All Star week is nearly over and with it another Interrogate the Industry. This week I was able to get Nick Raducanu (@projectroto) to answer some questions. It is hard to believe that this is the eighth one already, but with so many fantastic options in the industry to interview there could be countless more. …
I am not going to lie, this week besides Interrogate the Industry (of course), I didn't focus much on baseball. I guess I did slightly, as my oldest started her first season in T-Ball, but other than that my mind was on other things. Besides the entertainment of watching a mob of kids charge at …
It has been an insane week in personal life and of course my fantasy life, but never too busy for another Interrogate the Industry article. I had to take a week off last week, due to deadlines of Fantasy Football guides, T-Ball games, work and more, well....life stuff I suppose. Either way it is great …
As the Interrogate the Industry series has developed I have received many comments saying it is a fun read, cool concept, and to keep it going through the football season. Thanks to everyone for the positive feedback, yes I will continue on with the Football season, although I am not sure if I will intertwine …
The season is a third of the way complete, and as I like to do every season it is also a great time to look at my preseason rankings to find my Homers and Whiffs so far in 2014. Finding the players I hit out of the ballpark, and of course, those I swung and …
Another week down the drain, and we're back once again with another Interrogate the Industry. This week Jake Ciely joins us for some Fantasy Baseball questions and opinions on pop culture. I may disagree with him slightly on the Game of Thrones comment, but we will save that for another day. Week 8 had another …
As I write this weeks Interrogate the Industry there is news of even more pitching injuries. This season has been disastrous for many teams, and Fantasy owners. On the bright side, there is always a bright side with me, several pitchers are coming back too, or coming back in to form such as Cole Hamels, Alex …
We are back with another Interrogate the Industry. This week we're joined by Alex (@rotodealer) and Chris (@cmcbrien). We may have just missed the Jose Fernandez news, however we have great questions and answers this week irregardless. As always feel free to ask away on replacement ideas, or any questions to me on Twitter @fantsychillpony …
Let's just say there were plenty of distractions when writing this weeks 3 up, 3 down article. Work, family, garage sale, Wild Playoff Hockey, and a slight distraction with the 2014 NFL Draft. I love football as much as the next guy so needless to say it was very difficult to focus on baseball when …
This is the first of many "Interrogate the Industry" pieces. No one seems to ask the "Tough" questions so I am stepping up to the plate to keep the industry honest and....Ah, who am I kidding? I will be asking questions weekly, hopefully many fueled by you guys, the readers, to a few Industry writers …
There were surprises and history galore in the fourth week of the baseball season which has left an ample supply of material for this week's 3 up, 3 down. Earlier this week I was in the basement organizing and re-arranging for an upcoming garage sale, as well as finding space for winter gear/supplies and I …
With this weeks 3 Up, 3 Down I am writing with a head that feels like a balloon. If you have never had a sinus infection be thankful, and if you have I feel your pain (Usually in your cheeks, eyes and even gums/jaw area). I am usually good for at least one a year, …
I was on my first run in approximately 3 years earlier this week, a very slow run, and of course thought about my 3 Up, 3 Down column. I also thought of plenty of other things like my muscle pain, sex, aging, eating better, sex, Fantasy Baseball, steak and sex again. I blame the endorphins …
Fantasy Baseball Week 1 has finally arrived, and with it, the first edition of "3 Up, 3 Down." In this weekly article, I will be focusing on six players, teams, or things that happened both positive and negative for the entire season. I hope it is both a useful read throughout the Fantasy Baseball season, …
Sadly my Fantasy Baseball Draft season is over, and after poring over my rosters, I found 5 hitters I couldn't avoid drafting in 2014. There were actually more than five in many instances, but for the sake of this, I will pick out the five players who made most of my Fantasy Baseball squads this …
Every season the Rankings can be challenging, and this year the 2014 Starting Pitcher Rankings are no different. It is a deep position by default knowing every team has 5 starters, or even more than five with Prospects waiting in the wings. This year is no different, but Major League Baseball and Fantasy Owners alike …
