1. Team Reynolds (2-0)

Previous Rank: 1
Potential Jump in Performance: High

Branson retains the top spot in our second edition of the power rankings, narrowly edging Jordan with that position. Branson might have scored fewer points, but a more steady roster and lack of ‘streaming’ a pitcher nearly every day presents a more stable pitching staff. Cody Bellinger has been playing out of his mind, and it’s scary to think of how much better this team will be once Mookie Betts and Aaron Nola start playing like they can. The holes in the offense are small, and the pitching can still see improvement in Nola and Luis Severino when he comes off the IL.

2. Boopa-Dee Bappa-Dee (2-0)

Previous Rank: 2
Potential Jump in Performance: Medium

Jordan jumps two spots from the pre-season rankings, moving up to 2^nd in this edition of the power rankings. Jordan could have easily been 1^st, but having received a combined 119 points from streaming starters, it makes more sense to slot him in at #2. Jordan has been able to recover from slow starts by Nolan Arenado and Joey Votto by youngsters Pete Alonso and Austin Meadows while trade acquisition Adalberto Mondesi has also been excellent. Jordan’s received consistent production from his pitchers, with Chris Archer, Carlos Rodon, and Trevor Bauer all having a strong starts to the season.

3. Team BatsmBalls (1-1)

Previous Rank: 10
Potential Jump in Performance: Low

I was really wanting to rank Mark last again, but unfortunately his teams performance justified him making the biggest leap of all teams hopping 7 spots to number three. Mark still lacks pitching depth, but his hitting has been solid (particularly Mitch Haniger) while Louis Castillo has looked like an ace so far this season. However, Roberto Osuna has actually been Mark’s top scoring pitcher, putting up a whopping 70 points so far. I will continue to put this statement in the power rankings until it happens: Wil Myers needs to be dropped. Please Mark, make that happen.

4. Team Weseloh (2-0)

Previous Rank: 6
Potential Jump in Performance: High

Jumping two spots from the pre-season ranking, Jeff represents the last of the unbeaten teams – a true testament to how even the league is at the early going. Solid pick-ups of Yoan Moncada and Yasmani Grandal have helped overcome the slow starts to Corey Seager, Kris Bryant, and Eloy Jimenez – and the current IL status of Trea Turner. Two of the top projected starters on Jeff’s team, Corey Kluber and Walker Buehler, have been awful but Jose Berrios has been terrific with the 3^rd most fantasy points from a pitcher so far.

5. Team Collett (1-1)

Previous Rank: 5
Potential Jump in Performance: Medium

Despite the low week 2 point total, Grace holds steady at number five due to an incredibly strong offense. Christian Yelich, Anthony Rendon, Whit Merrifield, and Dansby Swanson all average over 5 points per game – and Grace still rosters J.D. Martinez, Andrew Benintendi, and Nelson Cruz. Her pitching however, is brutal. Carlos Carrasco, who should be her #1 starter, has negative points so far, but San Diego closer Kirby Yates has scored a remarkable 80 points and is by far and away her best pitcher. Grace will have to ride her offense, which needs to keep performing, to stay in the top half of the power rankings.

6. A Puig of Their Own (0-2)

Previous Rank: 3
Potential Jump in Performance: High

Our first winless team has made an appearance, but Ryan’s record is based more upon unfortunate matchups than his teams performance. Ryan has had the second most points scored upon him yet ranks 5^th in points scored. Ryan’s team is  much better than 0-2 and if Chris Sale can figure things out, and Clayton Kershaw is pulled off the IL, then his team could be downright dangerous. His offense has a couple of solid players (Khris Davis, Freddie Freeman, David Peralta), but has several holes too – particularly in the outfield. Two weeks down the road, if his team starts playing to their potential, Ryan could find himself in one of the top two spots in the power rankings.

7. Team Brack Baker (1-1)

Previous Rank: 7
Potential Jump in Performance: Medium

The pitching is bad, but the offense is good. Really good. Outside of Jose Ramirez, every player is averaging over 3.6 points per game – and surely Jose Ramirez will start hitting sometime soon. The pitching though – it’s rough. Only three pitchers have scored more than 35 points – and one of those is a closer. Unless the pitching gets figured out it’s going to be hard for Amy to jump into the top half of these power rankings.

8. I am Jacob DeGroot (1-1)

Previous Rank: 8
Potential Jump in Performance: High

Let’s talk about the future. Zach’s team is loaded with high potential talent that will serve him for the years to come – but he’s still waiting for some of those players to arrive (Vladimir Guerrero Jr). If James Paxton and Michael Wacha can figure things out – and if Zach can get Shohei Ohtani and Gary Sanchez – back off of the DL with the arrival of Guerrero Jr. then Zach’s team could be dangerous. Also, Fernando Tatis Jr. arriving early helps Zach team both now and down the road for this team too.

