Joey Wendle (2B/OF, TB) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 4% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays second baseman/outfielder Joey Wendle was very happy to see June end, as he had a .192 batting average last month. July has been a different story, however, as Wendle pushed his July batting average up over .400 (.405) with […]

Jedd Gyorko (1B/2B/3B, STL) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 12% of leagues ANALYSIS: St. Louis Cardinals infielder Jedd Gyorko slumped hard in June, but he has slashed .324/.444/.622 since the calendar flipped to July. He has four multi-hit games already this month, and has walked more often than he is struck out. While he’s pacing […]

Scott Kingery (OF/SS/2B/3B, PHI) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 24% of leagues ANALYSIS: Philadelphia Phillies utility player Scott Kingery has not lived up to expectations as a rookie, although to be fair, those expectations were absurd. To be fair though, there were multiple people speculating that he could produce a 30/30 campaign, something that no […]

Derek Dietrich (1B/2B/3B/OF, MIA) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 47% of leagues ANALYSIS: The Marlins are not very good, but utility player Derek Dietrich has been a bright spot for them in the season’s first half. The versatile veteran has hit .288/.350/.452 with 11 home runs and 49 runs scored across 92 games, primarily hitting in […]

Week 16 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

The All-Star break is upon us, but there’s no such thing as a break with RotoBaller. We’re still here to offer advice on everything from prospects to waiver wire pickups to help you make a championship push in the second half. Every Sunday until the end of the season, we'll look at the best middle […]

Tyler Anderson (SP, COL) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 44% of leagues ANALYSIS: For obvious reasons, it's rare that Rockies pitchers are recommended for regular use in fantasy leagues. However, Tyler Anderson's recent performance can't be ignored. The 28-year-old has logged quality starts in five of his last seven outings, posting sparkling ratios (2.09 ERA, 0.97 WHIP) and […]

Fantasy Reflections: Second Half Strategy

Hard as it may be to believe, we've nearly reached the All Star break. That's the unofficial halfway point of the season, although teams will have actually played roughly 60 percent of their games. Of course, depending on your league format, you may be even further past the literal halfway point of your fantasy season. Regardless […]

Addison Russell (SS, CHC) - Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 43% of leagues ANALYSIS: Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell stumbled out of the gate early this season, as he did hit just .250/.326/.333 with no homers and just four RBI in April. Since the calendar flipped to May, however, Russell has slashed .298/.370/.438 with five homers […]

Jesse Winker (OF, CIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: Jesse Winker looked to be in danger of losing playing time after an atrocious showing during the month of May, but ever since the calendar flipped to June, he's been one of the hottest hitters in baseball. The sophomore (he just barely cleared 130 […]

Josh Reddick (OF, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 31% of leagues ANALYSIS: Josh Reddick has had something of a bizarre season thus far. He blasted six home runs in his first 18 games, then went over two months before hitting another. After hitting .281 and .314 in the last two seasons, Reddick's average sat at .221 […]

Lou Trivino (RP, OAK) - Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 15% of leagues ANALYSIS: Despite playing at close to a 90-win pace thus far, the Athletics are 10 games behind the Astros for first place in the AL West, and 6.5 games back of the Mariners for the second wild-card slot. Their playoff odds aren't great, in other […]

Matt Harvey (SP, CIN) - Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 28% of leagues ANALYSIS: When the Mets shipped him to Cincinnati earlier this season, it was fair to wonder if we were seeing the end of Matt Harvey's major league career. The one-time ace hadn't looked like anything close to his former self in the last three years, […]

Wilmer Flores (2B/3B/SS, NYM) - Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 5% of leagues ANALYSIS: Despite the Mets’ pathological unwillingness to hand him a starting job, New York Mets infielder Wilmer Flores continues to produce when called upon. Since the start of the 2016 season, the 26-year-old has produced the following line (prorated to 600 PA): .269 […]

Week 15 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

Just a week left to go until the All-Star break. At this point, your situation has begun to take shape, but there's still a lot of baseball left to be played. While the deluge of middle infield injuries has thankfully slowed to a trickle, those of you in need of a boost at those positions […]

