First Basemen Set to Break Out in 2020
As we continue to wait on the 2020 fantasy baseball season, we shall dig even deeper into each position to find potential breakout performers. The first base position is one that is very top-heavy and drops off really fast. Most analysts will have eight to 10 first-base targets that are on the must-draft list. For... Read More
NL Starting Pitching Sleepers for 2020
The shorter 2020 MLB regular season has led to a few shifts in fantasy strategy, but perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in the starting pitching landscape. We're used to constructing fantasy rotations around strikeout pitchers and ratio arms or high-upside flyers and solid innings-eaters. However, with a shorter season, there will likely be no major... Read More
Break the League: Fantrax Points League Ranker
I never thought I'd ever say this but it looks like I'm going vegetarian for this article because there's no real beef here. Those that have been reading along with this series know that I've had some harsh words for ESPN, Yahoo, and CBS, as I think they often do a disservice to their points... Read More
Finding Value in Points Leagues: Corner Infield Edition
Welcome back RotoBallers to my Finding Value in Points League Series! Points leagues are my favorite format to play in fantasy baseball. I am not alone there as fantasy baseball points leagues become more and more popular every season. It is a natural transition from those who have played fantasy football and have been considering... Read More
Fantasy Baseball ADP Reflections - Shortstop
With shortstop being arguably the most loaded fantasy position in 2020 and the strongest it has been for years, finding value at the position could be the difference in helping you win your league. With so many shortstops going early in drafts, picking one who ultimately disappoints will set you back considerably more than it... Read More
Finding Value in Points Leagues: Middle Infield Edition
Welcome RotoBallers to my Finding Value in Points League Series! Points leagues are becoming more and more popular in the fantasy baseball world. They have long been my preferred way of playing, so the boom in popularity is great! One of the biggest differences between points and roto leagues is that more stats come into... Read More
AL Starting Pitching Sleepers for 2020
The shorter 2020 MLB regular season has led to a few shifts in fantasy strategy but perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in the starting pitching landscape. We're used to constructing fantasy rotations around strikeout pitchers and ratio arms or high-upside flyers and solid innings-eaters. However, with a shorter season, there will likely be no... Read More
Late-Round Strikeout Sleepers for 2020
The strikeout is on the rise. Even more so than home runs, nothing has taken off in this age of baseball quite like the strikeout. It used to be that no one this century reached 300 Ks in a season. Now, five players have in the past five seasons alone, including two in 2019. Averaging... Read More
Post-Hype Pitchers Set to Breakout
Post-hype pitchers are former top prospects who have struggled to find success in the Major Leagues. These are players who were once viewed as intriguing fantasy assets, but now have discounted prices due to the slow starts to their respective careers. The three pitchers in this list have gained value either due to improved team... Read More
Mid-Round Outfielders - Targets and Avoids in 2020
Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, it would be smart to consider drafting some upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can take a risk or two on a variety of different players, including a prospect, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even players with skills but have... Read More
Deeper Second Base Sleepers for 2020
The position of second base is not as deep in 2020 as it has been in previous seasons. There are some studs at the top such as Gleyber Torres and Ozzie Albies, but then there are several guys with question marks from the middle on. Finding a sleeper at the position may prove to be... Read More
Second Base Draft Sleepers for 2020
There's a lot of talk heading into 2020 fantasy baseball drafts that there simply isn't any depth at second base. Shortstop is where the value lies, so everybody is planning to double-tap the position to also fill their MI spot too. As a result, most drafts see people pounce on the top second baseman early... Read More
September Speed Demons: Who Can Keep Up The Pace?
