MLB Hitter Studs and Duds - Advanced Metrics Leaders for xSLG Rolling Windows (Week 21)
We're deep enough into the second half of the season that we can be a little pickier about our data sample sizes. Some hitters who came out of the All-Star break swinging a hot bat have started to cool down while others are just now picking up the pace. This week, I will look at... Read More
MLB Hitter Studs and Duds - Advanced Metrics Leaders for Plate Discipline (Week 20)
Unless you play in a points league, you may not care enough about walks and strikeouts for hitters to dig into such metrics. I'm here to tell you that plate discipline is the foundation of a skilled hitter and it leads to fantasy baseball goodness. This week, we'll take a gander at the BB/K leaders... Read More
MLB Hitter Studs and Duds - Advanced Metrics Leaders for Barrel% (Week 19)
We're now three weeks removed from the All-Star break so there's enough data to glean something from one of the most prominent metrics that tells of power production - barrel rate. The usual suspects are represented on the leaderboard but more than half of the top 20 second-half barrel% leaders will make you do a... Read More
MLB Hitter Studs and Duds - Advanced Metrics Leaders for xISO (Week 18)
You want power, or more specifically, you need power on your fantasy baseball team. If that is the case, you need to focus on a player who is capable of doing things that lead to extra-base hits, especially home runs. One of the sabermetrics that specifically focuses on pure power is ISO (Isolated Power). The... Read More
MLB Hitter Studs and Duds - Advanced Metrics Leaders for xwOBA (Week 17)
For this week's iteration of advanced metrics leaders, we're going to forego BaseballSavant and head straight to the best source for data - our own Jon Anderson (@JonPGH). Among many other things, he has created an MLB Tableau full of Statcast data that is available to the public. It's easy to filter and sort to... Read More
Hitters To Have A Big Second Half? Strikeout Rate Improvements for Fantasy Baseball
One good way to find hitters to help your fantasy team during the stretch run is to see which hitters have been striking out less as the year has gone by. The strikeout rate is far from the only thing to consider with a hitter, and it's probably not even the most important statistic -... Read More
MLB Hitter Studs and Duds - Advanced Metrics Leaders for Expected Batting Average
With the first half of the season in the rearview mirror, when does regression start to hit some of the luckiest and unluckiest batters? Expected stats don't always mirror real-life results but at some point those on the extreme ends have to even out a little bit. Let's kick off the second half of Statcast... Read More
NFL Rookie Running Backs In The Best Fantasy Football Situations - James Cook, Kenneth Walker, Breece Hall, and More
With just a couple of weeks left before the season officially kicks off, the depth chart for each team has become much clearer. This is particularly important when assessing the opportunity each incoming rookie will have on their new team, especially at the running back position. Each year, rookie running backs have a fantasy impact... Read More
Hitter Advanced Metrics Leaders - Hard Hit% for Week 14
The last time we examined hard-hit rate leaders was back in Week 3. A lot has changed since then, needless to say. Although diving into metrics like Barrel rate and exit velocity on fly balls & line drives provides similar insight, these all must be evaluated on their own accord and put into context. As... Read More
Hitter Advanced Metrics Leaders - Expected Home Runs for Week 13
Home runs, we all love 'em. We've been told long ago that a certain sub-population fancies them even more than expected. It's time to figure out which hitters have been outperforming their expected home run totals and who may be underachieving and potentially due for positive regression. This week, I'll look at the biggest differences... Read More
Hitter Advanced Metrics Leaders - Sweet Spot% for Week 12
This week, we'll dig down to a more micro level in order to see what we can take away from the leaderboard in sweet spot rate. That's essentially the goal for all hitters when they initiate a swing - to get that ideal trajectory that often results in a base hit and is necessary to... Read More
Hitter Advanced Metrics Risers and Fallers - Sprint Speed for Week 11
Enough with the hitting stats, let's turn to something a little different this week and measure running. Steals are still an integral part of the fantasy baseball universe but it can be hard to determine who is capable of helping out in that category on a regular basis. That said, I'll provide some analysis on... Read More
Pitchers With New Pitches - Should We Care For Fantasy Baseball? Part Five
Welcome to another episode in this FSWA-award-winning series Pitchers with New Pitches. We take the simple premise that not every new pitch should be greeted with praise. The new pitch, like the shiny new toy, might be exciting on its own, but it also needs to be a complement to what a pitcher already has.... Read More
Pitchers With New Pitches - Should We Care For Fantasy Baseball? Part Four
Welcome to another episode in this FSWA award-winning series Pitchers with New Pitches. We take the simple premise that not every new pitch should be greeted with praise. The new pitch, like the shiny new toy, might be exciting on its own, but it also needs to be a complement to what a pitcher already... Read More
Identifying Last Year’s Hitting Outliers for Fantasy Baseball - Was It Just A Fluke?
