#_author:Andy Behrens

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Fantasy hitters worth picking up: Keon Broxton is binging

You’re a fantasy owner in need of hitting stats, and our analysts are here to help. Let’s begin with a review of players who can provide a power boost.

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Q. Here’s a partial list of widely available players who’ve each hit five or more homers over the past two weeks:  Matt Adams, Mike Zunino, Matt Davidson, Keon Broxton, Ian Happ and Yangervis Solarte. From that list, who are you most interested in adding for the remainder of the season?

Andy Behrens: I’m on the record as a big fan of Adams and Happ, but, for me, the answer here has to be KEON BROXTON. As of this writing, he’s one of only seven players in MLB who’s hit at least 10 homers and swiped 10 bags. Four of the seven were consensus first-round fantasy picks (Trout, Goldy, Betts, Altuve). Somehow, Broxton is only owned in 41 percent of Yahoo leagues. Let’s correct that problem, people. 

Scott Pianowski: MATT ADAMS is hard to deny, given the binge he’s been on since joining Atlanta (12 homers in 31 games, .661 slugging, 156 OPS+). Eventually Adams will get shifted or traded; I don’t buy Freddie Freeman shifting to third. Solarte was turning into a fun story until he injured his oblique. I love his position flexibility and on-base skills. 

Dalton Del Don: MATT ADAMS. There’s little doubt he’s been playing over his head, but Adams did hit 16 homers in fewer than 300 at bats last season. He’s batting .314/.365/.569 against right-handers this year, and he’s locked into the middle of Atlanta’s lineup now that Freddie Freeman is moving to third base once he returns from the disabled list. 

[Pitchers worth considering on the waiver wire]

Q. Give us a corner-infielder, available in shallow fantasy formats (10-12 teams), who deserves more attention?

Andy: OK, here’s where I give a nod to MATT DAVIDSON. He’s not going hit for average, in all likelihood, but he’s already up to 16 home runs, plus he does his hitting in a favorable home environment. 

Scott: I’ll sign off on Davidson, too; I realize it’s a season where everyone reaches the seats, but 21 percent looks awfully light. And what’s it going to take to fix the TREY MANCINI ownership tag? He fits in well with Baltimore’s softball team of DH types; .337-15-5-15 over the last month, and he doesn’t run, either. If you’re looking for the center cut of Boom Boom ownership, check him out against righties (.342/.392/.624) and at home (.337/.378/.615).

Q: Please offer up a corner who’s available in deeper, larger leagues.

Dalton: LUCAS DUDA. The batting average isn’t great, but he’s knocked out 12 home runs over just 165 at bats. Rarely will you find someone with an .892 OPS owned in just 12 percent of leagues.

Scott: Obviously the four-homer game was a monumental fluke, but SCOOTER GENNETT is viable in a deeper format. He holds three positions of eligibility (2B, 3B, OF), his playing time is safe with Zack Cozart hurt, and he’s generally slotted No. 2, right in front of Joey Votto. A .284 average moves the needle in today’s game, and Gennett has 23 homers over his last 653 at-bats.

Q: Kyle Schwarber was sent to Triple-A, which made at least one Yahoo expert cry real tears. It’s been a rough year for fantasy catchers generally, so give us a widely available backstop who’s worth a long look. 

Dalton: I gave poor Andy a hard enough time about Schwarber’s demotion during our recent podcast, so I won’t pile on here. Seriously, what a down year for catchers. As for a possible replacement, give me AUSTIN HEDGES (his recent injury isn’t supposedly serious). He’s on pace to finish with 24 homers with 76 RBI and is available in 22 percent of leagues.

Andy: I am shattered by the Schwarber demotion. Broken. Weeping. It gave me no pleasure to add TYLER FLOWERS as a replacement across my fantasy portfolio, but that’s what I’ve generally done. We knew Flowers had legit power entering the season. So far this year, there’s far less swing-and-miss in his game, and he’s delivered a career-best line-drive rate (25 percent). 

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Juggernaut Index, No. 24: As Trubisky goes, so go the Bears

If Mitchell Trubisky can make a leap in his second season, the Chicago Bears offense can get fun in a hurry. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

The Chicago Bears have won nine league championships and 749 regular season games since the franchise was founded in 1920. Twenty-seven former Bears are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and 69 have been selected as first-team All-Pros. The names of the greatest players in team history — Payton, Sayers, Butkus, Nagurski — are synonymous with excellence at their respective positions.

And yet somehow, as this franchise enters its 99th season, the Bears’ all-time leading passer is Jay Christopher Cutler.

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In fact, Cutler holds pretty much every significant career Chicago Bears record at the game’s most important position, including passing yardage, completions, passer rating, completion percentage and touchdowns. Remarkably, no quarterback in the history of this franchise has managed to throw for 4000 yards in a single season. Erik Kramer’s 3838 yards back in 1995 remains the team’s top mark. Jacksonville, Carolina and Tampa Bay have all had multiple 4000-yard passers while Chicago is still waiting for its first.

The Bears finished last in the NFL in passing last year and 30th in total offense, so things can only get better under the team’s new head coach. Matt Nagy arrives in Chicago after spending the previous decade climbing the coaching hierarchy under Andy Reid, first in Philadelphia and then in Kansas City. Nagy served as offensive coordinator of the league’s sixth highest-scoring offense last season, plus he oversaw the mid-career breakout performance of Alex Smith. There’s plenty to like in his coaching record. Nagy quickly hired former University of Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich as his OC, which adds another layer of fun.

When the Nagy/Helfrich offense is fully operational for Chicago, things should get legitimately interesting. It’s not crazy to think this team’s second-year quarterback has the potential to deliver the most productive passing season in team history, finally dislodging Kramer from the record book. Cutler’s career marks should not survive Mitchell Trubisky’s second contract.

Trubisky is guaranteed to make a substantial leap in 2018

It feels relatively safe to predict a Trubisky surge, because the team asked so little of him last season. We would say that John Fox and his staff kept training wheels on the offense, but that’s an insult to all the brave kids out there riding big-boy bikes with extra wheels for safety. At least those kids are moving forward. Chicago’s offense was basically inert in 2017. Trubisky ranked dead-last in the NFL among qualified starters in both deep attempts per game (2.5) and air yards (98.2) according to Player Profiler. This offense took no shots and gained nothing.

Whatever else happens this year, Trubisky and friends will definitely play a more entertaining game:

#Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky with us on @SiriusXMNFL now: “We’re going to spread the field and definitely use all our weapons.” Will see things from Matt Nagy’s #Chiefs days, have “twists and tricks” from Mark Helfrich/Oregon, mix in some tempo … more complex than he’s used to.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 2, 2018

Nagy was a big believer in Trubisky’s talent during the pre-draft process two years ago, and, by all accounts, the pair has clicked this offseason. Concepts and formations should feel similar to the QB’s college offense, and the system should generally take advantage of his live arm and dual-threat ability. Nagy has indicated the playbook will be 70-80 percent similar to what KC ran last year, with a few added flourishes. It was clear enough last season, despite the timidity of Chicago’s offense, that Trubisky has the necessary physical traits to thrive as a pro. His receiving corps is suddenly loaded with versatile athletes, too. Trubisky is essentially free in fantasy drafts (ADP 164.1, QB24). He’s worth targeting in super-flex and best-ball formats.

