March 6, 2020 • 50 mins
Gregg Sussman and Frank Stampfl unveil their 1B Rankings, featuring a different player at the top for each of them! Plus, they'll provide sleepers that are worth targeting and the third baseman their absolutely out on. Yes Jesus Aguilar! Boo Eric Hosmer! Gregg interviews Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, thanks for downloading the podcast. If you want to
listen live, all you have to do is download the
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Enjoy the show, and thanks so much for listening to Yeah,
(00:41):
that's welcome. A with that, we will get you inside
of Studio thirty four. This is the BFFs His Frank Stample,
I am Greg Susman. Freggie hasn't hanging, Bud, Greg, Happy Friday.
(01:05):
That's what's hanging baby. The weekend is here, t G.
I f There's nothing I can think of that I
would rather do and talk about catchers with you here
on a Friday. Great. Thank you, buddy. I appreciate that.
I appreciate that I have to sleep last night, man,
really really well. Great week of sleep. Every week I
feel refreshed. The only one was Judy. You know what's it?
(01:25):
She uh? She knocked you off the pedestal left one day.
I had a great sleep overall though I felt I
feel great, I was really tired this morning that I I
could have slept much longer, right, that's me every morning. Yeah,
I know. I was really proud of myself. I made
a homemade pesto last night, no help. I showed it
to Sonder downstairs. She was impressed. Judy was like, this
is the best pest that you've ever made. Do you
(01:45):
make it from scratch? That's impressive because I buy like
a creamy pesto package. So I made my own babyl pesto.
Put it a little bit of cream because I was
in the move of the cream you got. I mean,
come on, we're always in the movie. Honestly, the cream
the way I did it, you didn't need it. Look
at this guy a little pat on the back during
(02:06):
the breaker I should have probably put in the air.
Yeah that's why I said, you know, wait to the break, Greg,
but just slide it over here. Yeah, it looks pretty good.
It looks pretty good. What do you got some fresh MutS?
Obviously chicken in there, bow ties, some fresh mus, chicken pesto. Man,
I'm hungry now, Sorry, man, do you lunch today? I did?
(02:27):
You don't want to? I want to know. I can't
tell I had a salad. I can't tell you. She
come on me funn Alex Fasano yesterday for eating savarrow.
What did you eat? Can't tell you, dude, You gotta
tell us. Crowd wants them out. I ate two slices
of pizza from seven eleven. Oh my god, Oh my god.
(02:52):
I was waiting for the bus in New Jersey. Greg.
There is nothing around for days except seven eleven. Oh
my god. I am repulsed. I can't even talk. I
gotta throw with you guys down the stairs. Here's the update.
Had a puke. Thank you, Greg. I am Sean Glassimakia
(03:15):
with the RBFF Sports Grid news update. Let's head to
the Arnold Palmer Invitational. They're playing that at the Bay
Hill Golf Course in Orlando, Florida right now. Round number
to the leader, Trollhattan six under. He has a one
shot lead over three tied for second place. Rory McRoy
was the leader coming in to round number two, but
(03:36):
through eighties plus three three strokes behind in tenth place.
All right, let's head over to college basketball. An upset alert.
Looks like Northern Iowall will go down to Drake. They
are the number one seed in the Missouri Valley Tournament.
Quarterfinal action seventies seven fifty six Drake looking to put
the finishing touches on a win here with sixteen seconds
(03:59):
left in the second half. After that, the second game
in the Missouri Valley Conference, you have Southern Illinois and Bradley.
Bradley the five and a half point favorite one twenty
four and a half your total in that one. Let's
head head over to some NFL news. Austin Ekeler has
agreed to a four year, fifteen million in guarantee contract
(04:19):
that's twenty four and a half million overall with the
Los Angeles Chargers. Eckler had a breakout year last season,
finishing with one thousand, five hundred and fifty yards from scrimmage,
including eleven total touchdowns. So once again the understricted free agent,
Austin Ekeler has agreed to go back to the Chargers
four year deal twenty four and a half but fifteen
(04:42):
million in guarantees. That is according to e espn Adam Schefter.
Other news making the rounds today, we had uh the
Steph Kirbery come back last night the two time m
v P after missing fifty eight games with a broken
left hand. They finished with twenty three points in twenty
seven minutes of first game Actress October, but the Warriors
(05:02):
lost to the rot to one thirteen. And in baseball,
the Los Angeles Angels have fired their long time visiting
club house manager Brian Harkins after an internal investigation confirmed
suspicions that he was providing fault doctoring substances to opposing
pictures as according to ESPN as well. That's your BFF
sports grade news update. Now back to Gregg and Frank. Guys, already,
(05:25):
welcome back to the show. Here we're gonna talk about
catchers from a fantasy baseball perspective. Today. We got a
very big special interview that Greg Susman conducted. We'll get
to that later on in the show as well. But
like we do every day here on the BFS, we
give you a little snippet of the NBA tip drill.
You can find that on the sports Scrade YouTube page
every single day, also on the NBA Fantasy Twitter as well.
(05:47):
And Greg Sussman met up with Ricky Sanders of Delhi
Rodad dot com earlier today to talk about tonight's NBA
DFS Late at Center. We got Nikola on top tonight.
You're not worried about the defensive presence of James Johnson
(06:10):
and nas Read. I'm not worried about any defensive presence
on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Right now. They have the defense
that ranks dead last in defensive efficiency with you know,
since Karl Anthony Towns has been out and since the
Angel Russell was acquired. I mean, not only do you
have this unbelievable matchup against a bad defense, but you
(06:31):
have no Evan Fournier tonight, who's listed as doubtful. You
could get a starting lineup. I don't think Terence Ross starts.
He could start, but you couldn't get one with like
James Ennis and Gary Clark in there alongside Buchevich. So basically,
you know, Aaron Gordon not a high usage player either.
Basically the entire offense could run through Nicola Bouchevich tonight,
(06:52):
especially for you know stretches, you know, the beginning of
each half where he is playing alongside the starters. I
think you'll see, you know, mid thirties fits from Terence Raw,
who obviously is a high usage player, but Nikola booge
Fitch almost a percent rates guy across the board. He
has priced at just eight four hundred. That's cheap for
him in this matchup, even if Forgner was active with
(07:12):
Pornier on the bench. I think this is just a
crazy cheap price tag. Give me all the Nikola Bouchevitch tonight,
all the vote tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Evan Fournier
could be out for the rest of the year. Vugin
and Gordon are going to eat. Vucci. Main has been
a mainstay for the Orlando Magic over the past couple
of seasons. Obviously one of the elite players at the
(07:35):
centered position. So you're playing over on Fandel only get
one center used that spot on Vucci Main tonight. Actually,
or like Timberwolves in that game, Frank, why is that?
I think they're playing well right now. You're big on Nasri,
their home dog. Nasri in a good spot, all right?
I mean normally choosing the Timberwolves Greg in a good
spot never ends. Well, it doesn't. We'll see if it
(07:57):
does tonight. We shall see, all right. Today on the show,
we're gonna review the catcher version, our final position and utility.
We're gonna it's our final position of the of the season. Uh.
Next wee We've got a fun week of shows plan
for you. G np A Cheny will be here on Thursday.
We have an auction previous Wednesday. We'll get back to
the white Board series on Monday. So we got a
lot of fun stuff next week. But today we start
(08:18):
some of fun stuff because interview exact Gallant as you mentioned,
which is awesome. Oh, Greg, so pumped got to talk
to one of the hype guys himself, Zach Gallon. Will
hear that later on in the show the final segment
around three forty five pm Eastern time. Here on the show,
Zac Gallen one of the Helium starting pitchers this season,
one of the hype guys as we like to call him.
In that group with Max Freed and Frankie Mantas, Hayes's
(08:42):
Lazardodn Nelson Lamett, we have a good group of five
or six starting pitchers that we expect to take a
huge step forward this year and potentially break out. And
Greg Sussman had the opportunity to speak with Zach Gallant,
so we will hear that later on in the show.
I'm very excited, Greg, I know you are. Frank I
know how hurt you were the you weren't part of
the interview. It's duty calls. You know, Craig Mish, you're
(09:02):
in the bathroom that long. No, Craig Mish likes a
joke about me taking the hot air balloon from one
studio to the other. That is not true. So I
was in transit on my way here, missed out on
the interview. I have faith in the world. Sweet time
coming from Poard authority here sweet ash time. Greg, you
(09:22):
don't know any of the details. What do you mean
I took my sweet time. You're waiting for the train.
As soon as I got down there, the train came.
I don't believe it. He's like, quote, I'm waiting for
the one minute. I just to wait. It wasn't as
soon as you got down there, that wasn't I have
time this out before, Greg. Taking the train if you
have one stops faster than walking from forty second Street
(09:43):
to thirty fifth Street something in the pouring rain. You
just ate seven eleven pizza. You could have walked seven blocks.
I do. I could use a word, but I'm telling
you I have timed it out, and it's faster. Taking
the train. I tried my best. It's fascinating. The train
for me. I walk. The bus came a little bit
later today than usual too, so that also kind of
(10:04):
contributed to the the late arrival. So I'm sad, but Greg,
I have faith in you. You had the opportunity to
talk to Zack Gallan. Shout out to Seawan Guastamakia. Producer
downstairs hooked us up with the interview with Zach. Can't
mean to tell you the interview that Shawn schedule for
next week. Oh no, let's tell me. It's Joe Musgrove
who didn't get get out of the only ending that
(10:25):
he tried to pitch today, Greg, he did not, And
it's not Joe mush Well, that would have been great.
We've been trying to get Joe Musgrove on the show
for like five years now. We try to get Joe
must grow Wade a long time ago, we did, we didn't.
Now I don't really want to talk to him, all right, Yeah,
is what it is? Greg, Catcher, Catcher you're excited. No, sorry,
we'll try to make it work here. Obviously, if you're
(10:46):
playing Rhodo leagues, you have to start two catchers, which
you know everyone one catcher. Sure, I mean, honestly, it
might be better than starting two catchers, Greg, some of
those second catchers you start are going to hurt you
more than they can help you. Hopefully we can find
a few sleepers that will not do that, you know,
guys that will actually help you this upcoming season. But
we're gonna dive into the Gary Sanchez Real Muto and
(11:08):
kind of give you our top targets at the catch
our position this upcoming season. So after the break, I
think the question that we're gonna have to ask our
not ask ourselves, but answer for everybody is when do
you take a catcher right or in an auction? How
much do you spend on a catcher? Because everybody knows
the top catchers are Jay c Real Mito and it's
Gary Sanchez. He has money ground. Now we'll we'll go
trais right like we know this salavador for us, you
(11:29):
know you really like it's like when do you do it?
When you Jay c Real meetso is a top catcher
on the board, Gary sanch is one of the top
catchers on the board. When is the right time to
pull the trigger? Like do you pay up at the
catcher position? It's not like just like it's not unlike
the quarterback spot right, like you pay up for quarterback
advantage of booball you know, it's kind of similar in
a stats tight end. Greg, that's fair too. Yeah, do
(11:53):
you like taking Travis Kelsey and Rob Gronkowski for us?
And maybe you like Muto should really? All right? Where
do you hear? What? Probably where your Franks thoughts are
on it or couchal targets? And then when to take
it so you don't get this out next. I want
to light the lamp on Draffkings and FanDuel this NHL
DFS season. Then joined Daily Rodo dot com and learn
(12:16):
from the best daily fantasy sports players. Get updated fantasy
hockey projections for NHL DFS, blind combinations, and build stacks
for tournaments in the Daily Rodo NHL DFS Lineup Optimizer.
If you are playing daily Fantasy hockey without using Daily Rodo,
you are doing it wrong. Enter the Promo Code action
for a ten percent discount. That's promo code action for
a ten percent discount. Well well, well, well, not a
(13:05):
Friday hanging out. Here's our catcher show, Frank. We've been
waiting all off season for this Moment's exactly right, Craig.
