Poetry in Motion: The Ageless Wonder of Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro Suzuki is still fantasy-relevant. That's probably the least bold statement I've made to start any article in this weekly series, but it's still quite surprising if you fully understand the context. Ichiro has been all over the news this week and rightfully so. His 4,257 hits as a professional baseball player (yes, Pete Rose, […]

Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 11 (National League)

Call-up season is in full effect. The big names have been out there for a while, but some lesser known players are also making their Major League debuts this time of the year. This list represents players who haven't yet garnered a great deal of attention in mixed-leagues, streaming options suitable only for deeper leagues […]

Howie Kendrick (2B/3B/OF, LAD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: If you're looking for consistency, Howie Kendrick is your man. Kendrick has hit .285 or higher each of the past five seasons. He has never finished a season below .279 and has a career average of .290. Kendrick is way off those numbers so […]

Leonys Martin (OF, SEA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 34% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: In the category of "didn't see that coming," Leonys Martin has already surpassed his season-high for home runs with 10 in just 157 AB. This comes after moving from hitter-friendly Arlington to spacious Safeco Field in Seattle. Maybe Robinson Cano is rubbing off on him […]

Zach Davies (SP, MIL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 28% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Zach Davies has been one of the hottest pitchers around since June started. The 23 year-old has shown what he is capable of by keeping the Cardinals and Mets without an earned run over eight and six innings respectively. He also held the Athletics to […]

David Peralta (OF, ARI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues OWNED IN: 61% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: David Peralta was supposed to combine with A.J. Pollock to give the Diamondbacks one of the most dynamic outfields in the league. So much for plans. While Pollock's season is in question, Peralta missed almost an entire month and just recently returned on June […]

Cameron Maybin (OF, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues OWNED IN: 48% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: It has been quite a return to Detroit for Cameron Maybin this season. After eight years in the National League, Maybin returned to the team that made him a first-round draft pick in 2005. Although he started the year on the disabled list, Maybin […]

2016 Fantasy Football Sleepers - Wide Receiver Tyler Boyd

Every year, fantasy football analysts spend countless hours evaluating the talent level of players, but in the end, many times opportunity is the most important factor in scoring fantasy points. Rookie Wide Receiver Tyler Boyd has a great opportunity, stepping into an ideal situation with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2016. The 2nd round pick from Pittsburgh has […]

Carlos Estevez (RP, COL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 20% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: When Jake Mcgee hit the DL on Saturday, Colorado manager Walt Weiss pulled a surprise move by declaring Carlos Estevez to be the closer. With the experienced Jason Motte back in the bullpen mix, Estevez must have shown something to prove he deserves the role. […]

Poetry in Motion: The Control of Jeremy Jeffress

Jeremy Jeffress will finish the year as a top 10 closer. Whether it's with Milwaukee or another team remains to be seen. Hypothetically, a trade to a contender could do wonders for his value, but for the time being he is stuck in Milwaukee and still ranks as a must-own closer. Currently, Jeffress is tied […]

Peter O'Brien (OF, ARI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Bench Stash in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 2% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: One of the more anticipated June call-ups finally happened on Friday. Peter O'Brien is the proud owner of the hardest hit home run in the Statcast era, with a 119 MPH exit velocity shot in Spring Training this season that carried 461 feet. […]

Chase Utley (2B, LAD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 14% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Chase Utley's name doesn't often have a positive connotation these days, but Dodgers fans are certainly happy to have him. Thor trolling aside, Utley has contributed in several areas, most notably run-scoring. He currently has accumulated 33 R, placing him within the top 20 in the National […]

Steve Pearce (1B/2B/OF, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 36% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Now with his fifth team over 10 MLB seasons, Steve Pearce is hoping to make Tampa Bay his home. After playing sporadically at first base throughout April, Pearce has somewhat settled in at second base and is receiving more consistent playing time. Perhaps his […]

Carlos Santana (1B, CLE) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 55% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Carlos Santana is still powering up in Cleveland with 10 HR in 57 games, a pace that may result in a 30-HR season. His 11.2% HR/FB% and 4% HR% are both right in line with his career averages. The other side of the coin […]

Jurickson Profar (2B/SS, TEX) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 54% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Jurickson Profar was supposed to be a temporary call-up to replace the suspended Rougned Odor. The way he's hitting, it doesn't look like he's going back to the minors any time soon. All he's done since being inserted into the lineup is hit safely in […]

