Justin Mason’s Baseball Chat – May 11, 2026

Justin Mason: Chat will begin in a few minutes. In the meantime, please follow me on all my social media’s (twitter, tiktok, facebook, youtube, bluesky, and instagram) at JustinMasonFWFB! I am doing regular podcasts on the FWFB podcast as well as three episodes a week for the Sleeper and the Bust so definitely make sure you are subscribed there as well! You can also join the Sleeper and the Bust discord! https://discord.gg/ar7XUV9T

Waldyschvitz: Now that Waldschmidt is up, do do I drop one of Bryan Reynolds, Chandler Simpson, Moniak to activate him (he’s in Minors spot currently)?

Justin Mason: I would drop Reynolds for him.

Jay: Does Miguel Vargas have a realistic chance of finishing this season as a top 6 3B per FG player rater? Thanks Justin!

Justin Mason: I dont think he will, but 3B isnt super deep so he could come close.

Good morning Walltimore: Which recent Sacramento River Cat emerges as the primary catcher in San Francisco? Jesus or Susac?

Justin Mason: I think Susac will but Rodriguez should play a lot and can play other positions.

Save Me Justin: RPs have been burtal. Lost Diaz and now have a lot of question marks. How do you feel about Perkins and Killian ROS? I have Joyce on the IL, is he a better bet for saves than either of those guys?

Justin Mason: I feel like Killian is the logical choice in SF with Walker back down.

TG: Hope all is well, Still holding onto M. Gore as my 5th SP because of his K%-BB%, so frustrating thought this week I won’t need 5 SP’s because of 2 start weeks, K. Bradish is on waivers, should I switch out just because, or does it not matter with either of these 2

Justin Mason: Id rather have Bradish

Guest: Drop Matt Chapman, who has just started to stir, for a Waldschmidt? Have Bregman for 3B, Kurtz and Devers for 1B/CI. 12tm H2H OBP redraft league

Justin Mason: Im ok doing that

Eldridge: Concerned I’m a Manzardo – stick with him in a league where I’m allowed to be kept for cheap for a couple of years or move on?

Justin Mason: depends on your other options, but I dont mind moving on

Insert Witty Name Here: Asked about a logjam of SP’s a few weeks ago, in a QS league, who gets the drop between Yesavage, Snell, Hancock, Luzardo and Eury?

Justin Mason: Yesavage as long as its not keep/dynasty

bleepbloop: Hi Justin! Thoughts on the Bailey trade for the giants?

Justin Mason: Pretty bummed because I love Bailey, but I understand it given their depth and the fact he just cant hit. He’s a young Austin Hedges which has a lot of value, but the Giants just cant sacrifice the offense while the whole team struggles at the dish

12-team 20-keeper OPS roto: Thanks for chat, Justin! What’s your go-to source for dynasty rankings?

Justin Mason: I would say FanGraphs and Prospects Live

Schilling & Pence: Gurriel has 3 games at Coors this week.  Start him, or Grisham?

Justin Mason: Gurriel in Coors

Parker: Thoughts on Robby Snelling’s debut and how he should fare in the near term?

Justin Mason: It is going come down to control for Snelling. If he has more walk issues, he won’t be up long

Boot and Raleigh: As someone struggling through Cal Raleigh’s brutal slump, is it worth grabbing a C off waivers and benching him until he shows signs of life? Best options in my league are Carson Kelly, Austin Wells and Francisco Alvarez or taking a chance on Joe Mack or Jesus Rodriguez (10T OBP roto fyi)

Justin Mason: I wouldnt mind grabbing one of the rookies for a bit and seeing what happens. Prefer Rodriguez over Mack if you do

Matt mclain: What do I need to do to get better at hitting the baseball hard and far?

Justin Mason: Turn back the clock to 2024

Hazmat: Am I the only one noticing how much Bohm, Stott, and Marsh appear to be enjoying the manager change in Philly? Bohm in particular looks rejuvenated.

Justin Mason: Feels like the whole team does. Im glad my World Series pick is starting to pick it up

Hazmat: Is this how it ends for Altuve? Further decline in AVG, 2 of 3 homers came in one game a month ago, steals are gone, his only way of helping at this point seems to be other people driving him in.

Justin Mason: I was worried on him coming into drafts. We have just seen a small degradation of skills over the last couple of years, but it hasnt hurt production. It’s starting to now.

