Closely following spring training is a double-edged sword for fantasy baseball managers. While it’s good to know the latest developments around the league, getting carried away with small sample sizes that were partially generated against minor leaguers can lead a manager to poor draft decisions. Here are the spring developments that have caused me to make major adjustments to my rankings.

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Buy

Parker Messick, SP, Cleveland Guardians

It’s full steam ahead for Messick, who beat out Logan Allen for the final rotation spot in Cleveland. The lefty showed his immense potential when he logged a 38:6 K:BB ratio across seven starts down the stretch last season, but I still worried that his lack of experience would cause Cleveland’s brain trust to take the easy route and have him open the season in Triple-A. Fortunately, Messick’s skills were too good to ignore. His current 13% Yahoo roster rate will quadruple in the next three weeks.

JJ Wetherholt, 2B/3B/SS, St. Louis Cardinals

Perhaps the Cardinals will still throw us a curveball, but at this time I don’t see any reason that Wetherholt will return to the Minors. This spring, he has produced a .386 OBP while hitting two homers and stealing two bases. He even has more walks (9) than strikeouts (7). He’s ready. As we deal with a weak group of third basemen, Wetherholt is draftable in all leagues.

Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit Tigers

McGonigle’s spring line is nearly identical to that of Wetherholt — a great OBP (.423), two homers, two steals and more walks (11) than strikeouts (8). Do the Tigers understand that April wins mean as much as September victories? They should, after narrowly losing the division last year. They’ll put McGonigle on the Opening Day roster and try to build a comfortable lead. I slightly prefer Wetherholt, due to his multi-position eligibility, but both youngsters are fine options.

Matt McLain, 2B, Cincinnati Reds

McLain struggled last season (.643 OPS) in his return from 2024 shoulder surgery but still managed to compile 15 homers and 18 steals. His fantasy-friendly skill set could be on greater display this season, as he has looked great during Cactus League action (1.591 OPS) and has been announced as the team’s two-hole hitter. McLain should jump over at least five second baseman who are currently in front of him in Yahoo ADP.

Shea Langeliers, C, Athletics

Admittedly, I might be overreacting to one spring training game. But I was already optimistic on Langeliers, and his three-homer effort on March 14 reminded me of how dominant he was (.328 BA, 19 HR) in the second half of 2025. I have the slugger ranked as my No. 2 catcher, and I believe that he will finish closer to Cal Raleigh than most managers expect.

Jacob Misiorowski, SP, Milwaukee Brewers

We entered spring training with a glut of young starters in the range of picks 100-150, which included Misiorowski, Nolan McLean, Trey Yesavage, Chase Burns and Bubba Chandler. A few weeks later, we have April workload concerns for Burns, Yesavage is heading to the IL and Chandler has control issues. Meanwhile, Misiorowski has been tabbed to start on Opening Day, and McLean should be ready to rock after pitching in the World Baseball Classic. I’m now targeting those two hurlers as high-upside arms in that range of the draft.

Kirby Yates, RP, Los Angeles Angels

Yates will benefit from being the last man standing in the Angels bullpen. Robert Stephenson and Ben Joyce won’t be ready for Opening Day, which leaves Jordan Romano as Yates’ primary competitor for save chances. Manager Kurt Suzuki has been highly complimentary of Yates, who is now one of the best late-round save sources.

Trevor Megill, RP, Milwaukee Brewers

Fantasy managers entered spring training unsure about whether Megill or Abner Uribe would open the season as the Brewers closer. Although the Brewers haven’t tipped their hand, it’s looking more like Megill will slide back into his familiar ninth-inning role. Megill has 35-save potential and a reasonable ADP (166.4). Ryan Walker and Danny Palencia are two other mid-tier closer options who have boosted their stock via solid March performances.

