Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The biggest questions heading into 2021 Sep 30, 2020

On this season's final episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, The Athletic's Derek VanRiper joins Scott Pianowski to look back at the 2020 MLB Season and the big questions we have heading into next season.

We lead off with a look back at the 2020 season and how the Universal DH changed fantasy baseball strategy going into the season. Will the bullpen breakout of 2020 remain here in baseball for good? Scott and Derek share their thoughts on drafting relievers next year. We look at some of the players who had unexpected seasons, like the Twins' Byron Buxton, Kenta Maeda and Nelson Cruz, J.D. Martinez and Andrew Benintendi in Boston, the Yankees' Luke Voit, and Corey Seager and A.J. Pollock in Los Angeles.

And we wrap up the year with our World Series predictions, and draft our favorite Wisconsinite athletes.

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Derek @DerekVanRiper

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lessons learned from an abnormal baseball season Sep 22, 2020

On this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, USA Today's Steve Gardner joins Scott Pianowski to look back at the 2020 MLB Season and discuss where baseball goes from here.

We're not the first people to notice that the 2020 MLB Season was unlike any other as the regular season winds to a close. But that got us wondering, what will the 2021 baseball season look like? Will we see the return of the traditional 8-team playoff format, designated hitters who live only in the AL and starting pitchers who go 6 or 7 innings? Or will the 2020 season be a turning point in how baseball is played?

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Steve @SteveAGardner

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tips for your playoff run Sep 15, 2020

On this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Yahoo's Fred Zinkie joins Scott Pianowski to talk playoff strategy, pickups and our favorite no-hitters in history.

[Create or Join a 2020 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball League for free today!]

Congrats to those of you who made your head-to-head playoffs! Fred and Scott get you prepped for the next two weeks with ideas for pickups and schedules to exploit (the Cardinals play *TEN* times this week), end-of-season strategy for roto leagues, tips for those of you in the playoffs and wrap up the show by paying homage to Cubs Starter Alec Mills no-hitter by drafting our favorite no-hitters in history.

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Fred @FredZinkieMLB

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Trade deadline winners and losers, tips for trading in your fantasy league Sep 01, 2020

On this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Rotowire's Jeff Erickson joins Scott Pianowski to discuss the fallout from MLB's trade deadline, keys to make trades in your own fantasy league and their favorite San Diego Padres of all time!

[Create or join a 2020 Yahoo Fantasy Football League for free today]

With 2020's MLB Trade Deadline behind us, Scott and Jeff look at the winners (Mike Clevinger, Bobby Dalbec) and losers (Francisco Mejia, pretty much every fringe Rockies hitter) from trade season. And it's not just you (well, it is sort of you) but trades seem to be declining in fantasy baseball leagues this season. Scott and Jeff share their tips to pull off trades with your league mates. Hint: the other team has to benefit too. We tip our caps to the immortal Nelson Cruz who's putting up his highest OPS in a season in his career at the age of 40. And in honor of trading for everyone, we wrap up the show with a draft of our favorite San Diego Padres of all time.

Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott: @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Jeff: @Jeff_Erickson

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

FAB strategy, the trouble with closers and best Radiohead songs Aug 25, 2020

On this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Yahoo's Scott Pianowski and Dalton Del Don discuss how they're handling free-agent pickups, why the struggle for saves is even more difficult this year and their favorite Radiohead songs in our silly draft.

[Create or join a 2020 Yahoo Fantasy Football League for free today]

Scott and Dalton look at the FAB waiver period that typically goes through Sunday night in their leagues to see if they should shift their strategy to deal with the short year (02:25). And, it's not just you, saves have been really, really difficult to find this year. It seems that no matter who looks to be the next breakout reliever, they soon crumble in the role. Is it time to give up on saves and focus on middle relievers and wins (07:50)? We take a look at some changing park effects in San Francisco, and Buffalo, aka "Coors Light" (32:00), and we wrap up the show by drafting our favorite Radiohead songs (46:00). No, we will not play Creep.

Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott: @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Dalton: @Dalton Del Don

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Players you should cut, breaking down break outs and more with Paul Sporer Aug 18, 2020

On this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Yahoo's Scott Pianowski chats with Paul Sporer of Fangraphs about the renewed sense of optimism surrounding baseball completing a season, players you should consider cutting and why we missed some of the biggest breakouts in 2020.

[Create or join a 2020 Yahoo Fantasy Football League for free today]

If you're debating whether or not you should hold onto players that have been lackluster so far in 2020 like Andrew Benintendi or Khris Davis, we've put together this handy checklist on how you can decide whether the move is right:

Yes.

That's it, that's the whole guide. In a usual 162-game season, the fantasy team at Yahoo preaches patience for your roster and staying away from impulsive moves —but this season isn't exactly a usual season. Scott and Paul run through some formerly highly-ranked players they're considering moving on from and what they look for when making the move. (3:40)

If you take a look at the Yahoo MVPs, the players that appear most often on the most successful fantasy teams this year, you'll see names like Shane Bieber, Fernando Tatis, Jr., Sonny Gray and Dylan Bundy. One thing those players all have in common? We didn't exactly tout them as breakouts this year. Paul and Scott look at their early-season success and why they may have been undervalued going into the year. (29:45)

And, we'll wrap up the show with a draft of favorite baseball positions on the diamond. Catcher might be an afterthought on your fantasy team, but not in our draft! (48:00)

Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott: @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tatis, Nuñez, Aguilar — Are we buying their hot starts? Aug 11, 2020

On this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Yahoo's Fred Zinkie joins Scott Pianowski to discuss the hot starts and strategy changes that have jumped out in the early part of the 2020 MLB season.

[Create or Join a 2020 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball League for free today!]

The early few weeks of the 2020 MLB season has brought us 7-inning doubleheaders, middle relievers stealing wins from starters, dwindling steals and relievers splitting up the saves. Scott and Fred discuss how to adapt your fantasy team to the changing baseball landscape.

Though we’re only about three weeks into the regular season, it’s never too early to overreact. Scott and Fred discuss Fernando Tatis, Jr. (next year’s #1 pick?), Isaiah Kiner-Falefa’s sneaky value at catcher, Renato Núñez early power boom and whether Jesús Aguilar’s bounceback is for real.

And before we get out of here, Scott and Fred draft their favorite curveballs in MLB history. An ode to Uncle Charlie!

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Fred @FredZinkieMLB

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What to learn from small sample sizes and finding the next edge Aug 04, 2020

Hello and welcome to the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast! Yahoo's Scott Pianowski and fantasy baseball pioneer Ron Shandler discuss what to focus on and what to ignore when it comes to stats in a short season, what predictions get wrong and their favorite out of nowhere fantasy seasons..

[Create or Join a 2020 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball League for free today!]

Since the season is 60% shorter, it's tough to ignore early slumps when it comes to players. Scott and Ron discuss what to focus on and what to ignore when it comes to making decisions early on in the season. And while stats like BABIP and spin rate have it into mainstream baseball analysis, the pair explain why another stat revolution could be coming if someone can crack the code.

And, we wrap up the show with a nod toward Ron Shandler's famous LIMA (Low Investment Mound Aces) plan and draft our favorite unexpected breakout seasons in fantasy baseball history.

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Early returns, closer conundrums, and baseball is back, but for how long? Jul 29, 2020

Hello and welcome to the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast! Yahoo's Scott Pianowski and baseball writer Joe Sheehan from Sports Illustrated and Baseball America discuss the first (only?) week of the 2020 MLB Season, what the Miami Marlins situation could mean for the rest of baseball, what teams stand out early and whether the closer role is slowly going away for good.

[Create or Join a 2020 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball League for free today!]

Is it over before it began? With the Miami Marlins facing an outbreak of COVID-19 within their clubhouse and sitting on the sidelines until next Monday, Scott and Joe discuss where baseball went wrong and where MLB's risk tolerance to play a season lies. (01:23)

Craig Kimbrel's recent shakiness in the closer role and the widespread use of closers-by-committee makes us wonder, have we passed peak save? With starters pitching fewer innings, and shutdown relievers like Josh Hader going multiple innings, shapeless pitching staffs might be here to stay. (11:26)

Scott and Joe take a look at some teams that have jumped out to start the season, like the Braves, Twins and Dodgers. (25:20)

And we wrap up the show with a draft of our favorite baseball seasons of years past. (50:30)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Joe @Joe_Sheehan

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Season Preview: 30 teams in 30ish minutes Jul 21, 2020

On this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Yahoo's Scott Pianowski and Dalton Del Don take a trip around the horn to preview every single team in Major League Baseball for opening week.