When taking a closer look at our 2014 Relief Pitcher Rankings we need to keep a few things in mind. If there is one thing I have learned, especially over the past three seasons is that Closers are valuable in Fantasy Baseball, however they are also the most implosive position in baseball. Closers lose their …
You must be drafting this weekend if you are looking at our 2014 Third Base Rankings just now. Although Draft season is nearly over, it happens to be what is oft-referred to as "Draft Weekend. This means many owners are cramming for their only, or final drafts of the season now. Third base is what …
When it comes to Fantasy Baseball Positional Tiers, I consider myself a champion of utilizing them. One thing is for certain when it comes to talking Fantasy Sports -- I am usually saying things like "He's a Tier-2 kinda player, with Tier-1 potential" or "That guy isn't even worth a flyer, I didn't even put …
When I graduated high school, I went to Regis University in Denver, CO, for one year, because I thought I wanted to play baseball. After two weeks I not only knew that I did not want to play baseball, but that the title of “University” was a misnomer for what Regis really is: 13th grade. …
After receiving some great responses from the 30-For-30 series at davidgonos.com from readers, and writers alike it was decided to form the Gonos 30-for-30 league. It would be be filled with 12 contributors to the series, including myself representing the site. It is a Rotisserie League which is 5x5 with standard scoring (Average, HR, RBI, Runs, …
You've made it nearly halfway through the draft, and you've enacted a flawless Fantasy Baseball draft strategy. Whether you are following mine to the tee or not, doesn't matter (I hope you are though), but now you are literally to the point of the drafts where you mold your championship squad. Knowing which positions to …
I'm back again, this time with part two of the 2014 Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy Series. If you followed my Draft Strategy Part 1 you should be well on your way to a solid draft. You shouldn't rest easy, however, even though your first three picks can be critical, the picks which follow can truly …
Out of all the positional rankings this season, the 2014 Fantasy First Base rankings may actually be the deepest. Sure, Starting Pitching is still deep, and has plenty of young, high potential arms to fill out your squads, but it has been a while since Fantasy Baseball has had this many strong options at first …
It is midway through March and that means you have likely drafted some teams, or you still have time to prepare for Fantasy Baseball Drafts, or as I like to put it "Prepping for the Prep." Whether you are an established owner in one or more leagues, brand spanking new to the game, or are …
Now that you have prepped, completed your cheat sheets, perused your draft guides, and burnt through highlighters it is time to focus on your 2014 Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy. I will be focusing on the first three rounds in this article. Also, make sure to utilize mine, and many others rankings over at Fantasy Pros. …
Our Fantasy Baseball friend, Kyle Soppe, takes a closer look at the 2014 St Louis Cardinals in Daily Fantasy play for the upcoming Fantasy season. You can follow him @unSOPpable23 on Twitter. The National League champions had another quality season in 2013 when it comes to providing Daily Fantasy Baseball owners with consistent players. Gone …
The ongoing series of 2014 Fantasy Profiles continues, this time with Twins prospect Byron Buxton. I will be looking closer at MLB’s top prospects all offseason, as well as throughout the season, focusing on players who will have a real Fantasy impact on the 2014 season. When the top prospects got released, or continue to …
Prior to 2012, the only baseball related thing that created buzz in Oakland was the blockbuster film, "Moneyball," starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. That all changed in 2012 and 2013 when the Athletics became the darling underdogs of Major League Baseball, with only Justin Verlander in the way of them advancing to the ALCS …
The best way to get a handle on everything that has happened in baseball over the past offseason is to check out MLB Team Previews, so we gathered 30 Fantasy Baseball writers from 30 different Fantasy sites to chip in one team apiece. As you might know, I consider the Fantasy Baseball industry to be …
Center fielder Mike Trout is the engine for this team and is the clear 1.01 in every draft format. However, as in real life, he can’t do it alone and the eternal question of "just how good can he be" echoes. However, look across the diamond. Albert Pujols was that good a decade ago and …