9. I Goldschmidt My Pants (0-2)

Previous Rank: 4
Potential Jump in Performance: Low

Well, Keelan’s team has struggled more than I would have ever expected – dropping all the way from #2 to #9 in the power rankings. Offense is basically non-existent behind Mike Trout, Javier Baez, and Paul Goldschmit (no other offensive players averages at least 3.4 points per game – in comparison Amy’s team has every starter over 3.6). His pitching is solid however, with 5 starters averaging over 16.0 points per game so far in this young season. It can’t be ignored, however, that Keelan has scored the fewest points in the league to date.

10. Team Ogre (0-2)

Preseason Rank: 9
Potential Jump in Performance: Low

Stephen has three players starting that are currently on the IL, not a receipt for success. It’s hard to ignore the fact that Stephen has scored the 4^th most points in the league, but a good chunk of those points are sitting on the 60-day IL (Mike Clevinger), and a solid bat in Justin Turner is currently riding the bench. Stephen, please pay attention or trade me your good players for the Royals bullpen.

Boopa-Dee Bappa-Dee: Jose Quintana ($1)

I Goldschmidt My Pants: Miles Mikolas ($9)

An interesting trade occurred here between Jordan and Keelan, as Mikolas was drafted $8 higher than Quintana ($9 compared to $1). Mikolas is projected to score 378 this year (coming off of 483 last year) while Quintana is projected 359 (coming off 324 last year). There are two questions that surround this trade and will ultimately determine who wins the trade at the end of the year: Can Mikolas repeat a solid 2018 season (backed by solid numbers in Japan the three previous years) and can Quintana get back to his 2017 form. I will tend to lean toward repeated a solid season with a strong track record over banking on a bounce back year from a former ace. However, Justin Verlander would have proved me wrong a couple of years ago…

Edge: I Goldschmidt My Pants

Team BatsmBalls: Mike Moustakas ($2)

Team Weseloh: Tommy Pham ($15)

Autodraft is an interesting beast to try and figure out, as Pham would probably not have gone for $15 had there not been several people on autodraft. Moustakas is projected to score more points than Pham (566 to 523) and will gain much desired 2B eligibility in the near future. That will allow him to slot in at 2B, 3B, IF, or UTIL. Pham will only have OF and UTIL eligibility limiting flexibility. Pham does have more upside, with injury risk, while you know what you are getting in Moustakas. Mark can also slot Moustakas in at 3B and drop Wil Myers, who is projected at 399 points after scoring only 256 points in 2018.

Edge: Draw

Boopa-Dee Bappa-Dee:
Chris Archer ($8)
Nick Pivetta ($1)
Aldalberto Mondesi ($15)

Team Weseloh:
Stephen Strasburg ($18)
Walker Buehler ($22)
Jose Abreu ($13)

Clearly the biggest trade of the pre-season, and by far the most complicated. Starting with Jordan’s haul: Chris Archer is a former top prospect that has never really put it completely together. However, he has moved to a pitcher friendly ballpark and can still rack up the strikeouts. Nick Pivetta will slot in as the #2 pitcher in Philadelphia, and they are extremely high on him, while Aldalberto Mondesi has the potential to be a fantasy stud. For Jeff: Walker Buehler had an outstanding rookie year and the Dodgers are very high on him, but does not have a proven track record. Stephen Strasburg is a solid pitcher – when healthy – but health is always an issue with him. Jose Abreu provides a nice bat, with his floor and ceiling very close together, and will slot in the UTIL position vacated by Aldalberto Mondesi. The big question on this trade is what type of player will Mondesi become. He will clearly be a keeper for Jordan, otherwise giving up as much as he did is a not a wise move. Archer and Pivetta are interesting potential keepers as well – depending on their performance in 2018. If Walker Buehler can hold form to what he did in 2018 he has the potential to be considered one of the top 10 pitchers in baseball – and is a keeper option for Jeff. When looking only at 2019 it seems Jeff is the clear winner of the trade – but things get a little hairier when you look past 2019. Obviously Mondesi is the big wild card, and could make this a great trade for Jordan – the question becomes did he substantially hurt his chances in 2019 by giving up arguably is #2 and #4 pitchers alongside Abreu to get him?

Edge: Team Weseloh

Team Brack Baker: Tommy Pham ($15)

Team Weseloh: Danny Jansen ($1)

Points wise this trade isn’t even close. Pham is projected 523 compared to only 313 for Jansen. However, with the catching position so weak, the trade makes sense for Jeff. He does not roster a catcher, and Pham will never start for him (Acuna, Soto, Kris Bryant, Eloy Jimenez are his OF’s with Jose Abreu at UTIL). Amy went and picked up a catcher who should play just about every day (Isiah Kiner-Falefa who can play in the infield as well) and can slot Pham in her OF as Justin Upton will start the season on IL with turf toe. Amy continues to boast one of the strongest offenses in the game, while Pham giving huge upside now that he will get consistent at bats in Tampa.

Edge: Team Brack Baker

1. Team Reynolds

Offense Rank: 1
Pitching Rank: 4

Branson boasts one of the most balanced attacks in the league, utilizing a strong crop of proven pitchers (Aaron Nola, Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino) while also supporting high upside pitching (Sean Newcomb, Tyler Glasnow). His offense is led by Mookie Betts who could top all point scorers in 2019.