[Create or Join a 2020 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball League for free today!]

NL East, are we undervaluing the defending champions in Washington? (02:10)

NL Central, Ryan Braun is not the only sleeper hitter in Milwaukee. (10:00)

NL West, even in a short season, the Dodgers look like a lock for another playoff run. (14:10)

AL East, should Yankees ace Gerrit Cole be the #1 fantasy pick? (23:33)

AL Central, the Minnesota Twins set a record for home runs in 2019, and might be better this year. (34:30)

AL West, injury concerns linger in a star-studded roster (42:50)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Dalton @DaltonDelDon

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cold feet around starting pitching and injury-prone players Jul 14, 2020

On this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Yahoo's Fred Zinkie joins Scott Pianowski as we make our way toward opening day of the 2020 MLB Season to talk rule changes they're implementing in a short season, why the recent focus on starting pitching early in drafts might be wrong and how they'll handle players who are recently injured.

[Create or Join a 2020 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball League for free today!]

To re-draft or not re-draft your leagues, that is the question. Scott and Fred discuss how they're handling their fantasy leagues that drafted before COVID-19 forced sports to go on indefinite hiatus. And, they'll share some of the more unconventional league changes they're looking at in a shortened season for keeper leagues and beyond. (04:15)

Should you focus on starting pitching early in drafts or take hitters? While the Yahoo! crew has called this year's top-line starting pitching corps the 'running backs of fantasy baseball' due to their scarcity, we'll examine whether we should pump the brakes and be looking at drafting a high-floor roster that leans toward hitting. (20:00)

And, what should you do about players that are already injured? In a standard season, the discount on draft day might be worth it, but 2020 won't be a standard season. (25:00)

Should we rename the universal DH rule after Howie Kendrick? Fred and Scott look at some of the other NL DH options around the league. (32:00)

What are you going to do about Mike Trout? Is grabbing Trout in the second or early third round worth the chance that he might miss a significant portion of an already short year? (40:00)

And, we'll wrap up the show with an homage to our friend Mr. Zinkie with a draft of our favorite things with the letter z.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ranking Mike Trout, league changes, pitching strategy and bold predictions Jul 07, 2020

On this week's episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podast, Yahoo’s Andy Behrens sits in for Scott PIanowski and is joined by Razzball's B_Don to discuss what to do about Mike Trout in the rankings, league rules to consider changing during a shortened season, why relievers might be more valuable in 2020 and a few bold predictions.

[Create or Join a 2020 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball League for free today!]

With the news that perennial MVP candidate Mike Trout could miss at least a portion of a shortened season to be with his wife during the birth of their child, where should you place Mike Trout on your draft board? Andy and Brandon debate the merits of bumping Trout down to the end of the first round and even further. (03:43)

Let's be honest, a traditional 5x5 fantasy setup wasn't exactly created with a truncated 60-game season in mind. We look at a few of the other league rules and setups this year worth thinking about (17:02), and why H2H players might consider switching to Roto this year (26:56).

While relievers generally take a backseat to starters in fantasy rankings, could this be the year where an all-reliever strategy is viable? (35:09)

And to wrap up the show, Andy and B_Don throw out their boldest of predictions for the 2020 season. (44:42)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Andy @AndyBehrens

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Winners and losers in a short season Jun 30, 2020

On this week's episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski and Mike Oz, Yahoo Baseball Writer and proud Fresno resident, discuss the winners and losers from a proposed short baseball season, how they're shuffling the top of their starting pitching rankings, Mike's Old Baseball Card series, and more.

And with a nod to Mike Oz's radio show, we’ll wrap up the show with a draft of our favorite rap artists in history.

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Can baseball be fixed? Jun 23, 2020

On this week's episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Scott Pianowski and Yahoo's national baseball writer Hannah Keyser discuss the long and winding road to the 2020 MLB season, whether the increased focus on home runs is ruining the sport, why starting extra innings with a runner on second base is a terrible idea and how Sex and the City exemplifies our relationship with baseball

And we’ll wrap up the show with a draft of our favorite condiments. Do not be fooled by ketchup's ubiquity, you can do much better!

Note: This podcast was recorded before MLB’s announcement that it would implement a 60-game season.

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Baseball's elephant in the room and greatest letters draft Jun 16, 2020

On this week's episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski and D.B. Firstman, author of Hall of Name, discuss how they got started in their writing careers and broke into writing about baseball, fantasy baseball alternatives like scoresheet, how baseball can be more inclusive toward people of all genders and whether or not we'll see baseball before the year 2022 at this point.

And we’ll wrap up the show with a draft of our favorite letters. We promise it'll be more fun than it sounds.

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Short season debates, what to learn from football and best sports gear Jun 08, 2020

On this week's episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski and Dalton Del Don have a few debates around the (hopefully upcoming) 2020 MLB season.

First up, Dalton and Scott discuss the elephant in the room, what's our confidence level on Major League Baseball settling its labor dispute and starting a season this year? (03:00)

And, should we worry about the randomness and small sample size a shorter season will bring? (06:00)

Should we focus on pitching or hitting in upcoming drafts? (12:25)

Does the volatility of starting pitching mean we should ignore them until later or stock up early and often in drafts? (14:30)

How should you draft from a deep shortstop pool? (18:13)

Should you focus on younger players or established veterans in fantasy drafts? (23:23)

If you've already drafted in your fantasy league, should you press the reset button once the season's schedule is established? (26:07)

And finally, is it time to bump Houston Astros players up our draft boards if they will not have to contend with a bevy of boos around ballparks all season? (28:27)

And we’ll wrap up the show with a draft of our favorite sports equipment, will the mighty baseball glove take the crown? (31:52)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Baseball's labor dispute and retro draft strategy Jun 02, 2020

On this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, Fred Zinkie stops by to discuss baseball's ongoing labor dispute and what they've learned about fantasy baseball strategy from their recent retro season fantasy drafts.

Scott and Fred also talk in depth about the current state of affairs and standoff between MLB and its players. Will we have an MLB season? And if so, with a likely season being shortened in some form or fashion, what are some strategies fantasy players can implement?

And how should fantasy players prepare for a potential season overlapping with fantasy football draft prep?

Next up, Scott and Fred describe the retro seasonal drafts they’ve been taking part in lately. If you're not familiar, you pick a season like 1999 and draft from the player pool like usual. But, since you already know the stat lines you'll be getting during the draft, strategy changes dramatically. Scott and Fred discuss how team composition and positional scarcity come into play.

Finally, our experts offer up some strategies behind punting, along with what we can learn in our 2020 fantasy drafts about steals, saves, and batting average.

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Fred @FredZinkieMLB

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dissecting Moneyball's legacy and the best Philip Seymour Hoffman movies May 19, 2020

As Major League Baseball inches closer to a return to the field, we're taking a quick break from our usual focus on fantasy baseball for a class on sports films and baseball history.

Yahoo's Scott Pianowski and Andy Behrens recently watched Moneyball, the Michael Lewis book turned Aaron Sorkin film about the 2002 Oakland Athletics and its General Manager, Billy Beane. It's worth your time if you haven't seen it, but there is a lot the book and film get wrong about the team and the time in baseball. (05:03)

Though the season that inspired the book is nearly 20 years old, its legacy can still be seen in current-day baseball, with every shift of the infield, the depreciating value of relievers, and reliance on empirical data to evaluate players. (31:37)

And in honor of Moneyball and Art Howe (hope you're feeling better Skip) who gets portrayed unfairly in the film, we wrap up the show with a friendly snake draft of our favorite films starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. (45:53)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Andy @AndyBehrens

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 'Greatest League' and the less great siblings May 14, 2020

We got a bit of a throwback episode for you baseball history buffs, Yahoo’s Andy Behrens joins Scott Pianowski to talk about their draft with our friends over at Rotoworld for ‘The Greatest League.’