Let’s try to remember, however, that year-to-year continuity is critical to success in the NFL, and Chicago has none of it. That’s a small concern. This team has a first-year head coach working with a second-year QB, installing a new scheme. Every key member of the receiving corps is new. Bears fans and fantasy owners will need to be patient with this group. We should expect hiccups in the opening weeks.

OK, let’s meet the new receivers

Chicago revamped its receiving depth chart in a massive (and necessary) way during the offseason, both via free agency and the draft. The team gave a total of $61 million guaranteed to three veteran pass-catchers, then invested a second-round pick in a young receiver. We can safely ignore roster holdovers like Kevin White and Josh Bellamy in fantasy drafts. The new guys are clearly going to dominate the targets in this offense.

Allen Robinson inked a three-year deal with Chicago back in March, and he’ll be 12 months removed from his ACL injury when the season opens. Robinson was able to put in work during OTAs and appears on schedule for training camp. There’s been zero negative news on him, only negative spin from a few fantasy voices. At Robinson’s best, he’s a true No. 1 wideout with terrific red-zone skills, a player with ideal size (6-foot-3) and leaping ability. He was enormously productive at the collegiate level and he produced an 80-1400-14 line in his second pro season. Robinson’s efficiency plummeted in his third year (73-883-6 on 151 targets), but disentangling his performance from the horrors of Blake Bortles is no simple thing.

Robinson is a serious talent with an excellent history, and it’s reasonable to expect 75 receptions and 1100 yards in a healthy season. His draft price (ADP 47.1, WR19) reflects our collective optimism about this team’s offense, tempered by the expected ACL recovery worries. If camp reports on Robinson are positive, there’s a decent chance his ADP will climb 3-4 spots.

Trey Burton is the sleeper TE you need, fantasy owner. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Trey Burton landed with the Bears on a four-year, $32 million contract, and it kinda feels like we can pencil his name into the Pro Bowl roster right now. Assuming Trubisky achieves a reasonable degree of competence this season, Burton should feast. He’ll play a version of the tight end/wide receiver hybrid role that helped turn Travis Kelce into a star for the Chiefs. To be clear, Burton doesn’t have Kelce’s size or his exact athletic profile, but he has good hands and 4.6-speed. He’s a rough assignment for any linebacker or DB. Few defenses will have the personnel needed to check all of Chicago’s receiving threats. Burton should see 90-100 targets, a significant total for a tight end. He has a clear path to a top-six positional finish in any fantasy format.

Rookie Anthony Miller delivered back-to-back 95-catch, 1400-yard seasons at Memphis, so he had nothin’ left to prove as a collegiate player. He has an inside/outside skill set and he’s effective at every level of the field. He was a state champ in the 110-meter hurdles as a prep, too. His profile is plenty appealing and he shouldn’t lack opportunities in his first pro season. Miller is a fine late flier in redraft and a top-five-ish receiver in dynasty.

The Bears also signed the blazing fast Taylor Gabriel to a four-year deal, which allows this team to have at least one undersized burner on the field at all times. He and running back Tarik Cohen are both live-wire quick and difficult to contain. Gabriel isn’t likely to produce consistent weekly numbers; he hasn’t caught more than 37 passes in any of his four seasons. But he’ll deliver a handful of big plays, which puts him on the best-ball radar.

Tarik Cohen is a blur

Friends, let’s take a moment to appreciate Cohen’s ridiculousness.

“We’ll have some fun with him,” Nagy recently said.

Here’s hoping it’s true because Cohen’s playmaking ability is rare, even by NFL standards. He’s only 5-foot-6 (if that), but he bulked up this offseason, perhaps in anticipation of a larger role. Cohen handled 140 touches last season, including 53 receptions; it’s not unreasonable to forecast 170 and 65 in the year ahead. He’s compared himself to Tyreek Hill on more than one occasion, and, well … as comps go, it’s not the worst we’ve ever heard. Hill is faster than almost anyone on earth, of course, and clearly a more accomplished receiver. But both players are exceptional all-purpose threats, capable of scoring on any touch. Draft Cohen aggressively in any variety of PPR league.

Jordan Howard remains the featured runner, but…

Almost every time Nagy has mentioned that Howard is still the team’s primary rushing threat, he adds a caveat. Howard has been a notoriously poor receiver, so he’s not yet an every-down, all-situation player. His inability to catch leaves him particularly vulnerable to unfavorable game scripts. When Nagy suggests the Bears will use multiple backs, we need to take him at his word. Cohen’s expected increase in usage will almost certainly take a bite out of Howard’s workload.

However, we shouldn’t forget that Howard is a 225-pound dude who’s rushed for 2435 yards (4.6 YPC) and 15 touchdowns over two NFL seasons. He can play. Howard isn’t the perfect modern running back, but he generally makes great decisions with the ball in his hands. Stylistically, he’s nothing like Cohen, so these backs complement each other well. If Chicago’s offense can simply climb to the middle of the pack in 2018, Howard can again deliver second round value (ADP 18.2). Just please be prepared for a few 11-44-0 duds.

Ultimately, this season of Bears football is about the development of Trubisky and his indoctrination into Nagy’s system and team culture. Trubisky doesn’t need to make a Goff or Wentz-level leap (although that would be [profane] awesome), but he needs to finish the year in total command of his offense. He’s the key to everyone’s fantasy value in Chicago.

2017 Offensive Stats & Ranks

Points per game – 16.5 (29th in NFL) Pass YPG – 175.7 (32) Rush YPG – 111.8 (16) Yards per play – 4.9 (23) Plays per game – 58.4 (31)

Previous Juggernaut Index entries: 32) Buffalo, 31) Miami, 30) NY Jets, 29) Baltimore, 28) Oakland, 27) Cleveland, 26) Indianapolis, 25) Washington, 24) Chicago

Follow the Yahoo fantasy football crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, Brad Evans, Liz Loza, Scott Pianowski and Tank Williams

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Juggernaut Index, No. 26: Colts fans, fantasy owners still waiting on Andrew Luck

Hey, look who’s finally doing things with footballs. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The Indianapolis Colts will go as far this season as quarterback Andrew Luck can carry them, and it’s not yet clear that he’s capable of carrying them anywhere at all. Two weeks ago, Luck made a couple dozen short throws with footballs that weren’t quite official NFL-size and, understandably, the Colts community was pretty pumped…

IT’S HAPPENING OMG OMG pic.twitter.com/VyCR6llLRW

— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) June 12, 2018

Woo. Plan the parade route, Indy.

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As everyone knows, Luck missed the entire 2017 season following January labrum surgery. Colts news coverage over the past year-and-a-half has been a carnival ride of bogus pronouncements, wishcasting, skepticism, setbacks and wild speculation. It is, without question, a very good sign that Luck is throwing again. A great sign. Excellent news. The expectation is for Luck to develop something close to a regular season throwing routine that he can carry into camp:

“Big picture, my goal was to be able to throw as much as I need to, like on a game week,” Luck said. “A Wednesday, Thursday, Friday at practice and then Sunday, let it loose, no count, nothing. You’ve got to go and let it go. So that’s what I’m preparing for, that’s why right now I throw Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Fridays to mimic a three-day sort of practice week and then a Friday as a Sunday as a game week.”

Sounds like a solid plan. It also sounds as if Luck is beginning to feel legitimately closer to the pre-surgery version of himself. When asked if he expects to play the opener this season, he told reporters, “I’ll be playing. I believe it in my bones.”

Fantasy owners obviously can’t treat him as a sure thing, especially at a time when the quarterback position is as deep as it’s ever been. Luck’s FF Calculator average draft position seems aggressive (104.1, QB12) considering the quality and reliability of the players selected in his range. Drafting him at any price means that you will almost certainly need to roster a second playable QB. That’s not the greatest use of limited bench spots. But let’s also remember that Luck, at his absolute best, was a 4700-yard, 40-TD passer. He threw for 4240 yards and 31 scores in a year in which he played with the labrum tear. There’s little question that a healthy Luck would rank as a top-six fantasy quarterback.

If you’re still trying to talk yourself into Luck, please note that new head coach Frank Reich is fresh off a Super Bowl win as OC for the Eagles. Reich was essential in Carson Wentz’s development, plus he’s the guy who prepped Nick Foles to star in the postseason. These are good bullet points for a coaching resume.

Head coach Frank Reich was the most important offseason addition in Indy. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

We don’t have to make any final decisions on Luck’s draft value today, so let’s please keep an open mind. The recent news has been encouraging. At the very least, we shouldn’t run away from him quite the way we did last summer. His line should improve following the draft day addition of mauling guard Quenton Nelson.

The Colts’ offense was a start-to-finish mess without Luck last season, ranking dead-last in yards per play and 30th in passing. If he can’t get back to full health, none of this team’s skill players are particularly interesting for fantasy purposes.

Indy’s receiving corps is T.Y. Hilton and, um … some other dudes

T.Y. Hilton led the NFL in receiving yardage two seasons ago with Luck at the controls of the offense, catching 91 balls for 1448 yards. Last year, with Jacoby Brissett running the show (and rarely looking downfield), Hilton slipped to just 966 yards on 57 receptions. He was painfully boom-or-bust, delivering three games with 150 or more yards and a whopping eight games with 30 or fewer. Hilton is a dynamic player in his prime, 28 years old, and his chemistry with Luck is well established. He’s also a member of the best-shape-of-his-life club, which can’t hurt. If Luck gets right, Hilton will as well. His recent ADP reflects the fantasy community’s optimistic outlook on his quarterback (33.4, WR14). Hilton has never seen more than 16 red-zone targets in any season, so don’t expect a double-digit TD total.

Not surprisingly, T.Y. Hilton’s numbers took a huge nosedive without Luck. (Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini)

The battle for second and third-receiver duties is wide open behind Hilton — which is to say, there are no particularly intriguing candidates. Indianapolis signed the competent-if-not-spectacular Ryan Grant to a one-year deal back in March. Grant established new career highs in receptions (45), yards (573) and TDs (4) for Washington last season, but never topped 85 yards in any game. Front office fave Chester Rogers is entering his third pro season with a relatively unobstructed path to snaps and targets. Health has been an issue for him, but he’s flashed field-flipping ability a time or two — notably in a 104-yard performance against Pittsburgh last year. Rogers could be a decent what-if flier in the final rounds of deep drafts, depending on Luck’s status.

Fifth-round rookie Daurice Fountain (Northern Iowa) and sixth-rounder Deon Cain (Clemson) are in the mix as well. Both receivers have size enough to function as red-zone threats. Fountain had a superhuman pro day, posting a 42.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-2 broad jump. Cain has generated low-level buzz during the offseason, though he never actually delivered a huge season at the collegiate level. He has good speed for his size (4.43, 210), but ordinary leaping ability (33.5-inch vert). If you’d like to take a shot with one of these guys in dynasty, I’d lean Fountain. But, again, Cain is the guy who seemed to impress onlookers during OTAs.

Absurdly, tight end Jack Doyle led the Colts in receptions last year (and finished second overall at his position), hauling in 80 passes for 690 yards and four touchdowns. He was a short-range catch-and-fall receiver, ranking behind nearly all tight ends in average target distance (5.3) and yards per reception (8.6) according to Player Profiler. We can expect Indy’s offense to be far less predictable/numbing under Reich and new OC Nick Sirianni, so Doyle’s numbers should take a hit.

This team added Eric Ebron via free agency, and wow are the coaches excited about him…

“[Ebron] is really smart,” Reich said. “I knew that because we did our homework before he got here. We knew he was a smart player. But he’s like really a highly intelligent football player. And that’s really good because you want to use a guy with the versatility that he has and move him around and call all kinds of things with him. That helps. And he’s an explosive athlete.”

Detroit fans probably would have been willing to help Ebron pack his bags this spring, having seen enough drops and disappearances during his four seasons with the Lions. But it’s not unusual to see a tight end make a production leap on his second contract, so we need to keep Ebron’s name on the cheat sheet. He’s reportedly lining up everywhere in Indy’s offense. I’d prefer him to Doyle, which isn’t saying much.

Frank Gore is gone, replaced by a committee

Reich’s committee backfield in Philly was a massive success, so it should come as no surprise that he’s preparing to go RBBC with the Colts. It’s happening. No back on this team’s depth chart is obviously deserving of a featured role, so there should be little controversy regarding this potential three or four-man rotation. Marlon Mack gets a share, Robert Turbin gets a share and Ole Miss rookie Jordan Wilkins gets a share. Mack will be drafted ahead of the others (ADP 70.6, RB32), but strictly as a flex. Wilkins looks the part of an NFL back and he produced a solid year in the SEC, but he wasn’t much of a yards-after-contact runner. Pass protection is a concern as well.

Rookie running back Nyheim Hines could get interesting for PPR purposes. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The most interesting chess piece in this backfield might just be rookie Nyheim Hines, a fourth-round pick from NC State. He’s already lined up everywhere for the Colts, and it’s only June. Hines is a gifted returner, too. He’s a fun-size back (5-foot-8) who won’t make a living between the tackles, but he offers excellent speed (4.38) and receiving ability. Hines caught 89 passes over three collegiate seasons, and he ran for 1113 yards and 12 scores on 193 carries last year (5.6 YPC). He’s a name to know in PPR formats.

Of course none of these guys will be terribly exciting unless Luck is the NFL’s comeback player of the year. He’s the franchise cornerstone, the key to everything else. Let’s hope Luck can return to form, because his ceiling in a healthy season is the No. 1 player at our game’s highest scoring position.

