theScore's 2016 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit
Fantasy baseball season is upon us - and theScore has you covered with the most comprehensive fantasy content offering available. Check back often, as we'll be updating our content offering daily until the season starts.
Positional Rankings
Where does each fantasy-relevant player rank? Look no further than theScore's position-by-position rankings, which include nearly 350 player projections for the upcoming season:
Team-by-Team Fantasy Projections
We provide fantasy projections from three well-respected sources - ZiPS, Steamer and Zeile Consensus - for key players on all 30 major-league teams:
AL East: Toronto | N.Y. Yankees | Baltimore | Tampa Bay | Boston
AL Central: Kansas City | Minnesota | Cleveland | Chicago WSox | Detroit
AL West: Texas | Houston | L.A. Angels | Seattle | Oakland
NL East: N.Y. Mets | Washington | Miami | Atlanta | Philadelphia
NL Central: St. Louis | Pittsburgh | Chicago Cubs | Milwaukee | Cincinnati
NL West: L.A. Dodgers | San Francisco | Arizona | San Diego | Colorado
Mock Drafts
Fretting over which player to pick? Our fantasy baseball experts offer a variety of mock drafts for your perusal (all drafts use 5x5 scoring format):
Fantasy Spotlight
Every major-league team has at least one player whose fantasy outlook is a major point of discussion. Here are some of 2016's most intriguing cases:
AL East: Chris Colabello (TOR) | Starlin Castro (NYY) | Alex Rodriguez (NYY) | Chris Davis (BAL) | Steven Souza (TB) | Brock Holt (BOS)
AL Central: Alex Gordon (KC) | Byung-ho Park (MIN) | Francisco Lindor (CLE) | Brett Lawrie (CHW) | Justin Upton (DET)
AL West: Mitch Moreland (TEX) | George Springer (HOU) | Yunel Escobar (LAA) | Adam Lind (SEA) | Danny Valencia (OAK)
NL East: Neil Walker (NYM) | Daniel Murphy (WAS) | Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) | Freddie Freeman (ATL) | Maikel Franco (PHI)
NL Central: Randal Grichuk (STL) | Gregory Polanco (PIT) | Kyle Schwarber (CHC) | Chris Carter (MIL) | Devin Mesoraco (CIN)
NL West: Corey Seager (LAD) | Denard Span (SF) | A.J. Pollock (ARI) | Alexei Ramirez (SD) | Carlos Gonzalez (COL)
Fantasy Faceoff
Faced with choosing between two terrific draft options? theScore helps fantasy players answer some of the most difficult 1-on-1 decisions they may face at draft time:
Winning Strategies
Hoping to end that lengthy fantasy championship drought? Looking to extend your title reign? Here are theScore's guides on how to find success in a variety of league types:
Must-Read Fantasy Baseball Lists
Every good draft kit has its share of handy lists - and this one is no exception. Check out theScore's collection of informative and entertaining list material:
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40 Facts That Will Help You Win Your Fantasy Baseball League
(James Bisson shares some helpful statistical tidbits that may change your view of some of the game's top players.)
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theScore's Preseason Fantasy Roundtable
(We offer our take on some of the biggest questions facing fantasy owners this offseason.)
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Fantasy Comebackers: 5 Players Due to Rebound
(Esten McLaren breaks down the top five candidates for positive regression following a difficult 2015 season.)
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Fantasy Fail: 5 Players Due to Regress
(Jason Wilson offers up five candidates for a major comedown following a sensational 2015 campaign.)
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10 Elite to Avoid in Fantasy Baseball
(Esten McLaren looks at 10 big names who could leave fantasy owners frustrated this coming season.)
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Preseason Rookie Report
(Andrew Potter takes a comprehensive look at the top rookies in each league for daily and season-long fantasy purposes.)
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Preseason Closer Battle Report
(James Bisson examines which teams face competitions for the ninth-inning role heading into the season.)
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Deep Sleepers: 5 Off-the-Radar Players to Target
(Josh Wegman breaks down five longshot picks to consider at the back end of deeper mixed-league, keeper and dynasty drafts.)
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Payday Performance: 5 Pending Free Agents to Target
(Jason Wilson makes the case for five potential breakout performers who could parlay a solid 2016 into a significant contract.)
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10 Bold Fantasy Baseball Predictions
(Josh Wegman weighs in with 10 of the most off-the-wall fantasy predictions you'll read anywhere. He invites your ire!)
Fantasy Baseball Tips and Tricks
Don't even try to walk into your fantasy baseball draft without going through theScore's exhaustive list of fantasy strategy posts:
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How to Smartly Spend Your FAAB
(James Bisson examines how to use a season-long free-agent budget, targeting players in leagues which use the FAAB format.)
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Do NL Pitchers Really Benefit in Fantasy?
(Josh Wegman explores whether pitchers in the National League have an advantage in fantasy over their AL counterparts.)
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Why You Should Never Draft a Closer
(Andrew Potter makes the case for ignoring closers at the draft in favor of bolstering other areas of the roster.)
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Building a Winner Through Trades
(James Bisson looks at how fantasy owners can use savvy trading as an alternative - or complement - to scouring the waiver wire.)
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The Art of the Fade: Punting Categories
(Esten McLaren breaks down how to effectively punt one more more categories in rotisserie or head-to-head leagues.)
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How to Effectively Stream Pitchers
(Andrew Potter discusses how to use the waiver wire to maintain a solid pitching rotation post-draft.)
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Is Stacking in Season-Long Fantasy an Effective Strategy?
(Josh Wegman looks at whether rostering multiple hitters from a potent lineup is a good way to guarantee fantasy success.)
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Building a Better Bench: What to Look For in a Reserve
(Esten McLaren shares his thoughts on how to build a deep, versatile bench worthy of a championship fantasy team.)
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Maximizing Reliever Value
(Andrew Potter explores how fantasy players can get the most out of their reliever roster spots.)
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Do You Really Need to Draft a Catcher?
(James Bisson presents a scenario in which fantasy players can build a successful roster without selecting a catcher.)
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Managing Your Prospect Pool
(James Bisson outlines how fantasy owners should manage their prospects throughout the fantasy season.)
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The Importance of Multi-Position Eligibility
(Andrew Potter explains how players who are fantasy-eligible at multiple positions gain significant value come draft time.)
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Which Scoring Categories Should You Really be Using?
(Esten McLaren outlines his vision for a better fantasy experience, highlighted by the use of advanced stats.)
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Should You Embrace or Avoid Injury Risk?
(Josh Ghatak considers whether players with injury histories, or players who come into the season hurt, are worthwhile fantasy gambles.)
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Don't Do That! Common Draft Mistakes to Avoid
(Jason Wilson shares some of the most frequent errors fantasy players make at the draft.)
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Riding Cheap Pitching to Auction Victory
(James Bisson outlines Ron Shandler's famed LIMA strategy, and how it can lead to success in both redraft and keeper auction leagues.)
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How to Capitalize on Average Draft Position
(Josh Wegman explains how to interpret ADP data, and how fantasy players can use that data to their advantage at the draft.)
Daily Fantasy Strategy
No draft kit would be complete without a handy guide for those looking to give daily fantasy baseball a try: