X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

The King's Insider Guide To the 60-Game MLB Season

Since the spring, I have been conducting interviews with many notable and well-informed MLB sources on the 2020 season. On the condition of anonymity, current and former players, scouts, executives, media members and others have shared their unfiltered insights, and I have supplied my in-depth fantasy baseball takes on the information they have shared.

As we approach the condensed 2020 season with much anticipation, it’s a good time to revisit my award-winning Fantasy Baseball Insider Reports series from this year, which started in spring training. Despite the delayed start to the schedule, most of what I have covered to this point remains highly relevant.

In this special roundup edition, I provide key highlights of the series to this point, including recommended draft strategies and top players to target. I then tell you how my conversations with these MLB sources have changed my own draft strategies for this shortened schedule. Links to all previous Insider columns are provided throughout the article so you can further immerse yourself in these exclusive reports. Enter KING at checkout for a discount on the RotoBaller Season Pass, and more Insider Columns are on the way as the 2020 season finally gets closer to becoming a reality.

Featured Promo: For this week only, take 50% off any full-season or yearly Premium Pass on the site! Just enter discount code THANKS when checking out. Thanks for being a reader, and Happy Holidays! Sign Up Now!

 

Do Not Build Around Streaky and Strikeout-Prone Hitters

One former MLB executive who is a broadcaster and longtime fantasy baseball player strongly suggested to not spend early hitting picks on hitters who have higher strikeout rates and are not contact hitters. Cold streaks will be magnified in a 60-game season and some hitters who are struggling may press more, knowing they don’t have nearly as much time to bust out of a slump. I will be steering clear of Pete Alonso (26.4 K%) and Bryce Harper (26.1). Hitters such as Anthony Rendon (13.3) and Nolan Arenado (14.0) are likely to be my types of cornerstones as they combine low K percentages with high batting averages. More from this source here on slow starters and early cold spells and how they can damage your outlooks.

 

Who Will Have the Edge Early: Pitchers or Hitters?

I talked with several prominent sources on this subject and received varied responses. One current MLB player told me, “I do not need many swings to be ready to go.” A former MLB pitcher said “I just needed a few bullpen sessions when I was playing and I felt like I was in mid-season form.”

An MLB scout said the hitters should have an early advantage, as they have been able to simulate better during off time, as pitchers can only throw off flat ground and not against live hitting. We came to the conclusion that there will be no absolutes here, and you should not be overly concerned about any trends being altered in a major way. More Insider views on the delayed start to the season that still ring true now here.

 

Will There be Heightened Concerns on Injuries?

I sought the advice of a longtime and highly respected pro sports athletic trainer on this topic. He did not expect much of anything different in terms of injuries because of how players handle their conditioning. “Players nowadays always keep themselves in good shape leading up to spring training. In years past players would be out of shape and would use spring training to get back into shape," he said.  This source stressed that the second spring training ramp-up period will give players ample time to ready for the resumed season and will really help the pitchers get into proper form. More from the trainer on health concerns in a condensed season here.

Still, there are some injury-prone players I will avoid even if the long layoff has given them extra time to heal. A veteran Yankees beat reporter warned to stay away from Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge because of their workout regimens. “They hit the weights constantly and that affects them. Their bodies can only take so much. Both of them are more susceptible to injuries because of their size. They both have similar physiques and body frames.” More on other notable Yankees here, including commentary on why ace and fantasy SP1 Gerrit Cole may not be quite as dominant as he was in Houston, here. 

 

Advertising

Bonus Choices Among the Designated Hitters

The insertion of the DH into National League lineups will give us some fine later options in drafts. Howie Kendrick (ADP of 434) now becomes a very good later target. He hit .344 with 17 home runs last year and led the Majors in xBA at .336. “Kendrick would not project to play five or six days per week and now he can get more playing time,” said the former exec and current broadcaster. The DH type with the most overlooked upside may be Yoenis Cespedes, who is totally off the draft radar at an ADP of .462.

Cespedes looked terrific in spring workouts and the Mets’ original intention was to ease him into action and then let him loose for a big second half. More on Cespedes here and other nifty DH targets are mentioned here.

Season EV (mph) xBA xSLG wOBA xwOBA xwOBAcon Hard% K %
2019 91.6 .336 .622 .400 .419 .461 48.3 13.2

Per Baseball Savant, Howie Kendrick ranked in the Top 9 percent or better in all of the above Statcast categories last season. 