2017 Offensive Stats & Ranks

Points per game – 16.4 (30th in NFL) Pass YPG – 180.8 (30) Rush YPG – 103.8 (22) Yards per play – 4.6 (32) Plays per game – 62.1 (23)

Previous Juggernaut Index entries: 32) Buffalo, 31) Miami, 30) NY Jets, 29) Baltimore, 28) Oakland, 27) Cleveland, 26) Indianapolis

Follow the Yahoo fantasy football crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, Brad Evans, Liz Loza, Scott Pianowski and Tank Williams

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Hot-hitting Reds prospect Nick Senzel worth stashing in fantasy leagues

Cincinnati Reds prospect Nick Senzel could soon get a call to the big leagues and is a player for fantasy owners to stash.. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Cincinnati prospect Nick Senzel has been a machine in recent weeks at Triple-A Louisville, batting .387/.434/.613 so far in June with three homers and three steals. He’s hit safely in 11 consecutive games and reached base in 20 straight. Earlier this month, he put together a seven-game streak of multi-hit games. His season slash is now .310/.378/.509 and he’s delivered 20 extra-base hits with eight stolen bases.

So yeah, Senzel can hit a little. He’s probably ready for a new challenge. He homered twice from the lead-off spot on Thursday, just to emphasize the point.

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Senzel has seen time at second, short and third this season, so he’ll offer positional flexibility when he arrives in the majors. Of course the Reds aren’t exactly hurting at his primary positions, second and third, where Scooter Gennett and Eugenio Suarez are firmly entrenched. It’s an issue. Senzel hasn’t played a ton of shortstop to this point — just one full game in the minors and 39 innings in spring. But that spot might represent his clearest route to the big leagues.

In any case, Senzel remains the top prospect in Cincinnati’s system and one of the most productive, consistent hitters in the high minors. His swing will play in any league. He’s available in 88 percent of the Yahoo universe at the moment and worth a stash in any format. He’s a near-lock to hit for average when he gets the call, plus he offers useful power/speed potential by middle-infield standards.

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Juggernaut Index, No. 27: Another year, another Cleveland QB

Tyrod Taylor opens the season at quarterback for the team Baker Mayfield will eventually lead. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Hue Jackson has gone 1-31 as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, which, to be clear, is considered quite bad. His team ranked last in the NFL in scoring in 2017 and next-to-last the year before. Jackson has had five different starting quarterbacks over his two seasons in Cleveland, including two rookies. All five of those QBs are now gone. If you’re wondering where they went, maybe check the bus under which Jackson keeps throwing his players.

This year, Coach Jackson will be working with the sixth and seventh starting QBs of his Browns tenure, one of whom was the first overall pick in the 2018 draft. Cleveland’s offense has an abundance of talent at the skill spots, so there’s no reason this team shouldn’t make a significant leap. Jackson has used a variety of motivational gimmicks to this point in the offseason, which presumably can’t hurt. But eventually he’s going to have to reverse this team’s recent tradition of never, ever winning football games.

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For now, Jackson remains in charge in Cleveland. The Browns hired former head coach and longtime offensive coordinator Todd Haley back in January, and it’s expected he’ll have complete control of the offense. The team also traded a third-round pick for veteran QB Tyrod Taylor prior to the draft, so we have a short-term position controversy to deal with as we consider the Browns’ fantasy potential.

There’s no way Baker Mayfield holds a clipboard all season

Taylor zealots are everywhere, and their commitment to him is, to a certain extent, understandable. He’s fine. Over the course of his three seasons as Buffalo’s quarterback, he was good if not spectacular as a passer, completing 62.6 percent of his throws at 7.2 yards per attempt. Taylor was risk-averse to a fault, which naturally led to a low interception rate (1.3 percent). That trait also led him to finish near the bottom of the league last year in deep attempts per game (3.8) and air yards per game (108.1), per Player Profiler. He’s a talented and productive runner (career 5.5 YPC), which boosts his fantasy appeal in no small way. For however long Taylor lasts as Cleveland’s starting quarterback, he’ll have a place in the fantasy conversation.

But here’s the thing: Baker Mayfield is going to play. It would be highly unusual, in this era, for Mayfield to sit beyond mid-season. Fourteen different quarterbacks have been selected first overall in the draft over the past 20 years, and those guys have averaged 10.3 starts per season. Four of the past five have started all 16 games. Mayfield is the future of the position in Cleveland and he’s already 23 years old. He was widely considered one of the most field-ready QB prospects in his draft class. He. Will. Play.

Taylor is an excellent placeholder for the Browns and he’s entering the final year of his deal. It’s already decided that he’ll open the season behind center for Cleveland. But it would be stunning if Mayfield isn’t playing by November. The first time Taylor has an unproductive half for the Browns, the countdown to Baker will begin.

Mayfield produced monstrous stats at Oklahoma, as most of you know, completing over 70 percent of his throws in each of the past two seasons, averaging 318.2 yards per game and an astonishing 11.3 per attempt. It helps of course that he played his games in the Big 12, where tackling is largely unknown. He was often throwing into mile-wide passing windows. But his numbers were simply insane. It’s also worth mentioning that many of the early concerns about Mayfield were erased during the pre-draft process. Scouting reports once listed arm strength in the “weaknesses” column, but he threw with the second best velocity at the combine (60 mph), just a couple ticks behind Josh Allen.

Again, Mayfield is gonna start games for the Browns — and when he does, he’ll let it fly. He has a clear shot at fantasy relevance as a first-year QB, because…

Cleveland’s receiving corps is suddenly legit

Jarvis Landry was one of the big offseason adds for the Browns, and he’s an easy fit in any offense. He had one of the highest target shares among all NFL receivers last season (27.4 percent), yet averaged only 3.1 air yards per chance. He became just the fourth player in league history (and first wide receiver) to catch over 100 passes yet finish with less than 1000 yards. Cleveland may not use him in precisely the same way Miami chose to, but he seems particularly well paired with a short-range passer like Taylor. It would be a small surprise if those two fail to click in the early weeks. Landry’s targets will likely dip this season — he saw 161 last year — but he’s a near-lock to make a leap in terms of efficiency. There’s minimal risk attached at his current ADP (61.4, WR25).

Josh Gordon is looking to recapture that 2013 magic. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

You don’t need a fantasy expert to tell you that Josh Gordon is a fantastically talented choose-your-own-adventure of a player. He closed his 2017 season with a 115-yard effort, which is clearly a promising sign. He’s had glowing things to say about Taylor and Mayfield, and the quarterbacks have been plenty excited about him. Everyone loves everybody else in the Browns family right now. Confidence is exceedingly high…

Reporter: “Hey Jarvis, Josh Gordon just told us the Browns have the best receiving corps in the league.”

Jarvis Landry: “He ain’t lying.”

— Zac Jackson (@AkronJackson) June 12, 2018

Gordon has experienced a full, uninterrupted all-football offseason for the first time in forever. That’s a big deal, yet easy to overlook. Gordon is still only 27 years old, gifted with a rare combination of size, speed and explosiveness. He’ll be a restricted free agent in 2019, so he won’t lack motivation. His fantasy ADP doesn’t leave much room for profit (29.8, WR11), but he deserves his status as the first Browns player off the board.