2. I Goldschmidt My Pants

Offense Rank: 4
Pitching Rank: 3

Keelan had an incredibly strong draft, coming away with several top hitters and pitchers available. The pitching trio of Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Patrick Corbin will be hard to top – however there is a lack of SP depth beyond those three. Offensively Mike Trout will contend for top point scorer in 2019, while Paul Goldschimt and Charlie Blackmon easily could be Top 15 hitters. Depth again a problem on offense with two very sub-par OF’s (Billy Hamilton & Hunter Renfroe).

3. Team Dortch

Offense Rank: 5
Pitching Rank: 2

Ryan went out and got two of the top pitchers available in Chris Sale and Blake Snell, and also rosters the oft-injured Clayton Kershaw who is as good as any when healthy. Supporting cast has several nice candidates to break out (Eduardo Rodriguez, Andrew Heaney, Collin McHugh). Offensively he will look for his players to have repeat strong performances from last year (Trevor Story, Freddie Freeman, Miguel Andujar) while needing strong bounceback performances from Robinson Cano and Josh Donaldson to keep his offense strong.

4. Boopa-Dee Bappa-Dee

Offense Rank: 7
Pitching Rank: 1

Jordan provides another balanced roster. Nolan Arenado is clearly the jewel on the team, providing top 5 hitter potential, and is flanked by Bryce Harper and Joey Votto. George Springer and Jose Abreu have the potential to improve upon last year’s performance while Gleyber Torres and Jorge Soler offer high upside if they can stay away from the injury bug. Pitching is led by Trevor Bauer, Jack Flaherty, and Walker Buehler – all coming off of strong 2018 seasons. The big questions is can they repeat? Flaherty and Buehler are only on year two of the big leagues while Bauer needs to prove last year wasn’t a fluke. He also has other solid pitching options (Stephen Strasburg, Mike Foltynewicz) and one could make the argument he has the strongest pitching roster in the league.

5. Team Collett

Offense Rank: 3

Pitching Rank: 8

Grace had a really strong draft considering she was an auto-draft. She absolutely killed it on offense – nabbing 6 of the top 23 hitters from last years end of year rankings. Couple that will being able to grab aces Carlos Carassco and Zack Grienke shows the solid draft she had. However, SP depth after those two are lacking and there is a big question mark at 1B and now SS as Trea Turner was dropped.

6. Team Weseloh

Offense Rank: 6

Pitching Rank: 5

Jeff put together a decent team, but land squarely in the middle of both offense and pitching ranks. It’s clear Jeff’s draft focused more on the future (similar to Zach’s draft) by drafting Eloy Jimenez and rostering Nick Senzel. He has a solid group of hitters with some bounce back ability (Kris Bryant, Corey Seager, Brian Dozier, Miguel Cabrera), but a lack of a catcher on his roster limits his points availability. He has an aging ace in Corey Kluber and injury prone Noah Syndergaard anchoring his rotation – which might be what determines how successful his year will be.

7. Team Brack Baker

Offense Rank: 2

Pitching Rank: 10

Amy went with high quality names on the offensive side and lacks any type of pitching depth. Her offense is strong with 2018 points leader Jose Ramirez and the 7^th highest in Manny Machado.  Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Judge should all produce strong seasons, but there is room for improvement. Pitching wise German Marquez, and his not friendly home ballpark, looks to be her top pitcher alongside free agent Dallas Keuchel.

8. I am Jacob DeGroot

Offense Rank: 8

Pitching Rank: 6

Zach’s team is interesting at first look – as it’s loaded with young talent. Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Fernando Tatis Jr won’t arrive in the bigs until later this year and if they are as advertised should help his squad. He also holds rookies Victor Robles and pitcher Jesus Luzardo as both are expected to open the season in the bigs. He has a top tier pitcher in Jacob DeGrom, and consistent starters in James Paxton, David Price, and Cole Hamels. Offensively Fransisco Lindor is far and away the best hitter on his team, while Edwin Encarnacion is sneaky good. Look for bounce back campaigns from Carlos Correa and Gary Sanchez which could provide a boost.

9. Team Ogre

Offense Rank: 10

Pitching Rank: 7

Stephen finds himself down here by simply not coming to the draft or setting pre-set rankings. His offense has solid players to build around (Matt Chapman, Marcell Ozuna, Michael Conforto) but lacks any type of standout player. He has wild cards in pitching (Zack Wheeler, Mike Clevinger, Jameson Tallion), but holds too many bench bats and could greatly improve his team by hitting the free agents.

10. Team BatsmBalls

Offense Rank: 9

Pitching Rank: 9

Another victim to not coming to the draft, Mark’s team shows a little better pitching than he does hitting – but both could use serious upgrades. Pitching will all be about redemption on this team – as Mark will need strong seasons from former aces Yu Darvish and Robbie Ray to go along with improvement from Luis Castillo and consistency from Madison Bumgarner and J.A. Happ. Mitch Haniger is a solid OF, but considering he’s the best hitter by a long shot doesn’t look good for the offense. Trading for Mike Moustakas will at least allow the ever struggling Wil Myers to vacate the starting lineup, which leaves one additional OF for potential mix-and-match.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton