The Fantasy Six Pack Hour

Joe Bond and A.J. Applegarth

Join Joe Bond, A.J. Applegarth, and Corey Pieper for year-round fantasy football and fantasy baseball advice that actually wins leagues. We do the heavy lifting on the analytics, but we never forget that fantasy sports are supposed to be fun. Whether we’re debating early-round draft strategies, digging for waiver-wire sleepers, or arguing over weekly player rankings, we bring you the hard numbers you need alongside the sports debates you actually care about. Plus, for the hardcore baseball managers, this feed is also home to our spinoff show, First Cup Fantasy Baseball. Consider it your daily scouting report, serving up the latest MLB stats, call-ups, and trends to go with your morning coffee all season long. Hit follow, lock in your rosters, and let's go win a championship.

  1. 17h ago

    First Cup Fantasy Baseball: June 26: Ray's Day: Seymours No-Hit Effort & Caminero's Historic Trifecta

    A blockbuster Thursday slate shook the fantasy baseball universe to its absolute core, delivering a slate-breaking power clinic from a top-tier young phenom alongside an elite pitching performance that flirted with absolute perfection. Corey Pieper returns to break down the massive fantasy fallout, highlighting league-winning offensive explosions, high-leverage pitching meltdowns, crucial injury timelines, and an enticing underdog look for the FanDuel Bet of the Day. The Tampa Bay Rays put on an absolute masterclass that dominated the fantasy landscape. Infield cornerstone Junior Caminero logged a historic, slate-shattering first career three-home run game, punishing Royals pitching to the tune of 6 RBIs in a 13-2 rout. Right behind him on the mound, Ian Seymour put together a breathtaking bulk-relief performance, carrying a collective no-hit bid into the late frames while spinning 6.2 hitless, scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. Elsewhere in the league, young frontline arms flashed jaw-dropping upside. Bryce Miller weaponized an uncatchable arsenal to fan 11 batters over 5.2 frames, Tatsuya Imai fanned 10 in a stellar 6-inning duel to outlast Troy Melton, and Connelly Early logged nine punchouts to match Cam Schlittler's electric 9-strikeout showcase. After an agonizing slump, Freddy Peralta finally provided a massive sigh of relief for his fantasy managers, bouncing back beautifully from his previous shellacking to fire 5.2 brilliant, scoreless innings. Meanwhile, the power surges continued at the dish, as Caleb Durbin launched another long ball, and Texas phenom Wyatt Langford kept his blistering hot streak alive by clearing the fences yet again. On the flip side, several high-investment foundational players completely tanked fantasy ratios on Thursday. Premium righty Seth Lugo was targeted early and often, completely unraveling to surrender seven earned runs in just five painful innings. Kevin Gausman similarly hit a devastating structural roadblock, shelled for six earned runs on 10 hard hits across six laborious frames. Relief depth took a massive hit too, as Gus Varland collapsed out of the bullpen, tagged for five earned runs while failing to finish his second frame. High-profile rookies also endured a harsh reality check, with both Jac Caglianone and Nick Kurtz going completely quiet, turning in empty 0-for-4 nights anchored by three empty strikeouts apiece. The active fantasy landscape is bracing for a monumental weekend wave of high-impact activations and structural shifts. Roster reinforcements are officially incoming as dynamic shortstop centerpiece Bobby Witt Jr. is anticipated to make his highly awaited return to lineups today, and Corey Seager is officially back in action. Arizona's active rotation gets an immediate jolt with Brandon Pfaadt taking the bump today, newly flanked by veteran Max Kepler, who officially linked up with the Diamondbacks yesterday. However, it's not all positive news; Toronto suffers a blow as infield stabilizer Spencer Horwitz heads to the injured list, Oakland's Zack Gelof lands on the IL with a hand fracture, and the Cubs lose depth with Ben Brown sidelined due to a neck issue. Meanwhile, fantasy managers are keeping a vigilant eye on young catcher Cooper Ingle and tracking Matthew Boyd's progress as he works back toward rotation durability after a 4.2-inning buildup outing. We close out the broadcast with our signature Friday Pitching Planner segment, analyzing the essential arms you need to stream, start, or sit to guarantee your team locks down those crucial weekend category matchups. First Cup Fantasy Baseball drops every weekday around 9 AM ET on The F6P Hour. Use code F6PPODS for 15% off All Access at fantasysixpack.net – rankings, matchup tools, DFS and betting cheat sheets, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    14 min
  2. 1d ago