As lucky and wondrous as the San Francisco baseball seasons were in 2010 and 2012, were the years 2011 and 2013 askew. Injuries, sub-par performances, and the cosmic giggle caught up with the Giants -- a team built upon pitching the last few years -- contributing to real and virtual chaos for the McGowan family and …
It's always good to have a couple of 2014 Colorado Rockies on your squad (batters of course). Three of the top 25 Fantasy performers once again came from the team that calls Coors Field home in 2013, despite Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki missing a combined 110 games. Newcomers like Nolan Arenado and …
Prospects, Prospects, Prospects! Get your 2014 Top 50 Prospects here! Unlike many years ago, there are now plenty of options when trying to find prospect profiles and rankings. It is also growing more and more common for prospects to be drafted in all types of drafts. Knowing this trend, and the growing popularity of prospects, …
From a Fantasy Baseball perspective, the Mariners exceeded expectations last year. A 41-year-old Raul Ibanez led the team with 29 home runs and their starting rotation boasted two Cy Young candidates in perennial superstar Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma. Iwakuma finished the year with a 138 ERA+, besting King Felix’s 121. Seattle also has a …
After a slow start to the 2013 season the Dodgers took off. Yasiel Puig burst onto the scene, and Clayton Kershaw proved to be the best pitcher in the league. The Dodgers finished the season on a high note, but also with a resolve to improve the team. These resolutions resulted in bringing over bounce-back …
It’s hard to find a more exciting team than the 2014 St Louis Cardinals, both in Fantasy and otherwise. They have one of the best young pitching staffs in the game, led by perennial all-star Adam Wainwright, and an offense that rivals any other in the National League. After making an impressive run to the …
Welcome to your 2014 Arizona Diamondbacks Fantasy Baseball preview! While 2013 was a down year, from a Fantasy perspective, for many D-backs not named Paul Goldschmidt at least, who finished second in NL MVP voting behind his huge year. But 2014 provides an opportunity for a turnaround for some of their disappointing outputs. It has been …
The Pittsburgh Pirates finally rose from the depths of obscurity in 2013 by making the playoffs for the first time since 1992. "Pirate Fever" ran wild through the Steel City as the organization shared a glimpse of what the future likely holds for a ballclub that has one of the deepest minor league systems in …
As a Twins fan, I know I am not alone in asking "Is it 2016 yet?" What can be said about the 2014 Minnesota Twins? A team that has lost nearly 300 games in three seasons? Rebuilding? Obviously. Terrible front office decision making? Absolutely. New Management? Well, not so much. The Twins decided to hang …
For the third straight year, the Detroit Tigers advanced to the ALCS -- this time losing to the Boston Red Sox. They did this with the strength of their rotation, (156 GS by the top five and an AL record 1,428 strikeouts) and some lineup thump from Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. The Tigers made …
If ever there was a lost season for a team, it was 2013 for the Milwaukee Brewers. Yovani Gallardo underperformed and Aramis Ramirez missed half a season. Then the bright star of Jean Segura came crashing down after the break and Rickie Weeks finally fell off the planet altogether. But there was something else that …
After suffering through baseball’s worst record from 2011–2013, the Astros and their fan base need something to look forward to. During the past three years, they are 118 games worse by record than baseball's best team, the Texas Rangers (280-206). To make matters worse, the Astros are 33 games worse over this time frame than …
The 2014 Cleveland Indians have potential in several areas, although most of their players will come off the draft boards a little later on Draft Day. There are, of course, a few above average players, like Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana, but for the most part, the remainder of the team will be lineup fillers …
The 2014 Cincinnati Reds had two of the top OBP men in the league in Joey Votto and Shin-Soo Choo, a rotation with no starter’s ERA over 3.80 and a lights-out closer in Aroldis Chapman. However, the Reds did very little in the offseason to change the roster. Their biggest "move" was losing leadoff man …
This 2014 Chicago White Sox club is a team in transition. After years of contending with veteran players -- especially on offense -- the White Sox will likely field their youngest team in years. The White Sox made several trades both at the deadline and in the offseason that have changed the major league roster …
