Fantasy Feud

We're just one week from the All Star Break and Lucas Biery joins the show to debate midseason decisions.

Discussions:

Which All Star snub do we think is having the best fantasy season Brandon Nimmo or Christian Walker?

Checking in on the run environment with some updated data from Jason Collette -- is this something you can adapt to or just data for consideration next draft season?

FAABapallooza for James Wood was a doozy, is it a better value to go for new prospects or save your FAAB dollars for known guys coming back from injury like Xander Bogaerts?

We put on our GM hats to debate whether the Royals should be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.

Oakland As prospect Jacob Wilson is popping on a number of metrics, are you into stashing him?

Injured pitchers are coming back we debate Kodai Senga, Jeffery Springs and Robbie Ray rest of season.

Love it or Leave it

Great piece from Cody Stavenhagen’s in The Athletic on the widely growing gap between AAA and MLB.

An Iowa State Representative filled in as an emergency pitcher and it was great.

Logan Gilbert calling his parents about the All Star Game is must see.

Hosts: Sara Sanchez | Shelly Verougstraete

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Sara and Shelly are thrilled to welcome the head of MLB content at FTN Fantasy Vlad Sedler to the show. Vlad writes the essential "Trust the Gut" FAAB column each week and joined Fantasy Feud for some FAAB-centric debates.

Discussions:

Edwin Díaz was ejected from Sunday night's game minutes after FAAB ran for most NFBC leagues, how should you go about replacing him?

Starting pitcher injuries continue to mount, which teams and situations are you most likely to turn to for streaming?

How much FAAB should you have at the midpoint of the season? 

In weekly leagues how do you make decisions about sitting/starting guys based on schedule differences like 5-game v. 7-game weeks?

One week wonder showdown: Would you rather have Colton Cowser or Luis Matos rest of season?

Love it or Leave it

Tread lightly on trade deadline content

Waiting on Max Meyer in Miami

Sticky stuff ejections are weird in-person

Guest: Vlad Sedler

Hosts: Sara Sanchez | Shelly Verougstraete

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Sara and Shelly are joined by the cohost of 90 Feet From Home, Joe Orrico. You also know his work from FantasyPros. With Father's Day in the rearview mirror they debate players to hold/sell-high on.

Discussions:

Replacing Mookie Betts is impossible, but is it better to find the best guy available or churn and burn?

Trade season creates fantasy opportunities. Should the Blue Jays sell and if so, would Vladito be on the move?

Young pitchers with innings limits are helping you win now, but should you be looking to trade guys like Paul Skenes or Garrett Crochet?

Format wars, would you rather play roto or head to head?

Does defense really matter in fantasy baseball?

Who do you want rest of season, Ceddanne Rafaela or Jarren Duran?

Love it or Leave it

Some aces are returning from early season injury.

Thursday's game at Rickwood Field should be a wonderful showcase of Birmingham's historic Negro League park.

How did the Dodgers somehow manage to get a mulligan on their City Connect uniforms and botch them a second time?

Guest: Joe Orrico

Hosts: Sara Sanchez | Shelly Verougstraete

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There were a number of recent prospect call ups and demotions and Sara and Shelly are joined by Eric Samulski to debate the players we're most into or out on.

Discussions:

Super subs with super values, do we value multi positional eligibility guys like Luis Rengifo appropriately in draft season?

Saves have been scarce on the waiver wire. Only two of the 18 players with 10 saves or more were picked up after draft day in Jason Foley and Trevor Megill. If you're low on saves, when do you decide to punt?

There were a number of interesting pitcher debuts last week, we debate Hurston Waldrep and Max Meyer rest of season (with a shoutout for DJ Herz).

Pitching is scarce in deeper leagues, which middle relievers are you most interested in to bolster your rotation -- Jeremiah Estrada or Cade Smith?

It wasn't all call ups last week, Spencer Torkelson, Reid Detmers and Parker Meadows were sent down, who are we holding onto through the demotion and why?