TG: have G. Cole on IL with a full staff with M. Meyer as my # 5 SP, if I wanted to put Cole on trade block (should I?) what kind of hitter  could I expect back at this point, top 60, 70, 80 or should I expect more because of the name value.

Justin Mason: I would definitely put him on the block in a redraft. TJ returnees notoriously struggle with command and control and are inconsistent in their first year back. I think he wont be easy to rely upon

Hank: What is the standard when you have a player like Cal who is struggling-no positive signs anywhere except historics? Do you just bench him til he figures it out? Whats your EOY projection for him? ~.220 35 85 85ish

Justin Mason: I tend to just let it ride, but if you have a backup to roll with, might as well bench him. I think that line feels right. We know there is massive upside, but the swing and miss is usually an issue and it never caught up to him in a dream seaosn last year.

Belle of the Ball: Points league with an emphasis on wins, trading from a closer surplus for ranger suarez or Max Meyer. Which do you prefer?

Justin Mason: Meyer

Catcher in the Rye: Rank these catchers in a 12 team roto please? Alvarez, Basallo, Wells, Jensen, Kelly, Rodriguez, Mack

Justin Mason: Basallo, Jensen, Wells, Rodriguez, Alvarez, Kelly, Mack,

Panik! At the Disco: Have a bounty of RPs: Cade, Devin, Bryan Baker, R. Saurez, and G. Soto. Which one(s) good value to pitch for trade for Hunter Goodman? 12 tms H2H redraft. Saves and Holds separate cats.

Justin Mason: Suarez

Pete: Hey Justin – do you think Ben Joyce seizes the closer job in LA?

Justin Mason: I dont.

Justin Mason: I think it will end up being Yates so they can flip him at the deadline

Mateo: Who, if anybody, do you think emerges in this Giants bullpen? Kilian, Winn and Peguero each have some sort of shot at closer duties.

Justin Mason: Killian would be my bet

Insert Witty Name Here: In a shallow 10 team OBP, are you okay dropping Riley if I have Miggy Vargas?  The stats and savant page screams that it’s okay, but….it’s hard to let go sometimes.

Justin Mason: I am not dropping riley yet.

Framby Pamby: 12 team roto. Grabbed Valdez after released. Better off with Detmer or CScott? If you have any shares of Framber are you willing to start him this week after that Boston meltdown?

Justin Mason: I would take Framber here. The track record means something to me

bleepbloop: 10tn 7×7 (5×5 + OBP+SLG and K/BB+QS) H2H keeper league. How do you value Andy Pages vs Sal Stewart? Pages can be kept 2 more years, and Stewart 3 more.

Justin Mason: I feel the upside on Sal is too good to pass up. Both will be good, but Sal could be a monster

Oh Bo: Please give me a reason to be optimistic about Bo Bichette

Justin Mason: wrote him up over the weekend as a buy low on fantasy pros.

Pitching in…or out?: Facing a bit of a roster crunch in a 14 team mixed; with Bryce Miller coming off the IL do I drop Dollander, L Henderson, W Warren or Alcantara to make room for him? Or none of the above?

Justin Mason: Drop miller or Dollander

Kevin: what do we do with Cam Smith in a 12 team keeper (have him at $1).  I bought in his early results and let me to trade James Wood for Austin Riley to clear an OF logjam (when they were both struggling).  Was the early part the aberration?

Justin Mason: Smith will have ups and downs, but there is a ton of talent in the bat and he is still super young. Dont love the trade you made, but that is more about losing Wood than it is about Smith.

Jay: Drop Hancock with Miller coming back Wednesday, or wait and find someone else to drop?

Justin Mason: wait

Marty McFlyBall: if you had a time machine, would you go back in time to kill evil dictators, or bring Angel Hernandez Back to the Future and force him to umpire home plate with ABS every night until he crumpled in a heap?

Justin Mason: omg, this is tough. I think I am doing the latter

Justin Mason: Point awarded

Justin Mason: you know what? Two points because is so funny

Jay: Stream steals vs. SFG with Rodriguez behind the plate? Even his warm up throws to 2nd between innings end up in CF…

Justin Mason: not a bad idea

ZB: Do you see Bryan Abreu bouncing back into form by July?