If you haven’t heard about the concept already, the basic idea is that you can draft the best individual seasons of any baseball player since 1980. Any player, any season, but a player can only be drafted once. Once rosters are set, Rotoworld plans on simulating an entire season on WhatIfSports. (02:12)

Scott and Andy break down their first round picks, 1994 Frank Thomas and Dwight Gooden from 1985 (03:37), why the shortened seasons of yesteryear provided some of the best seasons in history, and if we can look forward to big stat lines during a potential 80-game season (16:18)

And we wrap up the show with a friendly snake draft our favorite, let’s say, less famous siblings of some of the best athletes in history. Ozzie Canseco, this is your time to shine. (45:53)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Andy @AndyBehrens

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A universal DH, the Rockies outside Coors, and fav fantasy strategies May 05, 2020

Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski chats with Elite Fantasy’s Vlad Sedler about the growing optimism around a 2020 MLB season, how rumors of a universal DH could impact the fantasy landscape, and some of the big picture fantasy baseball strategies they’ve relied on over the years.

Leading off, Scott and Vlad look at some of the players they might bump up their draft boards if the National League adopts a designated hitter — either for the 2020 season or permanently. (01:17)

If baseball adopts a one, two, or three-state plan moving all games to Arizona, Texas, and/or Florida, that means a lot of players who deal with the extreme ends of park effects are going to have their values change. We’ll look at some of the players who usually play in Coors Field in Colorado and San Francisco’s AT&T Park that’ll be moving up and down our draft boards. (09:12)

Some fantasy mangers are trade tacticians, others scour the waiver wire for break out players. Scott and Vlad discuss some of their fantasy adages, like the importance of FAAB management, why it’s okay to make a mistake and the usefulness of an official co-manager. (13:53)

We’ll take a look at Vlad’s cheat sheet while he tells us the guys he likes and doesn’t like in fantasy drafts, including the Dodgers’ Gavin Lux (like!), and the Twins’ Jose Berrios (don’t like!). (25:03)

And we’ll wrap up the show with a draft of our all-time favorite Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, formerly knows as the Anaheim Angels, formerly known as the California Angels. A quick spoiler, this was one draft where Mike Trout did not go #1 overall. (48:48)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Guys I like and don't like with Rotowire's Scott Jenstad Apr 28, 2020

Rotowire's Scott Jenstad joins Scott Pianowski to talk over how a baseball season in flux is changing his draft rankings, some of the guys he likes and doesn't like at their current price tags, and debates who are the best coaches in sports since 1990 — apologies to Red Auerbach fans.

Scott's standouts include a trifecta of mid-tier third basemen: Matt Chapman, Josh Donaldson and Mike Moustakas (8:00), podcast fav Cavan Biggio (13:10), former fantasy first-rounder Javier Baez (27:39), and of the newest members of the Philadelphia Phillies, Zach Wheeler (25:05).

Scott also shares some of the players he won't be targeting in fantasy drafts anytime soon, like Anthony Rizzo (26:48), Adalberto Mondesi (29:22), and Victor Robles (31:17).

And we wrap up the show with a friendly snake draft of the best coaches in professional and collegiate sports since 1990. Bobby Valentine, sadly, did not make our draft board (35:09).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

20 players to target in your fantasy drafts Apr 20, 2020

Last week, we told you about the players to eschew at each position in your upcoming baseball drafts. This week, Yahoo's Scott Pianowski and Fangraphs Editor (+ avid Twitch streamer) Paul Sporer discuss the best values on the draft board at each position. We know we don't need to tell you that Mike Trout is worth drafting, this episode is all about the mid-to-late round guys that have a chance to provide a healthy ROI on your draft pick.

First Basemen (04:47)

Second Basemen (09:20)

Shortstops (18:00)

Third Basemen (19:30)

Outfielders (26:40)

Catchers (34:29)

Starting Pitchers (36:00)

Closers (40:53)

The guys close out the show by drafting their favorite logos in sports. On a related note, please sign our petition to bring back New England's Pat Patriot (47:45)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at Apple Podcasts or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

20 players to avoid in your fantasy drafts Apr 13, 2020

Scott Pianowski is joined this week by Yahoo's fantasy expert (and resident TV and film critic) Dalton Del Don to talk about players at every position you should consider not drafting at their current ADPs in fantasy drafts. Apologies in advance to Houston Astros fans.

Starting Pitchers (02:55)

First Basemen (11:31)

Second Basemen (15:18)

Shortstops (18:36)

Third Basemen (20:56)

Catchers (25:10)

Closers (28:47)

Outfield (33:57)

The guys close out the show by drafting their favorite endings to five movies. Mild spoilers abound if you haven't seen movies like Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather. (40:00)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Dalton @DaltonDelDon

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Punting saves, SS saviors, and Toronto's Youth Movement Apr 06, 2020

Scott Pianowski is joined this week by friend of the pod Fred Zinkie to talk about shifting strategy in a likely shortened baseball season, a quandry most fantasy owners are facing, and Fred's recent Tout Wars and Yahoo Friends and Family drafts.

The guys discuss how a shorter season could put pressure on older players who might get off to a slow start. (2:30)

Fred recently wrapped up an NL-only auction draft for Tout Wars and went heavy on shortstops, drafting Trevor Story, Fernando Tatis, Jr., and Dansby Swanson. He explains why he's targeting the deep SS pool and expects Swanson to turn a solid profit. (11:30)

Scott and Fred then discuss the value of punting saves, when a shorter season makes the closer landscape even more difficult to traverse this year. (14:00)

Fred looks at what to expect from Arizona Diamondback Madison Bumgarner, a veteran pitcher that he thinks is being a bit overlooked in drafts. (20:15)

Since Fred is based in Canada, we asked him to take a look at Toronto's youth movement, headlined by Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Bo Bichette, Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., and Cavan Biggio. (28:41)

The guys close out the show drafting the five rule changes they'd most like to see in sports, including how to fix tanking for a better draft pick in both professional sports and keeper fantasy leagues. (37:40)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The greatest seasons of all time, short season strategy, and more Mar 31, 2020

Yahoo's very own Andy Behrens joins Scott Pianowski to talk over their recent Tout Wars auction draft, how to approach prospects with the possibility of a shorter season, and why Scooby Doo would make an excellent companion during isolation.

The guys first talk about Andy's recent Tout Wars auction draft, a 12-team points league. Even though Andy isn't the biggest fan of points leagues, he shares why he targeted premium corner infielders like Freddie Freeman and Kris Bryant going into the draft. (4:00)

Then, Scott and Andy take a look at their team power rankings in fantasy and the growing disparity between the have and have-nots in baseball which is good news for those of you who rely on streaming starting pitching. (16:15)

Speaking of starting pitching, Andy took Shane Bieber and Mackenzie Gore, and explains why he expects the pair of young pitchers to turn a profit this year. (19:50)

And we wrap up the show by taking a look at the greatest fantasy baseball seasons of all time, and also have a draft of the best historical characters to have with you during a quarantine. (30:55)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Andy @AndyBehrens

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Breaking down auction drafts, the Coors effect and more Mar 23, 2020

On this episode, Gene McCaffrey from The Athletic joins our own Scott Pianowski to break down their recent Tout Wars auction draft, how to approach advanced stats and the increase in power, the Colorado Rockies latest attempt to soothe their Coors hangover on the road, and more.

The guys begin with breaking down the results of their recent Tout Wars auction, a 15-team mixed league draft. Gene made a big move early taking Mets pitcher Jacob DeGrom for $50. That was $10 more than fellow ace Gerrit Cole went for, but he explains why if he had the opportunity he’d do it all over again, and even pay a little bit extra to do it. (01:50)

His early expenditures on blue-chippers meant grabbing a plethora of $1 players at the end of the draft, but Scott explains why he prefers keeping budget flexibility to grab players at $2 or $3 dollars at the end of drafts. (04:30)

Gene and Scott then go through some of their favorite picks in Gene’s draft, including Jesus Luzardo, Mitch Garver, and Julio Urias. (12:57)

Gene’s a Colorado native and was one of the first baseball writers to notice that ex-Rockies tended to hit better when they left Colorado for a new team. They also discuss what to expect from current Rockies players like Trevor Story, Garrett Hampson, and Ryan McMahon. (25:00)

They wrap up by discussing draft strategy at the end of the first round (31:30), why low-walk hitters like Tim Anderson and Javier Baez are being undervalued (34:30), and in honor of Tom Brady soon wearing a Tampa Bay jersey, have a draft of baseball players who looked really strange in a team’s uniform. (40:15)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Drafting Pitchers & Players Who Benefit From the Delayed Season Mar 17, 2020

On this episode, Alex Fast of PitcherList.com joins our own Scott Pianowski to break down all things pitchers.