    2026 Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Stop Draft Room Panic

    Are you walking straight into a trap when you enter your draft room? This week, Joe Bond, A.J. Applegarth, and Corey Pieper deliver a foundational draft strategy masterclass to help you set up your screen, exploit baseline host site pre-ranks, and maintain complete structural flexibility without panicking when the draft clock ticks down. IN THIS EPISODE: • Screen Setup: The exact tab layouts the pros use to maintain a mathematical edge. • Default Traps: Why blindly trusting host site default rankings kills your roster value. • Fluid Construction: Remaining flexible instead of locking into rigid Zero-RB or Hero-RB plans. • Beating the Run: The psychological triggers for spotting live positional runs early. • Bench Optimization: The definitive structural rule for the double-digit rounds. EPISODE TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - 2026 Fantasy Football Draft Strategy 1:55 - What Your Screen Looks Like & Tabs to Use 6:17 - Why Host Site Default Rankings Are a Trap 12:07 - Using Positional Tiers to Stop Draft Panic 15:30 - FanDuel Team Win Totals Market Angles 23:00 - Keeping Your Strategy Fluid vs. Rigid Plans 27:50 - How Your Draft Slot Changes Opening Moves 33:55 - The First 3 Rounds "Balanced Team" Mistake 38:20 - Handling Live Positional Runs & Knowing When to Reach 43:35 - Capitalizing on Major Player ADP Falls on the Fly 47:00 - Safe High-Floor vs. Unproven High-Upside 53:35 - Late-Round Bench Building Strategy 58:00 - The #1 Rule for Filling Bench Spots RESOURCES & TOOLS Dominate your league with the F6P Draft Cheat Sheet & Rankings. Save 15% with promo code F6PPODS at https://fantasysixpack.net/plans. Get more expert tools, analytics, and articles all summer long at https://fantasysixpack.net/. Connect with the hosts on X: @F6P_Joe, @AppleGarthAlgar, and @copieps. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 9m
  3. 3d ago

    First Cup Fantasy Baseball: June 23: Cole's Reality Check & Core Reinforcements Return