Justin Mason: maybe but Hader should be back by then

tacothecat: Does Bryce Eldridge actually get enough PT this year to be impactful?

Justin Mason: They arent bringing him up to sit. He’s playing every day in the Majors or getting sent down

Springer Cleaning: Would you drop Springer for Caglianone in a 12T roto

Justin Mason: sure

Would you rather…: behind door 1:

Justin Mason: is the rest of the question

Mike: Snelling or Henderson?  Does fear of losing spot for Henderson make it Snelling?

Justin Mason: I want Henderson

Top o the Mornin: Are you in on Christian Scott after a couple more stable showings?

Justin Mason: I think there will be ups and downs all season.

Ben: Lile or Evan Carter ROS?

Justin Mason: Lile

Steve: Drop Carpenter for Eldridge in redraft?

Justin Mason: yes

Yahoo daily: Is there serious reason for concern about Tyler Soderstrom? He hasn’t exactly been bad but has been very pedestrian, and maybe that might be worth benching for fresh new blood (comparison: Ryan O’Hearn who is still on the waiver wire in my league) in shallower formats? Probably not 12/15 though

Justin Mason: underlying numbers are ok. He will be fine as things begin to heat up in Sac

Veteran character actor Tom Dollander: Is Dollander a team streamer or just a streamer streamer? I want to hold onto him for his next start @ PIT but can he be trusted at Coors?

Justin Mason: I dont trust anyone at Coors unless they are a stud

Ron: Need Torres replacement- Gelof or Grissom?

Justin Mason: Gelof

jack elliott: I know it’s early and things can tun around buuut, what’s 1 preseason pick you made that’s looking like a miss and what’s 1 that’s making you look like a wizard?

Justin Mason: Corey Seager just looks a bit slower this year. Im worried about his lack of in-zone contact. Parker Messick was my dude and I am so glad to see him break out

Dodger doldrums: Any observations on the Ohtani slump? He can’t even hit a 94 mph fastball right down the chute these days. Bat speed is way down from 93rd percentile to 82nd. He’s supposed to be the Arm & Hammer. So far, it’s just the arm. I’m not sure batting him leadoff anymore is the right call.

Justin Mason: He will be fine.

my Schwarber Raleigh Burns: is this too much for a fantasy team name?

Justin Mason: its great

Justin Mason: point awarded

Yogi: Justin. In need of a 2B. Keaschall not coming through. Traded for Donovan. Nothing. Who you like better? Can pick up I Vargas, Bazzano, Antonelli, Gelof?

Justin Mason: Bazzana

Zack Attack: Zack Gelof or Troy Johnston as OF5 in an OBP roto league?

Justin Mason: Johnston

Struggles of the mind: How much do you buy into narratives about specific lineup idiosyncrasies affecting play (big example: Juan Soto has cratered since moving to the leadoff spot for some reason) vs how much is just noise

Justin Mason: I think its mostly just noise

Jo Jo Adell your manager is calling: Can trade Adell for one of Luzardo, Eovaldi, or Framber. Which one do I pick, or none of the above? Thanks!!

Justin Mason: None. I love Adell

Braves sell high: How much of ATL is sell high right now? I do not trust any of the production from Riley, Albies, Harris, Dubon based on underlying metrics + past 2 years of data, and even Matt Olson could easily regress to merely a very good 1B so a sell high might make sense there too. Conversely, any teams seem ripe with buy-low candidates?

Justin Mason: I had Albies as a sell high in my weekly piece this week. Harris for sure too. If I can  still buy in on the Phillies I would. I know the Mets are a mess, but they are too talented to be this bad

Lucky 7: Do you think Logan Henderson gets a long look? Might require someone like Sproat to be pushed out of the rotation.

Justin Mason: Sproat needs to be sent down IMO. Henderson deserves to keep his job.

Christina: Fairbanks is coming back more quickly from the nerve issues than last time, but given the history, should I be looking to sell as soon as he gets back in the Save column? I would only have Erceg for those if I move the former

Justin Mason: Unless I am getting a closer back, I probably roll with him.

12-team 20-keeper OPS roto: How long until Jax holds any value for QS or SVHD?

Justin Mason: itll be a while

Justin Mason: if at all

vent: Barger might have gone 0/3 in his re-debut but at least he tore his elbow throwing a guy out!