The guys begin with their draft strategy with a delayed and truncated season and how it affects the player pool. Which guys should rise up your draft board and benefit from the delay? (3:35)

Alex and Scott move to the mound and ask what is their pitcher type in fantasy? (7:50) Also, what is the best stat to evaluate pitchers and how has CSW rate changed the analytics game? (14:43)

From starters to closers and relievers, how do saves present a new challenge to fantasy players (23:14) and which relievers are going to surprise us a few weeks into the season? (33:39)

The guys cap the show with a draft of the best relievers in the history of the game. (52:33)

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

2020 win total over/under best bets and Cy Young & MVP long-shots Mar 09, 2020

In a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast first, Scott Pianowski enlists Dalton Del Don to take a brief detour from their regularly scheduled fantasy advice into the world of betting and MLB futures – just in time for the 2020 regular season.

The guys go division-by-division, breaking down each team's over/under win totals as put out by our partners at BetMGM. Mixing in some fantasy advice with some betting prognostication, they give their thoughts on which teams are likely to beat those win totals or fall flat:

AL East (3:45)

AL Central (9:45)

AL West (15:25)

NL East (20:40)

NL Central (25:00)

NL West (30:00)

They wrap up the show giving some long-shot MVP and Cy Young picks (36:00), then draft their 10 favorite things about the art of gambling (39:00).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

New users over the age of 21 in the states of NJ, WV, or IN can go to BetMGM.com/Yahoo and receive $100 in free bets with their first deposit. Terms apply.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

DeGrom vs. Cole, Yankees lineup uncertainty & Dodgers' dual closers Mar 03, 2020

Fantasy Baseball draft season continues and Scott Pianowski is joined this week by Rotoworld's D.J. Short to talk about a conundrum many fantasy owners are facing in the first round of their drafts: should Jacob DeGrom or Gerrit Cole be the first starting pitcher off the board?

The guys discuss the case for each of the two New York pitchers and the other starters you may consider in the first round (1:45). The conversation naturally turns to the other star Mets pitcher, Noah Syndergaard. What do you do with Thor when he hasn't been able to make up for the Mets' offensive and defensive shortcomings in the same way DeGrom has? (7:20)

Arizona's Ketel Marte had a breakout season in 2019, earning his first All-Star appearance and coming in 4th in the NL MVP race. Can he repeat the outstanding numbers he dropped last year or is he destined for a bit of a correction? (11:10)

Tampa Bay starter Tyler Glasnow threw great stuff last year when he wasn't dealing with injuries. The guys discuss his top 10 starter upside for 2020. (16:20)

Moving back to New York for a bit, they guys discuss Gary Sanchez and a Yankee lineup that's already facing some injury uncertainty and what fantasy owners should do if their league requires rostering two catchers. (19:30)

Scott & D.J. talk about the Dodgers' plan with Kenley Jansen and Blake Trienen and how fantasy owners should navigate the closer market in general. (28:00)

Fantasy owners can expect the unexpected with the Texas Rangers moving into a new stadium this year. The guys talk about Rangers SS Elvis Andrus and how owners can adjust to the unknown park effects resulting from the Rangers transitioning out of the offense-friendly Globe Life Park to the unproven Globe Life Field (32:30).

Wrapping up the fantasy portion of the show, the guys discuss the Pirates' Kevin Newman, (35:10) as well as the Astros' Jose Urquidy and Josh James (37:20).

The guys close out the show drafting their 5 favorite baseball movies. (41:15)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Spring training fantasy questions: avoiding the Astros & Nolan Arenado? Feb 24, 2020

Spring training play has begun in Florida and Arizona and Scott Pianowski is joined by Fred Zinkie to kick off fantasy baseball season by checking in on a disastrous offseason for the Houston Astros and Major League Baseball.

Before they dive into the 2020 season in earnest, Scott & Fred discuss a change in the winds of fantasy baseball: how more and more leagues are ditching the classic rotisserie scoring and adopting head-to-head rules. Should you give a head-to-head league a try? (1:20)

The guys kick off player talk by discussing Colorado Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado. Fred explains why the projected first-rounder may be over-valued. (10:15)

Moving to the off-season's biggest story, the Houston Astros, Scott asks Fred if he's de-valuing any of the Astros hitters as the baseball world is still a bit blind to how these players may perform long-term without the nefarious help they've been using these last few seasons. (19:15)

[Batter up: Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today]

Looking at spring training in general, Scott & Fred discuss what to look for in box scores and storylines from pre-season play. Is there anything to glean from spring training that may help you draft or are most players locked into their roles at this point? (23:50)

Closing out the baseball portion of the episode, Scott & Fred discuss whether new Astros manager Dusty Baker may direct the team to attempt more steals (31:05) and how fantasy owners should grade injured pitchers like Luis Severino, Mike Clevinger and Eugenio Suarez (36:00).

Finally, the guys end the show drafting their favorite sports villains from real life and fiction (40:30).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Closing out the season, playoffs preview and top 10 Yankees Sep 30, 2019

162 games for each team are in the books and most fantasy trophies have been handed out; the only suspense left in the 2019 season is who will take the World Series?

Joe Sheehan of Sports Illustrated joins Scott Pianowski for a final debrief of the 2019 season. They begin by questioning the shape of the game in 2019 as well as the shape of the baseball (1:25). Is the juiced-ball era a blip on the radar or an evolution towards something different?

Moving from real-life baseball to fantasy baseball, the guys recap their thoughts on the 2019 season in fantasy and where they went right and wrong (13:30).

The Houston Astros stellar pitching staff was a topic of conversation all year. Scott & Joe talk about why they were so successful and if Justin Verlander, who will be 37 at the start of next season, should still be drafted as a top pitcher (18:30).

Moving onto 2020, the guys discuss who would be their number one pick in a fantasy draft next year (22:00), how they try to find steals in the current era (24:30) and if they buy the big September showings from guys like Garrett Hampson and Tommy Edman (33:20).

They briefly preview the 2019 playoffs (38:45), then talk about what went wrong with the Chicago Cubs (42:00)

Closing out the show for the year, Scott & Joe draft their 10 favorite Yankees players (43:50).

Thanks for listening, Scott and the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast will return in the spring with more strategy, analysis and random drafts.

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

2019 takeaways and a 2020 mock draft Sep 16, 2019

As the 2019 MLB regular season and most fantasy leagues draw to a close, Scott Pianowski is joined by Gene McCaffrey of The Athletic to take a look back at the year that was and set sights on the year ahead.

This episode, Scott & Gene deliver some of their major takeaways from the 2019 season including:

- why you shouldn't over-react to off years from good pitchers (3:50)

- taking note of the growing divide between the good teams and bad teams (8:00)

- why you should potentially invest in riskier mid-round players next year (12:35)

- how to find the sweet spot of mid-range closing pitchers (16:40)

Later, they take stock of some contenders in the Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Houston Astros as the postseason draws near (22:25) before closing out the episode mocking the first 10 picks of a 2020 fantasy draft (31:10).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Verlander's no-hitter and projecting next year's best pitchers Sep 02, 2019

In a crazy holiday weekend across sports as pro and college football began their autumn grasp of the American sports fan's psyche, the performance of the weekend was on the mound. Scott Pianowski is joined by Paul Sporer of Fangraphs to discuss Justin Verlander's no-hitter on Sunday in Toronto (0:50).

The pitcher talk continues as Scott asks Paul to run through his preliminary top 30 pitchers list for 2020 and in addition to Verlander, the guys discuss Max Scherzer, Gerrit Cole, Noah Syndergaard and Shane Bieber (5:10).