We can’t get enough of the free Mock Draft Simulator, so we used it again for the 2014 Head-to-Head Mock Draft. Have you used it yet? Perhaps not, but now that Football season is done it’s time to focus on Fantasy Baseball! It is never too early to do mock drafts for the upcoming season. …
What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, the Royals were on a lot of sleeper lists as the team to watch out for. Armed with a young nucleus, whose lineup was potentially lethal, the team seemed to be just a few pitchers away from becoming serious contenders. When the Royals traded …
Before we delve into the 2014 Tampa Bay Rays, let's discuss last year's club. Another year with a Bottom-Five payroll and another year with a Top-10 finish in the standings. Yaaaaawn. This whole "small market" thing has to be getting boring for Rays GM Andrew Friedman. By focusing on building his organization through the draft …
Last week, I got a digital copy of my favorite Fantasy Baseball magazine, “The Fantasy Baseball Guide 2014" and once again, I come away incredibly impressed. As I've mentioned in the past, like an old character actor dropping names at a party, I worked on several Fantasy Baseball magazines in my 14 years writing about …
Let’s face it -- unless you’re talking about the Lovable Losers’ past, you’re talking #CubbiesIn2017. The talk in fake circles last season was Anthony Rizzo leading the Baby Bears with 23 home runs, to the tune of a underwhelming .233 batting average and .323 on-base percentage. Similarly, Jeff Samardzija fanned 214 batters, but only won …
The last two offseasons for the Toronto Blue Jays have been stark in contrast. Last year was all splash, with GM Alex Anthopolous active in both the trade and free-agent markets. This year, the team was content to stand pat while letting a few contracts walk out the door. True to their nature, the Canadian …
The 2013 Washington Nationals epitomized the plexiglass principle, giving back 12 of their 98 wins from the previous season. Fans and Fantasy owners alike suffered whiplash from the inevitable regression, ill-timed injuries, and the inability to catch a break. Meanwhile, the young stars who were supposed to make up for it had their own problems. …
The Phightin’ Philadelphia Phillies provided some hopeful flickers of optimism in 2013, but it will remain a season marked as a low point in the franchise’s effort to squeeze out one more moment of dominance from the World Series core. The negatives hit hard for fans and Fantasy owners alike as we witnessed a future …
Before we discuss the 2014 NY Yankees, let's note that the Yankees' 2013 campaign was a Fantasy blunder. For only the second time in 19 years, the Yankees didn’t make the postseason. Able to manage 85 wins in a down year, the Yankees' front office made some big money changes in response. Last year's Yankee …
We're back with some more rankings, this time looking at 2014 Fantasy Outfielder Rankings. The outfield position, by default, is already a much deeper position than most of the others, especially when you consider each team has about five outfielders, with three starters, and many 12-team leagues only draft five outfielders to start. But I …
This is the second in an ongoing series of 2014 Fantasy Profiles. I will be looking closer at MLB's top prospects who should have a real Fantasy impact on the 2014 season. This time, I'm looking at Cubs prospect Javier Baez. Enjoy, and feel free to comment below, or even request more prospects, as well. …
The Mets as a team did not offer much to Fantasy owners last season, but can we expect more of the same in our 2014 NY Mets Preview? Matt Harvey was the lone bright spot in the pitching rotation, but his season was cut short thanks to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. …
I struggle to find topics to write about. Because, for me, if I don’t think a topic is interesting to write about, I don’t know how it could possibly be of interest for anyone to read. The past two weeks I’ve started and deleted several excel and word documents; I get to the point where …
The new mock draft simulator is out! The new mock draft simulator is out! Finally, after several offseason months, the Draft Wizard Mock Draft simulator is here! And now we can all run our own Fantasy Baseball mock drafts to see where different positions get thin, and where the experts think we should draft someone. …
Will the 2014 Miami Marlins be much different from the 2013 version? It’s not surprising that, after trading away nearly all of the franchise’s Fantasy worthy talent before the start of the season, the Miami Marlins finished the year at the bottom of the NL East. However, losing 100 games didn’t stop the 2013 version …