 

We Will See Edwin Diaz Regain Respect

A former MLB pitcher who competed in the NL East believes Diaz’s highly disappointing season was due to him losing the handle on his best pitch and absorbing the wrath of the New York fans. “The experience of being booed constantly is something he will have to overcome mentally. If he can get over that hurdle the talents are still there for him to shine,” he said. Diaz has worked with both Jacob deGrom and Pedro Martinez in his efforts to become dominant again,

More details on Diaz’s quest to reclaim his spot among the best closers, and more in-depth takes on key Mets and Marlins here. The former pitcher also provides comprehensive insights on many notable Phillies and Braves here.

 

Bank on a Benintendi Bounce-Back

More than one source I consulted with strongly believes Andrew Benintendi will rebound from a disappointing 2019 campaign. “Last year he was injured and was engulfed by a malaise that befell the whole team, as the team did not contend and the clubhouse atmosphere was not good,” said a 40-year Major League scout. Benintendi’s xSLG of .461 was 30 points higher than his actual slugging percentage, and his hard-hit rate of 37.7% was a career-high.

You can view more scouting observations on Benintendi here, with other essential insights on additional important players, and get the take from a current MLB veteran on the Boston outfielder here. Benintendi is a very intriguing target at an ADP of 110.

 

Do Not Hesitate to Grab Dinelson Lamet

The longtime MLB scout we spoke with about several players is high on Lamet for 2019. “His changeup is improving. If he can fully harness it with his slider and fastball he can have quite an arsenal,” he said. Lamet fashioned one of the best strikeout percentages in baseball last year (33.5 K%). He is well worth the ADP pf 122, as the Padres will need him to make a quick impact and prove he is ready to help the team right away in a shortened season. More on Lamet and other players the scout recommends here.

 

Advertising

Corey Kluber Will Rise Again

I spoke with a longtime and current MLB veteran who saw Kluber up close earlier this year and was very impressed. He told me he witnessed a lot of Kluber’s past Cy Young form, even though he may not be fully on par with that past version of himself. For an ADP of 98, you could get a very solid shortened season run this year, with an ERA well under 4.00 and a sub-1.20 WHIP. More insights from this player on who else he is expecting to perform well and disappoint, including Hyun-Jin Ryu, here.

 

David Price Will Perform Well in the N.L.

As I build my starting pitching depth, I will be targeting David Price in his debut season with the Dodgers. One former MLB player I talked to believes the new home park and outfield defense with his new team could lead to some good win totals and a tidy WHIP. “He will play a surprisingly big role for the Dodgers. He is going to be a quality third starter for them,” he said. More NL West observations from this former player, including a breakout performer in Colorado, here.  Also, his views on Ketel Marte and other Diamondbacks and Padres, here

2019 Catch Probability Leaders via baseballsavant,com. Dodgers outfielders Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger are in the Top 20  and are now working behind fly ball pitcher David Price ((36 percent career fly ball rate, 35.5 in 2019)

 

Adjusted Draft Approach

Since doing these interviews, some of my draft strategies have changed, while others have not. Here’s a quick look at my current mindset.

-I am targeting players in the high batting average cohorts early.

-I want at least two top starting pitchers in the first four rounds, as the best starters should still go deepest into games, and those types now seem even more valuable.

-I am veering away from high-strikeout, power types early, but they become more unavoidable by the double-figure rounds, where you do need that boost if you can get it.

-I have been advised that when teams go deeper into rotations, they may yank their lesser starters early. So I am avoiding fourth and fifth starter types very often, and looking for middle relievers that can potentially snag wins and a few saves, such as Seth Lugo.

-I am less apt to go for rookies such as Luis Robert. Some rookies will be pressed into significant early action, and if they go cold early, there won’t be enough time for them to pick up their play and help me like they would later in a full season.

-I am targeting DH types such as Kendrick and Cespedes as fine final round choices. There aren’t many of them that are overly appealing, so the ones that stand out will get my attention.

Advertising

-Multi-positional eligibility types become important with pandemic concerns. I want players like Jon Berti and Niko Goodrum later in drafts.

-I want two good, established closers. I cannot wait to chase saves and wait for potential firemen to emerge.

-I know what I will likely get from predictable veterans and will still target them where I would over a full season. Those types of players will form my core. Streaky and less proven players are the ones I will leave on the board in tight decisions. I will still shoot for upside whenever it makes sense. But if I believe a player has a shaky outlook for 2020 I will lean to the safer option.

