ADP Myth Busters - Debunking Myths in the NL West
This series will attempt to help fantasy baseball owners make informed opinions on players whose ADP may not be in line with their value for the 2018 season. As fantasy owners, we can fall into a "group think" mentality and start to overlook certain teams and players. If we aren't careful, those ideas can turn... Read More
Top 500: Mixed Leagues Tiered Staff Rankings (February)
Spring training is officially here! To celebrate, today we are here to look at our staff's updated 2018 fantasy baseball mixed league rankings for February and the top 500 players. Our rankings are updated weekly, but enough changes have taken place recently (see humidor, Arizona) to release a new overall list. Over the next few weeks we will also be publishing individual tiered... Read More
Ozzie Albies Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers
We continue our rankings debate with a look at a young player whose draft stock seems to be rising by the day and could be a make-or-break selection in many drafts. RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this space,... Read More
Champ or Chump - Corey Dickerson and Steven Souza Jr.
Traditionally, the Tampa Bay Rays operate in relative obscurity. That has changed this offseason, as trading away Evan Longoria, Jake Odorizzi, Corey Dickerson, and Steven Souza Jr. has led to allegations of "tanking" comparable to the Miami Marlins. The news that Brent Honeywell may require Tommy John surgery certainly doesn't help either. Despite appearances, the... Read More
2017 Breakouts Due for Regression - Relief Pitchers
2017 was a great season for those who follow the "Don't Pay for Saves" strategy. Actually, it's more than a strategy, it's a lifestyle. Corey Knebel blossomed into an elite closer, Fernando Rodney almost matched his age in saves, Brandon Kintzler/Sean Doolittle/Brandon Maurer/Felipe Rivero/Brad Hand all had over 20 saves, and even Bud Norris was... Read More
Yoenis Cespedes Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers
Today's article is one in a series of debates regarding the overall ranking of some of the most fantasy-relevant players of the 2018 baseball season. RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this space, we'll hear from rankers with the... Read More
Points Leagues Second Basemen: Overvalued and Undervalued
Points leagues are less popular than the traditional rotisserie or head-to-head scoring formats. Consequently, most fantasy analysis is geared toward the latter styles. As anyone who’s played in a points league before knows, though, player values can be quite a bit different under those settings. All week, I’ll be offering my thoughts on potential points... Read More
ADP Sleepers and Busts - AL Relief Pitchers
The early days of draft season typically result in volatile ADP data, as values adjust rapidly to a growing sample size. Eventually, players fall much closer to their intrinsic worth as fantasy owners become inundated with news, analysis and pundit commentary. So, I'm here today to serve as another voice to the copious reams of... Read More
2018 Shortstops - Dynasty Tiered Rankings
We continue our fantasy baseball dynasty rankings analysis with the first base position. RotoBaller writers Kyle Richardson, Chris Zolli, Pierre Camus, and I have come up with our preseason rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. In a dynasty league, it can be tough to decide between a proven veteran or... Read More
Points Leagues First Basemen: Overvalued and Undervalued
As we’ve discussed before, points leagues are a bit of a different animal from the more popular head-to-head and rotisserie formats. One of the easiest and best ways to ensure that you’re making a smooth transition between these disparate styles is to identify players whose values change most. Fortunately, you don’t have to go it... Read More
Pitchers Who Changed Scenes for 2018
When getting back into the fantasy baseball groove, one important task fantasy owners need to accomplish is tracking the offseason moves. Here at Rotoballer, we help you prepare for the new season providing you with some of the names you need to know for draft day and some you need to avoid. We've already covered some of... Read More
ADP Myth Busters - Debunking Myths in the NL Central
This series will attempt to help fantasy baseball owners make informed opinions on players whose ADP may not be in line with their value for the 2018 season. As fantasy owners, we can fall into a "group think" mentality and start to overlook certain teams and players. If we aren't careful, those ideas can turn... Read More
Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 9 - BABIP For Pitchers
While FIP is a useful tool to predict a pitcher's future ERA performance, fantasy owners should remember that ERA, not FIP, is what really matters in most formats. This means that we are interested in the "luck" that separates the two statistics. While some of this luck is unpredictable, we can and should predict some... Read More
2018 Second Basemen - Dynasty Tiered Rankings
We continue our fantasy baseball dynasty rankings analysis with the second base position. Second base is a very intriguing position for dynasty leagues, as there is a changing of the guard that could come as soon as a year or two. Out will be the mainstay names of Robinson Cano, Brian Dozier, and Daniel Murphy,... Read More
Champ or Chump - Jarrod Dyson and J.D. Martinez
Major League GMs are making up for lost time, as the moves have been fast and furious over the past few days. The Arizona Diamondbacks completely remodeled their outfield by signing free agent Jarrod Dyson and trading for Steven Souza Jr. Dyson is discussed below, and Souza's fantasy prospects will be considered in a future... Read More