If we assume that a healthy Landry and Gordon will combine for something like 250-270 targets, then it’s going to be tough for supporting players like Corey Coleman and tight end David Njoku to consistently produce. Both can be drafted in fantasy as bench decorations, but neither projects as an ideal starter. Coleman is a burner who’s had trouble staying healthy in his two seasons, appearing in just 19 games. Haley has already put Coleman on notice, expecting things to click in his third year as a pro. Njoku is a hyper-athletic player who’s looking at an uptick in snaps and opportunities after seeing only 60 targets as a rookie. He has all the traits you’d expect from a dominant red-zone weapon, so it’s reasonable to eye him as a deep redraft flier.

Cleveland traded up to land Florida receiver Antonio Callaway in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, and he definitely deserves a spot on dynasty cheat sheets. Callaway’s recent off-the-field history is complicated and problematic, but his raw talent and athleticism are exceptional. He’s a terrific punt returner, too. Callaway could eventually push Coleman for opportunities.

The Browns’ backfield is stuck in committee

Cleveland’s two leading rushers last year were Isaiah Crowell and quarterback DeShone Kizer, and both relocated during in the offseason. Duke Johnson averaged just 5.2 carries per game last season (4.2 YPC), so he wasn’t a significant factor on the ground. Johnson was an extremely productive receiving threat, however, catching a career-high 74 balls for 693 yards on 93 targets. He agreed to a three-year, $15.6 million extension earlier this month, a strong indication that he remains a major piece for this offense. Johnson is a great bet to deliver another 70-plus receptions and 900 or more scrimmage yards. Draft accordingly.

Duke Johnson still belongs in your PPR plans. (Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini)

This team added Carlos Hyde to the mix back in March, signing him to deal that looks a lot like Johnson’s, then used an early second round pick on Georgia’s Nick Chubb. So Cleveland’s backfield does not lack weapons. Hyde has had issues with health and availability over the years, though he played all 16 games for San Francisco in 2017. Chubb is a big back who had a stellar collegiate career (6.3 YPC, 48 TDs) and he impressed at the combine (4.52 speed, 38.5-inch vert). The obvious hole in Chubb’s game is his lack of involvement as a receiver; he caught only four passes last year and five the season before.

Ultimately, we can expect a three-man backfield committee in Cleveland, with Johnson having the clearest role. Hyde and Chubb are a fun early-down tandem, but it’s tough to forecast either back for more than 170-180 carries. In reality, this is a deep and talented backfield. For fantasy purposes, it’s messy. Hyde is going well ahead of Chubb in early drafts (ADP 66.1 vs. 90.5), which makes the rookie the better value by far. The intended distribution of carries has not yet been decided, according to Haley:

“I do not really have a philosophy. I have done it both ways. We led the league in rushing in Kansas City [in 2010] in a two-back, almost a two-and-a-half back system. Then in Pittsburgh, obviously, when Le’Veon Bell was playing, he was playing. [Here it] will really be determined by those guys, what they are capable of handling on a down-in, down-out basis and really who gives us the best chance to win. Yet to be determined would be the best answer.”

Sorry, gamers. Johnson is a bankable PPR asset, while Hyde and Chubb are flex-worthy pieces. We probably have to give Taylor at least a five percent chance to lead this team in rushing, which further complicates the Cleveland backfield projection.

The Browns have several interesting names on defense — Kirksey, Collins, Ward, Garrett, et al — and veteran coordinator Gregg Williams is making decisions. We should clearly expect growth from this group, but Cleveland’s D isn’t playable in standard fantasy formats. Last year, this team ranked last in the league in takeaways (13) and next-to-last in points allowed (25.6 PPG).

In a nutshell, this is a team with fun personnel led by a head coach with a brutal track record. It’s tough to do anything but improve after an 0-16 finish, so we have to assume the Browns will be better. The franchise hasn’t won a postseason game since the days of Testaverde and Hoard; let’s hope the Mayfield era is a success.

2017 Offensive Stats & Ranks

Points per game – 14.6 (32rd in NFL) Pass YPG – 201.8 (22) Rush YPG – 107.1 (18) Yards per play – 4.9 (24) Plays per game – 63.0 (16)

Previous Juggernaut Index entries: 32) Buffalo, 31) Miami, 30) NY Jets, 29) Baltimore, 28) Oakland, 27) Cleveland

Follow the Yahoo fantasy football crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, Brad Evans, Liz Loza, Scott Pianowski and Tank Williams

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Juggernaut Index, No. 29: The last days of Flacco

The end of the Flacco era is upon us. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

If, as some believe, the state of U.S.-British relations has worsened in recent months, then we all know who to blame: Joe Flacco.

Flacco’s dreadful performance last season against Jacksonville at Wembley Stadium damaged the reputation of American quarterbacking on an international stage and brought shame to the city of Baltimore. He was breathtakingly bad that day, completing only eight of 18 pass attempts for 28 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. He somehow averaged just 1.56 yards per attempt, the third lowest single-game Y/A ever produced by a QB who attempted 18 or more passes. The game was a coming out party for the Jaguars defense, but it was also the death rattle of Flacco’s eliteness.

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By the end of the season, Flacco’s numbers were abysmal: 16 games, 3141 yards, 18 TDs, 13 INTs, 5.72 Y/A, 196.3 YPG. He didn’t pass for 300 yards or three TDs in any game, which seems ridiculous in the current era. Tom Savage, Jay Cutler and Mike Glennon all produced 300-yard performances last year. Jacoby Brissett gave us two.

We shouldn’t fail to mention the fact that Flacco’s receiving corps was horrid last season, and the opening week injury to Danny Woodhead was a minor disaster. But there’s no dressing up No. 5’s year as anything other than a flaming wreck. He’s averaged less than 7.0 Y/A in four of the past five seasons. Flacco cannot be drafted in fantasy leagues of standard size and configuration. If you happen to play in an AFC North-only league (which no one does), your top draft day priority should be to avoid Flacco. Even if the man delivers a bounce-back season at age 33, you have to consider the modest level to which he’d be bouncing. He’s never finished as a top-10 fantasy QB. There’s no significant upside here.

The Ravens drafted a dynamic young dual-threat quarterback back in April, so Flacco’s eleventh season in Baltimore might very well be his last.

Lamar Jackson is going to be a fantasy monster

If you were even semi-aware of college football over the past two years, then you’re already well aware of Jackson’s talent. He was a thrilling player at Louisville; his performance last season was in many ways better than his Heisman-winning play in 2016. Jackson possesses rare rushing ability, routinely delivering game-changing plays from both designed runs and scramble situations. He’s a blur. He ran for over 100 yards in 10 of his 13 games last season and reached 300 passing yards six times.

Jackson wasn’t exceptionally accurate at Louisville, but his completion percentage improved each season (59.1 in 2017) and he averaged 8.3 Y/A for his career. He actually had the lowest velocity reading among QBs who threw at the combine (49 mph), yet concerns about arm strength never appear on his scouting reports. His average depth of target was among the highest in his draft class per Pro Football Focus (12.0) and his deep passing stats aren’t discouraging.

