Baseball, both real and fantasy, is more a marathon than a sprint. As a fantasy owner, you work 162 games across 180-plus days.
But the thing is, your full-time job isn't to run a fantasy team. And that championship trophy on your mantel isn't paying the phone bill, shiny as it is.
That's where we come in to help. MLB.com's fantasy crew put together a cheat sheet for fans in need of expert advice or a little extra help this spring. Make sure to have this one-stop information shop on hand during your auctions or snake drafts.
• Download the Fantasy 411 Cheat Sheet (PDF)
The cheat sheet covers the following bases:
Positional ranks and auction values: The primer's premier feature, MLB.com's position-by-position ranks will help you make snap calls when you have 10 seconds left to pick in your draft.
For those in auction formats, dollar values are listed, too. But even if you're playing in a snake format, the prices listed can help highlight the precise worth of each player in relation to his peers.
For instance, top-ranked keystone man Jose Altuve is priced $15 ahead of any other second-base eligible player. Meanwhile, Paul Goldschmidt ($10 ahead of the first-base pack) and Trea Turner ($11 ahead of any shortstop) also eclipse their competition by significant margins.
Top prospects: Built by MLB.com prospect guru Jim Callis, this list highlights the stars of tomorrow with the best chances of making a fantasy contribution in 2018.
Worth the price: This list is comprised of players who should keep you happy all season long, so don't be worried about paying up for them.
Buyer beware: These players certainly have value, but they may be getting picked higher than they should in many drafts.
Sleepers: A staple of fantasy-draft season, this list is comprised of players who are poised to break out in 2018. Buy low and enjoy their surprising production all year.
Comeback candidates: For myriad reasons, talented players sometimes have subpar seasons. MLB.com spent all offseason examining fallen stars and picked 10 who could resemble their old, superior selves in 2018.
Picks to click: Want fantasy advice from a former big league general manager? The cheat sheet will have just that courtesy of MLB.com analyst Jim Duquette as he shares his favorite breakout picks, comeback candidates and value options.