-I am not altering my draft approaches to worry more than usual about injuries, but minor health concerns will pop up for sure because of the layoff, even though I won't be as concerned for major injuries.

More 2020 Fantasy Baseball Advice




LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

WIN MORE IN 2024

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

ROTOBALLER PLAYER NEWS

RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Alexis Diaz fantasy baseball closers rankings draft sleepers waiver wire pickups

MLB Closers and Saves: Fantasy Baseball Depth Charts

Saves are an important component for many fantasy baseball leagues. Closers are one of the most volatile positions in fantasy baseball, and one of the highest turnover positions in MLB. Each year, closers drop like flies and many MLB teams make in-season changes due to injuries or poor performance. In addition to closers and saves, relief... Read More


Do These Prospects Matter for Fantasy Baseball?

The 2023 fantasy baseball season has been highlighted by the promotion of nearly two-dozen top prospects to the major leagues to impact fantasy rosters. This week's edition features one player who was called up as the piece was being written. Will these strong performers join the ranks of those who have moved to the majors... Read More


clayton kershaw fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers MLB injury news

articles report test

this is a test


Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

Welcome back! It's Week 24 of our fantasy baseball Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups series! There are just two precious weeks left, and every start is becoming more and more important as most of the fantasy baseball world is in playoff matchups. If you've made it this far, there's a good chance you don't really... Read More


Aaron Nola - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Starts & Sits for MLB Week 23 - All Starting Pitcher Matchups for Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back RotoBallers! Big week in fantasy leagues as we approach the end of the season and playoffs! As always, we are here with our starting pitcher starts and sits series to help you set those winning lineups for the week ahead! For those who are not familiar, RotoBaller puts out a weekly grid of... Read More


Gunnar Henderson - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Prospects, Draft Sleepers

Points League Hitters: Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

Welcome to Week 24 and our fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters. We'll be doing this roundup of points leagues every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets and streaming pitchers being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax. Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform,... Read More


Brayan Bello - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Two-Start Pitcher Streamers for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

Yo, it's Jon Anderson, continuing to run the show here in terms of late-summer fantasy baseball writing. There are just two weeks left of streaming pitchers, so let's make it count! This weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column aims to identify starting pitchers expected to make two starts in the upcoming fantasy baseball week,... Read More


Fantasy Baseball Week 24 Injury News and Updates: Tyler Glasnow, Ozzie Albies, Starling Marte, Anthony Rizzo, Zack Wheeler

September is now more than half over. The baseball season is slowly coming to a close. At this point, fantasy players are pushing for their league titles or just playing for pride. Major League Baseball teams continue to do the same and injuries continue to happen, now with the dreaded term "done for the season"... Read More


Joe Musgrove - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Free MLB Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (9/17/22)

Happy Saturday, RotoBallers, we're back for another weekend of MLB betting picks! Make sure you're following my Twitter, as I can't guarantee that I'll always be able to get the added plays written here in the article, but I will typically add whatever else I'm playing throughout the day. The entire RotoBaller team has been... Read More


DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (9/17/22): Today's Top MLB DFS Lineups

Today's MLB slates are split up as is the norm for September baseball. Half the guys I think will play will not, so you have to be as flexible as Gumby to play MLB DFS in September, but that also means that there is a lot of money out there should you dare to dive... Read More


Max Fried - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Free MLB Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (9/15/22)

Happy Friday, RotoBallers, we're back for another weekend of MLB betting picks! Make sure you're following my Twitter, as I can't guarantee that I'll always be able to get the added plays written here in the article, but I will typically add whatever else I'm playing throughout the day. The entire RotoBaller team has been... Read More


Robbie Ray - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Injury News, Draft Sleepers

DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (9/16/22): Today's Top MLB DFS Lineups

Fridays are big MLB DFS days and offer a nice respite from the NFL, who command our attention on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays. This slate, like most Friday slates, is a big one as all MLB teams are in action today and 28 of those teams are on tonight's 14-game DFS slate. This was a... Read More


kyle farmer fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers MLB injury news

Top Hitter Streamers and Starts for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

There are only two weeks left of fantasy baseball! It's going to be very sad when the season comes to an end, but the impending end of the season means that these are the most important, and therefore most fun weeks of the year – for those of you still competing, at least. I have... Read More


TODAY’S MOST VIEWED PLAYERS

rotating JS ad test

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
derrick henry fantasy football rankings news NFL DFS lineup picks

test publish 5 mins in future

Hello everybody and welcome! The 2022 NFL season is finally underway and that means our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great props we can look to take advantage of. PrizePicks is a great DFS picks site where you can choose to select plays in terms of fantasy points or single stats. The... Read More