Nothing else I'd rather do on a Friday. There's no
place I'd rather be. There's nothing I would rather you
not do than sing. All right, Frank through one of
the catcher spot, the top catcher on the board. You
(13:28):
don't like drafting catcher early because you feel that there
is obviously not an advantage to it. But don't like
tight ends where I feel like there's like a good
amount of solid Like most of the guys on the
screen for you right now really suck. There's not many
good players on that list. Well, there are some. They
can get much later. I don't take j will me
(13:50):
so because I don't. Catchers don't play every single day,
and as good as he is, they're also more prone
to injury than other spots. Where do you feel comfortable
taking a catcher? Usually around the definitely pass pick one hundred.
I usually wind up with one of my top seven
or eight for my first catcher. Again, this is for
(14:11):
a rotal league. In a twelve team league, I'm probably
just gonna wait till towards the end and you know
whoever the best value is out of a Savoneo Perez, Carson,
Kelly Wilson, Contreris. If someone falls in a one catcher league, sure,
I want one of my top eight guys in a
two catcher league. I still want one of my top
eight guys in my first catcher, and then for my
second one. Look, it winds up to be top one
(14:33):
of my top twenty. Uh, that's perfectly fine as my
second catcher. I really don't put a lot of stock
into the second catcher, Greg, I'm never gonna be one
of the people who drafts you know, J. C. Real
Muto and a Salvador Perez, Like, that's never going to
be the player that I am, because, as you mentioned, Greg,
you passed up on so many other position players who
can contribute across the board more than likely, I mean,
(14:56):
outside of real Muto, no one's gonna give you stolen
bases at the catcher because Edition and those players are
just gonna play more, right obviously, like shortstop outfield their
first basement. They're going to play more than a catcher.
Even you know, the catcher who plays the most, let's
say like Emily and last year Wilson Ramos played a ton.
You're not getting more than like a hundred and thirty games, Max. Yeah,
probably more realistically, like a hundred and twenty. So look,
(15:20):
everybody has a price. If JT. Real Muto falls to
the right price, Craig and I will take it, of course,
which in a fifteen team league. He felt to me
in the sixth round. I took him in that draft,
and I didn't mind the way when my team turned out.
But more often than not, he goes in the fourth
and fifth and I just can't invest a catcher position
at that point because the pictures are passing up on
the speed the batting average that you're passing up on.
(15:43):
But more than likely it's after pick one hundred, I'll
target my first catcher and I'll try to get someone
like Salvador Perez, Wilson, Ramos, A, Carson Kelly, somebody like that.
I agree with you. That's kind of the area I
like to live in as well, a little bit more aggressive.
My guys. Wilson traish for a long time. You know
that about me, And he's going where right now the
(16:04):
n F you say week, he is going Ye, So
that is last year. I feel like it picks contraris
in like the thirteenth round, and I felt good about that.
I think that's really where I want to live ideally,
and It's pretty similar to where you were talking about
(16:26):
take a catcher there, but before some of the ones
like I don't want are the only ones left. We
have sleepers that we like. I have a whole crew
of nine to eight and I all think are kind
of the same. To be honest with you, I want
one of my eight guys. I'm gonna take that catcher
to make sure I get one of those eight guys
like I like Carson Kelly that wants my starting catcher.
(16:48):
Not really no, especially in one catcher league, right, Like
I don't want Carson Kelly to be my one catcher
in a two catcher league. We have talked about this,
you and I that we want to spend no more
than ten dollars on two catchers about in the league
where we are um in the state draft. We're not
going to invest high draft picks in that. We're gonna
want a guy just to have me like, all right,
we're comfortable with this guy. We're not going to messed heavily.
(17:09):
And the same same remains true for me. I'm never
gonna be the guy that draft shakes really leads out.
I'm not gonna be the guy that ras Gary Sanchez
I'm just not gonna do it, Yes, because again you
pass up on players who play every single day exactly
and in a better chance of getting stay healthy. Yeah. Look,
catchers get nicked up all the time. Remember there behind
the plate, their pitches are getting fouled off their face mask.
You know, there's balls in the dirt that they're trying
(17:31):
to you know, drop down and stop from you know,
being passed balls. And you look, they're constantly taking a
beating back there. So they are prone to getting more
of to being more injured consistently. And you know Gary
Sanchez if you just want to talk about him Greg specifically,
I mean he's missed a ton of time over the
past couple of seasons with various different injuries, and a
lot of it didn't even come you know, playing the
(17:51):
catcher position a few times, it's just like running the
first base. He's you know, suffered a few injuries. And look,
real Muto is the number one catcher and fantasy and
there's no doubt about it. He's been incredibly durable. Give
you five, five to ten stolen bases. You look at
what he did last year, Greg, and it's look, he
scored ninety two runs as a catcher. I mean, that's
(18:12):
ridiculous in the Phillies lineup. Obviously, Good Ball Park's hidden.
He's in a contract. Theoris twenty five home runs last
year at a massive second half eighty three r bis.
His runs, RBIs and stolen basis all led catchers, Greg,
So there's no doubt if you do want to pay
up at the position, Real Muto is the number one
guy over Gary Sanchez. Gary Sanchez to me, is just
(18:34):
so hard to figure out because the batting average fluctuates
all over the place. The plate discipline is questionable at times.
He strikes out a lot, He misses time. Last year
the launch angle went way up. It seemed like all
he was trying to do was hit home runs. The
batting average suffered as a result, only hit two thirty two.
His splits were all messed up, lesson, Like, Gary Sanchez
(18:56):
is just a weird player to figure out and something
there's so much like if he has higher upside than
real Muto, there's like, there's no doubt about that he
has higher upside. He does. I think if Gary ever
stayed healthy for like a hundred and thirty plus games, Greg,
he's giving you close to forty home runs and no
(19:16):
other catcher is doing that. It's not close. I think
his upside is higher than real Muto, but his downside,
his floor is way lower than Real Music had hundred
six games last year. You know there's twenty games he
has six four hord runs. Yeah, yeah, for sure, j
zero music last year. He stays healthy the average ship
(19:38):
you're saying, no, I still rank Real Muto number one.
I'm just saying the upside for me, in my opinion,
if everything were to break right right like nine percental
outcomes for both of these catchers, I think Gary sanchez
Is upside is higher than that of Real Muto. So
if you do want an elite catcher, and you know
you want one of these top two guys, and just
wait a couple of rounds until after Real Muto goes again.
(19:59):
Normally he goes in the fourth, fifth round, you can
wait till the six seventh round for Gary Sanchez and
you can still wind up with one of the best
catchers in baseball. Great lineup, great ballpark, YadA, YadA. You've
heard it a million times when it comes to the Yankees.
But just know that there are a lot of moving
parts for Gary Sanchez. Greg, Obviously, we live in the
New York area and we watch a lot of Yankees games,
(20:21):
and it seems like every single year there's like a
timing issue with Gary Sanders because he has the and
it's always like, oh, he goes into this prolonged slump
because he can't get his timing down. He has the
big leg kick. There are just so many moving parts
when it comes to Gary Sanchez, plus you need him
to stay healthy. So I'm just washing my hands of it.
I'm not getting involved with either of the top two catchers. Honestly, Greg,
(20:42):
I get it. The draft price is too high for me.
I you would love to own both of these guys,
right like you would love to have him on the team.
But the slump with Gary Santras is incredibly frustrating. You know,
we'll get hot, It'll be a nice street, that's who.
Thirty batting averages will be very, very annoying. I'd rather
I'd rather the forty home run guy with a similar
wait play every day like your boy, Greg. Over the
(21:02):
past week, Gary Sanchez is going to pick seventy, which
is just ahead of jose A Bray. You, Victor Roeboys
Nelson cruise, Luis Robert, how can you a straight face?
You can't do it, say that you should take a
catcher who is most likely going to miss time over
players like this who are gonna give you such consistent production,
(21:25):
good batting average Robost can give you solen basis, Luis Robert,
ceiling is sky high. I can't get involved there, Greg.
We would never do it. We would simply never do it.
Let's continue, um, because after those two grand right, is
he number three catcher as well? He is my number
three catcher. It's worth mentioning, Greg. He has not caught
a single game in spring training yet, as he's battling
(21:47):
a calf injury. Not really what you want to hear
from a catcher. Maybe that's okay, he's not running anywhere. Actually,
it's exactly want to here for a catcher any other one.
You want to hear from a catcher who is crouching
all the time and he has a calf injury, He's
not move Sit there, I mean crouch all right, Let's
go crouch down right now and tell me what you
(22:07):
feel in the bottom of your legs. I guarantee you
it doesn't feel good. How does that calf feel right now, Greg,
how does this calf feel? Keep it going a little bit? Oh,
look at that. Look at this guy's got some calves here.
No no, don't no, no, no, you can't put that.
You can't put the hands down on the ground. Greg,
stay there for about three hours and tell me how
your calf feels afterwards, Greg, that will be the show
(22:29):
for the rest of today. I'm just telling you, I
don't think it's a good thing if you has Moni
grandal is dealing with a calf injury as a catcher.
It is some great form by Greg smen as well
some mint green sneakers. He's got it all working personally, Greg,
I just don't think that it's good for a catcher
if they're dealing with a calf injury. What all right?
He's gonna explain himself here to be fit all right,
(22:53):
it's not work all right here. So the most catches
are like really just slitting on one leg. Now, it's
like he's doing right on one leg to be fair.
I don't know, guys, monty grand dollars. He might like that. Yeah,
so maybe yeah, maybe he just sits like that, just
kind of rest the calf like that. Exactly, no big deal.
(23:14):
I'm still not a fan of that right now. It's
more so given the price that you have to pay
for him and the fact that he hasn't played a
single game yet, so has Monty grand Dolla is going
around pick nine, Greg, which is right around Nick Cassiano's,
Marcela Zuna, Josh Donaldson, Rosario, Tim Anderson. How can you
(23:34):
take grand Dollar over these guys. There's no reason too,
because even if you want the advantage of tight end,
I don't. Don't you want the advantage at Casher, There's
not a big enough advantage that he has Monty grand
Doll over some of these other players in this range,
namely Contraris Garver, Ramos Perez, and Will Smith. Those are
that rounds out my tier. I don't know, I don't
(23:55):
know about yours. Like that's it. Those eight guys I have.
Tier one is Real Muto and Gary sang Dame. Tier
two is Yas, Monty Grandel, Mitch Garver, Salvador Perez, Wilson
Kon Treres, Will Smith, and I have Wilson Rambos in
that year also, and that you can argue, sure, that's fine,
that's it. Those the only eight catchers I want. I
don't have any year three. So if you play in
(24:16):
a one catcher league, try to get one of those
top eight catchers and then kind of just whatever fill
in your second catch with one of these upside games.
What I would do, I'm gonna take the last catcher.
Whenever that last catchers that Wilson Robos fire him up.
Greg All on the other side, I guess we'll have
to find out why after the break. I like Will Smith, though,
Will Smith all the Will Smith someone Will Smith on
(24:37):
the other side. Will Smith and Wilson Ramos and Wilson
t want to light the lamp on Draff, Kings and
FanDuel this NHL DFS season. Then joined Daily roado dot
com and learned from the best daily fantasy sports players.
Get updated fantasy hockey projections for NHL DFS, blind combinations,
and build stacks for tournaments in the Daily Roado NHL
DFS lineup Optimizer. If you are playing daily Fantasy Hockey
(25:01):
without using Daily Rhodo, you are doing it wrong. Enter
the promo code action for a ten percent discount. That's
promo code action for a ten percent discount. Let's move
on to the Wills Wilson Contraris, Wilson Ramos, Wilson Smith.
(25:27):
You hit all these guys. What if I want to
talk about Mr garberd Is his name doesn't started with will, Well,
then we should not talk about him yet, all right,
all right? So the one that I have ranked the
highest of the wills is actually Wilson Contreres. I have
him a few spots lower than you. I have him
down at six. Gregg, He's at four for me, just
because I do worry about the long angle at times.