Justin Mason: brutal this guy got hurt. He is going to be a “what if” guy

Guest: In a shallow mixed I have a surplus of corner bats and closers, and desperately need a 2B & OF, preferably with power + avg.  Unfortunately the corner bat garnering the most interest is Okamoto, who in the last few weeks has started scorching the baseball while lowering his K%.

Justin Mason: I love Okamoto, but if I had to move him to address other needs, I am ok doing that

Vince: Hi! 12-tm, H2H, category … Is Imai worth holding over Nelson and Burrows on waiver wire? Is Teoscar a drop w Cortes, Bleday, Marsh on waiver wire? Thanks

Justin Mason: Imai scares the crap out of me. I would rather have Nelson. Im holding Teoscar over those options.

Dr. Funk: Miguel Vargas is a top __ 1B ROS? __ 3B?

Justin Mason: 15, 12

Soren: Sorry, shallow mixed keeper, surplus of corner bats and saves, need 2B & OF, should I trade Okamoto and Aroldis for Seiya and Brandon Lowe?  I fear trading away a $1 Okamoto could make me (more) remorseful about life (than I already am).

Justin Mason: id do that

Bryce Bryce Baby: Have Bryce Miller and Trevor Rogers coming off the IL soon in a 12 team roto, would you cut Prielipp and Nelson for them?

Justin Mason: I wouldnt cut either for Miller. I would probably prefer them over Rogers too

Mike: Who is the best Wilson replacement in a 12-team H2H:  Kim, Lee, Castro, or stream?

Justin Mason: Stream

krustybuckets_: 12T H2H Points. Probably going to need to drop a starter in a few weeks to activate J. Jones. Who out of Eury, Sandy or Lodolo has to go?

Justin Mason: Im not cutting any of those guys over a TJ returnee

10 team Yahoo: With daily moves and shallow rosters, replacement value is extremely high; is it completely insane to consider dropping Eury Perez and/or Bo Bichette for, e. g. Ivan Herrera? Positional scarcity is a non-issue in both spots

Justin Mason: Im not cutting Eury. Upside is too great. I do think Bichette will be better, but I like Herrera a little more

jack elliott: Hey Justin, if you are looking for suggestions for SATB guests, John Laghezza is my vote!

Justin Mason: Love having John on! Will definitely book him again

Anthony: Are you holding onto Story in 12 team leagues? hes been pretty brutal without much sign of life

Justin Mason: I think you can move on if there is a good replacement

Eric: Looking for steals in our AL only league.  If Josh Naylor a safe bet to continue to get steals?  Looking to make a trade for him.

Justin Mason: They let him run so yes definitely

The 3rd Base Carousel: Is Nolan Arenado’s rejuvenation real? Full season numbers look super good and 3rd base is a pretty weak position, but he looked so completely done just a few weeks ago and age is very much not on his side, plus AZ inexplicably has had very bad run producing, so the R/RBI upside may not be there. Similarly, do the increased ground balls + NYM mean that Bo Bichette actually is this bad/at least nowhere near as good as draft stock?

Justin Mason: Talked about him on the Thursday pod last week. I think he is better than last season, but not this good

Sid the Astros Kid: Angel Martinez and Ryan O’ Hearn seem to be slowing down kind of, should I be looking at Carlos Cortes to replace one?

Justin Mason: I could ride the hot hand on cortes over Martinez

Janky League Rules: My friends and I got drunk and set up an extremely offbeat league with friends where the pitching categories are Saves + Holds, Wins + Losses, xFIP, RA9, K – 10*HR; how do I make heads or tails of player value here

Justin Mason: Get drunk again because I have no idea

Justin Mason: point awarded

Miller High Life: Drop Dollander or Kyle Harrison to bring Miller off the IL in a roto league or just cut Miller? (Rest of the rotation is McLean, Luzardo, Imanaga, Rodon, Eovaldi, Ray)

Justin Mason: cut miller

Wild Wild Joe West: How many innings into an ABS game would Joe West make it before ejecting a hitter/catcher/pitcher who challenged his call

Justin Mason: it would happen no later than the third inning

Justin Mason: point awarded

vent: my main team has 6 HR in May. total. that’s with 13 starting hitter spots in a 12T. half of them are Murakami. other than Cole Young I have no real cuts that could even help

Justin Mason: I have been there. It’ll turn around, but I know it is frustrating.

