Five Takeaways From The First Month Of The MLB Season (Sponsored Post)

In a six month season, consistency is the ultimate key. That is why a lot of people aren’t going to be completely sold on all trends after one month. People who play daily fantasy mlb like what they see out of certain players and teams early on this year. Here is a look at 5 trends that should be able to continue as the season progresses.

Chicago Cubs Are Here To Stay

At the beginning of the year, the Chicago Cubs certainly received quite a bit of attention. Not only did they go out and sign some new guys including ace Jon Lester, but their young talent caught headlines for all the right reasons. One month into the season, and they seem to be going in the right direction. Kris Bryant looks like a future All-Star, and Addison Russell could be joining him as well. Those 2 players could be the future of the left side of the infield for the Chicago Cubs in the next decade.

The Astros Might Just Be Too

Most people aren’t completely sold on the Houston Astros, but they have one of the best records in the American League right now. Like the Chicago Cubs, they focused on building up their farm system during some down years. They are probably a little bit ahead of schedule, and that is why they are the most likely of the 2 teams to fade. However, the days of laughing at Houston are over, and they should be at least respectable by the end of the season.

Alex Rodriguez Has Something Left In The Tank

Any professional athlete closing in on 40 years of age knows that they are playing with borrowed time. Expectations were rather low for Rodriguez going into the season, but he has been one of the more consistent hitters for the surprising New York Yankees. Injury issues are always going to be a bit of a scare, but getting a chance to play at designated hitter keeps him fresh.

Jeurys Familia Is The Closer The Mets Need

Staying in New York City, the New York Mets have also been very surprising so far this year. While many people predicted that they would be counting on pitching quite a bit, few could have seen the hot start coming from Jeurys Familia. He has stepped in nicely to be the closer for the franchise, and the movement on his pitches should keep him sharp throughout the year.

Mike Trout Is Still The Best

There are certainly a lot of crazy statistics after just one month of baseball, but anyone who plays in daily fantasy mlb knows that Mike Trout is certainly not riding a hot streak. In fact, he is just right back to performing at a high level. So far this year, he is hitting well above .300 while up to 6 home runs and 6 stolen bases already. Easy math would show anyone that he very well could finish with 30 home runs, 30 stolen bases and right around 100 RBI in 2015. That would be crazy to think about for most players, but it is just another MVP performance from the best player in the game.

Markakis Signing Shows Braves Not Done (Sponsored Post)

The Atlanta Braves have been one of the most active teams so far this winter in baseball, and it does not look like they are going to be slowing down anytime soon. After their latest move involving outfielder Nick Markakis, it sets up a number of other possible opportunities. The team is going to be trying to do whatever possible to get back into playoff contention, and it seems like they are focused mostly on shaking up the team chemistry.

For one reason or another, Atlanta regressed a little bit in 2014. Some people feel like the clubhouse was not exactly the best in baseball. It didn’t really leak out into the public eye all that much, but there is a reason why so many players are rumored to be on the move.

Perhaps their best trade piece currently on the roster is fantasy baseball stand out Justin Upton. The outfielder can be a little bit streaky at times, but he is in the prime of his career and he has MVP type potential when everything is clicking. Now that they have another outfielder in Markakis, they might be willing to trade away Upton to try and improve in other areas.

While it is important for Atlanta to make changes in general, they don’t want to make any silly mistakes when it comes to getting players too much money. It is a pretty good deal to get Markakis for 4 seasons and about $44 million. He has been productive for the Baltimore Orioles throughout his career, and he is a guy who grew up in Georgia and should be happy to be home. The Atlanta Braves want to be playoff contenders again, and making some of these under the radar moves might be exactly what they need to catch up with Washington and also hold off teams like Miami and New York.

Top Position Player Sleepers for Fantasy Baseball in 2014 (Sponsored Post)

Between now and the end of Spring Training, there will be a lot of fantasy baseball chatter about possible sleepers heading into the 2014 MLB regular season. For those who draft early, here’s an early list of sleepers to keep an eye on at each position.

Catcher – Dioner Navarro

The catcher position is not necessarily deep in fantasy baseball, but Navarro will be given a nice opportunity in 2014. As a backup in Chicago last season, he hit .300 while also showing some nice slugging numbers. Toronto should have a potent lineup, and Navarro will get more opportunities at the plate. He'll make a great stack player in FanDuel lineups all year long

1^st Base – Chris Davis

This might sound a bit weird to list a MVP candidate as a sleeper, but the fact of the matter is a lot of fantasy baseball owners are completely overlooking him. The consensus is he had a bit of luck in 2013, and that will dry up this season. He might not hit 53 home runs, but he will still be a top five option.

2^nd Base – Jurickson Profar

The hype has settled a bit on the young 2^nd baseman for the Texas Rangers, but this might actually turn out to be his true rookie season. He was a hot prospect in 2013, but a lack of consistent playing time at the same position hurt him. Ian Kinsler is gone, and that means Profar can settle in as an everyday 2^nd baseman for one of the best offenses in the game.

3^rd Base – Will Middlebrooks

The defending World Series champions appear to be ready to give Xander Bogaerts the starting shortstop job, which means that Middlebrooks should be ready for a bounce back 2014 campaign. He hit .288 in 2012 with plenty of power, but he struggled with a .227 average in 2013. A full-time return to 3^rd base could cure his woes.

Shortstop – Asdrubal Cabrera

Even though he has been fairly consistent in Cleveland, Cabrera tends to get overlooked. His .242 batting average was rough in 2013, but he did hit 14 home runs and remained a stolen base threat. If he can get back to his career average in the .270 to .280 range, he should provide plenty of value.

Outfield – JB Shuck, George Springer, Corey Dickerson

Baseball has become a more athletic game in recent years, and this outfield trio clearly illustrates that. All three should be poised for double-digit stolen bases in 2014, with the chance to contribute in several other categories as well.

Springer and Dickerson have power to go with their speed, while Shuck is more of an on-base percentage guy. All three are still relatively young, so they should have a few more years to really evolve as fantasy baseball standouts. They also will all get their chance to be full-time players for the first time in 2014. Springer has the most potential, while Dickerson appears to be the closest to a sure thing with his starting job in Colorado.