PrizePicks NFL DFS Picks - Monday Night Football

Hello everybody and welcome! The 2022 NFL season is finally underway and that means our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great props we can look to take advantage of. PrizePicks is a great DFS picks site where you can choose to select plays in terms of fantasy points or single stats. The... Read More


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Updates for Aaron Rodgers

Warning: Undefined array key "amp_post_template_footer" in /var/www/rotoballer.com/wp-content/plugins/php-code-for-posts/Classes/Shortcode.php(91) : eval()'d code on line 6 Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, null given in /var/www/rotoballer.com/wp-content/plugins/php-code-for-posts/Classes/Shortcode.php(91) : eval()'d code on line 6 Featured Promo: Get any full-season NFL Premium Pass for 50% off and win big in 2022. Exclusive access to our Premium articles, 15 lineup... Read More


derrick henry fantasy football rankings news NFL DFS lineup picks

PrizePicks NFL DFS Picks - Monday Night Football

Hello everybody and welcome! The 2022 NFL season is finally underway and that means our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great props we can look to take advantage of. PrizePicks is a great DFS picks site where you can choose to select plays in terms of fantasy points or single stats. The... Read More


Justin Jefferson - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

NFL DFS Prop Picks for Monkey Knife Fight - Monday Night Football

Welcome to NFL Monday Night Football, where we have two games scheduled between the Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles and the Tennessee Titans vs. Buffalo Bills.  Monday's games mean our friends at Monkey Knife Fight are offering some fantastic props for us to play once again! The good people at Monkey Knife Fight offer some... Read More


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Week 2 Updates for Najee Harris, J.K. Dobbins, D'Andre Swift, Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram

Below you will find our fantasy football injuries report for running backs in Week 2, as of September 17. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are up in the air for Week 2 including D'Andre Swift, Najee Harris, Alvin Kamara, J.K. Dobbins, and more. The fantasy football season may be just getting underway,... Read More


michael pittman jr. fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL WRs: Week 2 Updates for Michael Pittman Jr., Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, Allen Lazard, Julio Jones

Welcome to Week 2 of the fantasy football season and the Saturday edition of our WR injury reports! Below you will find our fantasy football injuries report for wide receivers in Week 2 as of September 16th. The injury statuses for various NFL wide receivers are up in the air for Week 2, including Michael... Read More


justin herbert fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports for QBs: Week 2 Updates for Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Jameis Winston, Mac Jones

Below you will find our updated fantasy football injuries report for quarterbacks in the days before Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season as of Friday, September 16. There are a few NFL QBs dealing with injuries, including Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Jameis Winston, and Mac Jones. Being up-to-date on NFL injury news can give... Read More


Trey Lance - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Key Starters and Tough Calls - Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Week 2

Every week, I share some of my favored choices and players to go with when dealing with challenging lineup decisions. These selections are based on my Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller NFL Premium Pass. Enter promo code KING at checkout for a discount and get access to my ranks in all formats, plus... Read More


Saquon Barkley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, Draft Sleepers

Week 2 NFL Pick Em Selections for No House Advantage

Hello everybody and welcome! The 2022 NFL season is underway and that means our friends over at No House Advantage have a TON of great DFS plays we can look to take advantage of. No House Advantage is a unique DFS prop picks site where you do not have to play against the house to... Read More


Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 2: Greg Dortch, Terry McLaurin, Christian Kirk

Week 1 made some things come to light as we got some clarity on some murky situations. Unfortunately, many of our WR targets for DFS last week were victims of this. Robert Woods finished the game with one reception for 13 yards, as the Titans used the rookie receivers much more than him. Brandon Aiyuk... Read More


Carson Wentz - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Thunder Dan's NFL Betting Picks for Week 2: Top NFL Player Props Bets

Football season is back! Whether you like to bet game totals, sides, or player props, I have something in here for you, and try to cover a little bit of everything! This year, I started my own free sports betting newsletter, and the good people here at RotoBaller are allowing me to share my picks... Read More


Fantasy Football IDP Injury Reports For NFL Defensive Players: Week 2 Updates for T.J. Watt, Jamal Adams, Jalen Thompson, Ed Oliver

T.J. Watt owners, you know the feeling... I had T.J. Watt in my home league last season. He was constantly checking out of games early with nagging minor injuries, but he must have led every IDP manager who started him to the playoffs. I went back to the well and drafted him early this year.... Read More