(25:51):
He hits a lot of groundballs. Greg's do you worry
about that? Career HIGs twenty four home runs. There's a
lot of those. Two career high thirty seven percent hard contact.
Greg didn't raise the flyball rate a little bit less.
He's One of the problems for Wilson Contreris has been
his ability to stay healthy. Greg. He dealt with a
foot and a hamstring injury less season limited him to
(26:13):
just five games, but over fifty percent groundball rate. Greg
for his career, strikes out a lot career high twenty
ft nine percent strike out rate last year. Wilson Contrairis
is fine. Just like a few of the first basemen
we were talking about yesterday. Greg, not to the same
extent as like a Paul Goldschman. I don't mind getting
a Wilson contres He's just fine. He is what he
(26:35):
is to sixty hitter, twenty home runs, solid county stats,
good line up to hidden good ball, vark tow hidden
in Wrigley. I just think some of the other players
in this range Greg have a little bit more upside.
Grandall going considerably higher than Wilson Contreris. And then Mitch Garver,
someone that I do like this year. I don't really
like the price. But he lost his catching coach, Frank,
(26:58):
it's Garver lost his catching coaches. True, that is a
factual statement, you know. Sure, maybe that changes things for him. No,
I mean I just want, well, I just want miss
Garver to be able to bat, which he's very good at.
He's like good at catching. Maybe he will be good
a bat it he's not really great at catching, but
Alex Savilla is backing him up. Greg. I don't really
think he's gonna take Mitch Garver's job. Ever, had thirty
(27:21):
one home runs last year for the Minnesota Twins, bet
at two seventy three with an o BP at three
sixty five, he was fantastic. Why do you like him
more than Wilson? Charis Well, Gregg. It comes down to
the contact that he makes, right, It just makes elite
contact the catcher position. Last year you look at the
stat cast page another one here basically with all the
Minnesota twins Mcguelson, no Nelson, cruz Um now Josh Donaldson
(27:45):
joining the team as well, Miss Garver rank nineties six
percentile in barrel rate last year. Greg, That was not
just among catchers, that was an all of baseball percentile
in expected slugging percentage UM, and he was hied for
seventh and all of baseball in terms of average EGXIT
velocity on fly balls in line drive. So when he
(28:05):
is hitting the ball in the in the air, he's
hitting the ball extremely hard. As well, he has good
plate discipline eleven percent walk great. The plate discipline is
going to be a little bit better than someone like
Wilson Kntreris. Like, if you worry about what you saw
from miss Garver last year being a fluke, then maybe
you worry about him not coming close to repeating that.
But he has had some big seasons in the miners. Greg,
(28:27):
you know back in seventeen ps in Triple A with
seventeen home runs. If you remember, Nano do Fino is
actually all over midch Garver like coming in every day
looking at Triple A numbers like Garver is gonna be
the man. Mitch Garver is gonna be the man. He
has shown some upside in the past. Um in the minors.
He had thirty one home runs last year, Greg, and
only nine three games. So even if you worry about
(28:49):
plate um how much he's going to play last year,
only played ninety three games and was awesome in those games. Greg.
One of my early well at the time, one of
my early hot takes for the NCY bas was that
Mitch Garver actually outproduces Gary Sanchez this season, Greig, I
mean I did it last year, right, The average is
(29:11):
way better. Yeah, you had to seventy three with p s,
which is just ridiculous at the catcher position, and he
led off last year against left handed pitching. Probably going
to do that again this upcoming season. So you're gonna
get run scored. Um. Obviously, when Josh Donalson wasn't there,
you thought there was a chance that he can, you know,
maybe get some time at first base, which would help
(29:32):
with the playing time. But you know what, Donaldson there
obviously mcgilson no slides over. He's just gonna He's just
gonna play. Cash actually hit thirty one home runs last year.
What is he gonna get? Like? Where is he at
this year? Is the year before seven and a hundred
three games minor league career? Wasn't like a prolific power
writer r Any means he had a good season in
(29:52):
the minors, Greig and how many games? He eight games
and then hit zero and twenty three games the majors.
All right, Well it comes down to team philosophy, right.
Everybody on the Twins was barreling balls last year. I
know that they lost their pitching coach is something that
Craig has talked about on Fantasy Sports Today. Coach. He's
now they're hitting the hitting coach of the Miami Marlins.
(30:14):
So maybe we see some of the Miami Marlins. They
also lost their bench coach, raised the launch angle as well.
But I don't think these guys are just gonna forget
what they learned last year, don't you. You're saying that
this morning right either yesterday yesterday, so you're out on
miss Garver Greg, it just sounds like I'm not in
as miss garverge yesterday. I don't have any shares yet
because he kind of still just goes a little bit
(30:34):
too early. Short liking Greg right now, the ADP in
March is one O seven. Well, even taking Salvador Perez
around this spot instead. Well, the thing is with Salvado Perez,
you can get him about forty picks later and he's
if you have a question that Savadoor Perez, he's back,
he's healthy, He's already playing, yes, and he is playing
catcher as well, so he's not just d ching in games.
(30:55):
He has caught a few in spring training so far.
And look, he's coming back from Tommy John surgery. We've
seen labor Torres come back from this. Don't really have
much concern there. Um Die Glorius has come back from
that as well. And there was a quote that stood
out to me regarding Salvado Perez. He said, to miss
a year, I know it's bad for the first time,
(31:15):
but it helped me a lot healing my body. He
plays every day. He plays every single day, so I
actually think he might be a little refreshed season. You
think they'll still play him every single day, though, I
think that they're going to play him at d H
as well. Sure, maybe they slide so Laer into the
outfield a little bit just to get the bat of
Salvado president. They could put Salad first base two. So
(31:37):
I still think that the at bats are going to
be there. Uh, not as good as in a ob
P league or a points league. Doesn't walk all that much,
but four straight seasons before last year with twenty one
plus home runs career to sixties six hitter. He's kind
of like Sekturs where he's just fine, right, it's going
to hit home runs. Line up is decent, not great,
(31:58):
but you know he's gonna play either at catcher, d H,
first base. They're gonna find ways to get Salvador Perez's lineup, uh,
Salvador Perez's bat in the lineup. And in terms of
the price gig again going around pick one fifty, which
I feel much better about taking a catcher in that
range rather than I pick one hundred with Garver or
even earlier with like Sanchez. Real music chairs also there
(32:19):
he as we said, pick one oh seven. Right now,
what about my guy Will Smith, who I have as
my seventh rank catch. I'm really high on it because
he was really good after coming up last year. He
was the unquestioned starter now for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He was a top prospect for them. I know you
have some worries about him and in the batting average specifically, Um,
are you draftinge will Smith this year? I don't mind
(32:42):
Will Smith. I think he's at the end of this
here and again, if he falls later than everyone else,
then sure, I don't mind getting him as my first catcher.
And maybe he's someone we can look at in our
auction league together here, Greg, but last year, UM, the
batting average in the Major's to fifty three in the minors.
He does have some swing and miss. He's strikes out
a decent bit. His expected batting average Greg, according to
(33:03):
stack cast was two five, so we could see the
batting average crater a little bit here twenty three point
seven degree average launch angle. Greg. He hits too many flyballs.
He's in the Reese Hoskins category of he tries too
hard to hit home runs. Do you like home runs? Yeah?
But it also could affect her batting average when he's
(33:23):
striking out and only hitting flyballs. As we saw from
Reese Hoskins in the second half Life basically found exactly
what I want. Right, Reese Hoskins, Cavin Bgia, Will Smith,
they're all the same. Well, you're playing ob P leagues
and so it's different because those guys can still be
all right. But in batting average, Greg, you're looking at
a solid two forty year less team. This is why
in all the leagues of batting average, I share with you, right, yeah,
(33:46):
because I gotta talk to you off from the ledge.
It's okay, what teamwork is man? Right? Look, I like
Will Smith and it's a good line up to hit in.
I think the power is real, but I do think
there's some worry over the batting average. He probably hits
to thirty to two forty home runs from the catcher position.
It's great, and you know he's gonna give you some
(34:07):
RBIs obviously in that line of probably gonna give you
seventy seventy five RBI, which you know a catcher is great.
I will say this, Greg, if he struggles even in
the least bit, they do have prospect. Yes, they have
one of the top catching prospects in baseball. Isn't that
what Will Smith was. He is have a ton of
catching prospects, kuibert Ruise. Look at the name Greg will
Smith first, All right, well, I'm telling you that kibert
(34:30):
Ruise is in the organization and what prospects. So if
he struggles, he's like Kybert Ruise is close Greg, but
like will Smith was a top prospect for them, He's twenty,
was but a steen years old on my sister's birthday.
Kiber Ruise was actually regarded as a higher project than
will Smith and he hit Listening to this power though
man twenty home runs in the minors last year, fifteen
the majors, he had thirty five home runs last year
(34:53):
the powers legit, No, it is. It's awesome. But I'm
just saying, like there is a downside that I think
some people might not be taking into account as much
as they should, because there is a recipe for this
to end badly for will Smith, and it's someone who
have Reese Hoskins. Again, just if he strikes out and
tries too hard to hit five balls, Greg, then he's
(35:13):
gonna wind up with a very low batting average this season.
He could but the project but like all the projections,
doesn't even have like a terrible batting average. Well, what
do you consider terrible? Greg? What are they having for
it is bad? I love that Gregg says a statement
and then like retracts it. I didn't think it would
be like this bad projective batting average. I like, Will Smith,
(35:36):
you're wrong, I Will Smith, Sure, that's your guy. Yeah,
I think one of Wilson Ramos's team is batting two
thirty this year is and the problem with that. Yeah,
but punt batting average in your head take category. Leave,
that's fine, it's so big. I don't plan to lay average.
There you go, it's gonna be great. It was good trays.
I'm keeping you remember, especially my keepers. Again, maybe not
that we're like into baseball. Maybe you could change it.
(35:56):
Um well, I've been into baseball for two months now.
I haven't one more cash here to get too. And
that is Wilson Ramos of the New York Mets. He
is last catchered my tier, Frank, He's not even in
this tier for you. I know we have talked about
him potentially target grabbing him. I know he's kind of
like in that he's fine tier for you. Is he
fine enough that you're drafting. Yeah. I mean, look, he
(36:18):
stayed healthy last year and played a hundred and forty
one game insane four four played appearances, that was third
among catchers. He had to eighty eight. He's going to
contribute in the batting average department, which you can't say
about a lot of catchers, But only fourteen home runs
seventy three ribbies hits too many ground balls. So far
in spring he has said that he is working more
onlifting the ball and his launch angles. So look, his
(36:41):
bat to ball skills are great. If he would just
lift the ball a little bit, Greg, we might even
get twenty home runs out of Wilson Ramos with a
really good batting average as well. I do worry that
they overworked him a little bit too much last year. Greg,
he has been injury prone in the past, but he
is part of this range. I don't have a problem
with you including him in this tier, and I don't
mind him as my first catcher either. In fantasy basebl
(37:02):
I probably won't drost my first catcher, to be honest
with you, all the other eight guys so much more.
All right, Zac Gallen and our sleepers are next. I
want to light the lamp on Draft Kings and FanDuel
this NHL DFS season, then joined Daily Rodo dot com
and learned from the best daily fantasy sports players. Get
updated fantasy hockey projections for NHL DFS, blind combinations, and
(37:25):
build stacks for tournaments in the Daily Rodo NHL DFS
Lineup Optimizer. If you are playing daily fantasy hockey without
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promo Code action for a ten percent discount. That's promo
Code Action for a ten percent discount. It's the final
(37:49):
seven of the week for all the coast was your way.
So a little while ago, I got an opportunity to
catch it with Zach Gallen, so jealousy. Nice guy. I
like him, night guy, nice guy. He was awesome, high
character Zach Gallon. Another reason to draft him this year.
(38:10):
I want to make a lot of a team names
with Gallant in it, you know, mm hmm yeah, I'm
gonna have a thing about that one. I don't know,
like two Gallon ginral Ah, that's not your best Greig.