Lamar Jackson has what it takes to be a fantasy star. Dynasty leaguers, you want him. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Jackson will be a fantasy star the moment he takes the field. He is, right now, the most gifted rushing quarterback in the NFL. (No disrespect intended to Cam Newton.) Jackson demands a full-time defensive spy, which of course creates advantages for his receivers. Even if he’s no better than a mediocre passer when he debuts, he’s a lock to deliver starting-quality fantasy numbers thanks to his his rushing talent. Jackson is the top rookie QB on my board for dynasty purposes, no question.

Flacco’s name is still atop the depth chart for the Ravens, so there’s zero urgency to rush Jackson onto the field. He’ll have time to develop under OC Marty Mornhinweg, a coach who’s worked with some of the most skilled dual-threat quarterbacks in league history, including Mike Vick and Steve Young. Simply put, Jackson landed in a terrific situation in terms of his long-term development. Baltimore is already putting Flacco and Jackson on the field together, searching for ways to get the ball in the rookie’s hands. In Jackson’s best years, he should be something like a combo QB2/RB2. He’s a highlight machine.

Let’s meet the retooled Ravens receiving corps

Mike Wallace, Jeremy Maclin and Benjamin Watson are out; Michael Crabtree, John Brown, Willie Snead and a pair of rookie tight ends are in. This is an astonishing level of turnover, which means it’s probably doomed to failure. Continuity is a big deal in the NFL. Still, it’s hard to blame this team for blowing up the receiving corps, because it was a fantastically unproductive group last season. (Big assist to Flacco.) Wallace’s 748 receiving yards led all Ravens. No player on this team caught more than four TD passes. The best thing we can say about the Ravens’ 2017 passing game is that we’ll never have to see it again.

Crabtree is a clear upgrade over every receiver Baltimore had on the roster last season, and he enters camp as the team’s unrivaled No. 1. He caught 25 TD passes over the past three years in Oakland, twice finishing as a top-20 fantasy wideout. It wouldn’t be much of a shock if he saw 130-140 targets in the season ahead, and, with a workload like that, he’d likely produce WR2-ish numbers. Crabtree figures to be the most reliable member of this receiving corps. At his current ADP (66.6, WR27), he seems like a fair bargain.

Brown is a terrific vertical threat with a 1000-yard season on his resume, but, as most of you know, a sickle-cell condition has limited his availability. When he’s right, he’s a dangerous receiver. It’s tempting to recommend Brown only as a best-ball option, but that’s a bit too dismissive. He’s a very good player when fully functional and he’s pretty much always available in the final round in redraft formats. Brown is far from the worst flier you can take; he was a 65-1003-7 player three years ago, and he’s only 28.

Snead is coming off a value-crushing season, limited by both suspension and injury. Like Brown, he peaked in 2015, working with a better QB than he’ll be dealing with in 2018. Snead will play the slot and function as the third receiving option for a team that isn’t likely to deliver more than two ownable pass-catchers.

Rookie tight end Hayden Hurst seemed like a semi-intriguing fantasy option when Baltimore selected him in the first round, but his appeal quickly dimmed when the team added Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews in Round 3. Andrews caught 62 balls for 958 yards and eight spikes in the Sooners’ Tecmo offense last season, outproducing Hurst by a wide margin (44-559-2). Neither player is likely to achieve fantasy relevance in 2018. Tight end isn’t a spot where we expect rookies to thrive. Dynasty drafters, you want Miami’s Mike Gesicki over both Hurst and Andrews.

Alex Collins was a notable bright spot for Baltimore’s offense last season. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Alex Collins is legit

The one positive development for Baltimore in an otherwise awful excursion to London last season was the emergence of Alex Collins at running back. He rushed nine times for 82 yards that day, leapfrogging Terrance West in the team’s backfield hierarchy. Collins was released by the Seahawks at the end of the preseason and signed to the Ravens’ practice squad a week before the opener. He was barely clinging to a spot in the league when Woodhead’s injury and West’s struggles created an opportunity. He would finish the season with 1160 scrimmage yards and six TDs on 235 touches.

Collins ranked second among all NFL backs in breakaway runs last season (16) according to Player Profiler, behind only Kareem Hunt, and he finished ninth in evaded tackles (76). He was pretty damn good. Collins isn’t exceptionally fast by NFL standards, but he was a hard-charging and decisive runner last year, gaining every inch available to him. Baltimore’s offensive line graded well last year, despite the injury-related absence of six-time Pro Bowler Marshal Yanda.

Collins, to me, seems like a relative steal at his draft price (ADP 34.8, RB19). Buck Allen is not a serious threat — he hasn’t averaged more than 3.9 YPC in any season — and Kenneth Dixon is simply fighting for a job. Dixon missed the entire 2017 season due to suspension and knee surgery. Collins is this team’s unchallenged lead back entering camp.

Baltimore’s defense led the NFL in takeaways last season (34) and ranked sixth in points allowed (18.9 PPG), so this D/ST is a draft-worthy fantasy asset. The Ravens will open the season with a home matchup against Buffalo and then a road game at Cincy, giving this D extra appeal. Linebacker C.J. Mosley delivered a career-high 132 tackles last year, so he remains an upper-tier IDP.

2017 Offensive Stats & Ranks

Points per game – 24.7 (ninth in NFL) Pass YPG – 189.4 (29) Rush YPG – 116.0 (11) Yards per play – 4.6 (31) Plays per game – 65.9 (9)

Previous Juggernaut Index entries: 32) Buffalo, 31) Miami, 30) NY Jets, 29) Baltimore

Follow the Yahoo fantasy football crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, Brad Evans, Liz Loza, Scott Pianowski and Tank Williams

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Farm Report: San Diego prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. heats up

There’s a chance Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis will make at least a cameo appearance for San Diego in 2018. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Fernando Tatis Jr. wasn’t exactly hitting like one of the game’s top prospects in the opening weeks of his season. After a buzzy spring, Tatis went 0-for-4 in three straight games to begin his year at Double-A San Antonio. At the end of April, the 19-year-old shortstop was slashing just .177/.231/.333

Subsequent weeks have been a bit better, however. Tatis began binging as soon as the calendar flipped to May, going 9-for-22 with three homers, four doubles and seven RBIs in a four-game series at Frisco. He continued to rake thereafter, hitting .336/.414/.639 for the month, stealing five bags and launching seven home runs. Tatis is now hitting .278 on the season with 11 homers, 31 extra-base hits and seven steals. He went 4-for-5 on Wednesday, then homered on Thursday.

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Tatis isn’t the game’s most heavily hyped teenager or its most-hyped junior — those honors belong to young Vlad — but he’s a solid No. 2 on each list. There’s a decent chance Tatis will make at least a cameo appearance for San Diego in 2018. He was a 20/20 player in the Midwest League last season, so his fantasy appeal is obvious.

• Reds prospect Nick Senzel finally came off the DL on May 29, and he’s put together a modest seven-game hitting streak. Here’s hoping he remains vertigo-free (vertigoless? de-vertigo’d?) going forward. Senzel still has a shot to make an impact in Cincy this season.

• Austin Slater is getting a bit old for prospect status (he’s 25), and he’s already appeared in 40 games for the Giants over the past two seasons. But it’s still worth mentioning the fact that he’s been crushing in the PCL this year, slashing .359/.444/.588 with 25 XBHs and eight steals. Be prepared to act if/when he’s recalled.

