Michael Brantley

With spring training getting underway, the 2018 fantasy baseball season is very nearly approaching. Each week, I will be evaluating one player’s stock for this year. This week, a former MVP candidate whose value has taken a hit from numerous injuries in recent years. Michael Brantley, Cleveland Indians 2017 statistics: .299/.357/.444, 9 HR, 11 SB General Overview From 2014-2015, Michael Brantley was one of the league’s best hitters, compiling nearly 1,300 plate appearances with a .319/.382/.494 line, good for a 142 wRC+.…

The last few rounds of standard fantasy drafts are where things get interesting. Anyone can draft Mike Trout first overall. However, that's not how fantasy championships are won. The real difference makers are the sleepers and upside picks you make in the tail end of your draft that pan out and provide major value for your squad.  Some call these picks, "lottery tickets." I call them, "championship tickets."Over the last couple of weeks, we've ranked the top-50 fantasy outfielders for the 2018 season. Now, we finish up…

It can often be difficult to place into context how well (or how poorly) certain players have performed recently. A glance at ESPN’s Player Rater, which attempts to quantify a player’s overall fantasy value by analyzing their performance in each facet of the game, can focus targets for fantasy owners looking for help on the waiver wire. Of course, when dealing with small sample sizes, a player’s results can be fluky, but placement at or near the top of these lists could be indicative of a substantive change to a player’s…

"Pitchers and Catchers report." Some of my favorite words spoken toward the end of winter's long cold days.  From the time the last pitch is thrown in the Fall Classic until the day battery mates start arriving at their respective Spring Training grounds; I eagerly await this phrase. It, of course, means the beginning of yet another baseball season.  With it comes the hope of fans for all 30 Major League teams; the promise of a new year and improved teams.For the front office, management, and the coaching staff of the…