Mike: Start Bazzana over Riley this week in 12-team H2H in utility spot?  Bazzana is doing interesting think and we have OBP as a cat.

Justin Mason: sure

Adenolith: Trying to line up my pitching this week. Two start Eury (@MIN @TB), McClanahan @TOR, Randy V @SEA, or Harrison vs SD?

Justin Mason: Eury

Rockie Starts: Is it too early to pull the plug on Tovar at $12 in Ottoneu?  He looks awful.

Justin Mason: nope

MF Luder: In a vacuum, who do you like better ROS; Devers or Torkelson?

Justin Mason: Tork

Tobias Myers: Feels like there has to be some fantasy value in here somewhere; holds + saves are obvious, but if the Mets are actually primed for a comeback then he could be a sneaky wins provider with maybe ~4 saves and very good ratios (that look even better if you take out the Coors appearance that was a clear outlier); outside of S+H where is the roster spot justified?

Justin Mason: its got to be a pretty deep or weird league

Bad MI: Dropped Tovar for Semien in 5×5 OBP. Trash for trash or is Tovar bad enough now this is an upgrade? At least Semien walks every now and then.

Justin Mason: trash for trash

Guest: Esteury Ruiz stole six bases last week. I need a fifth OF and the SB category is wiiiiide open for dominance this season in my NL-only league. Should I add him? I’d have Marlins named Eury and Esteury on my team. D’oh!

Justin Mason: pick up just for the team name

Jay: what is up with the padres offense? Just seems like they can’t string it together consistently.

Justin Mason: its kind of a terrible lineup after you get past the top three

Rickey: I have Bryce Miller and Imai coming back this week. Would you cut any pf these guys to male room? Cantillo, Ryne Nelson, Mackenzie Gore, Noah Schultz, or Dollander?  (Or none of them)?

Justin Mason: I would not

agustis ram: when do you think i come back to the show?

Justin Mason: its going to be a while I think

Adenolith: I quit Matt Olson because his last couple years were fine but not worth what I was paying… But I still draft Vlad Jr and Trea Turner? SMH.

Justin Mason: Vladdy will be fine

Brickma: What is your bar for what counts as “chip-in steals”. 5-8? 10+?

Justin Mason: 5-10

South Sider: It appears the Cubs are stretching out Ben Brown as a starter. Are you buying in after he tossed 4 scoreless in his last outing?

Justin Mason: ive always been intrigued by the talent, but I do worry he is never going to be the guy the pedigree suggested. Tentativaly buying

Hazmat: Was going to ask this in the Discord but while I’m here…how much weight do you put on potential eligibility changes when evaluating dynasty players? Does the expectation a player is going to lose a position harm their value in acquisitions? Or does it not matter at all and you’ll deal with it next year?

Justin Mason: It only matters to me if its at a position thats premium like catcher or shallow like 2B. I dont put a ton into worrying about it if I am competing, but I put more into it if I am rebuilding or reloading.

Justin Mason: Thanks for being in the discord!

Anthony: Assuming you are on board with trying to sell Murakami high? if so, what kind of return would you be looking for?

Justin Mason: I would definitely try and sell high if I could. I want a top 100 player

Hot Stove: One of my big advantages in trading is that I really try and make sure I don’t put extra value on my guys just because I have them — the Endowment Effect.  That said, I’m really struggling value to Jordan Walker.  Picked him up early and can’t figure out what the sell-high range should be — because his value keeps going up.  Maybe I just treat him like a dude, enjoy the ride, and see where value stabilizes later?  Because he might just be a dude.

Justin Mason: I think he is just running insanely hot. The underlying contact skills are still bad and cold streaks are going to happen at some point. If I could sell high right now I would.

Jay: Ha-Seong Kim 김하성 being activated today for ATL. He’s only truly viable for speed needy teams right? And even then, ATL is bottom third of the league in SB…

Justin Mason: hard to know if theyll let him run more than other guys until he’s on the field. I have him in Tout so I am definitely watching this. I have always been a fan

Hank Scorpio: Hey Justin, thanks for the chat. Are you about ready to move on from Luis Castillo in 12tm QS? He’s just burning a hole in my bench. No real replacement, but would either stream the hot hand off the wire as needed or go grab a stash

Justin Mason: Im ok moving on

Bryce Miller: Did I kick your dog or something? Seems like you are not a believer in my return.

