team that appear to have the middle of the order locked in. We have seen these four names hitting two-through-five in two lineups already. Also is something we saw at time s in 2020. So the core is there, it is all about what is surrounding it.

Reds
Joey Votto 1B
N. Castellanos RF
E. Suarez 3B
Mike Moustakas 2B
  • The Padres have allowed Trent Grisham a chance to lead off against LHP for now. In two appearances so far, Grisham has led off against two LHP starters. This is a great to see. Let's see how he fares and if it continues but definitely a reason for optimism.
  • Brendan Rodgers getting the early opportunity to take and run with the second base job. The Rockies have played two games and in both, he is hitting sixth and eighth but playing second base.
  • Garrett Hampson may be pushing for the starting CF job. With Blackmon out, this opened up a corner outfield spot the first couple of games. Instead of Hampson getting reps in the corner outfield spot, Hampson played both games at CF with Hilliard bouncing to LF for one and RF for the other. There might still be hope yet for Hampson to earn a starting spot.

That is going to do it for the first lineup article of the 2021 season. If you would like to follow along with all my notes, all the lineups and more, please check out this tool I have created. This link will take you to this chart that is updated daily for all things Spring Training lineups. Bookmark it!



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 Analysis




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 Bellinger56 mins ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
Brandin Cooks57 mins ago

Preparing To Play In Week 12
CeeDee Lamb1 hour ago

Not Seen At Thursday's Practice
1 hour 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 Lundkvist5 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 Vassell6 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 George17 hours ago

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

Leaves Game On Wednesday, Won't Return
Jalen Johnson18 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 Nurkic19 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Stephen Curry19 hours ago

Will Play Against Atlanta
De'Anthony Melton19 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 Maxey20 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 Ferguson22 hours ago

Picks Up A DNP On Wednesday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen22 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Kings
CeeDee Lamb22 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 Mattison24 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 […]


Cedric Tillman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

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 […]