Before we get into the 2014 Boston Red Sox, let's look back at last season. You don’t win the World Series without ample talent, and the 2013 Boston Red Sox were no exception. Their championship roster was anchored by the only offense to surpass 800 runs (853), and they scored 7.2% more runs than Detroit’s …
Last year, Fantasy Baseball owners were thoroughly disappointed by the production they got from the recently acquired B.J. Upton. With the letdown and the hole that B.J. Upton left in the lineup with his lackluster performance, other players emerged and broke on to the scene. Evan Gattis and Chris Johnson had career years and both …
The 2014 Fantasy shortstop rankings are quite different than they were about 10 or so years ago, when players like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Miguel Tejada were fighting for the top spot. Shortstop is a position which has long been considered scarce. Don't get me wrong -- it is still scarce, but some nice young …
In 2012, the Orioles had baseball's most unlikely playoff run. In 2013, they didn't have as much success, but they did have a handful of Fantasy Baseball studs at the plate. Also, last season, for first time since Mike Mussina sported an Orioles cap, they had a legitimate front-end-of-a-rotation-type pitcher in Chris Tillman. This past …
The 2014 Catcher Rankings might not be the sexiest place to start our season rankings for each position, but then again, I think chunky Christina Aguilera looks better than the skinny version. So what do I know about sexy!?! Many of you that know me know that I'm a huge fan of the catchers position. …
Welcome to the 2014 Texas Rangers Preview! Last year could only be described as a disappointment for Texas Rangers’ Fantasy Baseball fans, as they went from No. 1 in team batting in 2012 to No. 8 last year. However, not all was lost as Yu Darvish finished as the AL runner-up in the Cy Young …
Sure, I know what you are thinking when you read 2014 Fantasy Baseball: Second Basemen Rankings. "Seriously? This early?" Well, sure it may seem early, but in many cases it's not. I am personally drafting in three leagues right now! So, last week when I was scraping my car in record time because it was -32 …
This is the first in an ongoing series of 2014 Profiles. I will be looking closer at MLB's top propects who will have a real Fantasy impact on the 2014 season. We are starting with Tigers' top prospect Nick Castellanos. Enjoy, and feel free to comment below, or even request more Prospects as well. There …
This post will wrap up our series on 2014 Fantasy Baseball busts. We’ve looked at outfielders, infielders, starting pitchers, and now we will examine closer busts. As a supplement to this discussion we will look at the velocity loss leaders from 2013 at the end of the post. More so than any other position in …
The holidays and the year 2013 are officially in the rearview mirror, but there is no slowing the 2014 MLB offseason. After a lengthy break from writing and most things Fantasy (except for Daily Fantasy Sports, I can't quit that) I am back to recap a few more winners of the Fantasy Baseball offseason. A …
We looked at outfield busts two weeks ago and infield busts lasts week, while our attention will turn to the biggest starting pitching busts of 2014 this week; we’ll look at closer busts next week. (If you read the previous two articles you can skip the next two paragraphs, which describe how we define a …
As a continuation of our 2014 series on Fantasy Baseball busts, we will look at infield busts this week. We looked at outfield busts last week, and, as a reminder, we will look at closers next week, and starting pitching the week after that. (If you read the previous article you can skip the next …
For the next four weeks we will look at potential bust candidates for the 2014 Fantasy Baseball season. Our attention will be focused on outfield busts this week and infield busts next week. To ascribe an analytic value to how we quantify a bust we will look at a player’s 2013 roto value and a …
This will be the first in a series of 2013 MLB Winter Meetings and evaluating Fantasy impact of the moves that are made. Come back throughout the Fantasy Baseball offseason, as we'll be tracking the trades, signings and roster cuts, and sharing how we think it affects the upcoming draft season. Feel free to drop …
The Fantasy Football season is in full throttle right now and you may be managing your team(s) to championship greatness as you read this. However, the 2014 Fantasy Baseball season is closing in and fanatics like me, who monitor the sport year round by tuning into MLB network and reading the Fantasy blogs, want to …
