Ian and DVR are joined by Ariel Cohen (the real Ariel, not Ian playing the role of Ariel) to discuss when first-year player draft players should become available in keeper/dynasty leagues, why multi-year leagues always have an expiration date, the parallels between Juan Soto being available to MLB teams via trade and the rare instances of young stars getting moved in long-term fantasy leagues. Plus, the optimal ways to handle Shohei Ohtani in future years, Xander Bogaerts' missing power, and the never-ending pursuit of value. 

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DVR and Al review Max Meyer's debut for the Marlins and find some positives in a mixed outing. They also consider the short- and long-term fantasy appeal of Freddy Tarnok and Taj Bradley, given their recent promotions to Triple-A. DVR and Al also discuss some standouts from the recent Futures Game, including Masyn Winn, Jasson Dominguez, Bobby Miller and Emerson Hancock. They wrap up with a summary of the 2022 MLB Draft and share how they prioritize college and high school players in fantasy drafts.

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DVR and Al have some mixed feelings about how aggressively to pursue Esteury Ruiz in FAB bidding, and they also consider their level of interest in Matt Carpenter, Jose Miranda and Akil Baddoo. Max Meyer headlines this week's pitching options, but DVR and Al also discuss the fantasy appeal of Marcus Stroman, Luis Patiño and Max Castillo. They also assess the staying power of a couple of newly-appointed closers in Brett Martin and Kyle Finnegan.

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The looming All-Star Break provides a nice opportunity to look back at the first half of the season. Al and Beller do just that on this episode of The Athletic Fantasy Baseball Podcast by building their fantasy All-Star Teams.

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Nando, Ian and DVR discuss another intriguing prospect on the rise in San Diego, whether it's time to target Spencer Torkelson, their interest in Nolan Jones, Leody Taveras and Josh Smith, the triumphant return of Reid Detmers to the Angels' rotation, the difficulty of chasing volume with two-start pitchers throughout the second half of the season, and much more. 

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DVR and Al consider the takeaways from Brayan Bello's and Nolan Jones' major league debuts, and they check in on a few prospects who are trending in fantasy leagues, including Shea Langeliers and Jackson Chourio. They also take a look at a few of the first-half standouts who will be playing in the Futures Game, such as Zac Veen and Hunter Brown.

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DVR and Al discuss whether Nathaniel Lowe's rising roster rate needs to climb even higher, and they consider where Guardians outfield prospect Nolan Jones should be added, now that he has been called up for his major league debut. Nick Lodolo, Brayan Bello and Reid Detmers are among the starting pitchers discussed, and DVR and Al look for saves targets in the Rangers' and Dodgers' bullpens.

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It's a Beat Writer Day on The Athletic Fantasy Baseball Podcast. Levi Weaver (Rangers), Zach Buchanan (Diamondbacks) and Zack Meisel (Guardians) join Beller and Al to break down their teams from a fantasy perspective.

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Ian and DVR discuss potential sources of stolen bases currently waiting for an opportunity in the upper levels of the minors, Nomar Mazara’s encouraging turnaround with the Padres, Jose Trevino’s case to remain the Yankees’ primary catcher (and path to steady fantasy value in the second half), Amed Rosario’s quietly solid campaign, the long-term difficulty of predicting Josh Bell, Taijuan Walker’s excellent ratios, Spencer Strider’s rest-of-season value, and more. 

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DVR and Al consider where to roster some of the latest prospect callups, including Brayan Bello, Darick Hall, David Villar and Garrett Hill. They also ponder whether to drop Josh Lowe and Vidal Bruján and if they should speculate on Miguel Vargas and Esteury Ruiz. This week's level roundup focuses on Double-A, and Jordan Walker and Eury Pérez are among the prospects discussed.

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