Tristan H. Cockcroft Apr 15, 2026, 11:00 AM ET

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Tristan H. Cockcroft is senior writer for fantasy baseball and football at ESPN. Tristan is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. He is also a two-time LABR and three-time Tout Wars champion.

Commence the annual April dance.

We spend a substantial portion of March assembling what we think, at the time, was a perfectly-crafted roster. Then, three weeks into the season, slow starts by some of our most integral pieces have us in doubt. Panic -- and the responsive advice not to do so -- is all the rage in this opening month.

Veteran fantasy baseball managers are exhausted by it -- who truly likes hearing "be patient" annually? -- while more casual players appreciate the reassurance. While it might seem impossible to find a happy medium between the two, the truth is that possessing an understanding of this critical and most universally-attentive time of year is all you need.…