Both Corbin Carroll and Michael Harris II are struggling this season, who do we believe in more rest of season?

Love it or Leave it?

Not loving Garrett Stubbs' slide into Luis Torrens during the London Series.

Cosmic Baseball is the coolest thing this side of the Savannah Bananas.

Wrigley Field hosted the Chicago Red Stars and it was the largest NWSL crowd in history (herstory?).

Guest: Eric Samulski

Hosts: Sara Sanchez | Shelly Verougstraete

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It's after Memorial Day and that means we should have enough data to make some decisions on some players. 

Discussions:

If you were lucky enough to draft number one overall, you had to make some tough decisions about who could fill in for Ronald Acuña Jr. after news that he tore his left ACL. We debate whether you should look to the Braves likely replacement in Adam Duvall or scour some other rosters for different options.

There have been some surprisingly valuable catchers this season but maybe no one as unexpected as David Fry. We debate whether he's a legit breakout or just riding a hot streak.

Back to Atlanta where one of the most valuable players in baseball is their designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. Has the 33-year old found another level or should fantasy managers sell high?

Some promising young players have struggled early, we discuss some bounce back candidates in Royce Lewis and Austin Riley.

Father time is undefeated in baseball and we explore whether Freddie Freeman is still a first round candidate next season.

Cooper Criswell was a prominent pickup a couple weeks ago because he had two starts. He got lit up by Baltimore and did well against the Tigers. We take a closer look at when two-start pitchers are a good bet.

Guest: Jenny Butler

Hosts: Sara Sanchez | Shelly Verougstraete

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Derek Van Riper joins Sara and Shelly to look at players off to hot (or cold) starts to 2024.

Discussions

The best starting pitchers this season didn't generally go in round one or two. Two of the guys that went right after the general consensus aces are dealing -- would you rather roster Tarik Skubal or Tyler Glasnow rest of season?

The Phillies are the best team in baseball and two of the players driving that success are Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm, which player do we think can keep it up rest of season?

Three years ago we were sure the Blue Jays were an offensive juggernaut for years to come, but their bats are struggling again to start 2024. Is it the renovations to the Rogers Centre or something else?

Returning to a recent debate with more playing time information, we can't quit Richie Palacios or Jonny DeLuca, but does one of them have a clearer path to playing time on a crowded Rays roster?

A redraft league conundrum -- Jackson Chourio has struggled to start the season, but Jake Meyers has not. Are you ready to bench Chourio for Meyers?

Luis Gil and Seth Lugo are both off to amazing starts this season, who do you trust to keep up that production going forward?

Guest: Derek Van Riper

Hosts: Sara Sanchez | Shelly Verougstraete

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Todd Zola of Rotowire, ESPN, Mastersball, Fantasy Index and Sirius XM Radio joins Sara and Shelly to debate topics inspired by recent Tout Tables.

Discussions

A.J. Puk returns to Miami in a bullpen role. He's really struggled this season walking more batter than he's struck out, but there's a non-zero chance he'll be in the saves mix for Miami. Are you holding Puk for the hope of saves or out given the skills decline?

Brandon Drury has been dreary to start the season in Anaheim and now he's on the IL with a hamstring issue. Is it bad luck that should turn around or are you dropping Drury?

It's been a rough month for corner infielders and if you lost Triston Casas he's hard to replace on the waiver wire. Are you holding Casas for the power upside later in the season or looking for alternatives on the waiver wire?

Japanese rookie pitchers are thriving in MLB this season, who would you rather have rest of season Shōta Imanaga or Yoshinobu Yamamoto?

To trade or not to trade? How aggressive should you be in trading and what's the best way to approach league mates for deals?

Performing outfielders on underperforming teams would you rather have Jo Adell or Bryan De La Cruz rest of season?

Love it or Leave it

Words mean things and Todd is begging everyone to abandon the term scuffling players and properly differentiate between command and control.

Jenny Cavnar and Julia Morales brought their daughters to work to broadcast an A's v. Astros game and it was adorable.

Statcast's new bat speed metrics are up and we are all loving the latest wave of baseball data.

Guest: Todd Zola

Hosts: Sara Sanchez | Shelly Verougstraete

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Kevin Hasting from Pitcher List and the "On The Wire" podcast joins Sara and Shelly to discuss some key player takeaways one quarter of the way into the MLB season.

Discussions:

Blue Jays hitters have underperformed since the renovations to the Rogers Centre and Bo Bichette is off to a particularly slow start. Is there cause for concern or is it just a cold stretch?

William Contreras is the fourth most valuable hitter in baseball according to the FanGraphs player rater, is this a breakout or just a hot streak?

Closer chaos: closers get pushed up every draft season, but the most valuable closers so far weren't in the top tier during draft season. Are early closers a good investment? 

The Rays are Raysing and this time Jonny DeLuca and Richie Palacios find themselves fighting for playing time -- who do we like more rest of season?

Michael Massey has been hot recently would you rather take a chance on Massey or stick with a proven guy like Jeff McNeil?

Jack Flaherty is off to a great start, is it sustainable?

Love it or Leave it

Baseball is better when everyone competes and we love seeing the Nationals, Tigers, Royals, Athletics and other teams hovering around .500.

Gunnar Henderson had an epic Star Wars bat for May the Fourth be with you celebrations.

Dexter Fowler was drafted out of high school but  promised his parents he'd finish his degree. He kept his word and graduated from Penn State this week.

Guest: Kevin Hasting

Hosts: Sara Sanchez | Shelly Verougstraete

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Ryan Bloomfield from BaseballHQ & Bubba and the Bloom joins Sara and Shelly for debates inspired by his Bloomboards.

Discussions:

FAAB market watch process

The Rockies have struggled on the road but they've also struggled at Coors Field, are we streaming or fading the Rockies hitters going forward?

To stash or not to stash? Jackson Holliday was sent to Triple-A. Where are we still holding on to Holliday.

Struggling hitters: it's early but Alex Bregman has struggled is this just a cold streak or is there cause for concern?

Post, post, post hype sleepers: Jo Adell is off to a great start this season are we back in?

Relievers converting to starters is a trend in 2024, would we rather roster Jordan Hicks or Reynaldo López rest of season?

Salvador Perez is off to another hot start, beyond helping your fantasy teams this season, could he keep this up for long enough to make a Hall of Fame case for himself?

Love it or Leave it

The MLB jerseys are going back to what we know and love after player and fan pressure on Nike.

Elly De La Cruz is unbelievable and must-see TV

The Cubs visited Fenway Park over the weekend and we all agree baseball fans deserve another Cubs v. Red Sox World Series.

Guest: Ryan Bloomfield

Hosts: Sara Sanchez | Shelly Verougstraete

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Jason Collette and Trevor Hooth join the show to discuss the early season run environment and how it's working out (or not) for some players.

Discussions:

Power and runs are down across the board, how will we adapt?

Rostering middle relievers, how do we find the guys who are vulturing wins and saves early like Reed Garrett?

Jordan Walker is off to a slow start again this season, are you riding it out or running away?

There's been a lot of discussion of José Abreu and his struggles, but what about Paul Goldschmidt? Are we worried about the Cardinals first baseman?

Heston Kjerstad is the latest Orioles prospect to get the call up, will they find enough playing time for him to justify the FAAB cost?

The Nationals rotation has been ripe for some enterprising prospects to grab a spot, but Mitchell Parker still caught us by surprise, are we adding him?

Randy Arozarena is off to a slow start but can be streaky, should you leave him in your lineup or bench him and risk missing the start of a hot streak?

Love it or Leave it:

Cole Ragans is still winless and Mason Miller is giving us reasons to watch the As.

Reese Olson looks really good for the Tigers.

Kyle Hendricks has been hit hard to start the season and just landed on the IL, let's look back on the career of a guy who  understood pitching.

Guests: Jason Collette & Trevor Hooth

Hosts: Sara Sanchez | Shelly Verougstraete

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