    A high-stakes Monday schedule fundamentally shifted the fantasy landscape as ace starters faced starkly contrasting fates, strategic bullpen management unlocked massive streaming value, and a wave of superstar injury activations prepared to reshape active lineups. Corey Pieper returns to dive deep into a critical slate of performances, breaking down brilliant bounceback campaigns, alarming pitching regressions, crucial bullpen developments, and a fresh FanDuel Bet of the Day target. The elite pitching tier delivered extreme polarization to start the week. Kyle Bradish put together an absolute masterclass, stifling hitters across eight scoreless frames with nine strikeouts, while Michael King was equally spectacular, preservation-perfect over seven shutout innings with five punchouts. Brandon Woodruff was utterly electric in his return, silencing opposition bats with 10 strikeouts across six dominant, one-hit frames to hold off an equally sharp Brady Singer. Framber Valdez flashed stellar form with eight strikeouts over six frames of one-run ball, and Michael Wacha outdueled Drew Rasmussen by logging seven frames of one-run stability. Conversely, Gerrit Cole ran into an absolute buzzsaw, shelled for five earned runs on nine hard hits in a brief 4.1-inning exit, leaving fantasy managers sweating over his structural consistency. Meanwhile, strategic bulk-relievers stealing wins behind openers became an absolute goldmine; Eric Lauer fired six hitless, spectacular frames out of the bullpen, Alan Rangel tossed five innings of one-run ball, and highly touted prospect Kumar Rocker fanned nine batters across five stellar bulk frames to eclipse Tyler Phillips. The waiver and injury landscape is shifting beneath our feet with massive high-impact reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Fantasy managers can officially rejoice as Cincinnati's dynamic superstar Elly De La Cruz is locked in for his Tuesday activation from the hamstring injured list, while former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber is ready to make his long-awaited season debut for the Blue Jays. San Francisco is also on the verge of an incredible depth boost, with Francisco Lindor and flame-throwing righty Eury Perez trending aggressively toward a potential Wednesday return. On the critical tracking front, MVP centerpiece Bobby Witt Jr. sat out Monday's action but remains highly optimistic about avoiding a costly IL stint, while Kyle Tucker continues to manage lower back spasms. On the downside, both Dalton Rushing and Jeremy Peña triggered concern by leaving their respective contests early due to apparent physical tweaks. We wrap up the program with a comprehensive, deep-dive Bullpen Report tracking sudden closer instability. We analyze Ryan Helsley's uncharacteristic recent structural struggles, evaluate Jaden Hill's ascending leverage role in Colorado alongside Elvis Alvarado's concurrent high-leverage blown-save regression, navigate the cloudy late-inning committee situation for the Chicago Cubs, and dissect highly unusual, rough high-leverage outings from trusted anchors Cade Smith and Aroldis Chapman. First Cup Fantasy Baseball drops every weekday around 9 AM ET on The F6P Hour. Use code F6PPODS for 15% off All Access at fantasysixpack.net – rankings, matchup tools, DFS and betting cheat sheets, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    21 min
  4. 4d ago

    First Cup Fantasy Baseball: June 22: Weekend Power Outbursts & Elite Arms Get Shelled

    A wild weekend of fantasy baseball action delivered jaw-dropping power displays and unexpected pitching disasters, leaving managers to navigate an increasingly volatile landscape. Corey Pieper breaks down a massive slate of weekend results, major injury updates, catastrophic pitching lines, and the latest FanDuel Bet of the Day. The long ball took center stage on Saturday and Sunday. Kyle Schwarber put on a masterclass with a historic three-home run performance on Saturday, while Ozzie Albies, Jeremy Peña, Ty France, top draft picks Travis Bazzana and JJ Wetherholt, and collegiate phenom Jac Caglianone all left the yard twice over the weekend. Bryce Harper electrified fantasy managers by hitting for the cycle on Saturday, William Contreras put together a massive 4-for-5 day with a home run and 3 RBIs, and Wyatt Langford continued his hot streak, launching another long ball while handling leadoff duties on Sunday. On the mound, Joey Cantillo was nearly untouchable, carrying a gem through eight innings with nine strikeouts and just one earned run, while young arms like Cam Schlittler racked up an incredible 13 strikeouts, and Troy Melton fired six innings of one-hit ball. Veteran Logan Webb went the distance with an eight-inning complete game, and Nathan Eovaldi bounced back from a skipped start to log nine strikeouts over six strong frames. It wasn't all celebration, however, as several frontline aces ran into absolute buzzsaws. Freddy Peralta endured a catastrophic nightmare, knocked out after coughing up 10 earned runs on 10 hits in just 2.2 innings. Bryce Elder was tagged for eight earned runs on 12 hits, while Kevin Gausman got rocked for seven earned runs while walking four in just two innings. Stephen Kolek gave up nine earned runs in less than two frames, and Dustin May surrendered six earned runs in a brief two-inning appearance. Even steady stars hit speed bumps, as Jacob deGrom was tagged for six earned runs over six frames, and Tarik Skubal surrendered two home runs in a shaky 5.2-inning performance. The injury landscape remains highly active and critical for upcoming roster decisions. On the bright side, ace Brandon Woodruff and Shane Bieber are both set to make highly anticipated returns to the mound on Monday, Eury Perez is expected back next week, and Daulton Varsho made an immediate impact upon his return with a three-run blast. However, the Baltimore Orioles suffer a massive blow as star catcher Adley Rutschman lands on the 7-day concussion injured list after a freak collision, while MVP candidate Bobby Witt Jr. is dealing with a Grade 1 MCL sprain. Elly De La Cruz is targeting a Tuesday return, and Teoscar Hernandez is eyeing a June 29th comeback, but Ryne Nelson (flexor), Michael Soroka (glute), Jordan Lawlar (hamstring), and Jack Leiter (ankle) all face structural setbacks. We close out the show with our Weekly Waiver Wire segment, highlighting the top targets you need to grab tonight to stay ahead of your league opponents before the Monday morning transaction freeze. First Cup Fantasy Baseball drops every weekday around 9 AM ET on The F6P Hour. Use code F6PPODS for 15% off All Access at fantasysixpack.net – rankings, matchup tools, DFS and betting cheat sheets, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    30 min
  5. Jun 19