Niko Goodrum (1B/2B/3B/OF, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: Detroit Tigers utility man Niko Goodrum went 4-for-4 on Saturday, giving him two such performances already in the month of July. Despite a forgettable June, the Tigers’ Swiss Army Knife (he is eligible everywhere but catcher) has hit .251/.325/.461 with eight homers and […]

Friday Five: First Half Breakouts

[Technical difficulties resulted in the delay of this article's publication. Please forgive the tardiness, and the resultant cognitive dissonance of a piece entitled "Friday Five" running on a Saturday. -Ed.] Though the All-Star break is still over a week away, we’ve passed the halfway point of the 2018 season. At this point, your league’s situation […]

Ryon Healy (1B/3B, SEA) - Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 38% of Yahoo leagues ANALYSIS: Since returning from an early-season ankle injury on April 26, Ryon Healy has hit .262/.292/.496 with 17 home runs and 69 R+BI in 65 games. More than half of those home runs have come over the past month, but Healy remains on the waiver […]

Ben Zobrist (2B/OF, CHC) - Week 14 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 23% of leagues ANALYSIS: Chicago Cubs utility player Ben Zobrist may be on the back nine of his career, but that does not mean that he is an ineffective fantasy option. On Saturday, Zobrist reached base in four of his five trips to the plate, with […]

Week 14 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

We're roughly at the halfway mark on the 2018 season. It seems like just yesterday we were drafting Jonathan Schoop in the top 50 and excitedly investing in a breakout for Jorge Polanco. As always, much has changed in a few short months. But you know what hasn't? Every Sunday until the end of the […]

Streaming Wars - Waiver Wire Targets for July 1

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be available on […]

Friday Five: First Half Busts - Buy Low?

Though the All-Star break is still over two weeks away, we’ve just about hit the halfway point of the 2018 season. At this point, your league’s situation – and your place in it – has begun to take shape. There’s still time to turn things around, but if you’re staring up at a bunch of […]

Streaming Wars - Waiver Wire Targets for June 28

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week. We're coming up on the halfway point of the season, but there's still plenty of options on the waiver wire to aid your championship quest. For those who are […]

Streaming Wars - Waiver Wire Targets for June 26

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be available on […]

Yairo Munoz (SS, STL) - Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 3% of leagues ANALYSIS: Given the way that the fantasy community at large tends to fall all over themselves when a prospect performs well, it is surprising to see St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Yairo Munoz getting so little love. After being acquired in the Stephen Piscotty […]

Jaime Barria (SP, LAA) - Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 26% of leagues ANALYSIS: Jaime Barria has been impressive in his rookie season, even before you consider the fact that he's just 21 years old. He's never been considered a big-name prospect, but an advanced approach has allowed him to move quickly through the ranks. Barria is a […]

Kyle Gibson (SP, MIN) - Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 29% of leagues ANALYSIS: Judging by his ownership rate, fantasy owners have been reluctant to embrace Kyle Gibson as a viable option. We're now nearly at the halfway point of the season, though, and Gibson's results continue to impress. Leaving aside his meager two victories, the 30-year-old has […]

Jeimer Candelario (3B, DET) - Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of Yahoo leagues ANALYSIS: Despite a recent slump that culminated in a Golden Sombrero on Saturday night, Jeimer Candelario's season line checks in at a wholly respectable .244/.348/.467 with 11 home runs and 68 R+BI in 64 games. That production compares favorably to several more widely-owned or […]

Joc Pederson (OF, LAD) - Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 31% of leagues ANALYSIS: Joc Pederson began the season with considerable uncertainty around his playing time due to a typically crowded Dodgers roster and his own 2017 struggles. He's done what he can to force that situation into clarity, hitting .272/.350/.543 with nine home runs in just 197 plate […]

Week 13 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

I’ve returned after a one-week absence. Thanks to Sean Scampton for holding down the fort during my vacation. Every Sunday until the end of the season, we'll look at the best middle infielders available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. These are based on standard 5x5 scoring; adjust accordingly for your specific setup. […]

Streaming Wars - Waiver Wire Targets for June 24

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be available on […]