Justin Mason: I like Miller but I also am not dropping someone I also like for a guy that is likely to be the odd man out if there are any struggles. Looking forward to watching his start this week because the velo reports have been good. In deeper formats, I am picking him up. In shallower ones, I am not dropping pitchers that have set roles that I like.

Insert Witty Name Here: I think we need more offbeat leagues!  My late night idea was that each week you’re forced to do a 1 for 1 trade with another owner, and if you can’t agree, the league will vote which player gets swapped.

Justin Mason: There’s a group of ladies on tiktok that are doing a catchers only league that looks amazing. I want to do a vampire league next year in the discord. We run a 13-run pool in the discord that is fun. I love weird formats, but I also want them to have a basis that everyone understands and can enjoy.

Wood: Appreciate the Gage Workman shout in the Roto Riteup. Took a shot on him in 16T dynasty

Justin Mason: If the contact is there, he is super interesting

Hazmat: May I suggest that Guest re name his team The E(ste)ury Marlins?

Justin Mason: point awarded

Brickma: I invested in Nasim Nunez largely based on your preseason hype. I’m mostly happy with how it’s going.  How about you?

Justin Mason: Would love the hit tool to be better, but got to love the SBs!

RAGBRAI: Waldschmidt…can he go 15/20 for the rest of the season?

Justin Mason: I think he can. Maybe even 20/20. The power is legit

GT: last man on bench, OBP, TB, HR, RBI, R, & SB: Gelof or E. Duran ?

Justin Mason: Gelof while he is hot

12-team 20-keeper OPS roto: Ildemaro, Rocchio, or Bohm?

Justin Mason: Bohm

Gates Brown: Are Seager and Story must keeps over Bogaerts ROS?  Keep thinking the former two will warm up but it’s been grim waiting.

Justin Mason: I would keep seager even though I am worried. Probably Story too

Kurtz: Squared-Up% is low but everything else looks great. We just waiting on warmer weather for more homers?

Also, I changed my fantasy team name to “Nick Kurtz Regression Tour” and he’s been much better since then. So, you’re welcome everyone!

Justin Mason: I think he will be fine. Things begin to heat up here this week in NorCal.

Cooter Burger: How good is that scene in 30 rock when Jack joins the government and I am telling him about the roof not leaking while picking up the ringing phone and just putting it back down without saying anything

Justin Mason: Ive never seen 30 Rock. Need to add it to the list

Tony Vitello: Did everyone enjoy free choice day in the bullpen?

Justin Mason: Ive been a defender of him because I feel like he needs time to acclimate, but I am over it now. This was a mistake and he needs to go

Kyle: What’s up with Taylor Ward’s power? His bat speed is down 2 mph from 2025 and is in bottom 5%. Brl% is down from 14% to 6%. EV down 2 mph. Droppable in 12 mix?

Justin Mason: I think he is being too patient and needs to amp the aggressiveness. I dont know if the Orioles are telling him to swing less, but its not working. I think he will be fine, but its a weird approach change.

bleepbloop: 10tm 7×7 (5×5 + OBP+SLG and K/BB+QS) H2H dynasty league. Grade the trade: Fried + Caglianone for Tatis (2B eligible)

Justin Mason: Give me the pair

12T H2H OBP: Does Bazzana’s 6 steal week move your opinion of him? Seems to be outperforming his projections in that dept. and the xStats are promising

Justin Mason: hasnt really changed for me. Decent accumulator with speed

Cryin’ over Bryan: 12-team H2H cats: Bryan Reynolds is fringe start in 3OF league. Drop BR for JJ Bleday and weekly platoon matchup with Moniak? Need a spark to catch up.

Justin Mason: im ok with that in a league that shallow

Eric: I’m in an AL-only (5×5) keeper league, and half of our keepers have returned a negative value so far.  Which, if any of these players are going to turn things around and provide me some value in the second half – Holliday, S. Perez, Cowser, Quero, and Baz?