The curious case of Trevor Bauer continues as Scott asks Paul to comment on the recently-traded pitcher who has seen his stats plummet since moving to the Reds (23:30).

Taking a brief break from pitching, the guys move out west and talk Shohei Ohtani... as a hitter (28:00).

Scott & Paul discuss Frankie Montas and Matthew Boyd (30:50), then close out the baseball portion of the podcast discussing a way-too-early 2020 fantasy draft Paul took part in over the weekend (38:40).

Closing out the podcast, Scott & Paul pick their top 5 famous movies they haven't seen (42:15).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Combating late August fantasy fatigue and replacing José Ramírez Aug 26, 2019

We're a week away from Labor Day and for lots of fantasy owners, football is becoming more top of mind. Inspired by the boredom the Los Angeles Dodgers displayed over the weekend against the New York Yankees, Scott Pianowski is joined by Yahoo's own Fred Zinkie to discuss ways to combat the late-summer boredom that strikes fantasy baseball owners (2:50).

Next, Scott & Fred chat about the Indians' José Ramírez and his broken hand that will sideline him for the rest of the season. How does that affect him next year and who are some replacement options in the short-term (8:15)?

Later, Scott contemplates what he should do with a two-start week from Homer Bailey and the guys discuss the upsides and downsides two-start weeks from fringier pitchers and the weirdness of the night game followed by a day game (15:25).

In a few grab-bag baseball topics, Fred & Scott talk about streaming his pitchers against the Detroit Tigers for the rest of the season (20:00), Austin Nola of the Seattle Mariners (22:05), whether St. Louis' Jack Flaherty should be considered an ace next season (26:05) and dominant relievers like Nick Anderson and Josh Hader, who get a ton of strikeouts but also tend to give up a fair share of home runs (30:50).

The guys close out the show with fantasy baseball "swing thoughts," nuggets of fantasy advice akin to tiny morsels of golf advice (37:10).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Toronto's young bats & Kershaw's old arm Aug 19, 2019

With the 2019 regular season winding to a close and September call-ups looming, Scott Pianowski is joined by Rob Silver of Baseball Prospectus and the Launch Angle Podcast to look back at the year's most discussed rookie: Vlad Guerrero, Jr.

The guys talk about how his draft value panned out for fantasy owners, what his 2020 could look like and also take a look at the Blue Jay's emerging young bats in Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. (10:00)

Transitioning to the NL, Scott & Rob discuss Clayton Kershaw's diminishing pitch velocity and whether fantasy owners should be worried this year or in the long-term (20:25).

Speaking of the Dodgers and their 18.5 game NL West lead, the guys discuss fantasy strategy for the final month of the season and how you should start players on teams with comfortable leads and sights on October (27:30).

Another team with October dreams are the Houston Astros, who are hoping to capture their third World Series win in two years. Scott asks Rob to talk about what makes this Astro's team special, especially their pitching staff (32:00).

Last years world champion Boston Red Sox are on the outside of this year's playoff picture. Rob shares his thoughts on why he's fading the entire Boston pitching staff (35:55).

To wrap up the show, Scott & Rob list 5 of their most unpopular takes (38:45).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Evaluating Statcast numbers and updating projections for Leake, Greinke and Bauer Aug 12, 2019

With Scott Pianowski hitting the links this weekend on a much-needed vacation, Yahoo Fantasy's ultimate utility guy Dalton Del Don takes over the podcast for the week.

He's joined by Derek Carty of ESPN and RotoGrinders and the creator of The Bat projection system to talk about some of the trends he's been seeing this season and how he's updated some of his projections since his last podcast appearance.

First, they chat about the crazy numbers put up this weekend by Lucas Giolito and Aristides Aquino and why those players are hard to project going forward (0:35).

Next, the guys dive into Derek's updated analytics from The Bat. They talk about some of the metrics provided by Statcast including exit velocity, launch angle, barrels and how fantasy owners can analyze those stats (4:00).

Derek then provides some projection updates to a group of recently traded players in Mike Leake, Zack Greinke and Trevor Bauer. They use these three trades as an opportunity to discuss spin rates, how venues can affect strikeouts and walks, swinging strikeout rates and adjusting to the increased HR rate throughout the majors (8:15).

Later, Dalton asks Derek about some of The Bat's hits and misses from this season including Blake Treinen, German Marquez and Yordan Alvarez (22:40)

To wrap up the baseball portion of the show, Derek gives some daily fantasy pointers and how he feels weather and umpires should play into your DFS strategy (28:25).

The guys close out the show drafting their favorite current TV shows (39:10).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Dalton @DaltonDelDon

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recapping the trade deadline, plus boons and banes from both leagues Aug 05, 2019

With the trade deadline in the rear view mirror, fantasy owners can focus on their own league trade deadlines (if they haven't passed already) and settle in for the home stretch of the season.

Patrick Davitt of BaseballHQ joins Scott Pianowski this week to discuss how the majors reshuffled last week and then gives some hitters and pitchers from both leagues that could be a boon or a bane this upcoming week.

Before they dive into the players who actually moved this year, Scott and Patrick chat about how they feel the deadline went this year after the MLB removed the second trade deadline from the calendar (11:00)

Later, the guys talk about some of the major moves from last week, specifically how the Houston Astros added Zack Greinke and Aaron Sanchez to bolster their pitching staff (14:10).

Next, they discuss some relievers who moved at the deadline as well as some general strategy on how to pick up saves from your non-closer relievers (19:40).

After that, Patrick picks his patented "Boons & Banes" for the week. In the boons category, Willie Calhoun and Dustin May, just to name a few (27:40), and for the banes, Patrick discusses a pair of Yankees he's pessimistic about: Aaron Judge and Adam Ottavino (38:00).

To wrap up the show, the guys draft their favorite underrated things (49:30).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"Selective aggression" and how to play fantasy baseball like a poker pro Jul 29, 2019

Despite the fact that the 2019 MLB trade deadline is a mere days away, the teams have been suspiciously quiet on the transaction market. With far too few trades to report on, today's episode is devoted to the game theory aspect of fantasy baseball.

Scott Pianowski is joined by Sammy Reid of RotoGrinders to talk about his experiences playing poker full-time and how all fantasy owners can apply poker strategy and game theory to their seasonal leagues (2:15).

Next, Scott and Sammy talk about fantasy football's "zero RB" strategy and how it relates to the supply and demand of starting pitchers in fantasy baseball (19:50). Sammy offers some advice as to where a lot of owners go wrong when drafting pitchers and offers some ways to out-game your competitors when it comes to finding pitching.

Scott later asks Sammy how he feels about a pair of Texas Rangers in Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Gallo (30:20).

Later, the guys wrap up the show discussing the strategic differences between DFS and seasonal fantasy leagues (35:10) and close out the podcast drafting their favorite things from the movie Rounders (38:50).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bay Area updates: A's pitching check-in and will the Giants buy or sell? Jul 22, 2019

With the trade deadline fast approaching for both major league teams and fantasy teams, Scott Pianowski welcomes Bay Area native and Rotowire columnist Scott Jenstad to the show to update on the Giants and A's, two teams that could be active as they make their final playoff pushes.

Before they get to the NorCal teams, they first dip down to San Diego to chat about Manuel Margot, Wil Meyers and the crowded Padres outfield (2:30).

Next Pianow talks about his rough summer on the Kevin Gausman roller coaster and the guys discuss Gausman, Luke Jackson and the Atlanta Braves pitching staff (7:00).

In their first Bay Area stop, the Scotts chat about the San Francisco Giants and whether the suddenly .500 team should be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline (13:00).

Later, Pianow talks about late-season FAAB strategy as budgets tend to dwindle down and the curse of confirmation bias. (16:00)

Moving to the East Bay, the guys discuss the Oakland A's pitching staff as the team currently hanging onto the final wild card spot in the AL (26:45).

Finally, the two Scotts wrap up the show drafting overrated things (42:10).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Trading season is upon us and solving the anomaly of starting pitching in the juiced ball era Jul 15, 2019

The 2019 All-Star break is over, commemorating baseball's unofficial mid-way point and that means one thing for fantasy owners and real GMs alike: it's trading season.