I love Gingeril not a creative name. How is it
not to Gallon ginger That's funny? How's it funny? We're
(38:32):
gallons in it, all right, that's it. It's not gallons,
it's leaders. Greg. You buy a two leader of two
gallons of ginger rail, is gonna be like a jug.
This it's gonna be. You might as well take like
the water cooler you have in your house. You have
the little sheen with the water cooler that filled with
ginger les. It's the only soda that I have in
(38:56):
my house at all times. Me too. Let's go man
that as well. The BFF of mine it is Zack Gallen.
He had this to say a little bit earlier on
joined now by Zack Gallen all of the Arizona diamond Backs. Zach,
what's going on, man? How's it going on? Guys? It's
going really really well. We appreciate you taking the time.
How is your spring going? Man? Yeah, it's been good.
Um weather it's been great. Uh, you know, the guy's
(39:18):
been awesome and you know it's it's been good so far.
So obviously you're in Arizona, um, playing for the Diamondbacks,
and a lot different than last spring playing for the Marlins.
That trade, at least for us fantasy owners, kind of
came out of nowhere. What was it? Like being traded,
which I'm sure was a huge shocked you too. Yeah,
it was kind of crazy. Um, I had pits the
(39:38):
night before. UM, through kind of well thought. I was
coming in, you know, talked about last night's outing, and
you know, a couple of minutes into the conversation, I
realized that's not what it was about, and they were
trading me to Arizona. UM stopt packing up my apartment
about eighteen hours again on the flight was pretty crazy,
but you know, I'm glad to be here. Yeah, I
mean that's you. You're a player, is getting traded and
(39:59):
it's a business. But just pitched the night before, obviously
you're just kind of a couple of starts back. That
is just nuts to me. So what changed for you
pitching wise going from the Marlins to the d Backs.
Obviously your walks dropped, your your caper and I went
up a little bit. What changed for you formulaic? I guess, Um,
I pitched you on a different team. UM. I think
one of the bigger things was just kind of getting
(40:21):
with Carson Kelly got you know, I've been within St. Louis, UM,
so there was some familiarity there, and you know, I
kind of just was filling my way around the big
leagues and been up there for a couple of months.
So I think it was just you know, more so
getting comfortable and you know, uh, just really getting used
to the league and seeing how things were playing out.
(40:41):
We're talking to Zach Gallant of the Arizona Diamondbacks and
you mentioned you got to Arizona and you reconnected with
Carson Kelly and you you have this for pitch mix. Now,
you had obviously all off season to work with Carson
Kelly with the d Backs. What have you worked on
most of this offseason? What are you been looking on too?
I guess what particular the pitch maybe uh to get
better on as we head into twenties twenty. I mean,
(41:03):
I think the biggest thing is just consistency, um, you know,
just trying to limit those walks like last year. Uh.
And I mean I think the biggest thing though in
terms of a pitch is just working on my cutter.
You know, back to the consistency and stuff like that.
It's like certain games I had at certain games that
didn't so, um, you know, I'd like to have it
most of the games. I know. That's having all the
games is a little bit. You know, it's a lot
(41:24):
to ask for, but if I can have it for
most of the games, I feel pretty comfortable about that.
I think fantasy owners obviously it would feel very comfortable
with that as well. Zach, what's it like? Right? We
we asked this question all the time, but like, what's
it like when people come up to you because you're
a young dude, right, like you kind of grew up
with us in this fantasy world. What was it like
when you have people across screwing at you being like
(41:45):
I need these strike ats? Man? Yeah, No, it was
kind of funny. Um um when I got called up
or that the night after I pitched, was you know
a lot of friends and family saying, you know, congratulations.
You know I was awesome to watch, But most of
the messag as I got were hey, thanks for the
so many points whatever it was. So I just kind
of gotta laugh out of that. And you know, it's
(42:06):
kind of cool to see because I'm kind of the
same way there, and you know, fantasy football season, I'm
kind of thinking, oh, man, I would love for you know,
player actually give me so many points. So for me
to be a similar situation and you know, it's kind
of funny. Absolutely, and uh, it is funny to be
on the other side of that. Like we have questions
all the time, we aren't people of answering them because
(42:27):
we're just as bad as everybody else's. But you you
can actually uh impact fantasy teams way more obviously than
we can. It's fantastic, um, what you've been able to
do thus for in your short career. We're talking to
Zack Allen all the Arizona divingbacks, and I know a
question of Buddy Frank has Zach how many strikeouts are
gonna have this season? Just wondering I don't know, hopefully enough.
(42:50):
Uh yeah, I don't know, Yeah, hopefully enough. That's that's
the answer. I'll get. That's that's perfect. Um. It's like
just a couple more here as we wrap up with you.
But I think my question is you obviously got called
up mid season last year. This year you're funding for
a rotation spot. I know a lot of people also
included think that you're going to grab this rotation spot
(43:11):
and it should be on your way to a pretty
nice season here. What what is the mindset? How different
is the mindset for you within a chance legitimately do
break camp in the rotation versus in the past where
you really haven't had that opportunity. Yeah, I mean it's
the same but different. At the same time, you know,
you still go in there, whether you have a spot
or not, wanting to compete one the show where you
(43:32):
worked on the off season, Um, how much better you got.
But I will say that, I mean, you know, after pitching,
it takes a little bit more of the weight off
your shoulders. Knowing that you can do it. Um, they've
seen you been able to do it, So I think
that makes it, you know, just a little bit easier
on me. But at the same time, I'm still gonna
go out there, whether you know, have a spot or not.
I'm gonna compete and show someone to final question for you, Zac,
(43:56):
and that is give us one member of the Diamondbacks
that not everybody's talking about right now, but they will
be in just a couple of months. One member. Um,
Carson Kelly. All right, your boy, Carson Kelly, You're back
throwing with him and everybody. Everybody is gonna know about
Carson Kelly just a couple of months from now. We
appreciate the time that come back anytime. Good luck this year.
(44:17):
We were in for you man. I appreciate thanks for
having men you got it absolutely. That's Zack Gallen of
the Arizona Diamondbacks. That was awesome. Great job by our
Greg Susman talking with Zac Gallen, the Arizona diamond Backs
starting pitch or someone we're all very excited about this
year for fantasy baseball purposes. Greg and I love what
he had to say in terms of working on the
(44:38):
cutter of this offseason. You brought up the four pitch
mixed that he had last year. Four seeing fastball, curveball,
cutter change up, and we saw a ton of strikeouts,
maybe more walks than we wanted out of Zack Gallon
last year, but still had a phenomenal rookie season dominated
in Triple A and someone we're all expecting to take
that next step this season in fantasy baseball. So hopefully
(45:00):
that cutter is something that he can find consistency with
and help him. He also mentioned Carson Kelly, his catcher.
He's my hum or eleven catcher on the board. I
like Carson Kelly, dude. Yeah, Carson Kelly has a ton
of power upside. I have him as my tenth catcher,
so more of you know, one of those back end
first catchers for me in terms of fantasy baseball. You know, look,
(45:23):
if you're playing a two catcher league, I'm probably not
gonna draft Salvador Perez and Carson Kelly because that means
you're investing two of your top twelve or thirteen round
picks and catchers. And that's just something I can't get
behind personally, Greg. But, um, we saw the power last year, Greg,
and forty eight point seven percent hard contact rad for
Carson Kelly. That was that led all catchers with at
(45:45):
least three fifty plate appearances UM matches against left handed pitching.
So keep that in mind. From a DFS perspective, Greg
any worry that, you know, if he doesn't perform well
against right he's he only had a seven oh eight
ops against right he's last year that we could see
more of Steven Vote, who was the backup catch or
who hits right. He's quite well. He mashes right these
and that does concern me. As someone that likes Kelly.
I like that he eighteen home runs in a hundred
(46:06):
and eleven games last year. That's a good number. Um,
But signy. Stephen Bote just doesn't go away with Oakland,
with San Francisco, Arizona's in Milwaukee as well. It's frustrating, right, Like,
you want to see a young player developed, and maybe
he will, write Steven though it can be uh cut
by the end of April. He doesn't matter to the
future of Diamondbacks, certainly Carson Kelly does. I think if
Kelly um he used to hit well, he'll stay in there.
(46:28):
I mean, his heart hit rate was ridiculous last year,
forty eight point seven percent. Like Kelly, get at the ball.
I like Carson Kelly in a one catcher league as
your first catcher. I'm cool with it and won't cost
you nearly as much as what some of the other guy,
as we were saying, would Yeah, and I think he's
probably gonna hit close to twenty home runs, maybe even
more than that. Remember he was regarded as one of
the top catching prospects in baseball when he was with
(46:49):
the St. Louis Cardinals. And I thought that that was
a really, really good point that you brought up to
Zach Gallen, and that he mentioned as well, was that
he developed some more consistency when he moved over to
the Diamondbacks because us Carson Kelly was catching him. Remember
they actually were in the Cardinals organization together when Zach
Gallen was a prospect there and then he got traded
to the Miami Marlins. I believe in the Marcel Ozuna trade.
(47:12):
So they have familiarity together and we can expect some
of that to play over into this season as well
here in so obviously something else that can help Carson
Kelly and also Zach Gallen here, Greg, Franky, what are
other sleepers here do you have? And they don't have
to be a long range sleever, they could be a
guy that's kind of just in this tend to twenty range.
We haven't got on a chance to really talk about today.
(47:32):
What are some other guys that you feel good about drafting?
So I don't mind YODDI ere Molina surprise surprise, Frank
loves the old players in fantasy baseball because they're undervalued.
Sean Murphy is someone who broke out a little bit
last year with the Oakland A's. Can do some nice
things with the bat, you know, to seventy plus batting average,
a little bit of power there as well. Jorgeil Farrow
(47:52):
hits the ball extremely hard, Greg, but just has to
learn to raise the launch angle a little bit. But
you know, amongst the leaders at the hatcher position in
terms of hard hit rate and average exit velocity as well.
Danny Jansen struggled last year, but in an O b
P format, which I know you're playing and a lot
of people do. Danny Jansen has a good eye at
the plate. I know that Reese McGuire is there, but
(48:14):
Jansen played better down the stretch last season, and I
am expecting a little bit more power this season out
of Jansen, fifteen to twenty home runs and just dipping
down a little bit lower if you're playing those deeper leagues.
A second catcher um Jason Castro now starting with the
Los Angeles Angels. I think he has some pop, and
our guy former Yankee Greig Austin Roman a beard now
(48:35):
expected to be the starter and everyday catcher for the
Detroit Tigers. Also kind of sneakily like Sean Murphy with
the Oakland Athletics. Obviously bad ballpark, but I think he
played every day and he has some pop too. I've
already drafted him a few times as well, so I
don't I don't mind that, all right, wait a minute
to go, Well, he's a minute talking about Aaron Judge
who has a stress fracture in his first rib. He's
gonna rest for two weeks, surgery is not off the
(48:56):
table is not healed by that, which means he's going
to have surgery. And why wait because he's idiots. He's
taking Aaron Judge right now. Yeah, so you're not like,
where would you actually take him? Knowing? Did they say
what the timetable would be if he had surgery? No,
I can't take him in the first five or six rounds.
And I mean knowing what we know now, I agree
(49:17):
with you, he's probably gonna en up having surgery. How
much time is he gonna miss? Then? I don't know too.
How would you spend on an auction? I just wondering.
Her friend all bunts and in twelve Amen grows up next.
I don't think everybody for the fantastic week. Great job
by Shaun and Alex down stairs, Frank Staffel, I'm Greg Susman,
(49:37):
will do it all get on Monday, we hope. I
want to light the lamp on Draft Kings and fan
duel this NHL DFS season, then joined Daily roado dot
com and learned from the best daily fantasy sports players.
Get updated fantasy hockey projections for NHL DFS, blind combinations,
and build stacks for tournaments in the Daily Roado NHL
(49:59):
DFS Lineup Optimizer. If you are playing daily fantasy hockey
without using Daily Rodo, you are doing it wrong. Enter
the Promo Code Action for a ten percent discount. That's
Promo Code Action for a ten percent discount.
