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About Nick Mariano - RotoBaller
Senior MLB/NFL Fantasy Analyst & Editor here at RotoBaller, I've been lucky enough to work here since 2015. Spent two seasons writing for MLB.com as well.
FantasyPros ranked me as 2018's most accurate fantasy baseball draft dude, and I'm a three-time top-12 ranker in their fantasy football weekly accuracy competition as well. I rank the things good, or something.
NY born and raised, but now you can find me in Boston with my awesome Star Baker of a wife. Addicted to apples, peanut butter, learning about cognitive biases, and baseball cards. Lots of baseball cards...
Feel free to reach out on Twitter or ride with me on Peloton: @NMariano53
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Nick Mariano - RotoBaller has written 1887 articles so far, you can find them below.
Andy Dalton (QB, CIN) - Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 28% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is surrounded by a steady stud in A.J. Green, an upstart RB in Joe Mixon, a buzzy “sleeper” in John Ross and Tyler Eifert is currently healthy, knock on wood. Where does this leave Dalton? Well, in our opinion, pretty darn good shape! However, most... Read More
Drew Smyly (CHC, SP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Dynasty Leagues OWNED IN: 1% of leagues ANALYSIS: Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly has had a lost 2018 season and may not even pitch this season. This is strictly for very deep keeper and dynasty folks, but Tuesday saw Smyly toss 23 pitches in a simulated game after he struck... Read More
Felix Pena (LAA, SP/RP)- Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 4% of leagues ANALYSIS: Los Angeles Angels pitcher Felix Pena has made his mark on baseball in a short time period. Pena’s last month has seen him strike out a batter per inning (31 in 30 ⅔ IP) with a 3.23 ERA and 1.04 WHIP for... Read More
Joe Ross (WAS, RP/SP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 1% of leagues ANALYSIS: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Joe Ross is set to start against the Cubs at home on Friday, which will be his first MLB appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery 14 months ago. At just 25 years old, Ross could be a useful... Read More
Adam Wainwright (SP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 4% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Once a top-flight arm that fantasy owners would fight tooth and nail over, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright has seen injuries derail his efforts in recent years. He held an ugly 1.83 WHIP over his first 18 innings of ‘18... Read More
Touki Toussaint (ATL, SP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 8% of leagues ANALYSIS: Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Touki Toussaint was cruising with four hitless innings against the Red Sox in his second big-league start when the fifth inning just got away from him. That being said, we are not out to hold one frame against... Read More
Steven Matz (SP, NYM) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 20% of leagues ANALYSIS: New York Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz has allowed just four runs and 13 baserunners over his last 19 innings (three starts), posting a crispy 23/3 K/BB ratio over that span. This is especially heartwarming considering how rusty he looked in his... Read More
Jake Junis (SP, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jake Junis is a tough player to trust. We have all been sucked in by Junis before and do not want to get caught with your hand in the cookie jar again. However, Junis is much more than his... Read More
Tyler Glasnow (SP/RP, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 30% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow has continues to make the most of his move to Tampa. Glasnow’s ownership has crept up from roughly 26% to 30% over the last couple days and, even though it is just people looking for streamers,... Read More
Josh James (SP/RP, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 9% of leagues ANALYSIS: Houston Astros pitcher Josh James is a player so new to fantasy owners that ESPN only JUST got him in their player pool. His MLB debut saw him fan nine Angels over five innings, with the only damage coming on a Kole Calhoun three-run... Read More
![By Keith Allison on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "Matt Shoemaker") [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://cdn.rotoballer.com/2016/06/matt-shoemaker.jpg)
Matt Shoemaker (LAA ,SP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker returned from his elbow injury with five innings of shutout ball against the Rangers, needing only 62 pitches to impress in his first MLB start since March 31. He scattered two hits and a walk... Read More
Week 23 Waiver Wire - Starting Pitchers
Welcome to September, everybody! It’s the final month of the fantasy baseball season and that means there are a bunch of you looking for streamers and stalwarts to anchor your rotation down the stretch. Maybe you need to target wins and quality starts, or perhaps you’re lacking in Ks and could use a boost. Either... Read More
Mike Minor (SP, TEX) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 19% of leagues ANALYSIS: Texas Rangers pitcher Mike Minor has pushed through a stiff back to manage 29 ⅔ innings since the All-Star break, in which he has allowed opposing hitters to triple slash a paltry .181/.211/.327 with 25 strikeouts against four walks.These numbers are coming against the... Read More
Wei-Yin Chen (MIA, SP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 13% of leagues ANALYSIS: Miami Marlins starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen was no where near the fantasy radar before the last month or so. Would you have honestly guessed that Chen has a 2.86 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over the last month? Believe it, buster. His 10-strikeout outing against... Read More