Scott Pianowski invites Yahoo Sports' very own lead NFL connoisseur Frank Schwab to shed the pigskin for the day and talk some fantasy baseball before the football season kicks into full gear. They start the conversation with the major strategic differences between fantasy baseball and football and why baseball tends to reward more skilled owners (8:00).

Diving into the 2019 MLB season, Scott and Frank discuss their strategies at starting pitcher and how they've attempted to solve the position in this era of home run or bust (17:20).

Later, they try to find the upside in the roster of the recently flagging Milwaukee Brewers (24:55) and then discuss how they can better evaluate rookies who seem to be blowing up and becoming fantasy relevant at an alarming rate (27:45). They close out the baseball portion of the show breaking down the aforementioned trading season and what they're seeing in both the majors and in fantasy leagues (34:05).

To wrap up the show, Scott and Frank draft their favorite installments of 30 for 30 (45:05).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

First-half fantasy takeaways at the All-Star break Jul 08, 2019

It's the All-Star break, so with a few less games of actual baseball to focus on this week, Scott Pianowski is joined by Yahoo Sports' Fred Zinkie to look back at the trends, the swings, the misses and the big takeaways from 2019's first half.

They start the show discussing the Toronto Blue Jays' Danny Jansen and some of their most regretful drops from the first half of the season (0:40).

Next they talk about the players and trends they got right so far this season, including Kirby Yates and the strategy of going after second-tier closers, Wade Miley's season in Houston and D.J. Lemahieu's clutch season in the Bronx (4:20).

Later, because you can't brag about your Ws, Scott and Fred talk about some of the Ls they've taken over the season including being too high on Daniel Murphy and Rick Porcello and not high enough on Aldaberto Mondesí (24:15).

The guys close out the episode drafting their favorite Freds from the world of pop-culture (43:55).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Young pitchers, trade-bait pitchers and Yankees-Sox brings the rivalry to London Jul 01, 2019

Just in time for the USA's yearly bash celebrating their independence from Britain, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox brought some fireworks to London. Rudy Gamble of Razzball joins Scott Pianowski to discuss the wacky series that saw 50 runs scored in two games and the rest of the week that was in baseball.

First they chat about a trio of young pitchers in the Padres' Logan Allen, the Rays' Brendan McKay and White Sox' Dylan Cease (5:00).

Later they hit on that monstrous Yankees/Red Sox series in London and whether fantasy owners need to look out for future situations in which teams will be playing in unknown ballparks (11:30). Sticking with the Yankees, the guys discuss Giancarlo Stanton injury the myth of injury prone guys (20:35).

They close out the baseball portion of the show discussing Daniel Murphy and the Colorado Rockies (24:10), relief pitchers who might get moved at the trade deadline (29:50) and some thoughts on the Tampa Bay Rays (37:45).

To wrap up the podcast, Scott and Rudy draft their favorite "ownership" albums -- hidden gems that they love but are off the beaten path (40:05).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How to juggle sanity, strategy and FAAB half-way through the season, also lots of Dodger talk Jun 24, 2019

Baseball teams will play their 81st games this week as the majors hit their official half-way point. As the All-Star break and the dog days of summer approach quickly, Vlad Sedler of Elite Fantasy joins Scott Pianowski on the the pod to talk about how to juggle sanity and strategy at this point in the season, especially when you're in multiple leagues and best ball leagues (1:30).

Scott then asks Vlad to talk specifically about FAAB bidding strategy for mid-June (14:25) and what under-the-radar pickups fantasy owners should be targeting (19:35).

Moving out west, Scott & Vlad wonder if the Los Angeles Dodgers are peaking too early in a division that looks all-but clinched in mid-June (22:55). They chat about the curious case of Chris Taylor and if Hyun-Jin Ryu's comet of a season will ever come back down to earth. Later, they stay in the NL West to fit in some San Diego Padres talk (28:40).

Scott & Vlad also talk about which advanced stats they pay attention to and which they ignore (32:00) and the nice little season Eric Sogard is having with the Toronto Blue Jays (35:30).

They wrap up the show drafting all things related to the Los Angeles Dodgers including this excellent picture of Tommy Lasorda and Frank Sinatra (38:45).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports Podcast family at https://apple.co/2Abi8jk or at yahoosports.com/podcasts

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Making sense of Encarnación to the Yankees and that Padres-Rockies series Jun 17, 2019

After the dust cleared in Coors Field, 131 hits and 92 runs were tallied in the mile high air this past weekend, adding up to the most runs ever scored in a four-game series in the modern era. A great weekend for any fantasy owners starting any Rockies or Padres and a sorrowful one if you happened to trade away Charlie Blackmon last week like a certain host of this podcast.

Scott Pianowski is joined by SI's Michael Beller to discuss the latest happenings in the world of baseball, including that bonkers San Diego-Colorado series and the New York Yankees' adding another top-tier bad to their already first-place club.

Before they get to any of that, Scott and Michael check in on the Cubs and their addition of RP Craig Kimbrel to the bullpen as he looks to make his first appearance in the coming weeks (0:45).

They react to the historic start from Houston Astros OF Yordan Alvarez and compare that to the impressive rookie season from Chicago White Sox OF Eloy Jiménez (3:45)

Back to that insane series in Denver, Scott and Michael talk about Coors Fields' out-of-this-world season for offensive numbers, impressive showing's from Charlie Blackmon, Fernando Tatiís Jr and Trevor Story, and what concerned Chris Paddack owners should do (11:00)

Moving to the AL, the guys chat about the Seattle Mariners' trade that sent Edwin Encarnación to the New York Yankees (19:15). Scott and Michael also admit to taking the L on a pair of players in Seattle OF Mallex Smith and Kansas City SS Aldaberto Mondesí (24:40).

Later in the show, they discuss Los Angeles Dodgers SP Hyun-Jin Ryu and Philadelphia Phillies SP Aaron Nola, a pair of pitchers trending in opposite directions. They discuss which pitcher's outlier ERA is more sustainable and which is more likely to regress towards the norm (33:00).

In honor of Father's Day, the guys wrap up the show drafting the best fictional dads (39:40).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

MadBum's beef is good for baseball, Keuchel & Kimbrel finally sign & Cleveland is 'nothin' Jun 11, 2019

Yahoo Sports’ Scott Pianowski is joined by fellow Yahooligan Andy Behrens to bring you the latest fantasy baseball news and analysis.

They kick the show off with a discussion about MadBum’s beef with Max Muncy and how it’s great for the game (2:00);

With the Boston Bruins on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup, Scott talks about being oversaturated with championships as a Boston sports fan (18:00);

The three hottest pitching prospects in baseball right now - A’s prospect Jesús Luzardo, Zac Gallen of the Marlins’ farm system and Rays prospect Brendan McKay (24:00);

It was a busy week for midseason free agent veterans, and the guys take a look at how Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel fit with their new teams (36:00);

Plus, everyone’s favorite segment- the non-baseball fantasy draft - this week’s draft has Andy and Scott fighting over their all-time favorite initials (47:00).

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Mets' rotation, Julio Teheran's upside and why the Twins will continue to dominate Jun 03, 2019

The NL East is not the greatest division in 2019, but what it lacks in great teams, it makes up for in intriguing fantasy options

Scott Pianowski is joined by Michael Salfino of The Athletic to check in on the starting rotation of the New York Mets, a sub .500 team with a pair of top-20 starting pitchers in Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard (1:20).

Michael discusses his latest column about teams with huge schedule advantages in the league-leading Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves (19:45). The Braves discussion also dives into the fantasy viability of Julio Teheran, a not-flashy pitcher on a team in playoff contention (25:30).

Scott and Michael also discuss the impressive season from Lucas Giolito (29:30), thoughts ahead of the 2019 MLB draft (34:15) and wrap up the fantasy discussion on Kevin Gausman and José Ramírez (39:30).

Scott and Michael close the show with a 5-round draft of the best athletes from the 1970s (45:45).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Second chance drafting the remainder of the 2019 season May 28, 2019

Coming out of the weekend that unofficially starts the summer, Yahoo Sports' Dalton Del Don joins Scott Pianowski the day after Memorial Day for a podcast about holidays and redrafting your league right as the MLB season hits full stride.

For the bulk of the episode, Scott recounts his NFBC "Second Chance" draft which alters some rules in favor of starting a brand-new league from scratch with scoring starting on Memorial Day (0:40).