    First Cup Fantasy Baseball: June 19: Mike Trout Injury Crisis & Rookie Pitching Gems

    A staggering wave of superstar injuries has completely derailed fantasy baseball rosters, leaving managers scrambling for answers on the waiver wire. Corey Pieper breaks down a massive slate of breaking news, spectacular rookie pitching performances, costly duds, and the daily FanDuel Bet of the Day. The injury bug bit hard on Thursday night as fantasy royalty hit the shelf. Bobby Witt Jr. was forced to exit early with a right knee injury and is undergoing further medical testing, while Trea Turner left his ballgame after being struck by a pitch in the calf. Mike Trout lands on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. was knocked out early following a painful shot to the groin. Meanwhile, Adley Rutschman struggled through a hitless, two-strikeout performance after taking a throw directly to the head. On the mound, the Milwaukee Brewers suffer a crushing blow as breakout right-hander Quinn Priester is officially ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 season to undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery. On the bright side, Wenceel Perez is managing a facial injury, Jose Soriano is expected to take the bump today after skipping his Thursday start with chest discomfort, and superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor is finally set to launch his minor league rehab assignment this Friday. Despite the medical chaos, a brilliant group of young arms took center stage. Gage Jump turned in a masterclass performance, firing seven brilliant innings of one-hit ball with seven strikeouts to completely shut down the Angels. Parker Messick flashed his best velocity of the season, racking up nine strikeouts over six innings of two-run ball against Milwaukee. Bryan Woo was absolutely flawless, spinning seven scoreless frames with nine strikeouts, matching a spectacular nine-strikeout duel against Shane Baz. Sean Burke excelled as a bulk follower behind opener Bryan Hudson, striking out eight over 7.1 brilliant innings against Ryan Weathers. Joe Ryan cruised through five scoreless frames, and Trey Yesavage battled veteran Sonny Gray in a gritty seven-inning showdown. Offensively, Juan Soto blasted two solo home runs, Wyatt Langford and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. both cleared the fence, and nearly the entire Kansas City starting lineup crossed the plate for a run, with only Nick Loftin missing out on the scoring barrage. On the negative side of the ledger, young arms hit a wall as Jack Leiter was shelled for six earned runs in just four innings, while Matthew Liberatore was lit up for seven runs in a brief 1.2-inning nightmare. High-profile bats completely frozen at the plate include Braden Montgomery falling below the .200 mark after a multi-strikeout collar, Jasson Dominguez and Brandon Marsh both punching out repeatedly, and Cal Raleigh enduring an ugly four-strikeout night to drop his average to .164, alongside quiet nights from Bo Bichette, Gunnar Henderson, Joc Pederson, and Brice Turang. Finally, we map out the weekend pitching landscape in our Pitching Planner, highlighting the upcoming returns of Mick Abel and Troy Melton, Jared Jones traveling into the thin air of Colorado, and a look at Shane Drohan. First Cup Fantasy Baseball drops every weekday around 9 AM ET on The F6P Hour. Use code F6PPODS for 15% off All Access at fantasysixpack.net – rankings, matchup tools, DFS and betting cheat sheets, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    20 min
  6. Jun 18