Rajai Davis (OF, CLE) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 33% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Rajai Davis shouldn't be available on waivers in any fantasy league unless stolen bases aren't counted whatsoever. Not only is Davis second in the AL with 13 SB this year, for his career he averages 48 stolen bases over a 162-game season. He has stolen […]

Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups for Week Ten (National League)

This list represents players who haven't yet garnered a great deal of attention in mixed-leagues, streaming options suitable only for deeper leagues or category specialists who may fill a specific need on your NL-only roster. Fantasy owners needing help should be on the lookout for these potential additions in the coming week. The following players are owned in […]

Poetry in Motion: The Sweet Stroke of Xander Bogaerts

Jackie Bradley Jr. didn't even have the most significant hitting streak on his own team this season. Not hating, just stating. Xander Bogaerts saw his streak end at 26 games last night in Toronto, just short of Bradley's 29, but in reality Bogaerts is the far superior fantasy option in both the short and long term. During […]

Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups for Week Nine (National League)

Fantasy owners who need a boost in deep NL-only leagues may find some help from players that have gone unnoticed by less-savvy league members (the ones who don't use RotoBaller). Check here each week for the hottest pickups and deepest sleepers available. The following players are owned in 25% or less of Fleaflicker leagues. Editor’s […]

Carlos Beltran (OF, NYY) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 60% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Carlos Beltran is just a year shy of his 40th birthday, but you wouldn't know it by watching him on the field. Beltran is displaying the same kind of power he had in his pre-Yankees days, with 12 HR and 31 RBI already in 49 […]

Brandon Drury (3B/OF, ARI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 41% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: In Arizona, if you can hit, you'll stay on the field. Brandon Drury is a fine example of that. He has played four different positions this year, seemingly a new one each night. His eligibility at both infield and outfield is useful, but he […]

Joe Panik (2B, SF) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 46% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: After two straight years hitting over .300, many thought Joe Panik might actually be a contender for the batting title in his third Major League season. It hasn't panned out that way so far, with Panik hitting a mere .251. Panik is not a […]

Eduardo Nunez (3B/SS, MIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 42% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: One of the biggest surprise performances this season has been Eduardo Nunez and his .338 average. He is currently seventh in the majors, ahead of even Jackie Bradley Jr. A quick look at his career stats will tell you that this season is looking more and […]

NL-Only Leagues: Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups for Week Eight

Some familiar faces return to the list this week. Several players who were identified as sleepers as early as week one in this series are still contributing in fantasy leagues. Suffice to say, most of these players are not five-tool guys or elite prospects. Rather, they are role players or category specialists who may fill […]

Poetry in Motion: The Speed of Jonathan Villar

Jonathan Villar is your National League steals leader. No, really. Villar has 15 SB in 21 attempts and shows no sign of slowing down--literally. Stolen bases are a highly coveted asset in fantasy baseball, as only a precious few players are capable of putting up 30+ SB in a given year. But speed alone won't […]

Alcides Escobar (SS, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 49% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Alcides Escobar is nothing if not dependable. He has not had a significant injury since becoming a full-time starter back in 2010. Last year, the 148 games he played was actually his lowest since that time as well. In terms of production, Escobar might […]

Chris Herrmann (C, ARI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues OWNED IN: 21% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Chris Herrmann was a limited source of offense as a backup catcher in Minnesota the last couple of years. He seems to be enjoying the Arizona climate a great deal more. The former Miami Hurricane has jumped into fantasy relevance with a few […]

Ender Inciarte (OF, ATL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ team leagues OWNED IN: 30% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Fantasy owners have had to display a great deal of patience so far in dealing with Ender Inciarte. Not even a full week into the season, Inciarte strained a hamstring and was on the shelf until May 7, missing an entire month. Upon […]

Jason Castro (C, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in two-catcher leagues OWNED IN: 13% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: You might not think there would be room for a career .236 hitter with a 26.8 K% on fantasy rosters, but in two-catcher leagues, beggars can't be choosers. Jason Castro provides enough power upside to earn starting consideration. He was an All-Star selection just […]

Sophomore Slump - Five 2015 Rookies Who Won't Live Up To 2016 ADP

The dreaded sophomore slump can strike without warning. It is widely assumed that rookies will improve with experience, but that is not always the case. Whether it's a change in usage, a new coaching staff, stiffer competition or simple regression, a player may not match the expectations raised by their rookie performance. Here is a look […]