Justin Mason: Perez will. Probably holliday too

GT: 14 tm 6×6 h2h keeper league where you give up the draft chocie of round player was chosen in to keep, G. Henderson is available (2nd rd pick) and I was asked for Perdomo and another piece … how high of value is the other piece (top 30 hitter/pitcher or less) when keeping Gunnar could be a no since I was lucky enough to draft Skenes in 2nd rd and he is my keeper as of now

Justin Mason: I dont think I am giving up a top 30 hitter. Maybe top 40+ perdomo

IF-fy situation: Thanks for doing these chats! Do I move M Garcia over to SS & Sal Stewart to 2B in order to play A Vaughn at 1B, or continue playing Adames at. SS with the other two playing on the right side of the IF? This would necessitate me dropping Adames for Vaughn.

Justin Mason: Im ok with that

Guest: I’m in an 8-teamer with MI/CI and 5 OF. Is it still worth hanging on to Altuve or would you drop for Adames, Basallo, Grisham, or Waldschmidt? Heck, even Cortes seems like an upgrade at this point.

Justin Mason: I would ride the hot hand in a shallow league, so cortes

Justin Mason: or Waldschmidt because I am a believer

Guest: Ashcraft has never tossed more than 118 innings but the Pirates are clearly in the mood to contend for the division. Do you think they just ride him and maybe limit innings per start or some other alternative? He’s been pretty efficient from a pitch count standpoint.

Justin Mason: I think they ride with him. at least until 140-150

bold moves: Need to start 1 in roto: Junk @ TB or Roupp @ LAD?

Justin Mason: Junk

MF Luder: Its difficult for me to believe Carlos Cortes is a top 30ish fantasy outfielder. Am I wrong? I’m happy to ride the wave in the short term though

Justin Mason: I havent been a beleiver, but he is proving me wrong and I am starting to buy in

Bill M.: 12 t dynasty roto, obp instead of avg- qs instead of w. Send luzardo and Griffin for perdomo, l Henderson and made

Justin Mason: do not trade Griffin in a dynasty

Is Bogaerts for real?: In a shallow H2H categories league, o.k. to drop Seager for Bogaerts?  Or wait a while?

Justin Mason: id hold on Seager, but it might be stubborness

RAGBRAI: Who is better for this year…L Henderson, Snelling or K Harrison?

Justin Mason: Harrison

RAGBRAI: Ortiz has not been much offensively so far, do you see one of the AAA guys coming up by July if this keeps up.  Seems they have several choices to choose from.

Justin Mason: Ortiz’s defense may keep him playing. The brewers love good defense

Infield Shifting: who do you like as an infielder/utility in a points league (-1 for Ks) okamoto or bogaerts

Justin Mason: Okamoto

Lesser evil: Who is most likely to rebound towards their preseason projections – Gunnar, M. Chapman, or Springer?

Justin Mason: Gunnar

Jared Jones: Can Jared Jones save my pitching?

It’s ok to lie to me. In fact, I’d prefer it.

Justin Mason: I cant lie to you. No

Middle infielder woes: Help! Could you pick your top 3 out of a mess of McLain, NGonzales, Keith, Zeke Duran, Brice Matthews, Meidroth, Winn, HS Kim…Any no brainers above the others? 12T roto. T

Justin Mason: Keith, Kim, Gonzales

Hazmat: FYI even if you wind up mixed in 30 Rock (always enjoyed it), definitely catch the Reggie Dinkins show now running. Also by Tina Fey with Tracy Morgan and very funny

Justin Mason: thanks for the recommendation! I am watching like four shows right now, but I always need more

Insert Witty Name Here: I haven’t been following, what’s your issue with Vitello?

Justin Mason: He just seems overmatched and not a pro manager. Maybe its just the lack of wins and he isnt getting a fair shake, but it just feels like he’s lost.

Guest: What month is Colt Emerson coming up??

Justin Mason: June

Keith P.: Thanks Justin. Who do you think ultimately gets more playing time for SF: Jesus Rodriguez or Daniel Susac?

Justin Mason: Rodriguez because he will play other positions

Justin Mason: Thats my time! please follow me on all my social media’s (twitter, tiktok, facebook, youtube, bluesky, and instagram) at JustinMasonFWFB! I am doing regular podcasts on the FWFB podcast as well as three episodes a week for the Sleeper and the Bust so definitely make sure you are subscribed there as well! You can also join the Sleeper and the Bust discord! https://discord.gg/ar7XUV9T