Hey, thanks for downloading the podcast. If you want to
listen live, all you have to do is download the
I Heart Radio app and search for Fantasy Sports Radio Network. Also,
if you want to catch this show on video, for
sure to check out Zoomo TV channel seven nineteen and
that's where you can find sports Grids Fantasy Sports Network.
Enjoy the show, and thanks so much for listening to Yeah,
(00:41):
that's welcome. A with that, we will get you inside
of Studio thirty four. This is the BFFs His Frank Stample,
I am Greg Susman. Freggie hasn't hanging, Bud, Greg, Happy Friday.
(01:05):
That's what's hanging baby. The weekend is here, t G.
I f There's nothing I can think of that I
would rather do and talk about catchers with you here
on a Friday. Great. Thank you, buddy. I appreciate that.
I appreciate that I have to sleep last night, man,
really really well. Great week of sleep. Every week I
feel refreshed. The only one was Judy. You know what's it?
(01:25):
She uh? She knocked you off the pedestal left one day.
I had a great sleep overall though I felt I
feel great, I was really tired this morning that I I
could have slept much longer, right, that's me every morning. Yeah,
I know. I was really proud of myself. I made
a homemade pesto last night, no help. I showed it
to Sonder downstairs. She was impressed. Judy was like, this
is the best pest that you've ever made. Do you
(01:45):
make it from scratch? That's impressive because I buy like
a creamy pesto package. So I made my own babyl pesto.
Put it a little bit of cream because I was
in the move of the cream you got. I mean,
come on, we're always in the movie. Honestly, the cream
the way I did it, you didn't need it. Look
at this guy a little pat on the back during
(02:06):
the breaker I should have probably put in the air.
Yeah that's why I said, you know, wait to the break, Greg,
but just slide it over here. Yeah, it looks pretty good.
It looks pretty good. What do you got some fresh MutS?
Obviously chicken in there, bow ties, some fresh mus, chicken pesto. Man,
I'm hungry now, Sorry, man, do you lunch today? I did?
(02:27):
You don't want to? I want to know. I can't
tell I had a salad. I can't tell you. She
come on me funn Alex Fasano yesterday for eating savarrow.
What did you eat? Can't tell you, dude, You gotta
tell us. Crowd wants them out. I ate two slices
of pizza from seven eleven. Oh my god, Oh my god.
(02:52):
I was waiting for the bus in New Jersey. Greg.
There is nothing around for days except seven eleven. Oh
my god. I am repulsed. I can't even talk. I
gotta throw with you guys down the stairs. Here's the update.
Had a puke. Thank you, Greg. I am Sean Glassimakia
(03:15):
with the RBFF Sports Grid news update. Let's head to
the Arnold Palmer Invitational. They're playing that at the Bay
Hill Golf Course in Orlando, Florida right now. Round number
to the leader, Trollhattan six under. He has a one
shot lead over three tied for second place. Rory McRoy
was the leader coming in to round number two, but
(03:36):
through eighties plus three three strokes behind in tenth place.
All right, let's head over to college basketball. An upset alert.
Looks like Northern Iowall will go down to Drake. They
are the number one seed in the Missouri Valley Tournament.
Quarterfinal action seventies seven fifty six Drake looking to put
the finishing touches on a win here with sixteen seconds
(03:59):
left in the second half. After that, the second game
in the Missouri Valley Conference, you have Southern Illinois and Bradley.
Bradley the five and a half point favorite one twenty
four and a half your total in that one. Let's
head head over to some NFL news. Austin Ekeler has
agreed to a four year, fifteen million in guarantee contract
(04:19):
that's twenty four and a half million overall with the
Los Angeles Chargers. Eckler had a breakout year last season,
finishing with one thousand, five hundred and fifty yards from scrimmage,
including eleven total touchdowns. So once again the understricted free agent,
Austin Ekeler has agreed to go back to the Chargers
four year deal twenty four and a half but fifteen
(04:42):
million in guarantees. That is according to e espn Adam Schefter.
Other news making the rounds today, we had uh the
Steph Kirbery come back last night the two time m
v P after missing fifty eight games with a broken
left hand. They finished with twenty three points in twenty
seven minutes of first game Actress October, but the Warriors
(05:02):
lost to the rot to one thirteen. And in baseball,
the Los Angeles Angels have fired their long time visiting
club house manager Brian Harkins after an internal investigation confirmed
suspicions that he was providing fault doctoring substances to opposing
pictures as according to ESPN as well. That's your BFF
sports grade news update. Now back to Gregg and Frank. Guys, already,
(05:25):
welcome back to the show. Here we're gonna talk about
catchers from a fantasy baseball perspective. Today. We got a
very big special interview that Greg Susman conducted. We'll get
to that later on in the show as well. But
like we do every day here on the BFS, we
give you a little snippet of the NBA tip drill.
You can find that on the sports Scrade YouTube page
every single day, also on the NBA Fantasy Twitter as well.
(05:47):
And Greg Sussman met up with Ricky Sanders of Delhi
Rodad dot com earlier today to talk about tonight's NBA
DFS Late at Center. We got Nikola on top tonight.
You're not worried about the defensive presence of James Johnson
(06:10):
and nas Read. I'm not worried about any defensive presence
on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Right now. They have the defense
that ranks dead last in defensive efficiency with you know,
since Karl Anthony Towns has been out and since the
Angel Russell was acquired. I mean, not only do you
have this unbelievable matchup against a bad defense, but you
(06:31):
have no Evan Fournier tonight, who's listed as doubtful. You
could get a starting lineup. I don't think Terence Ross starts.
He could start, but you couldn't get one with like
James Ennis and Gary Clark in there alongside Buchevich. So basically,
you know, Aaron Gordon not a high usage player either.
Basically the entire offense could run through Nicola Bouchevich tonight,
(06:52):
especially for you know stretches, you know, the beginning of
each half where he is playing alongside the starters. I
think you'll see, you know, mid thirties fits from Terence Raw,
who obviously is a high usage player, but Nikola booge
Fitch almost a percent rates guy across the board. He
has priced at just eight four hundred. That's cheap for
him in this matchup, even if Forgner was active with
(07:12):
Pornier on the bench. I think this is just a
crazy cheap price tag. Give me all the Nikola Bouchevitch tonight,
all the vote tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Evan Fournier
could be out for the rest of the year. Vugin
and Gordon are going to eat. Vucci. Main has been
a mainstay for the Orlando Magic over the past couple
of seasons. Obviously one of the elite players at the
(07:35):
centered position. So you're playing over on Fandel only get
one center used that spot on Vucci Main tonight. Actually,
or like Timberwolves in that game, Frank, why is that?
I think they're playing well right now. You're big on Nasri,
their home dog. Nasri in a good spot, all right?
I mean normally choosing the Timberwolves Greg in a good
spot never ends. Well, it doesn't. We'll see if it
(07:57):
does tonight. We shall see, all right. Today on the show,
we're gonna review the catcher version, our final position and utility.
We're gonna it's our final position of the of the season. Uh.
Next wee We've got a fun week of shows plan
for you. G np A Cheny will be here on Thursday.
We have an auction previous Wednesday. We'll get back to
the white Board series on Monday. So we got a
lot of fun stuff next week. But today we start
(08:18):
some of fun stuff because interview exact Gallant as you mentioned,
which is awesome. Oh, Greg, so pumped got to talk
to one of the hype guys himself, Zach Gallon. Will
hear that later on in the show the final segment
around three forty five pm Eastern time. Here on the show,
Zac Gallen one of the Helium starting pitchers this season,
one of the hype guys as we like to call him.
In that group with Max Freed and Frankie Mantas, Hayes's
(08:42):
Lazardodn Nelson Lamett, we have a good group of five
or six starting pitchers that we expect to take a
huge step forward this year and potentially break out. And
Greg Sussman had the opportunity to speak with Zach Gallant,
so we will hear that later on in the show.
I'm very excited, Greg, I know you are. Frank I
know how hurt you were the you weren't part of
the interview. It's duty calls. You know, Craig Mish, you're
(09:02):
in the bathroom that long. No, Craig Mish likes a
joke about me taking the hot air balloon from one
studio to the other. That is not true. So I
was in transit on my way here, missed out on
the interview. I have faith in the world. Sweet time
coming from Poard authority here sweet ash time. Greg, you
(09:22):
don't know any of the details. What do you mean
I took my sweet time. You're waiting for the train.
As soon as I got down there, the train came.
I don't believe it. He's like, quote, I'm waiting for
the one minute. I just to wait. It wasn't as
soon as you got down there, that wasn't I have
time this out before, Greg. Taking the train if you
have one stops faster than walking from forty second Street
(09:43):
to thirty fifth Street something in the pouring rain. You
just ate seven eleven pizza. You could have walked seven blocks.
I do. I could use a word, but I'm telling
you I have timed it out, and it's faster. Taking
the train. I tried my best. It's fascinating. The train
for me. I walk. The bus came a little bit
later today than usual too, so that also kind of
(10:04):
contributed to the the late arrival. So I'm sad, but Greg,
I have faith in you. You had the opportunity to
talk to Zack Gallan. Shout out to Seawan Guastamakia. Producer
downstairs hooked us up with the interview with Zach. Can't
mean to tell you the interview that Shawn schedule for
next week. Oh no, let's tell me. It's Joe Musgrove
who didn't get get out of the only ending that
(10:25):
he tried to pitch today, Greg, he did not, And
it's not Joe mush Well, that would have been great.
We've been trying to get Joe Musgrove on the show
for like five years now. We try to get Joe
must grow Wade a long time ago, we did, we didn't.
Now I don't really want to talk to him, all right, Yeah,
is what it is? Greg, Catcher, Catcher you're excited. No, sorry,
we'll try to make it work here. Obviously, if you're
(10:46):
playing Rhodo leagues, you have to start two catchers, which
you know everyone one catcher. Sure, I mean, honestly, it
might be better than starting two catchers, Greg, some of
those second catchers you start are going to hurt you
more than they can help you. Hopefully we can find
a few sleepers that will not do that, you know,
guys that will actually help you this upcoming season. But
we're gonna dive into the Gary Sanchez Real Muto and
(11:08):
kind of give you our top targets at the catch
our position this upcoming season. So after the break, I
think the question that we're gonna have to ask our
not ask ourselves, but answer for everybody is when do
you take a catcher right or in an auction? How
much do you spend on a catcher? Because everybody knows
the top catchers are Jay c Real Mito and it's
Gary Sanchez. He has money ground. Now we'll we'll go
trais right like we know this salavador for us, you
(11:29):
know you really like it's like when do you do it?
When you Jay c Real meetso is a top catcher
on the board, Gary sanch is one of the top
catchers on the board. When is the right time to
pull the trigger? Like do you pay up at the
catcher position? It's not like just like it's not unlike
the quarterback spot right, like you pay up for quarterback
advantage of booball you know, it's kind of similar in
a stats tight end. Greg, that's fair too. Yeah, do
(11:53):
you like taking Travis Kelsey and Rob Gronkowski for us?
And maybe you like Muto should really? All right? Where
do you hear? What? Probably where your Franks thoughts are
on it or couchal targets? And then when to take
it so you don't get this out next. I want
to light the lamp on Draffkings and FanDuel this NHL
DFS season. Then joined Daily Rodo dot com and learn
(12:16):
from the best daily fantasy sports players. Get updated fantasy
hockey projections for NHL DFS, blind combinations, and build stacks
for tournaments in the Daily Rodo NHL DFS Lineup Optimizer.
If you are playing daily Fantasy hockey without using Daily Rodo,
you are doing it wrong. Enter the Promo Code action
for a ten percent discount. That's promo code action for
a ten percent discount. Well well, well, well, not a
(13:05):
Friday hanging out. Here's our catcher show, Frank. We've been
waiting all off season for this Moment's exactly right, Craig.
