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Are You For Real? Surprising MLB Pitcher Starts from Week 23
Addison Russell (SS, CHC) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target ~205 CURRENT ADP: 255 ANALYSIS: Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell is coming off a tough offensive season in 2017, but is a candidate for a bounce-back season. A foot injury and off the field issues seemed to have factored in Russell's offensive decline this past season. The shortstop hit a disappointing .239 with 12... 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
Xander Bogaerts (SS, BOS) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target ~65 CURRENT ADP: 82 ANALYSIS: Boston Red Sox infielder Xander Bogaerts has been a troubling fantasy shortstop to own. Annually, there is a concern whether he will provide power or stolen bases. In 2014, he provided power, but little speed and even lower batting average. In 2015, Bogaerts provided more speed and much higher... Read More
Three Up, Three Down - 2018 Shortstop Prospects
Much like the wave of third basemen to sweep the league, we’ve had an equally impressive push of young shortstops. Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, and Corey Seager are all 24-years-old, or younger, and are in the Top 30 in fantasy baseball rankings. Who will be part of the next breath of fresh air... Read More
Nick Mariano's 2018 Late-Round MLB Fliers (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Howdy, RotoBallers! I hope you're ready to take chances, make mistakes and get messy. We’re here to dig a little deeper into the draft room and look for players that would be wise to take a flier on in the late rounds. It can... Read More
Zack Cozart (SS/3B, LAA) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target ~135 CURRENT ADP: 188 ANALYSIS: Zack Cozart made himself a rich man thanks to a 2017 campaign in which he posted 24 HR, 80 runs, a .297 average, and .385 OBP while striking out on just 15.4% of his at-bats. After producing the 17th-best wRC+ in all of baseball, the infielder signed a three-year, $38... Read More
Manny Machado 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 a first-round pick 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 space, we'll hear from rankers... Read More
Toronto Blue Jays Top MLB Prospects for 2018 Dynasty Leagues
Today we are wrapping up the American League East with one of the most interesting farm systems in baseball in the Toronto Blue Jays. There might not be a farm system in baseball with a better top pairing than this one, especially for fantasy purposes. Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are two of the... Read More
Tampa Bay Rays - Top MLB Prospects for 2018 Dynasty Leagues
When people think top farm systems in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays do not often come up. Or at least, not as much as they should. For a team that has consistently developed players well and drafted well, the Rays have not received as much love as they deserve. That might be starting to change.... Read More
Top 600: Dynasty League Fantasy Baseball Rankings
What's up RotoBallers. Today we are bringing you our top 600 fantasy baseball dynasty rankings for the 2018 MLB season. Dynasty leagues, or keeper formats, are becoming more and more popular in the fantasy sports landscape. For those of you who are playing in dynasty formats, or are interested in long-term valuations of fantasy players, this is... Read More
Nick Mariano's 2018 Draft Sleepers List (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. It's everyone's favorite pre-draft word to throw around and likely threatens to take the top spot on some Google Analytics the closer we get to that premier fantasy baseball draft season. Yup, we're talking about sleepers. But let's just get this out of the way:... Read More
Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball Part 3 - Statcast for Batters
If you've watched a baseball broadcast in the so-called Statcast Era, you have undoubtedly noticed the broadcasters commenting on a batted ball's exit velocity, or EV. Many have taken to using stats like Hard% and Soft% to forecast how a player should be performing, expecting larger Hard% rates to produce larger BABIP and HR/FB figures.... Read More
Champ or Chump - Alcides Escobar and Alex Avila
Fantasy owners hope that every selection they make turns into a stud, but this isn't that realistic. In more practical terms, you want as many strong performers as possible while avoiding roster slots with zero (or less) value. Some positions are easier to find "non-zero" production in than others, giving birth to the concept of... Read More
Freddy Galvis (SS, SD) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target ~345 CURRENT ADP: 353 ANALYSIS: Freddy Galvis was boring roster glue at best last season, slashing .255/.309/.382 with 12 HR and 14 SB (five CS). The 28-year old is probably younger than you think he is, and the pedestrian numbers above mask the best plate discipline metrics of the shortstop's career (6.8% BB%, 16.7% K%).... Read More
Yangervis Solarte (2B/SS/3B, TOR) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target ~260 CURRENT ADP: 271 ANALYSIS: Yangervis Solarte personified mediocrity in 2017, slashing .255/.314/.416 with 18 long balls and a trio of steals. With eligibility at all three positions listed above plus seven games at first base, a competent batting line is really all Solarte needed to have fantasy value as a reserve. Yet there... Read More
Christian Arroyo (SS/3B, TB) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target ~400 CURRENT ADP: 527 ANALYSIS: Christian Arroyo was dreadful in 135 MLB PAs last season, slashing .192/.244/.304 with three dingers. He was too good at Triple-A before his debut, slashing .396/.461/.604 with four big flies over 102 PAs on the back of a .427 BABIP. His full season Double-A statistics in 2016 (.274/.316/.373, three... Read More
