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Fantasy Baseball Podcast: Spring training fantasy questions – avoiding the Astros and Nolan Arenado?

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Spring training play has begun in Florida and Arizona and Scott Pianowski is joined by Fred Zinkie to kick off fantasy baseball season by checking in on a disastrous offseason for the Houston Astros and Major League Baseball.

Before they dive into the 2020 season in earnest, Scott & Fred discuss a change in the winds of fantasy baseball: how more and more leagues are ditching the classic rotisserie scoring and adopting head-to-head rules. Should you give a head-to-head league a try? (1:20)

The guys kick off player talk by discussing Colorado Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado. Fred explains why the projected first-rounder may be over-valued. (10:15)

Moving to the off-season's biggest story, the Houston Astros, Scott asks Fred if he's de-valuing any of the Astros hitters as the baseball world is still a bit blind to how these players may perform long-term without the nefarious help they've been using these last few seasons. (19:15)

[Batter up: Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today]

Looking at spring training in general, Scott & Fred discuss what to look for in box scores and storylines from pre-season play. Is there anything to glean from spring training that may help you draft or are most players locked into their roles at this point? (23:50)

Closing out the baseball portion of the episode, Scott & Fred discuss whether new Astros manager Dusty Baker may direct the team to attempt more steals (31:05) and how fantasy owners should grade injured pitchers like Luis Severino and Mike Clevinger (36:00).

Finally, the guys end the show drafting their favorite sports villains from real life and fiction (40:30).

How should fantasy owners grade Houston Astros 2B Jose Altuve? Scott Pianowski & Fred Zinkie discuss how the Astros cheating scandal affects fantasy on the latest Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
How should fantasy owners grade Houston Astros 2B Jose Altuve? Scott Pianowski & Fred Zinkie discuss how the Astros cheating scandal affects fantasy on the latest Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

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Follow Scott @Scott_Pianowski; follow Fred @FredZinkieMLB

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