Nothing else I'd rather do on a Friday. There's no
place I'd rather be. There's nothing I would rather you
not do than sing. All right, Frank through one of
the catcher spot, the top catcher on the board. You
(13:28):
don't like drafting catcher early because you feel that there
is obviously not an advantage to it. But don't like
tight ends where I feel like there's like a good
amount of solid Like most of the guys on the
screen for you right now really suck. There's not many
good players on that list. Well, there are some. They
can get much later. I don't take j will me
(13:50):
so because I don't. Catchers don't play every single day,
and as good as he is, they're also more prone
to injury than other spots. Where do you feel comfortable
taking a catcher? Usually around the definitely pass pick one hundred.
I usually wind up with one of my top seven
or eight for my first catcher. Again, this is for
(14:11):
a rotal league. In a twelve team league, I'm probably
just gonna wait till towards the end and you know
whoever the best value is out of a Savoneo Perez, Carson,
Kelly Wilson, Contreris. If someone falls in a one catcher league, sure,
I want one of my top eight guys in a
two catcher league. I still want one of my top
eight guys in my first catcher, and then for my
second one. Look, it winds up to be top one
(14:33):
of my top twenty. Uh, that's perfectly fine as my
second catcher. I really don't put a lot of stock
into the second catcher, Greg, I'm never gonna be one
of the people who drafts you know, J. C. Real
Muto and a Salvador Perez, Like, that's never going to
be the player that I am, because, as you mentioned, Greg,
you passed up on so many other position players who
can contribute across the board more than likely, I mean,
(14:56):
outside of real Muto, no one's gonna give you stolen
bases at the catcher because Edition and those players are
just gonna play more, right obviously, like shortstop outfield their
first basement. They're going to play more than a catcher.
Even you know, the catcher who plays the most, let's
say like Emily and last year Wilson Ramos played a ton.
You're not getting more than like a hundred and thirty games, Max. Yeah,
probably more realistically, like a hundred and twenty. So look,
(15:20):
everybody has a price. If JT. Real Muto falls to
the right price, Craig and I will take it, of course,
which in a fifteen team league. He felt to me
in the sixth round. I took him in that draft,
and I didn't mind the way when my team turned out.
But more often than not, he goes in the fourth
and fifth and I just can't invest a catcher position
at that point because the pictures are passing up on
the speed the batting average that you're passing up on.
(15:43):
But more than likely it's after pick one hundred, I'll
target my first catcher and I'll try to get someone
like Salvador Perez, Wilson, Ramos, A, Carson Kelly, somebody like that.
I agree with you. That's kind of the area I
like to live in as well, a little bit more aggressive.
My guys. Wilson traish for a long time. You know
that about me, And he's going where right now the
(16:04):
n F you say week, he is going Ye, So
that is last year. I feel like it picks contraris
in like the thirteenth round, and I felt good about that.
I think that's really where I want to live ideally,
and It's pretty similar to where you were talking about
(16:26):
take a catcher there, but before some of the ones
like I don't want are the only ones left. We
have sleepers that we like. I have a whole crew
of nine to eight and I all think are kind
of the same. To be honest with you, I want
one of my eight guys. I'm gonna take that catcher
to make sure I get one of those eight guys
like I like Carson Kelly that wants my starting catcher.
(16:48):
Not really no, especially in one catcher league, right, Like
I don't want Carson Kelly to be my one catcher
in a two catcher league. We have talked about this,
you and I that we want to spend no more
than ten dollars on two catchers about in the league
where we are um in the state draft. We're not
going to invest high draft picks in that. We're gonna
want a guy just to have me like, all right,
we're comfortable with this guy. We're not going to messed heavily.
(17:09):
And the same same remains true for me. I'm never
gonna be the guy that draft shakes really leads out.
I'm not gonna be the guy that ras Gary Sanchez
I'm just not gonna do it, Yes, because again you
pass up on players who play every single day exactly
and in a better chance of getting stay healthy. Yeah. Look,
catchers get nicked up all the time. Remember there behind
the plate, their pitches are getting fouled off their face mask.
You know, there's balls in the dirt that they're trying
(17:31):
to you know, drop down and stop from you know,
being passed balls. And you look, they're constantly taking a
beating back there. So they are prone to getting more
of to being more injured consistently. And you know Gary
Sanchez if you just want to talk about him Greg specifically,
I mean he's missed a ton of time over the
past couple of seasons with various different injuries, and a
lot of it didn't even come you know, playing the
(17:51):
catcher position a few times, it's just like running the
first base. He's you know, suffered a few injuries. And look,
real Muto is the number one catcher and fantasy and
there's no doubt about it. He's been incredibly durable. Give
you five, five to ten stolen bases. You look at
what he did last year, Greg, and it's look, he
scored ninety two runs as a catcher. I mean, that's
(18:12):
ridiculous in the Phillies lineup. Obviously, Good Ball Park's hidden.
He's in a contract. Theoris twenty five home runs last
year at a massive second half eighty three r bis.
His runs, RBIs and stolen basis all led catchers, Greg,
So there's no doubt if you do want to pay
up at the position, Real Muto is the number one
guy over Gary Sanchez. Gary Sanchez to me, is just
(18:34):
so hard to figure out because the batting average fluctuates
all over the place. The plate discipline is questionable at times.
He strikes out a lot, He misses time. Last year
the launch angle went way up. It seemed like all
he was trying to do was hit home runs. The
batting average suffered as a result, only hit two thirty two.
His splits were all messed up, lesson, Like, Gary Sanchez
(18:56):
is just a weird player to figure out and something
there's so much like if he has higher upside than
real Muto, there's like, there's no doubt about that he
has higher upside. He does. I think if Gary ever
stayed healthy for like a hundred and thirty plus games, Greg,
he's giving you close to forty home runs and no
(19:16):
other catcher is doing that. It's not close. I think
his upside is higher than real Muto, but his downside,
his floor is way lower than Real Music had hundred
six games last year. You know there's twenty games he
has six four hord runs. Yeah, yeah, for sure, j
zero music last year. He stays healthy the average ship
(19:38):
you're saying, no, I still rank Real Muto number one.
I'm just saying the upside for me, in my opinion,
if everything were to break right right like nine percental
outcomes for both of these catchers, I think Gary sanchez
Is upside is higher than that of Real Muto. So
if you do want an elite catcher, and you know
you want one of these top two guys, and just
wait a couple of rounds until after Real Muto goes again.
(19:59):
Normally he goes in the fourth, fifth round, you can
wait till the six seventh round for Gary Sanchez and
you can still wind up with one of the best
catchers in baseball. Great lineup, great ballpark, YadA, YadA. You've
heard it a million times when it comes to the Yankees.
But just know that there are a lot of moving
parts for Gary Sanchez. Greg, Obviously, we live in the
New York area and we watch a lot of Yankees games,
(20:21):
and it seems like every single year there's like a
timing issue with Gary Sanders because he has the and
it's always like, oh, he goes into this prolonged slump
because he can't get his timing down. He has the
big leg kick. There are just so many moving parts
when it comes to Gary Sanchez, plus you need him
to stay healthy. So I'm just washing my hands of it.
I'm not getting involved with either of the top two catchers. Honestly, Greg,
(20:42):
I get it. The draft price is too high for me.
I you would love to own both of these guys,
right like you would love to have him on the team.
But the slump with Gary Santras is incredibly frustrating. You know,
we'll get hot, It'll be a nice street, that's who.
Thirty batting averages will be very, very annoying. I'd rather
I'd rather the forty home run guy with a similar
wait play every day like your boy, Greg. Over the
(21:02):
past week, Gary Sanchez is going to pick seventy, which
is just ahead of jose A Bray. You, Victor Roeboys
Nelson cruise, Luis Robert, how can you a straight face?
You can't do it, say that you should take a
catcher who is most likely going to miss time over
players like this who are gonna give you such consistent production,
(21:25):
good batting average Robost can give you solen basis, Luis Robert,
ceiling is sky high. I can't get involved there, Greg.
We would never do it. We would simply never do it.
Let's continue, um, because after those two grand right, is
he number three catcher as well? He is my number
three catcher. It's worth mentioning, Greg. He has not caught
a single game in spring training yet, as he's battling
(21:47):
a calf injury. Not really what you want to hear
from a catcher. Maybe that's okay, he's not running anywhere. Actually,
it's exactly want to here for a catcher any other one.
You want to hear from a catcher who is crouching
all the time and he has a calf injury, He's
not move Sit there, I mean crouch all right, Let's
go crouch down right now and tell me what you
(22:07):
feel in the bottom of your legs. I guarantee you
it doesn't feel good. How does that calf feel right now, Greg,
how does this calf feel? Keep it going a little bit? Oh,
look at that. Look at this guy's got some calves here.
No no, don't no, no, no, you can't put that.
You can't put the hands down on the ground. Greg,
stay there for about three hours and tell me how
your calf feels afterwards, Greg, that will be the show
(22:29):
for the rest of today. I'm just telling you, I
don't think it's a good thing if you has Moni
grandal is dealing with a calf injury as a catcher.
It is some great form by Greg smen as well
some mint green sneakers. He's got it all working personally, Greg,
I just don't think that it's good for a catcher
if they're dealing with a calf injury. What all right?
He's gonna explain himself here to be fit all right,
(22:53):
it's not work all right here. So the most catches
are like really just slitting on one leg. Now, it's
like he's doing right on one leg to be fair.
I don't know, guys, monty grand dollars. He might like that. Yeah,
so maybe yeah, maybe he just sits like that, just
kind of rest the calf like that. Exactly, no big deal.
(23:14):
I'm still not a fan of that right now. It's
more so given the price that you have to pay
for him and the fact that he hasn't played a
single game yet, so has Monty grand Dolla is going
around pick nine, Greg, which is right around Nick Cassiano's,
Marcela Zuna, Josh Donaldson, Rosario, Tim Anderson. How can you
(23:34):
take grand Dollar over these guys. There's no reason too,
because even if you want the advantage of tight end,
I don't. Don't you want the advantage at Casher, There's
not a big enough advantage that he has Monty grand
Doll over some of these other players in this range,
namely Contraris Garver, Ramos Perez, and Will Smith. Those are
that rounds out my tier. I don't know, I don't
(23:55):
know about yours. Like that's it. Those eight guys I have.
Tier one is Real Muto and Gary sang Dame. Tier
two is Yas, Monty Grandel, Mitch Garver, Salvador Perez, Wilson
Kon Treres, Will Smith, and I have Wilson Rambos in
that year also, and that you can argue, sure, that's fine,
that's it. Those the only eight catchers I want. I
don't have any year three. So if you play in
(24:16):
a one catcher league, try to get one of those
top eight catchers and then kind of just whatever fill
in your second catch with one of these upside games.
What I would do, I'm gonna take the last catcher.
Whenever that last catchers that Wilson Robos fire him up.
Greg All on the other side, I guess we'll have
to find out why after the break. I like Will Smith, though,
Will Smith all the Will Smith someone Will Smith on
(24:37):
the other side. Will Smith and Wilson Ramos and Wilson
t want to light the lamp on Draff, Kings and
FanDuel this NHL DFS season. Then joined Daily roado dot
com and learned from the best daily fantasy sports players.
Get updated fantasy hockey projections for NHL DFS, blind combinations,
and build stacks for tournaments in the Daily Roado NHL
DFS lineup Optimizer. If you are playing daily Fantasy Hockey
(25:01):
without using Daily Rhodo, you are doing it wrong. Enter
the promo code action for a ten percent discount. That's
promo code action for a ten percent discount. Let's move
on to the Wills Wilson Contraris, Wilson Ramos, Wilson Smith.
(25:27):
You hit all these guys. What if I want to
talk about Mr garberd Is his name doesn't started with will, Well,
then we should not talk about him yet, all right,
all right? So the one that I have ranked the
highest of the wills is actually Wilson Contreres. I have
him a few spots lower than you. I have him
down at six. Gregg, He's at four for me, just
because I do worry about the long angle at times.