Grant Holmes/Reynaldo Lopez, SP, Atlanta Braves

With Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep going down with injuries, the Braves suddenly lack rotation depth. Fortunately, Holmes and Lopez have both looked good, as they return from season-ending injuries. Lopez warrants final-round attention in standard formats, while Holmes is someone to monitor from the waiver wire.

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Max Scherzer/Eric Lauer, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

Injuries to Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage have opened rotation spots for Scherzer and Lauer, who are both appealing in their own way. For Scherzer, the allure is based on spring success that includes 13.2 scoreless innings. And certainly, his Hall of Fame resume helps. Lauer’s appeal comes from his 2025 success when working as a starter, which included a 3.77 ERA and a 9.0 K/9 rate.

TJ Rumfield, 1B, Colorado Rockies

This one is for the deep-league crowd. Keep an eye on Rumfield, who is on the verge of locking up the Rockies first base job. The 25-year-old has enjoyed a stellar spring, leading the team in homers (4) and RBI (12) while tallying just one strikeout in 50 at-bats. The former Yankees farmhand posted solid minor-league numbers across the past two seasons and could thrive at Coors Field.

Sell

Agustín Ramírez, C, Miami Marlins

In a deep pool of catchers, Ramírez won’t be my pick to click this year. Prospect Joe Mack is a better defensive catcher than Ramírez and is close to reaching the Majors. Ramírez has respectable offensive skills for a catcher, but repeating his .701 OPS from 2025 would make him a weak option as a DH. Add in the fact that this spring he has gone 2-for-24 with eight strikeouts, and I have enough reason to slide him down my draft board.

Jeremy Peña, SS, Houston Astros

Sure, Peña may return from his fractured finger by Opening Day. The shortstop position is incredibly deep this season, and I can find plenty of options who enter the season with perfect health.

Roki Sasaki, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

I was ready to give Sasaki a fresh start for his second season in MLB, but he needed to cement his draft status by having solid spring outings. With just a few days remaining in Cactus League action, he has been one of the most erratic pitchers on the circuit (13.50 ERA, 2.70 WHIP, 10:9 K:BB ratio). I wouldn’t draft him in an NL-only league.

Bubba Chandler, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Although I’m aware of Chandler’s notable prospect status, I need to see more actual production before I consider him at his ADP (146.6). The right-hander entered spring training with control concerns and hasn’t made any progress in that area while walking 11 batters in 11 innings. I see him as a late-round gamble who unfortunately requires a more significant investment.

Grayson Rodriguez, SP, Los Angeles Angels

Rodriguez entered spring training with much to prove after missing all of last season, and unfortunately, he hasn’t proven much. The right-hander has logged an abysmal 12:10 K:BB ratio in Cactus League action, which further cements my opinion that the Orioles knew what they were doing when they traded him for one year of Taylor Ward. He’s firmly off my draft list in any mixed league, especially since he may not be ready for Opening Day.

The Atlanta Braves are poised to run it back in 2026, and not in a good way. After experiencing a number of significant injuries last season, the team can’t seem to shake those issues ahead of Opening Day.

Star pitcher Spencer Strider was the latest player to go down, as he’ll miss the start of the season with an oblique injury, the team announced Monday.

The team reportedly believes Strider, 27, will miss a few weeks due to the issue, according to MLB.com.

It’s a frustrating development for Strider, who was hoping to bounce back after a down season in 2025. Strider, who missed the majority of the 2024 MLB season due to Tommy John surgery, was able to return to the mound last April.

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But the pitcher struggled upon his return, posting a career-high 4.45 ERA over 125 1/3 innings. Strider lost a few ticks on his previously dominant fastball, resulting in the pitch being hit for a .294 batting-average against.

Following an offseason of rest, there was hope Strider could recover his lost velocity and get back to his previous form, which saw him post a 3.37 ERA and garner Rookie of the Year and Cy Young votes over his first three seasons in the majors.

Strider’s numbers were solid in three spring appearances, though his velocity had yet to fully recover. Strider averaged 94-95 mph with his fastball in spring games, a decline from his 97.2 mph average from 2023, his last fully healthy season.