Fantasy Implications - J.D. Martinez to the Red Sox
The national nightmare is finally over. After weeks upon months of fantasy owners developing carpal tunnel syndrome from hitting F5 repeatedly, desperately searching for any new updates, J.D. Martinez has signed a five-year, $110 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. After accumulating a .251 average and .687 on-base plus slugging percentage with 24 home... Read More
ADP Sleepers and Busts - First Basemen
RotoBallers, it’s that time of year when we’re starting to really get into the grind of draft season. With that comes plenty of early ADP data that will either have you jumping for joy or scratching your head. With this article, we aim to bring you a few first basemen who we believe are either... Read More
Jose Abreu Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers
We on the RotoBaller staff have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but there's plenty of debate over individual players' proper place in the pecking order. In this space, we'll hear from rankers with the biggest differences of opinion on a well-known player and have them defend their position against each other.... Read More
Champ or Chump - Jake Odorizzi and Eric Hosmer
It took the better part of four months, but baseball's offseason is finally starting! Eric Hosmer signed a massive contract to vacation play baseball in San Diego, while Jake Odorizzi was traded to the Minnesota Twins for a ham sandwich and a few extra baseballs. One of these players is capable of turning a substantial... Read More
2018 Catchers - Dynasty Tiered Rankings
As we move closer to the 2018 baseball season, we at RotoBaller have released our Dynasty Rankings. We have been dissecting the tiers of each position, showing fantasy owners where to find value in their draft. At the catcher position, we have a total of 41 players ranked across eight tiers. When looking at dynasty leagues,... Read More
Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 8 - FIP and xFIP
The first advanced pitching stat most fantasy owners encounter is FIP. FIP stands for Fielding Independent Pitching, and attempts to measure a pitcher's actual skill instead of the effects of luck or his supporting cast. According to the DIPS theory that the metric is based upon, pitchers control only Ks, BBs (and HBP) and home... Read More
Nick Mariano's 2018 Dynasty Sleepers List (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. The term "sleeper" remains a volatile one, but when you add the dynasty-league wrinkle to it then you really open yourself up to a can of worms. Some people are in 12-team dynasties with a rather healthy stable of prospects available for the picking,... Read More
Fantasy Spin - Eric Hosmer Signs with San Diego
On Feb. 17, Eric Hosmer inked an eight-year, $144 million deal, the largest in Padres franchise history. Many are confused by the signing not only because eight years is an awfully big contract, but also because the Padres already have an All-Star first baseman on their roster in Wil Myers. Irrespective of this fact, the... Read More
Luis Severino Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers
We continue our long-running series of articles debating fantasy rankings with a player that is sure to be one of the first few pitchers off the board in all formats. Or is he? RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this... Read More
ADP Sleepers and Busts - Third Basemen
Take a quick look at the NFBC ADPs of third basemen. What do you notice? Is Manny Machado going too high? Is Joey Gallo the boom-or-bust pick of the year? Is Josh Donaldson the best early-round value pick? Third base might just be the deepest infield position in fantasy this year, so it's important to... Read More
Relief Pitchers Set to Breakout in 2018
Drafting relief pitchers is always tough. Should you go for the elite closers and try and secure saves, or are you better off using those high picks on a hitter or starting pitcher and adding cheap saves later? The reality is no strategy is better than the other 100% of the time, but the old... Read More
ADP Myth Busters - Debunking Myths in the NL East
This series will attempt to help fantasy baseball owners make informed opinions on players whose ADP may not be in line with their value for the 2018 season. As fantasy owners, we can fall into a "group think" mentality and start to overlook certain teams and players. If we aren't careful, those ideas can turn... Read More
Nick Mariano's 2018 Early-Round Overvalued List (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Fantasy baseball drafts (and their articles) are almost all about finding the next superstar and unearthing talent late, but we can't forget that surrendering value by over-drafting can be just as crucial. In order to evaluate overvalued players here, we're going to utilize Average... Read More
The Rockies Pitching Rotation - A Wise Investment?
For years Coors Field has been seen as a hitter's dream and a pitcher's nightmare — a place where hitters' slugging percentages grow and pitchers' ERAs die. When it comes to fantasy baseball, the general rule of thumb has been to sit your starters when they're in Colorado. But what about the Rockies' rotation? They... Read More
Second-Year Pitchers Poised for a Breakout
The first year in the big leagues is full of ups and downs for most players, particularly pitchers. Adjusting to the best hitters in the world simply takes time, and many hurlers need multiple seasons to find their footing. Thus, identifying breakout candidates among second-year pitchers is no easy task, as the league has time... Read More