Earlier this preseason, I took a look at the hitters who experienced a power spike in the final month of the 2019 season in hopes of identifying adjustments that might lead to a 2020 breakout. Next, it's time to look at the players whose September stolen base numbers stood out from the rest of their... Read More
September Batting Average Risers
After looking at September breakouts for both power and speed, it's time to finish our series by looking at a few guys who saw real batting average spikes during the season's final month. Now, batting averages are often most impacted by hot streaks and lucky stretches, but by looking under the surface and picking apart... Read More
Mid-Round Starting Pitchers - Targets and Avoids in 2020
Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, it would be smart to consider drafting some upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can take a risk or two on a variety of different players, including a prospect, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even players with skills but have... Read More
Shortstop Draft Sleepers for 2020
It is well known that the shortstop position heading into 2020 is really deep. Despite the positional depth, shortstops could dry up quickly if you wait too long to draft one, given roster constraints in many leagues require a starting middle infielder and a utility player. Owners willing to roll the dice until the middle-to-late... Read More
Break the League: CBS Points League Ranker
Much like their milquetoast television lineup, CBS points leagues are like a warm bath of mediocrity. Are they great? No-oooo, but are they awful? Also, no. I mean, you're never really going to want to watch a Chuck Lorre sitcom or the latest chapter in naval policing, but they can still serve a purpose. Because sometimes... Read More
Bullpen Busts Due to Bounce Back in 2020
The amount of information available to fantasy baseball managers is almost overwhelming, and it continues to grow each season. Every year, there is a new statistic that pops up showing that Player A should've done this or Player B was unlucky in that. As a group, we are always trying to find where the value... Read More
Three AL Outfielders Set To Bust In 2020
The American League has fallen significantly behind the National League in terms of quality fantasy outfielders. Of the top-10 outfielders by ADP, only three (Mike Trout, J.D. Martinez, and Austin Meadows) represent the American League. The relative lack of elite talent makes avoiding busts especially crucial in AL-only leagues, as a couple of early-round misses... Read More
Biggest Statcast Risers from Last Season
It was just a few seasons ago that you started to hear the words, "launch angle," "exit velocity," and "barrels" begin to be thrown around in the fantasy baseball community. You may have seen it on Twitter, in an article, or heard about it on your favorite fantasy baseball podcast, but it was seldomly quantified.... Read More
Yahoo Undervalued and Overvalued for H2H Points Leagues
Over the past week at RotoBaller, we've introduced a brand new approach to preparing for Points Leagues. Typically, analysts give you general points league rankings. We have those as well at RotoBaller. However, this approach falls short. Analysis and ranks must be platform specific, because every platform (ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, NFBC, Fantrax) has wildly different scoring settings... Read More
Platoon Watch: Players Who Could Earn Starting Roles
Every season we see fringe players carve out roles on their respective teams during the spring, but in some cases, it's only a short-term solution. In other instances, players wait in the weeds during the regular season and pounce on their opportunity to solidify themselves into the everyday lineup. In this article, we’ll look at... Read More
One Adjustment Away: First Strike% and Potential K Risers
I'd just like to start by saying that I'm incredibly excited about joining the RotoBaller team this season for MLB and MLB DFS content. We have assembled some of the best fantasy minds in the industry, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to "geek out" to baseball statistics and try to give you... Read More
Industry Draft Recap: Should You Target Injured Players?
I had two fantasy baseball drafts scheduled for this week. One was put up to vote and the vast majority decided to wait until we are closer to the season starting (who knows when that’ll be) to draft, and the other decided it was a needed distraction and everyone is at the same disadvantage drafting... Read More
Finding Over/Undervalued Outfielders Using Expected Draft Values
A couple weeks ago, we introduced our Expected Draft Values and explained how they would help us identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, with pitchers as well. Today, we'll look at four outfielders and our site projections for them. Stay tuned over the next... Read More
2020 Starting Pitcher Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues
Even with the baseball season delayed, many are looking for places to cast their stored up fantasy baseball energy. With no drafts or mocks to do, the Dynasty community becomes the primary source of enjoyment. Your team could be looking to continue their dominance, rebuild, or in a worst-case scenario, stick their hands up in... Read More
Shortstops Set to Break Out in 2020
The shortstop position is so deep this season. Breakout targets will likely be late-round picks or maybe not even drafted in most leagues. Some players might even be better left on the watchlist of the waiver wire. In years past, we've seen the likes of Jorge Polanco, Tim Anderson, and Marcus Semien all break out... Read More
Finding Over/Undervalued Shortstops Using Expected Draft Values
A couple weeks ago, we introduced our Expected Draft Values and explained how they would help us identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, with pitchers as well. Today, we'll look at four shortstops and our site projections for them. Stay tuned over the next... Read More
Finding Late-Round Value for Batting Average
Batting average can be the most difficult of the standard rotisserie categories to manage. Sure, stolen bases are scarcer, and home runs require a higher total to be competitive, but batting average is a different beast. Unlike counting stats, you can never get to a certain projected total and call it quits on targeting that... Read More