• Kevin Cron, younger brother of C.J., hit a pair of bombs and drove in four runs for Triple-A Reno on Thursday, lifting his season average to .297. Cron has been absolutely feasting over his last nine games, going 16-for-40 with six homers. He’s hit at least 25 home runs in each of the past three minor league seasons, so there’s no doubting the third baseman’s power.

• While we’re discussing D-backs minor leaguers, check the stats produced so far this season by Double-A RHP Jon Duplantier: 2.52 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 41 Ks in 35.2 IP. He was obscenely good at two Single-A stops last season, striking out 165 batters in 136.0 innings while delivering a 0.98 WHIP and 1.39 ERA. He recently hit the DL, but the issue is not believed to be serious. File away the name.

Follow the Yahoo fantasy baseball crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, and Scott Pianowski

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Kyle Barraclough, come on down

Kyle Barraclough could be taking over ninth inning duties in Miami. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

It’s been said that your two best days as a Brad Ziegler owner are when you draft him and when you drop him. Back in March, you had every right to feel proud of yourself for adding a few cheap saves when you picked up Ziegler in some late round. Today, it’s time to say goodbye.

Ziegler took another ugly loss on Wednesday, his fifth of the season. He entered in the ninth inning with a 2-1 lead at San Diego, but allowed two hits, two walks (one intentional) and two runs. Ziegler has given up nine runs over his last five appearances. We’re two months into the season and his ratios are ghastly (7.83 ERA, 1.74 WHIP).

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It sounds as if Marlins manager Don Mattingly can take no more. He openly discussed replacement plans for Ziegler in postgame comments, suggesting that Kyle Barraclough could get the next save chance. Drew Steckenrider is a possibility as well, although Barraclough has been lights-out so far this year (1.48 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 9.99 K/9). Both relievers worked scoreless innings on Wednesday, with Barraclough taking the eighth.

These were a few of Mattingly’s postgame thoughts, via MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro:

“Claw’s an option. Steck’s an option,” Mattingly said. “Tayron [Guerrero], for a while, was looking like an option and could be one of the guys at least in the back end. We’ve struggled there. You still have got to get there, somehow, someway. It’s like shuffling your lineup. You can do things differently.”

Barraclough has allowed just one run and two hits in 11.2 innings this month. He’s been the most effective arm in Miami’s bullpen by far, and he’s unattached in 75 percent of Yahoo leagues. Go get him, save chasers.

Follow the Yahoo fantasy baseball crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, and Scott Pianowski

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Shane Bieber joins the party in Cleveland

Cleveland fans are no doubt ready for the arrival of Shane Bieber, one of the organization’s most interesting prospects. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Heads up, fantasy owners: One of baseball’s best teams is on the verge of calling up one of their top pitching prospects…

Francona confirms: Prospect Shane Bieber will make a spot start Thursday for Indians.

— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) May 28, 2018

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Shane Bieber is a former fourth-round pick out of UC Santa Barbara, a right-hander with low-to-mid 90s velocity. He doesn’t have any specific pitch that dazzles the scouting community, so you won’t find his name on many top-100 prospect lists. But Bieber has at least one freakish trait: elite command. Over the course of his minor league career, he’s averaging just one walk for every three games started.

Bieber has issued only three walks so far this season in 65.1 innings spent at Double-A and Triple-A. He’s struck out 61 batters, allowing just eight earned runs (1.10 ERA) and his WHIP is an absurd 0.70. His numbers actually improved when he made the jump to Columbus. The kid threw seven no-hit innings in his last start, which ain’t bad.

It would be fair to say that Bieber has earned his opportunity. He’ll make his major league debut on his 23rd birthday, which is kinda fun. Nothing is guaranteed for Bieber beyond Thursday’s spot start, but Cleveland hasn’t completely settled on a fifth starter. If he impresses against the Twins, he has a shot to stick.

Based on Bieber’s minor league track record, we should expect maybe 4-6 strikeouts, a bunch of groundouts and zero free passes on Thursday. He might just get interesting for fantasy purposes. You can probably wait and watch in shallow leagues, but go ahead and make a what-if add in deeper formats.

Follow the Yahoo fantasy baseball crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, and Scott Pianowski

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Call-up alert: Washington prospect Juan Soto joins the party

Six weeks ago, Washington Nationals prospect Juan Soto opened the minor league season at Low-A Hagerstown in the South Atlantic League. The 19-year-old outfielder soon earned a promotion to High-A Potomac, then to Double-A Harrisburg. He’s tortured pitchers at every stop, slashing .362/462/.757 with 28 extra-base hits and 14 home runs. Soto doubled in his first at-bat for Harrisburg and homered in his second. He’s a machine, basically.

Today, Soto is in Washington to make his major league debut. He’ll be the first teenager to make an appearance for the Nats since Bryce Harper in 2012.

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We should mention, of course, that the primary reason Soto is getting this shot is that a staggering number of Washington regulars are on the DL. Howie Kendrick suffered a ruptured right Achilles on Saturday, prompting the Soto promotion. It should also go without saying that any 19-year-old hitter can (and likely will) struggle against major league pitching. If Soto simply treads water in the big leagues, it would be a ridiculously impressive achievement.

For those who haven’t seen Soto’s work in the minors, here’s a collection of clips. The kid has a quick bat and a simple, powerful left-handed swing. Soto hasn’t yet struggled at any professional stop, beginning with an MVP season in the Gulf Coast League at age-17 and continuing through his short visit to the Eastern League. He’s walked more often than he’s struck out so far this year.

We’ll make no fantasy promises regarding Soto’s MLB debut, because, again, he’s a teenager. He’s worth an add in nearly all fantasy formats, however, because he’s a monstrous talent. He remains unattached in 62 percent of Yahoo leagues at the moment, so most of you can grab a share.

Follow the Yahoo fantasy baseball crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, and Scott Pianowski

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Farm Report: Eloy Jimenez won't stop hitting

White Sox top prospect Eloy Jimenez has been binging at Double-A Birmingham.

Chicago White Sox prospect Eloy Jimenez missed the opening weeks of the minor league season with a pectoral injury, but he’s more than made up for lost time. Jimenez recently put together a streak of nine straight multi-hit games at Birmingham, which is, of course, insane. He’s gone 20-for-43 over his last ten games; he’s now hitting .341/.370/.694 over 90 plate appearances with seven homers and 24 RBIs.

At some point soon, the White Sox will need to find a level that can appropriately challenge Jimenez. He’s simply dishing out abuse to the pitchers of the Double-A Southern League. Jimenez slashed .312/.379/.568 with 44 extra-base hits (19 HR) across two levels last season, so there’s nothing fluky about this year’s numbers. He’s a machine.

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Sox fans and fantasy owners might not actually have to wait too long to see Jimenez in the bigs, if Chicago GM Rick Hahn can be believed…

Talked to Rick Hahn about Eloy Jimenez this morning.

“Traditionally you tend not to do too many promotions before the halfway mark … Certainly the way Eloy has performed thus far, might require an adjustment here in the coming weeks.”