I consider one of my greatest skills as a fantasy manager to be my ability to make the “unsexy pick.” When youngsters with tantalizing upside are gradually floating up the draft board, I typically stray away from the temptation and grab myself a more trusty, high-floor veteran to help keep my team afloat. As a... Read More
Preseason Hitter Sleepers Who Haven't Woken Up for Fantasy Baseball
The highs of sleeper hunting during draft season can quickly be brought low when our favorite later picks fizzle and sputter out of the gate instead of blowing the roof off from the word go. But should we be patient, grasshoppers? Or is it time to be proactive, revoking their sleeper status and confiscating official... Read More
Early Plate Discipline Standouts for 2022
In 2019, I introduced a new (yet simple) index statistic for pitchers – mPDI, which was inspired by a famous quote by Hall of Fame pitcher, Greg Maddux: “The key to pitching is to have the ability to throw a strike when they’re taking and throw a ball when the hitter is swinging.” Maddux’s simplistic... Read More
2022 NFL Draft Review - Player Grades and Projections
For the past 10 years I've written a long NFL draft review with career predictions for hundreds of prospects. Over the past five, I changed my article to giving each player a career prediction grade, outlined in this pick value study. (5) – All-Pro: Starter who will perform at an elite level at his position.... Read More
Pitchers With New Pitches - Should We Care For Fantasy Baseball? Part Three
Welcome to another episode in this FSWA-award-winning series Pitchers with New Pitches. We take the simple premise that not every new pitch should be greeted with praise. The new pitch, like the shiny new toy, might be exciting on its own, but it also needs to be a complement to what a pitcher already has.... Read More
Biggest Fantasy Football Winners of NFL Draft Day Two - Breece Hall, David Bell, James Cook, Skyy Moore, Christian Watson and more
The most important rule for fantasy football is to chase talent. One way or another, the cream always rises to the top. Maybe you didn’t think it was the best landing spot when Davante Adams went to the Packers and was “stuck” behind Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Maybe you had concerns about Dallas Goedert... Read More
Finding Breakout Hitters for Fantasy Baseball: Chase Rate Early-Season Metrics
In an earlier article on Blast Rate, I mentioned that this was the time of year that some hitting metrics start to stabilize. While many of us want to focus on exit velocity and hard-hit rate because they lead to more exciting outcomes, I think focusing on plate discipline metrics can be just as important.... Read More
Finding Breakout Hitters for Fantasy Baseball: Blast Rate Early-Season Metrics
It's about that time in the season when we start getting antsy about slow starters, or wondering if players off to hot starts on the fantasy baseball waiver wire might be for real. While it's still important to keep in mind that we're dealing with small sample sizes, there are some stats that have begun... Read More
Early Pitching Outliers: Swinging-Strike Rate vs. Strikeout Rate
It is very early in the season, as the league leaders have made just four starts. Because of this, we have a lot of strangeness in the data that has been generated, especially with pitching, which is an inherently random exercise. One thing that can be a bit random over a small sample size is... Read More
Inside the Race for the Next Great NFL Quarterback - Part Two
In the first part of this series, I broke down the importance that a true franchise quarterback can make in the NFL. Now, it's time to figure out what the components are of an elite quarterback and which incoming rookies in the 2022 draft class have that potential. Keep it locked on RotoBaller for the... Read More
Pitchers With New Pitches - Should We Care For Fantasy Baseball? Part Two
The new pitch, like the shiny new toy, might be exciting on its own, but it also needs to be a complement to what a pitcher already has. Much like a toy that's the exact same as a toy we already have makes us forget the older toy. So instead of just celebrating that some... Read More
Pitchers With New Pitches - Should We Care For Fantasy Baseball? Part One
I'm excited to start year number two of this column. Last year, I began the column in spring training with the simple premise that pitchers throwing new pitches is cool but that not all new pitches should be treated equally. Some can be missing pieces to an arsenal, while others can just be an unnecessary... Read More
We Need to Have a Conversation About Steven Kwan
You could call it a Kwanversation. Sorry, but Dad Jokes have been part of my life for 17 years now and they're not going away. The fantasy baseball world has been buzzing about Steven Kwan for a little while. It started in the preseason when he was a trendy sleeper in some circles. It grew... Read More
Identifying Risk via ATC Projections – Round 1
Today’s article will attempt to give the reader a few new perspectives on player risk. I will attempt to enhance your understanding of projections, and at the same time seek to form a more complete picture of each player. To do this, I will first color in your understanding of the makeup of the ATC... Read More
Jon Anderson's 2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide
Baseball is happening in 2022, and it is happening in full force. With the excellent news of the lockout ending, we are ready to dive full steam ahead into the fantasy baseball draft season! I have had my head deep in baseball data since before Christmas, so I wanted to come out with a miniature... Read More