(25:51):
He hits a lot of groundballs. Greg's do you worry
about that? Career HIGs twenty four home runs. There's a
lot of those. Two career high thirty seven percent hard contact.
Greg didn't raise the flyball rate a little bit less.
He's One of the problems for Wilson Contreris has been
his ability to stay healthy. Greg. He dealt with a
foot and a hamstring injury less season limited him to
(26:13):
just five games, but over fifty percent groundball rate. Greg
for his career, strikes out a lot career high twenty
ft nine percent strike out rate last year. Wilson Contrairis
is fine. Just like a few of the first basemen
we were talking about yesterday. Greg, not to the same
extent as like a Paul Goldschman. I don't mind getting
a Wilson contres He's just fine. He is what he
(26:35):
is to sixty hitter, twenty home runs, solid county stats,
good line up to hidden good ball, vark tow hidden
in Wrigley. I just think some of the other players
in this range Greg have a little bit more upside.
Grandall going considerably higher than Wilson Contreris. And then Mitch Garver,
someone that I do like this year. I don't really
like the price. But he lost his catching coach, Frank,
(26:58):
it's Garver lost his catching coaches. True, that is a
factual statement, you know. Sure, maybe that changes things for him. No,
I mean I just want, well, I just want miss
Garver to be able to bat, which he's very good at.
He's like good at catching. Maybe he will be good
a bat it he's not really great at catching, but
Alex Savilla is backing him up. Greg. I don't really
think he's gonna take Mitch Garver's job. Ever, had thirty
(27:21):
one home runs last year for the Minnesota Twins, bet
at two seventy three with an o BP at three
sixty five, he was fantastic. Why do you like him
more than Wilson? Charis Well, Gregg. It comes down to
the contact that he makes, right, It just makes elite
contact the catcher position. Last year you look at the
stat cast page another one here basically with all the
Minnesota twins Mcguelson, no Nelson, cruz Um now Josh Donaldson
(27:45):
joining the team as well, Miss Garver rank nineties six
percentile in barrel rate last year. Greg, That was not
just among catchers, that was an all of baseball percentile
in expected slugging percentage UM, and he was hied for
seventh and all of baseball in terms of average EGXIT
velocity on fly balls in line drive. So when he
(28:05):
is hitting the ball in the in the air, he's
hitting the ball extremely hard. As well, he has good
plate discipline eleven percent walk great. The plate discipline is
going to be a little bit better than someone like
Wilson Kntreris. Like, if you worry about what you saw
from miss Garver last year being a fluke, then maybe
you worry about him not coming close to repeating that.
But he has had some big seasons in the miners. Greg,
(28:27):
you know back in seventeen ps in Triple A with
seventeen home runs. If you remember, Nano do Fino is
actually all over midch Garver like coming in every day
looking at Triple A numbers like Garver is gonna be
the man. Mitch Garver is gonna be the man. He
has shown some upside in the past. Um in the minors.
He had thirty one home runs last year, Greg, and
only nine three games. So even if you worry about
(28:49):
plate um how much he's going to play last year,
only played ninety three games and was awesome in those games. Greg.
One of my early well at the time, one of
my early hot takes for the NCY bas was that
Mitch Garver actually outproduces Gary Sanchez this season, Greig, I
mean I did it last year, right, The average is
(29:11):
way better. Yeah, you had to seventy three with p s,
which is just ridiculous at the catcher position, and he
led off last year against left handed pitching. Probably going
to do that again this upcoming season. So you're gonna
get run scored. Um. Obviously, when Josh Donalson wasn't there,
you thought there was a chance that he can, you know,
maybe get some time at first base, which would help
(29:32):
with the playing time. But you know what, Donaldson there
obviously mcgilson no slides over. He's just gonna He's just
gonna play. Cash actually hit thirty one home runs last year.
What is he gonna get? Like? Where is he at
this year? Is the year before seven and a hundred
three games minor league career? Wasn't like a prolific power
writer r Any means he had a good season in
(29:52):
the minors, Greig and how many games? He eight games
and then hit zero and twenty three games the majors.
All right, Well it comes down to team philosophy, right.
Everybody on the Twins was barreling balls last year. I
know that they lost their pitching coach is something that
Craig has talked about on Fantasy Sports Today. Coach. He's
now they're hitting the hitting coach of the Miami Marlins.
(30:14):
So maybe we see some of the Miami Marlins. They
also lost their bench coach, raised the launch angle as well.
But I don't think these guys are just gonna forget
what they learned last year, don't you. You're saying that
this morning right either yesterday yesterday, so you're out on
miss Garver Greg, it just sounds like I'm not in
as miss garverge yesterday. I don't have any shares yet
because he kind of still just goes a little bit
(30:34):
too early. Short liking Greg right now, the ADP in
March is one O seven. Well, even taking Salvador Perez
around this spot instead. Well, the thing is with Salvado Perez,
you can get him about forty picks later and he's
if you have a question that Savadoor Perez, he's back,
he's healthy, He's already playing, yes, and he is playing
catcher as well, so he's not just d ching in games.
(30:55):
He has caught a few in spring training so far.
And look, he's coming back from Tommy John surgery. We've
seen labor Torres come back from this. Don't really have
much concern there. Um Die Glorius has come back from
that as well. And there was a quote that stood
out to me regarding Salvado Perez. He said, to miss
a year, I know it's bad for the first time,
(31:15):
but it helped me a lot healing my body. He
plays every day. He plays every single day, so I
actually think he might be a little refreshed season. You
think they'll still play him every single day, though, I
think that they're going to play him at d H
as well. Sure, maybe they slide so Laer into the
outfield a little bit just to get the bat of
Salvado president. They could put Salad first base two. So
(31:37):
I still think that the at bats are going to
be there. Uh, not as good as in a ob
P league or a points league. Doesn't walk all that much,
but four straight seasons before last year with twenty one
plus home runs career to sixties six hitter. He's kind
of like Sekturs where he's just fine, right, it's going
to hit home runs. Line up is decent, not great,
(31:58):
but you know he's gonna play either at catcher, d H,
first base. They're gonna find ways to get Salvador Perez's lineup, uh,
Salvador Perez's bat in the lineup. And in terms of
the price gig again going around pick one fifty, which
I feel much better about taking a catcher in that
range rather than I pick one hundred with Garver or
even earlier with like Sanchez. Real music chairs also there
(32:19):
he as we said, pick one oh seven. Right now,
what about my guy Will Smith, who I have as
my seventh rank catch. I'm really high on it because
he was really good after coming up last year. He
was the unquestioned starter now for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He was a top prospect for them. I know you
have some worries about him and in the batting average specifically, Um,
are you draftinge will Smith this year? I don't mind
(32:42):
Will Smith. I think he's at the end of this
here and again, if he falls later than everyone else,
then sure, I don't mind getting him as my first catcher.
And maybe he's someone we can look at in our
auction league together here, Greg, but last year, UM, the
batting average in the Major's to fifty three in the minors.
He does have some swing and miss. He's strikes out
a decent bit. His expected batting average Greg, according to
(33:03):
stack cast was two five, so we could see the
batting average crater a little bit here twenty three point
seven degree average launch angle. Greg. He hits too many flyballs.
He's in the Reese Hoskins category of he tries too
hard to hit home runs. Do you like home runs? Yeah?
But it also could affect her batting average when he's
(33:23):
striking out and only hitting flyballs. As we saw from
Reese Hoskins in the second half Life basically found exactly
what I want. Right, Reese Hoskins, Cavin Bgia, Will Smith,
they're all the same. Well, you're playing ob P leagues
and so it's different because those guys can still be
all right. But in batting average, Greg, you're looking at
a solid two forty year less team. This is why
in all the leagues of batting average, I share with you, right, yeah,
(33:46):
because I gotta talk to you off from the ledge.
It's okay, what teamwork is man? Right? Look, I like
Will Smith and it's a good line up to hit in.
I think the power is real, but I do think
there's some worry over the batting average. He probably hits
to thirty to two forty home runs from the catcher position.
It's great, and you know he's gonna give you some
(34:07):
RBIs obviously in that line of probably gonna give you
seventy seventy five RBI, which you know a catcher is great.
I will say this, Greg, if he struggles even in
the least bit, they do have prospect. Yes, they have
one of the top catching prospects in baseball. Isn't that
what Will Smith was. He is have a ton of
catching prospects, kuibert Ruise. Look at the name Greg will
Smith first, All right, well, I'm telling you that kibert
(34:30):
Ruise is in the organization and what prospects. So if
he struggles, he's like Kybert Ruise is close Greg, but
like will Smith was a top prospect for them, He's twenty,
was but a steen years old on my sister's birthday.
Kiber Ruise was actually regarded as a higher project than
will Smith and he hit Listening to this power though
man twenty home runs in the minors last year, fifteen
the majors, he had thirty five home runs last year
(34:53):
the powers legit, No, it is. It's awesome. But I'm
just saying, like there is a downside that I think
some people might not be taking into account as much
as they should, because there is a recipe for this
to end badly for will Smith, and it's someone who
have Reese Hoskins. Again, just if he strikes out and
tries too hard to hit five balls, Greg, then he's
(35:13):
gonna wind up with a very low batting average this season.
He could but the project but like all the projections,
doesn't even have like a terrible batting average. Well, what
do you consider terrible? Greg? What are they having for
it is bad? I love that Gregg says a statement
and then like retracts it. I didn't think it would
be like this bad projective batting average. I like, Will Smith,
(35:36):
you're wrong, I Will Smith, Sure, that's your guy. Yeah,
I think one of Wilson Ramos's team is batting two
thirty this year is and the problem with that. Yeah,
but punt batting average in your head take category. Leave,
that's fine, it's so big. I don't plan to lay average.
There you go, it's gonna be great. It was good trays.
I'm keeping you remember, especially my keepers. Again, maybe not
that we're like into baseball. Maybe you could change it.
(35:56):
Um well, I've been into baseball for two months now.
I haven't one more cash here to get too. And
that is Wilson Ramos of the New York Mets. He
is last catchered my tier, Frank, He's not even in
this tier for you. I know we have talked about
him potentially target grabbing him. I know he's kind of
like in that he's fine tier for you. Is he
fine enough that you're drafting. Yeah. I mean, look, he
(36:18):
stayed healthy last year and played a hundred and forty
one game insane four four played appearances, that was third
among catchers. He had to eighty eight. He's going to
contribute in the batting average department, which you can't say
about a lot of catchers, But only fourteen home runs
seventy three ribbies hits too many ground balls. So far
in spring he has said that he is working more
onlifting the ball and his launch angles. So look, his
(36:41):
bat to ball skills are great. If he would just
lift the ball a little bit, Greg, we might even
get twenty home runs out of Wilson Ramos with a
really good batting average as well. I do worry that
they overworked him a little bit too much last year. Greg,
he has been injury prone in the past, but he
is part of this range. I don't have a problem
with you including him in this tier, and I don't
mind him as my first catcher either. In fantasy basebl
(37:02):
I probably won't drost my first catcher, to be honest
with you, all the other eight guys so much more.
All right, Zac Gallen and our sleepers are next. I
want to light the lamp on Draft Kings and FanDuel
this NHL DFS season, then joined Daily Rodo dot com
and learned from the best daily fantasy sports players. Get
updated fantasy hockey projections for NHL DFS, blind combinations, and
(37:25):
build stacks for tournaments in the Daily Rodo NHL DFS
Lineup Optimizer. If you are playing daily fantasy hockey without
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promo Code action for a ten percent discount. That's promo
Code Action for a ten percent discount. It's the final
(37:49):
seven of the week for all the coast was your way.
So a little while ago, I got an opportunity to
catch it with Zach Gallen, so jealousy. Nice guy. I
like him, night guy, nice guy. He was awesome, high
character Zach Gallon. Another reason to draft him this year.
(38:10):
I want to make a lot of a team names
with Gallant in it, you know, mm hmm yeah, I'm
gonna have a thing about that one. I don't know,
like two Gallon ginral Ah, that's not your best Greig.
