MLB.com Fantasy Baseball 411

MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie start the show by discussing players that are still available in some leagues that have enough talent and skill to help your lineup. Oakland's top prospect Franklin Barreto has been called up to the Majors but what is he worth hitting low in the batting order? (:25) Michael Taylor, Ian Happ, Scooter Gennett are players that are playing well enough that they can add value to almost any lineup. (2:10) Leach and Zinkie break down the injury news of Carlos Gonzalez heading to the DL and Madison Bumgarner starting his rehab. (10:25) Starting pitchers Luis Castillo, Alex Cobb, Sean Newcomb, John Lackey and Mike and Jordan Montgomery are discussed and compared if owners are still looking to find the right fit for their rotation. (19:00) They also provide updates to the bullpen situations in San Francisco and St. Louis. (26:55) Yahoo Sports fantasy writer Scott Pianowski joins Zinkie on the show to talk about the different ways some leagues handle injuries and free-agent acquisitions. (36:20)

Cody Bellinger has become one of the young breakout stars of 2017. MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie discuss Bellinger's incredible accomplishments through his first few months in the Majors and how he compares to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. (:15) Guys heading in seemingly two different directions so far this season are Mike Zunino and Michael Brantley. Zunino has been a good hitter so far in a shallow catcher's market whereas Michael Brantley has struggled after missing most of last season with injuries. (6:09) Logan Morrison and Matt Adams are a couple of first basemen that have surprised with their power through the first half of the season. (10:30) Players like Trey Mancini and Keon Broxton are having good production at the plate but their numbers are hard to project for a full season. (18:10) Toronto's Troy Tulowitzki has not had the season that most had hoped for but is he someone that should be dropped in all leagues? (24:20) Leach and Zinkie also give their best advice on starting pitchers Jacob Faria, Jimmy Nelson, Alex Meyer and Marco Estrada. (25:50) Lastly the crew breaks down the Indians and Angels closer situations. (35:35)

Fantasy expert Fred Zinkie and MLB.com's Matthew Leach begin the show by taking a closer look at Rays speedster Mallex Smith and how he compares to Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain. (:27) They also break down what to do with outfielders Jose Pirela, Jacoby Ellsbury and Aaron Hicks. (3:50) Gary Sanchez has returned to last year's form and now should be the No. 1 catcher in fantasy baseball over Buster Posey. (10:18) Lewis Brinson is an intriguing prospect that could add value if he receives regular playing time. (16:19) Rougned Odor and Kyle Seager are established players that are starting to come around and play well. (18:17) Mitch Haniger is a player that keeps collecting hits and should be picked up if he is available. (21:38) Next, Leach and Zinkie run down a long list of starting pitchers consisting of Buck Farmer (22:45), Sean Newcomb 24:24), Joe and Tyson Ross (26:31), Masahiro Tanaka (30:53) and the Rockies' starting staff (33:06). Need a closer? The crew takes a look at the numbers from Corey Knebel (37:07), Matt Albers (40:17), Felipe Rivero (42:15) and the Phillies bullpen. (43:35)

MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie take an in-depth look at the numbers being put up by Elvis Andrus this season and how it compares to some of the other shortstops in the league. (:34) Next, they review the guys that are playing well at first and discuss if they are worth playing over some more established stars. (5:38) Reigning National League MVP Kris Bryant is not putting up the fantastic numbers he did last season but is he a buy-low candidate right now? (13:55) Aaron Judge has been one of the biggest stories in 2017, should owners sell high now to take advantage? (15:46) Scooter Gennett just hit four home runs in one game but is he worth picking up for your team? (18:51) Edinson Volquez tossed a no-hitter his last time on the mound, is this the beginning of a turnaround to a disappointing season? (22:10) What's the outlook for David Price's 2017 season now that he is back on the mound? (25:46) Jeff Hoffman has looked good his last couple times out but should a Coors Field pitcher be trusted? (26:55) Leach and Zinkie also break down closers Ken Giles (32:50), Tony Watson (36:20), Fernando Rodney (37:10) and the pitchers scheduled for two starts this week. (38:52)

MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie discuss Mike Trout being forced out of action with a torn ligament in his left thumb, what it means to fantasy owners and how it affects the rest of the Angels lineup. Former MVP Dustin Pedroia is back on the disabled list, is he a guy that could be dropped in some leagues? (9:39) Rough starts from Todd Frazier, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber have been a cause for concern to many owners and they have been dropped in smaller leagues. (12:30) Next, the guys take a closer look at intriguing fantasy hitters like Trea Turner (18:30), Jonathan Villar (20:27) and Buster Posey (22:25). Starting pitchers that are discussed are the injured Danny Duffy (25:47), Danny Salazar being moved to the bullpen (27:05), strikeout machine Robbie Ray (28:00), Houston's Lance McCullers (29:28) and the Mets' Matt Harvey (32:34). Finally, the crew chat about the Padres closer candidates (36:30), relievers Tony Watson (38:00), Santiago Casilla and Raisel Iglesias. (38:52)

MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie begin this week by taking a closer look at the rough starts from Miguel Cabrera (:40) and Manny Machado this season. (3:10) On the other end of the spectrum, guys like Corey Dickerson (6:20) and Jake Lamb (10:35) are off to great starts. Should owners sell high on these outfielders? Devon Travis has been on a bit of a hot streak lately, is he someone that should be picked up? (12:00) Along the same lines Dansby Swanson has also been playing well this month. Is he ready to be a consistent hitter? (14:20) Zack Greinke is back to dominating on the mound and he is the top trade target in the league if you need starting pitching help. (20:45) They also give their opinions on starters Eduardo Rodriguez (24:08), Mike Clevinger (25:05), Jeff Samardzija (26:10), and Joe Ross (27:20). Closers are always a hot topic in any fantasy league, Matthew and Fred discuss Koda Glover in Washington (29:50), the Angels' Bud Norris (31:30) and Padres pitcher Brad Hand. (33:23) Yahoo Sports fantasy writer Dalton Del Don joins the show to discuss his thoughts on Jonathan Villar (38:00) Corey Dickerson (40:53), Ryan Schimpf (43:00), Chris Sale (46:00), Jacob deGrom (48:28) and Matt Harvey. (50:45)

MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie discuss the merits of picking up Aaron Altherr and Mark Reynolds especially if you own Freddie Freeman who is going to miss significant time with an injury. (:26) Xander Bogaerts has not added the power stroke to his game yet and that lowers his rank below some of the higher level shortstops around the league. (16:30) Indians outfield prospect Bradley Zimmer has been called up to the big leagues, Zinkie discusses what kind of player he is. (19:30) Masahiro Tanaka has struggled through the first few weeks of the season, is he a buy low candidate or can he turn it around? (22:49) Could Jose Berrios or Eddie Butler be a difference maker for the Twins and Cubs? (27:21) With Aroldis Chapman heading to the DL, is Dellin Betances an acceptable replacement? (32:50) The guys also break down the struggling bullpens of the Mets, Nationals and Mariners. (35:45) Matthew Leach sat down with Blue Jays reporter Gregor Chisholm to find out about Joe Biagini in the starting rotation and Jose Bautista's slow start. (43:29)

MLB fantasy expert Fred Zinkie is joined again this week by FanRag Sports baseball fantasy writer Al Melchior and the pair take a deeper look at Yonder Alonso, who has already surpassed his home run total from last season. (:35) On the other end of the spectrum, Carlos Gonzalez and Jose Bautista have struggled so far this year. Should owners be looking to drop these players? (4:30) Ryan Braun has been in and out of the lineup recently, should he be dropped or bought low and hope for the best? (11:40) Adrian Gonzalez is set to come off the disabled list soon, should he be picked up to play first base? (15:25) Next the crew takes a look at starting pitchers including Chris Sale, Chris Tillman, Joe Biagini, Trevor Cahill and Alex Wood. (21:00) Zinkie and Melchior next tackle the topic of closers and discuss what to do with Francisco Rodriguez, Justin Wilson, Derek Law and Brad Brach. (36:04) Finally the guys discuss what two-start pitchers look good this upcoming week. (49:05)

