The Closer Carousel Turns (Already?) - How to Approach Boxberger, Kela, Strickland

We already knew that the closer position was the most volatile in baseball, but this is getting ridiculous. Three would-be closers have been displaced days before the season even starts, one by injury and two by manager decision. In 5x5 roto leagues, owning one of these volatile assets is a necessary evil. Throwing out FAAB […]

What to Make of Jose Martinez, Matt Davidson, and a Couple Other Quick Starts

Even though it's barely 50 degrees in Brooklyn, it feels like spring is finally nigh now that the 2018 MLB season is underway. As a Yankees fan, I'd been especially looking forward to opening day ever since Giancarlo Stanton was signed. He certainly didn't disappoint when he launched an opposite field home run at 117 […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (3/31/18): MLB DFS Lineups

We've got a full slate of games on Saturday, and that means it's time to build some lineups. With several different contests being offered across DraftKings, we'll have lots of different lineup options. For our purposes, the following picks have been made for contests running all day. In this article, I will be providing you with […]

Today's Starting Pitcher Rankings (3/31/18)

Below you will find our fantasy baseball and DFS rankings for all of today's projected starting pitchers (March 31st). We published this column last year, and the feedback was great so here we are doing it again. Let us know what you think on Twitter too. The concept is pretty straight forward. We round up […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (3/31/18): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

We have a split slate of games, which is normal for a Saturday, but I will be focusing in on the 7pm main slate, as it's larger. Plenty of good options across the board, and whether you are looking for cash game players, or some that are more GPP focused, you will find them on […]

Johnny Cueto Dominates On Friday

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto was lights out on Friday evening versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cueto pitched seven innings allowing one hit and striking out four batters. Cueto had a rough 2017 campaign, but is off to a nice start in 2018. He remains a strong bounce back candidate.

Joe Panik Hits Second Home Run

After leading the Giants to a 1-0 victory on Thursday, second baseman Joe Panik was back at it again as he hit his second home run of the season off of Kenley Jansen to secure a Giants 1-0 victory. Panik is off to a strong start and will be a hot waiver wire pickup.

Jeff Samardzija Throws With No Pain

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija (pectoral) threw at 90 feet on Friday without any pain. It’s still unknown exactly when Samardzija will return from the 10-day disabled list, but he has been making steady progress. Starting pitcher Derek Holland will remain in the rotation while Samardzija is sidelined. Holland can be avoided in […]

Giants Release Jarrett Parker

After clearing waivers, the San Francisco Giants have released outfielder Jarrett Parker. Parker is now free to sign elsewhere and should be able to latch on as organizational depth on another club.

Cory Gearrin And Tony Watson Will Handle Eighth Inning For Giants

With San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (elbow) on the 10-day disabled list and Hunter Strickland promoted to closer, relievers Cory Gearrin and Tony Watson will operate as the club’s setup guys. Watson has closer experience and could see some save opportunities if Strickland struggles. Both Watson and Gearrin will offer holds, but aside from […]

Bruce Bochy Optimistic That Mark Melancon Can Return Soon

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy said on Thursday that he is hoping that closer Mark Melancon (elbow) will be able to return in a couple of weeks. Bochy also noted that until Melancon starts throwing, it will be hard to have a firm timeline. Hunter Strickland was announced as the Giants closer and picked […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (3/30/18): MLB DFS Lineups

Thursday was Opening Day. Friday is Lefty Day. Ten left-handed pitchers take the mound in the 11-game slate. When building your DFS lineups, it’s important to note which players make specific appearances, or get boosted in the lineup, when a southpaw is on the hill.However, be aware that as soon as the lefty leaves the […]

Joe Panik Hits First Home Run

San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik hit his first home run of the season off of Clayton Kershaw Thursday evening. Panik finished the night 2-for-4. Batting second in front of Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey and Evan Longoria, Panik should pick of his fare share of runs. He is worth a look in NL-only leagues.

Hunter Strickland Picks Up First Save

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland picked up his first save of the year Thursday evening. Manager Bruce Bochy said pregame that Strickland would start the season as the closer. He should be owned in all leagues.

Ty Blach Picks Up First Win

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Ty Blach picked up his first win of the season on Thursday. Blach went five innings allowing zero runs, three hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Blach can remain on the waiver wire for now.

Hunter Strickland Named Giants Closer

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports that San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland will be the team’s closer. Mark Melancon (elbow) was placed on the 10-day disabled list earlier in the day with a flexor strain in his right elbow. Strickland allowed zero runs this spring and should be added in all leagues. He'll have […]

Sam Dyson And Hunter Strickland Could Get Save Opportunities

With San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (elbow) placed on the 10-day disabled list, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that relief pitchers Sam Dyson and Hunter Strickland are most likely to replace Melancon. Dyson filled in for Melancon last year, while Strickland excelled this spring and gave up zero runs. Free-agent signee […]

Mark Melancon Placed On 10-Day Disabled List

San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (elbow) has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with a flexor strain in his right elbow. Melancon said earlier this spring he is not 100 percent. The closer has been a bust thus far for the Giants with both on-the-field struggles and injuries. Relievers Tony Watson and Sam Dyson […]

Top 30 Impact Rookies for Fantasy Leagues (Preseason)

Hello everyone, and welcome to my weekly Top-30 Fantasy Rankings for Impact Rookies! In this series, I will be going over the top prospects in baseball and discussing which ones figure to have an impact for the rest of this fantasy baseball season. This might be one of the most star studded prospect lists to […]

Hunter Pence Has Solid Spring

San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence hit .314 with two home runs in 51 at-bats this spring. Pence played 134 games in 2017, which was his most since 2014. Pence was once one of the more underrated fantasy players, but injuries and age have slowed him down. Outside of very deep leagues, Pence can be […]

Buster Posey On Fire This Spring

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is ready to go for Opening Day on Thursday. Posey dealt with some ankle issues early in camp, but has bounced back strong with a .471 batting average with two home runs and 10 RBI over 34 at-bats. He remains one of the top-three options at catcher along with […]

Steven Duggar To Begin 2018 In Triple-A

San Francisco Giants outfielder Steven Duggar has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. Duggar remains a bright spot in the Giants future outfield, but without everyday at-bats, it made sense for him to start the season in the minor leagues. Duggar should be up at some point in 2018 and could be looked at in NL-only […]

Top Fantasy Baseball Prospects - NL Central

The next stop in our journey through the top prospects in the league is the National League Central. The NL Central is home to some of the top pitching and outfield prospects in the National League, if not all of baseball. The Reds have one of the top 10 farm systems in baseball — as […]

Mark Melancon May Not Be Ready For Opening Day

San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon is not a guarantee to be ready for Opening Day on Thursday. Manager Bruce Bochy wouldn’t expand on what is wrong with Melancon, but the closer will play catch on Tuesday and Wednesday. A decision will then be made about his status for Thursday. Melancon is already beginning to […]

Jeff Samardzija To Begin Playing Catch

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija (pectoral) will begin throwing on Wednesday. Samardzija may be ahead of schedule and it’s possible that he only misses a couple of weeks. With Madison Bumgarner (hand) already sidelined, the Giants are hoping to have Samardzija back sooner than later.

Derek Holland Makes Giants Rotation

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Derek Holland will make the Giants rotation. Holland needed injuries to Madison Bumgarner (hand) and Jeff Samardzija (shoulder) to lock down a spot. This spring, Holland had a 4.05 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 20 innings. The veteran probably won’t help owners much outside of streaming in good matchups. He […]

Jarrett Parker Designated For Assignment

The San Francisco Giants have designated outfielder Jarrett Parker for assignment. The club needed to open a spot on their 40-man roster for starting pitcher Derek Holland, and Parker was the odd man out. Parker struggled this spring with a .220 batting average but should be able to land somewhere as organizational depth. If he […]

Predicting the Top 10 Finishers for Saves in 2018

Predicting the top 10 of anything is usually an exercise in futility. Trying to predict the top 10 finishers in saves is just silly because there is so much turnover at the back of every MLB bullpen every season. Last season, at least half of the teams in baseball had their Opening Day closer displaced […]

Adrian Sanchez, Matt Reynolds Finally Cut; Nationals To Carry Eight In Bullpen

Washington Nationals infielders Adrian Sanchez and Matt Reynolds were assigned to the team's Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse on Sunday. They were the final hitters left in camp and that means that the ball club will carry eight pitchers in the bullpen to start the season. There will be an even split of lefties and righties. […]

Ty Blach To Start Opening Day For Giants

The San Francisco Giants announced that Ty Blach will start on Opening Day versus the Dodgers. Blach will replace Madison Bumgarner (hand) who is expected to miss the first six-to-eight weeks of the season after fracturing his hand. Blach can be avoided in all leagues as he doesn’t offer much upside and doesn’t strikeout enough […]