I’ll have more on today’s postgame show.

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) May 9, 2018

Seems like good news for those of us who have Jimenez stashed in the NA spot. Whenever he’s promoted, it will be an actionable fantasy event. Jimenez is only owned in 9 percent of Yahoo leagues.

• Nationals prospect Juan Soto has somehow already earned his second promotion, this time to Double-A Harrisburg. The 19-year-old outfielder demonstrated immediately that he belongs in the high minors, doubling in his first at-bat and launching an opposite field homer in his second. Soto’s numbers through his first 32 games this season are absurd: 31 R, 13 HR, 46(!) RBIs, 26 BB, 3 SB, .373/.477/.817. So it would be fair to say that Vlad Jr. isn’t the only teenage prospect who’s of interest to the fantasy community.

• Franmil Reyes is feasting like few players ever feast. He’s hit eight homers over his last eight games, and the kid hit multiple bombs in three straight. Yes, it’s the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but no one else is doing the things Reyes is doing. The 22-year-old Padres prospect is up to 13 HR and he’s slashing .344/.430/.730. He now leads the PCL in home runs, total bases (89), slugging percentage and OPS.

• Speaking of the PCL, Milwaukee pitching prospect Corbin Burnes hasn’t had a flawless season to this point (1.33 WHIP), but he delivered an impressive start on Sunday. The righty allowed just four hits, one run and no walks over 7.0 innings, striking out 13. Burnes has 34 Ks over 31.2 IP on the season. We could see him in the bigs this season if he can string together a few more high-K/low-walk appearances.

• Reds top prospect Nick Senzel was on a nice little 8-for-19 run at Triple-A Louisville, but he landed on the 7-day DL last week with vertigo. It’s a problem he’s experienced before. Initial reports suggested he wasn’t likely to be out for long, so here’s hoping for the best.

• We’re six starts into Jalen Beeks‘ season and still waiting for him to struggle. The Boston prospect hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any turn so far for Triple-A Pawtucket. His ERA is 1.72, his WHIP is 0.96 and the left-hander has struck out 52 batters in just 31.1 innings. He’s allowed only eight walks and opponents are batting .191 against him. Beeks didn’t enter the season among Boston’s more hyped prospects, but, well … he keeps getting everyone out. Just look at those numbers. He’s not a flamethrower, yet no one hits him. Definitely a name to file away.

Follow the Yahoo fantasy baseball crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, and Scott Pianowski

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2018 fantasy receiver preview: Early look at wideouts set to rise and fall

Whether you’re basking in glory or wallowing in defeat, the 2017 fantasy season is officially in the books. Because owner minds never rest, the Yahoo Fantasy crew looks ahead to what the New Year may hold. Today’s position under the microscope: Wide Receivers.

Among wide receivers that finished inside the position’s top-24, who do you believe could experience a decline in 2018?

Andy – It’s no simple trick to produce WR2 stats as a team’s No. 3 receiving option, but NELSON AGHOLOR managed to pull it off. He’s a talented player tied to a stellar offense and a terrific quarterback, so of course it’s possible that he might deliver another eight-touchdown season. But I’m never going to place a big bet on a receiver who figures to see less than 100 targets. (He received 95 in 2017.) Zach Ertz and Alshon Jeffery will clearly remain the top options in Philly.

Dalton – LARRY FITZGERALD turned in yet another productive season, finishing second in the NFL with 109 catches. But it took a whopping 161 targets to get a modest 1,156 yards and six scores, as he managed just 10.6 yards per catch while showing little ability to separate. Fitzgerald is a Hall of Famer, but Arizona’s QB situation remains a huge question mark and most importantly, he’ll be 35 years old next season. Don’t pay for the past.

Liz – MARVIN JONES. After plateauing midseason in 2016, I figured Jones would flop in 2017. Boy, was I wrong. The former Bengal was a legit WR1, averaging over 2 fantasy points per target and smoking stud CBs like Patrick Peterson, Janoris Jenkins, and Xavier Rhodes. However, most of that production came while Kenny Golladay was sidelined. Once the dynamic rookie returned from injury and played upward of 80 percent of the team’s snaps, Jones’ opportunities and – by extension – output decreased. Assuming Golladay continues to ascend in 2018, a regression for Jones seems likely.

[Early position previews for 2018: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs]

Conversely, what wide receiver outside the 2017 WR1/WR2 ranks do you think jumps in value next season?

Dalton – MARQUISE GOODWIN. The 49ers will get Pierre Garcon back and will likely address the WR position through free agency and/or the draft, but Goodwin has gone from long shot project with track star speed to legitimate NFL receiver quicker than most expected, and he showed terrific rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo. Goodwin got 9.2 YPT this season (tied for 10th among wide receivers minimum 50 targets), which is remarkable given the shaky QBs throwing to him for the first two thirds of the season. As one of the top options in a Kyle Shanahan offense with an emerging star at QB, Goodwin has the upside to finish as a top-10 fantasy wideout in 2018.

Liz – JOSH DOCTSON. After missing his freshman campaign due to injury and being overshadowed by the signing of Terrelle Pryor, Doctson was largely an afterthought heading into 2017. By midseason, however, he had leap-frogged Pryor on the team’s depth chart and assumed the role of Washington’s X receiver.

By the year’s end he was cruising, targeted in the red zone on a weekly basis, on the field for 100 percent of snaps, and scoring in three of his last five outings (Weeks 12-16). With Pryor likely to be released, Doctson will continue as the Redskins’ WR1. Of course, Kirk Cousins could move on, but it would make sense that the front office force reps between any QB and their stud wideout (that cost them a first-round pick). I think Doctson – and his hops – are up for the challenge.

Andy – DEDE WESTBROOK finished his season in impressive fashion, topping 70 receiving yards three times over six games. He was almost uncoverable at the collegiate level, and certainly didn’t appear overmatched as a pro. The quarterback position is clearly a huge variable for Jacksonville, but Westbrook has already demonstrated that he can overcome a sketchy passer. Expect him to make a leap in his second season.

Listomania. Scribble down your initial top-12 wide receiver ranks for next season.

Liz – 1) Antonio Brown, 2) DeAndre Hopkins, 3) Odell Beckham, 4) Julio Jones, 5) Keenan Allen, 6) Michael Thomas, 7) A.J. Green, 8) Mike Evans, 9) Davante Adams, 10) Tyreek Hill, 11) Doug Baldwin, 12) JuJu Smith-Schuster

Andy – AB, Nuk, Odell, Keenan, Julio, Michael Thomas, A.J. Green, Adam Thielen, Davante Adams, Fitz, Tyreek, Baldwin.

Dalton – 1) Antonio Brown, 2) DeAndre Hopkins, 3) Odell Beckham, 4) Julio Jones, 5) Keenan Allen, 6) Michael Thomas, 7) A.J. Green, 8) Mike Evans, 9) Tyreek Hill, 10) Adam Thielen, 11) Brandin Cooks, 12) Davante Adams

Bring the blitz. Follow Andy (@AndyBehrens), Liz (@LizLoza_FF) and Dalton (@DaltonDelDon) on Twitter.