MLB fantasy expert Fred Zinkie is joined this week by FanRag Sports baseball fantasy writer Al Melchior to take a closer look at the numbers for Nationals hitters Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Daniel Murphy and Ryan Zimmerman and why you should avoid starting a pitcher that is going to face that stacked lineup. (:40) Miguel Sano led the American League in RBIs during the month of April but can he sustain this success throughout the season? (9:25) How will the Rockies playing-time situation change now that Ian Desmond is back and ready to play? (12:20) The crew also discuss if Michael Conforto and Jedd Gyorko should be owned in all leagues. (17:00) Zinkie and Melchior then break down which hot starting pitchers need to be picked up and who you still need to wait on to see if they can keep up their success. (25:15) Finally the guys discuss closers and if Bud Norris and Greg Holland can keep racking up the saves. (37:50)

MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie discuss the potential of top prospect Cody Bellinger and how often he should play with the Dodgers, if Joey Gallo has a chance to lead the league in home runs (6:15) and if Jason Heyward is worth the risk of owning after having a down year last season. (8:55) Eric Thames has been the talk of the early season, the guys break down what players would be a fair trade for him as it stands right now. (11:13) Are the recent injuries to aces Noah Syndergaard and Felix Hernandez serious enough to drop them off your roster? (15:50) Leach and Zinkie weigh in on starting pitchers and their performance through the month of April. (18:40) Later, Fred Zinkie is joined on the show by Brandon Funston, the Managing Editor of Yahoo Fantasy Sports, to discuss a variety of topics including his drafting of Xander Bogaerts ahead of Corey Seager and Francisco Lindor (44:38), Carlos Martinez getting back on track (46:04) and if Michael Pineda is a sell-high candidate after a strong start. (47:35)

MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie break down the can't miss players and the guys that haven't proven enough yet to trade for. The crew discuss the hot starts from Marcell Ozuna and Eric Thames (4:12), some slow starts from some of the best players in the league (18:23) and compare James Paxton and Jameson Taillon (20:28). The top closer from last season Zach Britton is on the DL. If you own him should you trade him away or hang tight? (31:06) The closer's job in Washington looks like it is up for grabs, find out who the leading candidate is to win the spot.

MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie take a look at the action from early April in an attempt to see who should play more and who should be avoided at all costs. They also discuss whether Nomar Mazara is going to continue on his early hot streak and if Byron Buxton can finally fulfill his immense potential. Starting pitching is so important to any fantasy league, the crew ranks the rotation guys two starts into the season.

Where your players bat in the lineup can be a huge factor in what kind of numbers they are going to produce. MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie discuss why batting order is so important when determining which players to draft. Hitting at the top of the order in front of run-producers can mean more runs scored and higher batting average. The middle of the order should connect on home runs and runs batted in. A really deep lineup still has good hitters and speedy guys near the bottom that could be critical in the stolen bases category. They also break down recent performances from week one and who they are concerned about for the rest of the season.

Every team needs that pitcher that can come in and slam the door shut on the competition. MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie break down the top closers in the game that can get you those valuable strikeouts and saves in your league. Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman lead the discussion as the best of the best stoppers in the game. They also recap the recent Tout Wars fantasy baseball draft and what strategy Zinkie used to pick his team.

Major League Baseball is full of young exciting shortstops, but who are the ones that threaten to lead the league in multiple categories? MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie break down the best in the game. Potential superstars Manny Machado, Corey Seager, Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor lead a deep and talented list of shortstops that could put up huge numbers this upcoming season. Later in the podcast, Fred Zinkie and Yahoo! Sports fantasy writer Scott Pianowski discuss the upcoming Tout Wars fantasy baseball draft as well as the shortstops that could be a steal later in the draft.