Zack Cozart (SS/3B, LAA) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target ~200 CURRENT ADP: 225 ANALYSIS: Zack Cozart had an unimpressive track record going into 2017 and move to a pitcher-friendly park, from Cincinnati to Los Angeles are reason enough to ignore his impressive 2017 numbers (.297/.385/.548 with 24 HR). This view seems to have become common perception, allowing owners willing to look past... Read More
2018 Shortstop - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers
If you play in a head-t0-head points league, or season long format, you already know how difficult it can be to find fantasy analysis tailored to the format. Not only are the traditional rotisserie and head-to-head arrangements more popular, but the very nature of points leagues makes them difficult to cover in a general sense... Read More
Baltimore Orioles Top MLB Prospects for 2018 Dynasty Leagues
Howdy fellow RotoBallers! Fresh off the release of the final dynasty positional rankings list, I am publishing my rankings for each individual team in baseball, starting with the American League East. Instead of giving full briefs of each prospect, I will just give the prospects' superlatives and then issue smaller descriptions for each player in the... Read More
2018 Dynasty Baseball Strategy - Basic Asset Valuation
Dynasty baseball is a beautiful thing. In a redraft league, everybody is trying to win now. You all have the same goal. Dynasty formats allow for long-term planning. If your team is competitive, you'll value players differently than a rebuilding owner. This discrepancy makes it much easier to find mutually beneficial trades. Unfortunately, this same... Read More
2018 Batting Average Risers and Fallers - What We Learned
The great thing about batting average is that it’s a great starting metric for building a strong fantasy team. It’s one of those rare stats that, when correctly targeted and prioritized, sets the foundation for a season of nearly guaranteed success. In fantasy football, it’s a good idea to acquire players who get red zone... Read More
Champ or Chump - Freddy Galvis and Jay Bruce
Baseball's hot stove is finally starting to heat up a bit, with names like Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole headed to new addresses in 2018. It's late in coming, but now is the time some fantasy owners begin overlooking the smaller moves to concentrate on the biggest names. Don't make that mistake. This doesn't mean that... Read More
Top 100: MLB Prospect Rankings for Fantasy Baseball
Prospects. For any fantasy baseball enthusiast, it's all about knowing about the prospects, rookies and call-ups. More than any other sport, baseball offers a fresh influx of rookie talent every year, both before and during the MLB season. And adding the right guy at the right time can be a league winner (see Aaron Judge and... Read More
Top 450: Points Leagues Tiered Staff Rankings (January)
In case you haven't noticed, we've already been cranking out all sorts of 2018 fantasy baseball rankings at RotoBaller HQ. It's only mid-January but you can already find preliminary staff rankings for mixed leagues, points leagues, AL/NL only leagues, dynasty leagues, top 2018 prospects, dynasty prospects and more. Today we are here to start looking... Read More
Champ or Chump - Christian Arroyo & Denard Span
We have previously seen that both West Coast teams and bad teams are great places to mine for fantasy gold because nobody is keeping up with their games. There is a third category that also goes underappreciated: the Tampa Bay Rays. The team isn't projected to be bad (80-82 projection by Steamer) and they're not... Read More
2018 Shortstops - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings
It's time to examine the glamour position of the infield, shortstop. Once considered strictly a defensive position, there are now a host of options that can fit into your fantasy lineup and deliver. 2017 saw 10 different shortstops score over 400 in points leagues. Speed was key component, as five qualified SS stole over 20... Read More
Dynasty Shortstops - Top MLB Prospects for Fantasy Baseball
Welcome back, RotoBallers. I'll be breaking down impact prospects in dynasty leagues by position over the next several weeks. I’ve already covered catchers, first basemen, second basemen and third basemen. Today I'm bringing you my top 10 shortstops - dynasty prospect rankings for 2018 dynasty baseball leagues. Though there are still plenty of players who could... Read More
Champ or Chump - Zack Cozart and Evan Longoria
Fantasy baseball has long been a game of perception. Will Player A continue his hot start or slump back into mediocrity? Are Player B's recent struggles signs of things to come or a temporary blip on the radar? An analysis of each specific player is the best way to answer these questions, but fantasy owners... Read More
2018 Dynasty Baseball Strategy - The Batting Average Nightmare
Last week, we discussed prioritizing power hitters when constructing your roster. In order to compete, most leagues require an average of roughly 25 home runs per active roster spot. Hitting that target requires a plan. However, power alone will not win a championship. Roster too many Joey Gallo types and you'll be left with a... Read More
Fantasy Implications - Zack Cozart to Angels
We seem to have one team every offseason who comes out of nowhere to go all in for a shot at a championship. The calendar hasn’t even switched to 2018 and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have already solidified themselves as one of the top winners this offseason. The Angels made a splash by... Read More