Framber Valdez (HOU, RP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 3% of leagues ANALYSIS: Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez is slated to start again on Friday against the Angels after scoring good marks on his first test in Houston’s rotation. His first major-league start yielded five innings of one-run ball against said Halos, and this came just five... Read More
David Hess (BAL, SP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 2% of leagues ANALYSIS: Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher David Hess being on a waiver wire list shows how deep you need to dive this late in the season. Would you believe that Hess has delivered three straight quality starts and gets to face the Royals in pitcher-friendly Kauffman... Read More
![By Keith Allison on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://cdn.rotoballer.com/2014/03/RotoBaller-MLB-News-Fantasy-Baseball-Advice-Analysis-Erasmo-Ramirez.png)
Erasmo Ramirez (SEA, SP/RP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 2% of leagues ANALYSIS: Seattle Mariners pitcher Erasmo Ramirez has been in and out of the Mariners rotation over the last few years, but he is back starting for the Mariners and thriving. Since rejoining Seattle’s rotation on Aug. 12, Ramirez has allowed two earned runs over 16... Read More
Austin Gomber (SP/RP, STL) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 22% of leagues ANALYSIS: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Austin Gomber has overcome every obstacle put in front of him this season. Everyone thought that Coors Field would undoubtedly turn Gomber back into a pumpkin, but then the guy goes and allows one measly run over six... Read More
Lucas Giolito (CWS, SP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 23% of leagues ANALYSIS: Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito is not a waiver wire pickup just yet, as the former top prospect is slated to face the Red Sox next, but then the schedule loosens up. He is set for games against the Tigers and... Read More
Anthony DeSclafani (SP, CIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 27% of leagues ANALYSIS: Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani has been up and down this season, but we still are suggesting him for the stretch run. We say you should hold onto Tony Disco despite two non-quality starts in a row, as the man still has... Read More
Alex Cobb (SP, BAL) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 27% of leagues ANALYSIS: Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Alex Cobb should not be as good as he has been, yet he has been a solid pitcher. This is not quite Edwin Jackson levels of voodoo, as Cobb has ripped off six straight quality starts against stout American League... Read More
Tyler Glasnow (SP/RP, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow has been a solid fantasy option since coming over from Pittsburgh, but is coming off of a poor start. Maybe Glasnow had a bit of birthday hangover for his start against the Royals, because who... Read More
Derek Holland (SP, SF) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Derek Holland has been a strong option of late and we suggest that you set sail on the Dutch East India Company and head back to Holland. He has rebounded from two “poor” starts to post two strong starts... Read More
Week 22 Waiver Wire - Starting Pitchers
I'm going to level with you all. It's very late and I want to go to bed, so no snappy intros for you this week. Let's close the book on August strong! If you want to chat more about additional arms/bats/whatever, you can find me on Twitter @NMariano53 and ask any follow-up questions. We're using... Read More
King's Classic - Industry Expert Drafts Analysis
This weekend saw the fantasy football world converge on the football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, for the inaugural King’s Classic. Thanks to Bob Lung and Brad Evans (among many others), we had 24 sites represented between two divisions -- Brown and Blanda, named for the first two players taken in the first ever... Read More
Week 21 Waiver Wire - Starting Pitchers
I hope you're all ready to do whatever it takes in these last six weeks of the season to win. It might mean dropping a big name for a streamer or, if you still have trades, "losing the trade" to win the league. Don't be shy about your needs and don't be ignorant of how... Read More
Touki Toussaint (ATL, SP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 11% of leagues ANALYSIS: Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Touki Toussaint will get another chance against the Marlins on Thursday, as the rookie swiftly sees another opportunity to start in the bigs. He cruised through six innings in his debut against the fish and should not be... Read More
Adam Plutko (CLE, SP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 8% of leagues ANALYSIS: Months ago we had Cleveland Indians starting pitchers Adam Plutko and Shane Bieber battling for one rotation spot, but Trevor Bauer’s injury, combined with Cleveland’s cushy lead in the AL Central, means both should finish out the regular season in the rotation. Plutko bought some... Read More
Jordan Zimmermann (SP, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 12% of leagues ANALYSIS: Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann looked healthy in Tuesday’s start as he limited the Cubs to just one run, an Anthony Rizzo homer, over six innings of work. We have been fooled into thinking he is healthy and “back” before in ‘18, only... Read More
Brett Anderson (SP, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: After twirling 7 ⅔ scoreless innings against the Mariners in his previous start, Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Brett Anderson needed just 93 pitches to blank the Rangers over seven innings of work. He allowed just one hit and one walk, which brings... Read More