Despite that, Strider was able to post a solid 3.24 ERA over 8 1/3 spring innings. He struck out 11 and walked two over those appearances.

It’s yet another disappointing injury for the Braves, who already lost starters Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep to elbow injuries during spring training. On top of that, the team will be without catcher Sean Murphy at the start of the season due to an injury and won’t have outfielder Jurickson Profar for the entire year due to a PED suspension.

Week 22 is here, and the fantasy basketball playoff grind continues. With tanking teams and unpredictable rotations, the waiver wire can get weird — so be flexible and do what you have to do.

My Playlist is focused on impact players for your lineup, especially those with games on lighter slates (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday). This week, I’m keying in on the Hornets, Kings, Pelicans, Knicks, Pistons and Magic. The Suns and Timberwolves are tricky because they only play two games apiece. I’m holding on to Ayo Dosunmu (more on him later), but you may need to cut other rosterable players. The choice is yours. Now, let’s get into the pickups!

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Shallow league pickups

Saddiq Bey — SF/PF, New Orleans Pelicans (44%)

Bey shouldn’t be floating on your waiver wire, but he’s still available in 56% of Yahoo leagues. The Pelicans have one of the better schedules this week, playing three of their four games on lighter slates. He’s been a top-75 asset in High Score over the past two weeks, scoring over 34 fantasy points per game. The Pelicans are the only team out of Play-In Tournament contention with a winning record over their past 10 games (6-4), a strong indication they’ll make every effort to compete this week and likely through the end of the season. Bey’s been a multi-category asset for all formats, so get him if he’s out there.

Ayo Dosunmu — PG/SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves (35%)

Ayo was one of the best acquisitions at the deadline for the Wolves, especially now that they’ll be without Anthony Edwards for at least the next week. The downside to picking up any Wolves players is that they only play two games in Week 22. That said, for High Score, that’s enough to hold Ayo through Wednesday. Dosunmu’s been a valuable source of points, rebounds, assists and efficiency since Ant went down, averaging 19-8-5.5 with 50/49/90 shooting splits. I understand if you feel you need to cut him to increase the number of games, but I’d still keep him on your roster, especially in High Score.

Ace Bailey — SG/SF/PF, Utah Jazz (42%)

The fifth overall pick in the 2025 draft is making a strong late-season push for First Team All-Rookie. Since the calendar turned to March, Bailey has been averaging nearly 20 points with 4 boards, 2 assists, 4 3s and 2 stocks per game, with solid efficiency. I picked him up in a couple of High Score leagues because of his last two spike games of 55 and 62 fantasy points in Week 21. The Jazz cleared the path for their young core to thrive, so I’d trust Bailey in the final weeks of the fantasy season.

Daniss Jenkins — PG/SG, Detroit Pistons (25%)

Cade Cunningham (lung) will be re-evaluated in two weeks, leaving Jenkins as his direct beneficiary. As a starter this season, Jenkins is averaging 14.9 points, 6.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 32.3 minutes per contest. He’s coming off a 48-fantasy-point performance in High Score on Friday, and with four games (two on lighter slates), Jenkins is a player who needs to be rostered if you’re in need of points and assists.

Mitchell Robinson — C, New York Knicks (18%)

I don’t know what it is, but it seems like most of the top targets I see on the wire are big men. Robinson just grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds in a win at Indiana on March 14. He’s averaging 11 boards and 2.7 stocks per game while notching a double-double in two of his last five games. He won’t score you much and the free throws are ugly, but if you need elite rebounding and blocks in a deep-league matchup, Robinson’s opportunity is real because the Knicks don’t play a back-to-back set and all of their games fall on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday (the smallest slates).

Other options:

• Wendell Carter Jr.  – PF/C, Orlando Magic (36%)

• Tristan da Silva – SG/SF, Orlando Magic (17%)

• Tobias Harris – SF/PF, Detroit Pistons (36%)

• De’Anthony Melton – PG/SG, Golden State Warriors (16%)

Deep league pickups

Dylan Cardwell — PF/C, Sacramento Kings (9%)

I’d be looking at Cardwell in deep leagues if you want rebounds and blocks. The Kings are still playing their vets more than most; however, their frontcourt remains thin, with just Maxine Raynaud and Precious Achiuwa. Even in limited minutes, Cardwell has been a beast on the glass and in a four-game week where all of the Kings’ games fall on slates under 10 games, he’s a streamable asset to consider for 9-cat leagues. Another name to keep an eye out for is Malik Monk — but that’ll depend on Russell Westbrook’s status.

Yves Missi – C, New Orleans Pelicans (10%)

Missi was great in Week 21, closing the week 78th in 9-cat leagues. Like Cardwell, he won’t do much for scoring, but the rebounds and blocks are crucial for fantasy managers. Missi averaged 9 rebounds and 3 blocks last week with a surprisingly high 3 assists per game as well. At this stage in the season, the Kings and Pelicans are the only tanking teams giving their vets meaningful minutes, and though Missi will rarely eclipse 30 minutes, he’s doing enough on a per-minute basis to be streamed in a four-game week.

Ja’Kobe Walter – PG/SG, Toronto Raptors (3%)

It’s slim pickings out there, but Walter has quietly been a top-100 asset over the past two weeks and finished in the top 60 in 9-cat in Week 21. The Raptors’ schedule is decent, too, opening the week against Utah, traveling to L.A. to face the Clippers, playing New Orleans and finishing the week at home versus Orlando. Walter’s more of an add for 9-cat because his ranking is primarily coming from his efficiency, shooting 63% from the field and 68% from 3 in his last five outings. If he doesn’t do enough on Monday, cut him and move on, but I like his chances against the Jazz to begin the week.

Ousmane Dieng — SF/PF/C, Milwaukee Bucks (8%)

The former Thunder forward is getting far more playing time with Giannis Antetokounmpo out and Bobby Portis and Myles Turner being in and out of the lineup lately. Dieng finished Week 21 inside the top-150 after posting a respectable 14.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 3.0 3s and 1.3 stocks per game. As we get deeper into the season and the Bucks fall even further from contention, it feels like we’ll see less of the vets and more from guys like Dieng. That’s what I’m betting on in a four-game week with no back-to-backs — time to let the young man cook.

Other options:

• Ron Holland – SF, Detroit Pistons (2%)

• Paul Reed – PF/C, Detroit Pistons (4%)

• Ryan Kalkbrenner – C, Charlotte Hornets (9%)

• Malik Monk, PG/SG, Sacramento Kings (17%)

The Toronto Blue Jays are showing faith in the team’s braintrust coming off an appearance in the 2025 World Series. Just days before the start of the 2026 MLB season, the Blue Jays announced extensions with both manager John Schneider and general manager Ross Atkins on Monday.

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Prior to the extensions, both men were entering the final year of their contracts. Atkins was signed through 2031 and Schneider was signed through 2028, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

The team did not provide financial details for either contract.

The Blue Jays face major expectations this season after winning 94 games last season and taking the Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 7 of the World Series. Toronto pushed Los Angeles to extra innings in that contest before eventually falling 5-4.

The team enters 2026 in good position to once again contend for a championship. The Blue Jays return much of the same cast that pushed them to the World Series last season, but have also made some significant offseason additions.

Dylan Cease was the first major domino to fall, signing a seven-year, $210 million deal with the team in November. The team then landed arguably the best talent on the Japanese market, signing infielder Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million deal in January.

Those two, combined with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer and Alejandro Kirk, should ensure the Blue Jays are contenders once again in 2026.

With their new extensions in hand, Schneider and Atkins have the job security to go out and make the bold moves necessary to push the Blue Jays over the hump and win it all this season.