They discuss the topsy-turvy first round where Scott landed an unexpected star with the third overall pick, where the first tier of ace pitchers landed and how advanced stats should play into your selections at this time of year

Later, Dalton gets into his insane League of Leagues team where he absolutely crushed his starting pitchers with guys like Hyun-Jin Ryu, Matt Boyd, Caleb Smith, Chris Paddack and Jose Berrios. They discuss Dalton's strategy for landing them and how to track up-and-comers either in future drafts or in FAAB (27:10).

To wrap up the baseball portion of the episode, the guys discuss some later-round picks in Matt Carpenter, Miguel Sanó, Nicholas Castellanos (33:40) and a few valuable but unsexy pitchers on bad teams (38:25).

Acknowledging the Memorial Day weekend, Scott ends the show by asking Dalton to participate in a draft of the best holidays (41:20).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Dalton @DaltonDelDon

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Going FAAB-crazy and talking trade strategy with Fred Zinkie May 20, 2019

After a week of call-ups throughout the majors, fantasy owners likely have their heads spinning. Yahoo Sports' Scott Pianowski and Fred Zinkie try to make things easier this week by discussing two major aspects of in-season fantasy management: FAAB bidding and trading.

But first, the guys check in on Bryce Harper. Remember him? The guy who led every hot take from November until March? Scott and Fred talk about his early season performance and ask whether it's time to pump the brakes on Harper (1:20).

Next, Scott and Fred dive deep into the slew of prospects recently called up into the majors including Atlanta's Austin Riley, Colorado's Brendan Rodgers, Houston's Corbin Martin, Texas' Willie Calhoun, and Milwaukee's Keston Hiura. They talk FAAB bidding strategy and how you should manage your FAAB through the season (6:00).

Later, Scott asks Fred to talk about a problem area for many fantasy owners: trades. They discuss how to get more out of your trades and be a better trading partner in general (23:45).

Scott wraps up the show asking Fred to participate in a five-round draft of their favorite beverages (39:15).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Fred @FredZinkieMLB

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tigers & Twins check-in, FAAB strategy & the best Michigan athletes May 13, 2019

It's a mostly Michigan day on the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast. Michigan resident Scott Pianowski is joined by Michigan native Paul Sporer of Fangraphs and ESPN for some talk about the AL Central, FAAB strategy and some older guys calling good and bad attention to themselves in fantasy baseball.

The guys start off discussing the Detroit Tigers and a couple intriguing players in pitcher Matthew Boyd and "utility knife" Ronny Rodriguez (2:50).

Sticking with the Tigers, Scott and Paul hit on Detroit legend Miguel Cabrera and Cincinnati's Joey Votto. Is there any optimism for these fading stars who have started sluggishly in 2019 (10:40)?

Elsewhere in old-guy talk, Hunter Pence's resurgent season with the Texas Rangers comes up. The guys also discuss the slugging Joey Gallo and the Rangers' bullpen (14:35).

Moving to straight-up fantasy strategy, Scott asks Paul about how he uses his FAAB and they discuss tactics to get the most value out of free agency (26:00).

Coming back around to the AL Central, Scott and Paul discuss the division-leading Minnesota Twins and a pair of their stand-out pitchers in Jake Odorizzi and Martín Pérez (30:00).

Wrapping up the baseball portion of the podcast, Scott talks about his Vlad Guerrero Jr. FOMO and Paul outlines how Vlad's slow start could ramp up soon (35:35).

Finally, Scott and Paul close out the show drafting their favorite athletes from Michigan (40:10)

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have replay, rest & advanced stats gone too far? May 07, 2019

After a weird weekend in sports highlighted by a bizarre turn of events in the Kentucky Derby, Yahoo Sports' Scott Pianowski is joined by Rotowire's Chris Liss for a larger discussion about some of the major factors complicating the fan's relationship with their favorite sports. There's plenty of fantasy baseball talk too.

They start off with the derby, "disqualification culture" and the role of replay in sports (0:50). It leads to a larger discussion about whether some of baseballs advanced stats have gone too far (8:10).

Scott and Chris dig into this fantasy season a bit to talk about April outlier teams and players and ask when is "too early" in terms of cutting ties with underperforming assets (11:15). Vlad Jr. comes up again as the guys discuss him and Cincinnati's Nick Senzel and whether the league is moving towards younger players (20:45).

Later, Scott asks Chris about his baseball viewing experience as a resident of Portugal and it leads to a larger discussion of the fan viewing experience and James Holzhauer, the Jeopardy guy (24:00).

Scott and Chris wrap up the show drafting their favorite food items (37:20).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Chris @Chris_Liss

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Checking in on the AL East with Jonah Keri of The Athletic & Sportsnet Apr 29, 2019

Yahoo Sports’ Scott Pianowski is joined by Jonah Keri of The Athletic and Sportsnet to take a closer look at one of the most puzzling divisions so far this season - the AL East.

First off, in Toronto, it’s time for VLAD VLAD VLAD VLAD. Also, is this the Marcus Stroman year we’re been waiting for? (3:40)

They check in on one of baseball’s most pleasant surprises, the Tampa Bay Rays. Scott wonders why he doesn’t take their over every single year, plus Diaz, Lowe, the bullpen, Glasnow… (18:20)

Over to struggling Boston, where they discuss how much panic is appropriate for their start? Where are you on Chris Sale? Are you in on Michael Chavis? Is JBJ’s defense worth the bat? Can Porcello survive in the shape of 2019 baseball, where contact is so dangerous? (29:00)

And a look at the New York Yankees, where Scott can’t help but wonder, how the hell are they 17-11 with all those injuries? Are you a Voit believer? A German believer? A daydream believer? (36:30)

As far as Baltimore goes, it’s a nice city for crab cakes.

Jonah discusses his experience playing in the League of Leagues with an interesting cast of characters, including a famous WWE Superstar (43:00), and they close out the show with a draft of their Top 5 Best Sports Books Ever (46:00).

Remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Time to panic about struggling aces? Apr 22, 2019

It was a rough weekend if you were in a particular group of major league pitchers...or if you owned one of them in your fantasy league. Jacob deGrom gave up 3 runs in 5 innings to the Braves, then thought he needed an MRI, then didn't. Max Scherzer got lit up by the Marlins. Gerritt Cole was blasted into a different dimension by the Rangers.

Scott Pianowski is joined by Jeff Erickson of Rotowire to grade how panicked fantasy owners should be if they own the likes of deGrom, Scherzer, Cole and Sale (3:20).

Next, they discuss the intricacies of managing injured players and try to determine the perfect amount of IL spots a fantasy league should allow (19:55).

Scott asks Jeff about the Cincinnati Reds, Joey Votto and a trade he was recently involved in (27:15) and later they chat about the Texas Rangers bullpen and some waiver wire pickups (30:10).

To wrap up the show, Scott and Jeff draft polo shirts, gambling, the Ryder Cup and their favorite things about the sport of golf (35:55).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow Jeff Jeff Erickson

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are Alonso, Matz and the Mets for real? Apr 15, 2019

After the 2018 New York Mets got off to a hot start, they cooled into one of the more disappointing teams of last season. Scott Pianowski is joined by D.J. Short of Rotoworld and NBC Sports to discuss the 2019 Mets and if the impressive Aprils out of Pete Alonso and Steven Matz are for real (1:40). They also discuss the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals and what appears to be a crowded NL East race (6:30).

Later they dive into D.J.'s latest Waiver Wired column and discuss some up-and-coming players you might need to fill out the fringes of your roster including Max Fried, Michael Pineda, Jesse Winker, Derek Holland and Alex Gordon (9:15).

Next, Scott & D.J. reassess the fantasy value of two former fantasy studs off to very slow starts in Boston's Chris Sale and San Francisco's Buster Posey (25:05).

Wrapping up the baseball talk, Scott asks D.J. about some guys who've turned some heads with hot starts in April including Dan Vogelbach, Austin Meadows, Tyler Glasnow, Ian Desmond and Anthony Rendon (31:15).