    First Cup Fantasy Baseball: Jun 18: Trea Turner Slump & Rankings Movers

    Trea Turner and Mookie Betts are sliding down the rest-of-season ranks due to extended cold stretches at the plate. Host Joe Bond breaks down the latest news, dissects the biggest Rankings Movers, and delivers the FanDuel Bet of the Day featuring Joe Ryan over 6.5 strikeouts and Yankees -1.5 vs White Sox. News and Injuries: Cole Ragans and Spencer Strider are transferred to the 60-day IL. Ronald Acuna remains a long way from returning. Studs and Duds: Kyle Stowers, Sterlin Thompson, Colson Montgomery, Carter Jensen, Jackson Merrill, Ryan O'Hearn, Kyle Bradish, Nolan McLean, and Eduardo Rodriguez lead as yesterday's studs. Lawrence Butler, Colt Emerson, Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, Andrew Painter, Anthony Kay, Shohei Ohtani, and Sean Sullivan are listed as duds. Rankings Movers: Rising stock includes Jordan Walker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Tyler Soderstrom, Brandon Marsh, Bryce Eldridge, Logan Webb, Sonny Gray, Reid Detmers, and Dustin May. Falling stock includes Trea Turner, Mookie Betts, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Parker Messick, Roki Sasaki, Trey Yesavage, and Taj Bradley. First Cup Fantasy Baseball drops every weekday around 9 AM ET on The F6P Hour. Use code F6PPODS for 15% off All Access at fantasysixpack.net – rankings, matchup tools, DFS and betting cheat sheets, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    29 min
  7. Jun 17

    First Cup Fantasy Baseball: Jun 17: Cole Ragans Setback & Trade Targets

    Cole Ragans is undergoing additional arm testing after a new injury setback cutting his throwing session short. Joe Bond breaks down the latest Trade Targets segment alongside today's top highlights and the FanDuel Bet of the Day. Shohei Ohtani will not hit Wednesday but starts on the mound. Colt Keith's X-rays returned negative. Chase DeLauter is day to day with a small rib fracture. Edward Cabrera exited with a trainer. Randy Arozarena was placed on the injured list. Michael Harris exited early Tuesday. Luis Castillo follows Miller on Friday. Heliot Ramos is ready for a rehab assignment, and Garrett Crochet is close to playing catch. Roman Anthony's follow-up MRI was clean, while Giancarlo Stanton re-injured his calf. Today's performance listings features studs Bryan Reynolds, Zack Gelof, Sal Stewart, Brice Turang, Spencer Jones, Hunter Brown, Dylan Cease, Drew Rasmussen, Reid Detmers, Justin Wrobleski, and Framber Valdez. Duds include Willson Contreras, Eugenio Suarez, Cole Carrigg, Henry Bolte, Kodai Senga, Kumar Rocker, and Brandon Young. Our featured Trade Targets segment reviews buy candidates Kyle Tucker, Max Fried, and Cal Raleigh, plus sell options Brandon Marsh, Matt Chapman, and Max Meyer. First Cup Fantasy Baseball drops every weekday around 9 AM ET on The F6P Hour. Use code F6PPODS for 15% off All Access at fantasysixpack.net – rankings, matchup tools, DFS and betting cheat sheets, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    22 min
5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

Join Joe Bond, A.J. Applegarth, and Corey Pieper for year-round fantasy football and fantasy baseball advice that actually wins leagues. We do the heavy lifting on the analytics, but we never forget that fantasy sports are supposed to be fun. Whether we’re debating early-round draft strategies, digging for waiver-wire sleepers, or arguing over weekly player rankings, we bring you the hard numbers you need alongside the sports debates you actually care about. Plus, for the hardcore baseball managers, this feed is also home to our spinoff show, First Cup Fantasy Baseball. Consider it your daily scouting report, serving up the latest MLB stats, call-ups, and trends to go with your morning coffee all season long. Hit follow, lock in your rosters, and let's go win a championship.

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