I love Gingeril not a creative name. How is it
not to Gallon ginger That's funny? How's it funny? We're
(38:32):
gallons in it, all right, that's it. It's not gallons,
it's leaders. Greg. You buy a two leader of two
gallons of ginger rail, is gonna be like a jug.
This it's gonna be. You might as well take like
the water cooler you have in your house. You have
the little sheen with the water cooler that filled with
ginger les. It's the only soda that I have in
(38:56):
my house at all times. Me too. Let's go man
that as well. The BFF of mine it is Zack Gallen.
He had this to say a little bit earlier on
joined now by Zack Gallen all of the Arizona diamond Backs. Zach,
what's going on, man? How's it going on? Guys? It's
going really really well. We appreciate you taking the time.
How is your spring going? Man? Yeah, it's been good.
Um weather it's been great. Uh, you know, the guy's
(39:18):
been awesome and you know it's it's been good so far.
So obviously you're in Arizona, um, playing for the Diamondbacks,
and a lot different than last spring playing for the Marlins.
That trade, at least for us fantasy owners, kind of
came out of nowhere. What was it? Like being traded,
which I'm sure was a huge shocked you too. Yeah,
it was kind of crazy. Um, I had pits the
(39:38):
night before. UM, through kind of well thought. I was
coming in, you know, talked about last night's outing, and
you know, a couple of minutes into the conversation, I
realized that's not what it was about, and they were
trading me to Arizona. UM stopt packing up my apartment
about eighteen hours again on the flight was pretty crazy,
but you know, I'm glad to be here. Yeah, I
mean that's you. You're a player, is getting traded and
(39:59):
it's a business. But just pitched the night before, obviously
you're just kind of a couple of starts back. That
is just nuts to me. So what changed for you
pitching wise going from the Marlins to the d Backs.
Obviously your walks dropped, your your caper and I went
up a little bit. What changed for you formulaic? I guess, Um,
I pitched you on a different team. UM. I think
one of the bigger things was just kind of getting
(40:21):
with Carson Kelly got you know, I've been within St. Louis, UM,
so there was some familiarity there, and you know, I
kind of just was filling my way around the big
leagues and been up there for a couple of months.
So I think it was just you know, more so
getting comfortable and you know, uh, just really getting used
to the league and seeing how things were playing out.
(40:41):
We're talking to Zach Gallant of the Arizona Diamondbacks and
you mentioned you got to Arizona and you reconnected with
Carson Kelly and you you have this for pitch mix. Now,
you had obviously all off season to work with Carson
Kelly with the d Backs. What have you worked on
most of this offseason? What are you been looking on too?
I guess what particular the pitch maybe uh to get
better on as we head into twenties twenty. I mean,
(41:03):
I think the biggest thing is just consistency, um, you know,
just trying to limit those walks like last year. Uh.
And I mean I think the biggest thing though in
terms of a pitch is just working on my cutter.
You know, back to the consistency and stuff like that.
It's like certain games I had at certain games that
didn't so, um, you know, I'd like to have it
most of the games. I know. That's having all the
games is a little bit. You know, it's a lot
(41:24):
to ask for, but if I can have it for
most of the games, I feel pretty comfortable about that.
I think fantasy owners obviously it would feel very comfortable
with that as well. Zach, what's it like? Right? We
we asked this question all the time, but like, what's
it like when people come up to you because you're
a young dude, right, like you kind of grew up
with us in this fantasy world. What was it like
when you have people across screwing at you being like
(41:45):
I need these strike ats? Man? Yeah, No, it was
kind of funny. Um um when I got called up
or that the night after I pitched, was you know
a lot of friends and family saying, you know, congratulations.
You know I was awesome to watch, But most of
the messag as I got were hey, thanks for the
so many points whatever it was. So I just kind
of gotta laugh out of that. And you know, it's
(42:06):
kind of cool to see because I'm kind of the
same way there, and you know, fantasy football season, I'm
kind of thinking, oh, man, I would love for you know,
player actually give me so many points. So for me
to be a similar situation and you know, it's kind
of funny. Absolutely, and uh, it is funny to be
on the other side of that. Like we have questions
all the time, we aren't people of answering them because
(42:27):
we're just as bad as everybody else's. But you you
can actually uh impact fantasy teams way more obviously than
we can. It's fantastic, um, what you've been able to
do thus for in your short career. We're talking to
Zack Allen all the Arizona divingbacks, and I know a
question of Buddy Frank has Zach how many strikeouts are
gonna have this season? Just wondering I don't know, hopefully enough.
(42:50):
Uh yeah, I don't know, Yeah, hopefully enough. That's that's
the answer. I'll get. That's that's perfect. Um. It's like
just a couple more here as we wrap up with you.
But I think my question is you obviously got called
up mid season last year. This year you're funding for
a rotation spot. I know a lot of people also
included think that you're going to grab this rotation spot
(43:11):
and it should be on your way to a pretty
nice season here. What what is the mindset? How different
is the mindset for you within a chance legitimately do
break camp in the rotation versus in the past where
you really haven't had that opportunity. Yeah, I mean it's
the same but different. At the same time, you know,
you still go in there, whether you have a spot
or not, wanting to compete one the show where you
(43:32):
worked on the off season, Um, how much better you got.
But I will say that, I mean, you know, after pitching,
it takes a little bit more of the weight off
your shoulders. Knowing that you can do it. Um, they've
seen you been able to do it, So I think
that makes it, you know, just a little bit easier
on me. But at the same time, I'm still gonna
go out there, whether you know, have a spot or not.
I'm gonna compete and show someone to final question for you, Zac,
(43:56):
and that is give us one member of the Diamondbacks
that not everybody's talking about right now, but they will
be in just a couple of months. One member. Um,
Carson Kelly. All right, your boy, Carson Kelly, You're back
throwing with him and everybody. Everybody is gonna know about
Carson Kelly just a couple of months from now. We
appreciate the time that come back anytime. Good luck this year.
(44:17):
We were in for you man. I appreciate thanks for
having men you got it absolutely. That's Zack Gallen of
the Arizona Diamondbacks. That was awesome. Great job by our
Greg Susman talking with Zac Gallen, the Arizona diamond Backs
starting pitch or someone we're all very excited about this
year for fantasy baseball purposes. Greg and I love what
he had to say in terms of working on the
(44:38):
cutter of this offseason. You brought up the four pitch
mixed that he had last year. Four seeing fastball, curveball,
cutter change up, and we saw a ton of strikeouts,
maybe more walks than we wanted out of Zack Gallon
last year, but still had a phenomenal rookie season dominated
in Triple A and someone we're all expecting to take
that next step this season in fantasy baseball. So hopefully
(45:00):
that cutter is something that he can find consistency with
and help him. He also mentioned Carson Kelly, his catcher.
He's my hum or eleven catcher on the board. I
like Carson Kelly, dude. Yeah, Carson Kelly has a ton
of power upside. I have him as my tenth catcher,
so more of you know, one of those back end
first catchers for me in terms of fantasy baseball. You know, look,
(45:23):
if you're playing a two catcher league, I'm probably not
gonna draft Salvador Perez and Carson Kelly because that means
you're investing two of your top twelve or thirteen round
picks and catchers. And that's just something I can't get
behind personally, Greg. But, um, we saw the power last year, Greg,
and forty eight point seven percent hard contact rad for
Carson Kelly. That was that led all catchers with at
(45:45):
least three fifty plate appearances UM matches against left handed pitching.
So keep that in mind. From a DFS perspective, Greg
any worry that, you know, if he doesn't perform well
against right he's he only had a seven oh eight
ops against right he's last year that we could see
more of Steven Vote, who was the backup catch or
who hits right. He's quite well. He mashes right these
and that does concern me. As someone that likes Kelly.
I like that he eighteen home runs in a hundred
(46:06):
and eleven games last year. That's a good number. Um,
But signy. Stephen Bote just doesn't go away with Oakland,
with San Francisco, Arizona's in Milwaukee as well. It's frustrating, right, Like,
you want to see a young player developed, and maybe
he will, write Steven though it can be uh cut
by the end of April. He doesn't matter to the
future of Diamondbacks, certainly Carson Kelly does. I think if
Kelly um he used to hit well, he'll stay in there.
(46:28):
I mean, his heart hit rate was ridiculous last year,
forty eight point seven percent. Like Kelly, get at the ball.
I like Carson Kelly in a one catcher league as
your first catcher. I'm cool with it and won't cost
you nearly as much as what some of the other guy,
as we were saying, would Yeah, and I think he's
probably gonna hit close to twenty home runs, maybe even
more than that. Remember he was regarded as one of
the top catching prospects in baseball when he was with
(46:49):
the St. Louis Cardinals. And I thought that that was
a really, really good point that you brought up to
Zach Gallen, and that he mentioned as well, was that
he developed some more consistency when he moved over to
the Diamondbacks because us Carson Kelly was catching him. Remember
they actually were in the Cardinals organization together when Zach
Gallen was a prospect there and then he got traded
to the Miami Marlins. I believe in the Marcel Ozuna trade.
(47:12):
So they have familiarity together and we can expect some
of that to play over into this season as well
here in so obviously something else that can help Carson
Kelly and also Zach Gallen here, Greg, Franky, what are
other sleepers here do you have? And they don't have
to be a long range sleever, they could be a
guy that's kind of just in this tend to twenty range.
We haven't got on a chance to really talk about today.
(47:32):
What are some other guys that you feel good about drafting?
So I don't mind YODDI ere Molina surprise surprise, Frank
loves the old players in fantasy baseball because they're undervalued.
Sean Murphy is someone who broke out a little bit
last year with the Oakland A's. Can do some nice
things with the bat, you know, to seventy plus batting average,
a little bit of power there as well. Jorgeil Farrow
(47:52):
hits the ball extremely hard, Greg, but just has to
learn to raise the launch angle a little bit. But
you know, amongst the leaders at the hatcher position in
terms of hard hit rate and average exit velocity as well.
Danny Jansen struggled last year, but in an O b
P format, which I know you're playing and a lot
of people do. Danny Jansen has a good eye at
the plate. I know that Reese McGuire is there, but
(48:14):
Jansen played better down the stretch last season, and I
am expecting a little bit more power this season out
of Jansen, fifteen to twenty home runs and just dipping
down a little bit lower if you're playing those deeper leagues.
A second catcher um Jason Castro now starting with the
Los Angeles Angels. I think he has some pop, and
our guy former Yankee Greig Austin Roman a beard now
(48:35):
expected to be the starter and everyday catcher for the
Detroit Tigers. Also kind of sneakily like Sean Murphy with
the Oakland Athletics. Obviously bad ballpark, but I think he
played every day and he has some pop too. I've
already drafted him a few times as well, so I
don't I don't mind that, all right, wait a minute
to go, Well, he's a minute talking about Aaron Judge
who has a stress fracture in his first rib. He's
gonna rest for two weeks, surgery is not off the
(48:56):
table is not healed by that, which means he's going
to have surgery. And why wait because he's idiots. He's
taking Aaron Judge right now. Yeah, so you're not like,
where would you actually take him? Knowing? Did they say
what the timetable would be if he had surgery? No,
I can't take him in the first five or six rounds.
And I mean knowing what we know now, I agree
(49:17):
with you, he's probably gonna en up having surgery. How
much time is he gonna miss? Then? I don't know too.
How would you spend on an auction? I just wondering.
Her friend all bunts and in twelve Amen grows up next.
I don't think everybody for the fantastic week. Great job
by Shaun and Alex down stairs, Frank Staffel, I'm Greg Susman,
(49:37):
will do it all get on Monday, we hope. I
want to light the lamp on Draft Kings and fan
duel this NHL DFS season, then joined Daily roado dot
com and learned from the best daily fantasy sports players.
Get updated fantasy hockey projections for NHL DFS, blind combinations,
and build stacks for tournaments in the Daily Roado NHL
(49:59):
DFS Lineup Optimizer. If you are playing daily fantasy hockey
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the Promo Code Action for a ten percent discount. That's
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