To close out the show, Scott and D.J. get nerdy about music and draft their favorite albums of the last 20 years (40:15).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

Follow D.J. @DJShort

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How to manage in the era of surging home runs and strikeouts (with SI's Joe Sheehan) Apr 08, 2019

One of the most dominant trends in the last few years of baseball has been the giant surge in both home runs and strikeouts. As both hitters and pitchers have become more effective at what they do, a sort of boom-or-bust game has emerged. Scott Pianowski is joined by SI's Joe Sheehan to talk about the surge in slugging, expanding rotations and how to manage your fantasy team in this new era (0:55).

Later, as the league hits the roughly 10-game mark, Joe talks about this rule of three starts and why you should take a pitcher's first three outings seriously as a sample size (10:55)

One sample size worth questioning after eleven games is the Seattle Mariners' red hot 9-2 start. Scott and Joe discuss whether or not the Mariners are for real and if their powerful offense will come back to earth (13:40).

Also on the show, Scott talks about some popular fantasy pickups including Kolten Wong, Jason Heyward, Willians Astudillo and Ketel Marte (20:05).

Joe talks about his preseason pick to win the NL East, the Atlanta Braves, and how they could repeat as champs in a more competitive division (30:30) and Scott talks about the Chicago Cubs series against the Milwaukee Brewers from over the weekend (33:50).

The guys wrap up the show drafting their favorite MLB ballparks, past and present (37:05).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chris Sale's rocky opening day, plus 2019 bold predictions with Derek Carty Apr 01, 2019

Opening Day 2019 is in the books and after the first weekend of real MLB action, there are some small sample sizes to ponder over and bold predictions to make. Scott Pianowski is joined by Derek Carty of ESPN and RotoGrinders to talk about the first few games of the season and the methodology behind Derek's projection system, The Bat.

They open the show taking a look at the new-look San Diego Padres and the issues with projecting younger players like SS Fernando Tatís Jr. and SP Chris Paddack (1:00).

All the Padre talk leads into a larger discussion about Petco Park, Fenway Park, Coors Field and how park factors play into both season-long fantasy and daily fantasy (5:20).

Going back to Opening Day, the guys reflect on Red Sox SP Chris Sale's troubling performance and whether or not fantasy owners should panic about small sample sizes in April (12:00).

Derek makes some bold predictions for the 2019 season including some pessimism about the Chicago Cubs and some optimism for the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins (21:25).

Scott wraps up the show by asking Derek to take part in a draft of the best movies of the last 25 years and, spoiler alert, it's surprisingly Bill Murray heavy (35:30).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Navigating the annoying world of saves, plus the ATL, CHC and LAD starting rotations with Fred Zinkie Mar 25, 2019

MLB Opening Day is just a couple short days away and there's still time to draft your fantasy team (or draft your second, third or fourth one). Scott Pianowski is joined by Yahoo Sports' resident Canadian, Fred Zinkie, for a conversation about some last major news items and strategies to consider before the first pitch is thrown out on Thursday.

[Batter up: Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today]

They start off discussing the newly announced closer for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Greg Holland and the larger tactics surrounding finding saves, closers to target and whether or not to just punt on closers altogether (4:20).

Scott and Fred give their sleeper MVP and Cy Young picks including a pair of guys from the Minnesota Twins who could make waves in a weak division: José Berrios and Eddie Rosario (14:55).

The conversation evolves into a discussion about some NL starting rotations that are a bit difficult to parse in the Braves, Cubs and Dodgers (21:30).

It wouldn't be a baseball conversation a discussion of Vlad Gerrero, Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays and where he's being drafted in relation to his value (30:35). The guys move to the NL East to chat about two oft-injured pitchers in Noah Syndergaard of the New York Mets and Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals (34:00).

Scott wraps up the show with his draft of the week and he tosses it to Fred's homeland with a draft of all things Canadian: hockey, apologizing and Rush (36:25).

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Auction strategy, the Colorado Rockies and the Cubs and Astros pitching staffs with The Athletic's Gene McCaffrey Mar 18, 2019

The Athletic's Gene McCaffrey joins Scott Pianowski this week on the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast coming out of their Tout Wars mixed league auction draft over the weekend. They start the episode off with some general auction strategy (0:30) and how it pertains to pitchers like Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom (3:50).

Also on the show this week:

- The differences between fly ball pitchers and ground ball pitchers (8:10)

- Breaking down the 2019 Colorado Rockies (9:55)

- A deeper look at the Chicago Cubs starting rotation (13:55)

- Quick thoughts on Nathan Eovaldi, Shawn Armstrong, Dellin Betances & Kirby Yates (16:30)

- An update on Vlad Guerrero, Jr. and how he compares to Miguel Cabrera (22:45)

- What to expect from Andrew McCutchen (26:35)

- Jesús Aguilar and the 1B market (28:00)

- Analyzing Gerrit Cole and the Houston Astros pitching staff (30:15)

Scott wraps up the show asking Gene to draft his five most overrated musicians of all time (33:30). Bring some sunscreen because there are some hot takes.

Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Starting pitcher deep-dive: injuries, strategies and questions galore Mar 11, 2019

As April draws near, the list of players who wont be ready for the start of the season seems longer and longer. Clayton Kershaw is very unlikely to make his customary opening day start and on Monday, the Braves confirmed Mike Foltynewicz won't be ready by opening day either. Meanwhile, starting pitchers in general are playing fewer innings overall, which inspired Scott Pianowski and his guest Dalton Del Don this week to dive heavily into some overall pitching strategy for the 2019 fantasy season.

First they start with the recent news that 3B Vlad Guerrero, Jr. is expected to miss at least three weeks with an oblique strain and whether it means anything considering he was not expected to be promoted it to the majors for a number of weeks anyways (2:10).

They also discuss OF Adam Jones signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks over the weekend (6:00) and the aforementioned injury to Braves SP Mike Foltynewicz (7:00).

For the majority of the episode, Scott and Dalton discuss a few different strategies for drafting starting pitchers, how the position compares to the running back position in fantasy football and some bargains and fades in the field (8:30).

Finally, Scott wraps up the show by asking Dalton to participate in a draft of the best TV shows ever made (35:00).

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bryce Harper a Phillie, what to do with Vlad, Jr. and exploring closers and stolen bases Mar 04, 2019

The Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast is finally here and Bryce Harper is finally a Phillie. The 2019 MLB season may now commence.

Scott Pianowski is joined by Yahoo Sports' Andy Behrens to discuss what the Philadelphia lineup might look like with the addition of Harper and where he should be drafted now that the uncertainty of where he might play has disappeared (1:50).

The guys talk about Blue Jays 3B Vlad Guerrero, Jr., when fantasy owners should draft the prospect and compare him to a young Kris Bryant (8:30).

Next, Scott and Andy dissect a pair of fringe players in the Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton and Miguel Sanó and their overall strategies on drafting high ceiling/no floor players (15:40).

They chat about the Royals' Aldaberto Mondesí, the Orioles' Jonathan Villar and finding stolen bases in a league where steals are on the decline (19:25). Also, as teams move further away from a designated closer role, Scott and Andy strategize about whether to spend high draft capital on the likes of Kenley Jansen, David Robertson, Blake Treinen or Kirby Yates (27:20).

Finally, they wrap up the show with the first of many drafts. Some weeks, Scott and his guest will be drafting people or things sports-related. Many other weeks, they will not. This week, they draft players, uniforms, announcers and all things related to baseball in the city of Chicago: early Sammy Sosa, alcohol and a very NSFW rant from Cubs manager Lee Elia.

We’ll be here every Monday through the baseball season, so please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

Follow Scott @scott_pianowski

Follow Andy @andybehrens

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast premieres March 4th Feb 15, 2019

Human sports encyclopedia and Yahoo fantasy expert Scott Pianowski hosts The Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast, premiering on Monday, March 4th. Scott will be joined by Yahoo Sports' Andy Behrens and Dalton Del Don, plus a rotating cast of experts and friends from all round the world of fantasy baseball.

Subscribe now to download the first episode when it premieres on March 4th and catch new episodes with Scott and the crew every Monday.

While you're at it, there's still plenty of time to join a league or create a new league for you and your friends at Yahoo Fantasy. Also, stay up to date with the latest fantasy news and coverage from Yahoo Sports on Twitter @YahooFantasy.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected