Champ or Chump: Trevor Story
With the announcement that Trevor Story would participate in the 2021 Home Run Derby, fantasy managers were given an opportunity to consider the strange season he's having. The combination of nine homers and 14 SB delivers plenty of fantasy value, but his .254/.327/.443 triple-slash line is far short of expectations for a guy who hit... Read More
Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - xBA Analysis for Week 14
It's been a while since we delved into xBA. We're now halfway through the season so it's a good time to see whose batting average is due for course correction, whether it be positive or negative. Often, although not always, players with sizeable discrepancies in BA-xBA are due for regression. Identifying these outliers can be... Read More
J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA) - Week 14 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 28% of leagues ANALYSIS: Crawford's 12-game hitting streak came to an end on Sunday, but he still got on base. That means Crawford has been on base at least once in every game since June 10. He has raised his average 31 points in the month... Read More
Willy Adames (SS, MIL) - Week 14 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 20% of leagues ANALYSIS: Most of you drafted, and gave up on, Adames already this season. It's understandable. At the time of his trade to Milwaukee for relievers J.P. Feyereisen and Drew Rasmussen, Adames was slashing an atrocious .197/.254/.371, by far the lowest marks of his... Read More
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (6/29/21): MLB DFS Lineups
We have a 15-game main slate on tap tonight, and there should be hitting for days. There is also pitching for days tonight. Some aces headline the way with Woodruff, Ray, Walker Buehler, and others. Finding the right combo of pitchers will obviously be key, but there will also be some great pivots based on... Read More
The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Week 14
Welcome back to the Cut List. This is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers could consider cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer look. We'll look at players who are worthy of a drop, players who are worth monitoring for replacing, and someone on the hot seat who is... Read More
Nick Mariano's Waiver Picks - Get 'Em While They're Hot (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. The calendar is about to creep into July as we cross the season's halfway checkpoint. While you may feel your fantasy team's lot in life is sealed, I assure you that tons of action lay before us. Stay strong and keep your finger on... Read More
2B and SS Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14
This week marks the halfway point of the 2021 season. Hopefully you're at or near the top of your league standings. Even if you're not, there's still time to change that. Key to that effort will be effective work on the waiver wire, and this column is designed to help you get there. Most of... Read More
Points League Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 14
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, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best... Read More
Top Hitter Streamers and Starts for Week 14
Welcome to the top hitter streamers column for Week 14 of the MLB season (6/28 through 7/4). This weekly piece should be helpful for anyone looking to gain an edge in their league. If you need a fill-in for an injured player or want to exploit some plus matchups in order to gain an edge... Read More
Rookie Report: Prospect Risers and Fallers for Week 13
Welcome to the latest edition of RotoBaller’s Recently Promoted Prospects series for fantasy baseball! Here I discuss some recently promoted MLB prospects and rookies , making note of what I think their upside could be for fantasy baseball managers, and whether they are potential risers or fallers. We have seen 139 rookies make their MLB... Read More
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (6/27/21): MLB DFS Lineups
Happy Sunday, gang! Hope you all had a great Saturday. We have a nice 12-game slate this afternoon, so let's jump right into it and see how we can optimize our DraftKings MLB DFS lineups. We have a slight worry regarding the weather in St. Louis, however, I don't think it'll be enough to prevent... Read More
Fantasy Baseball Injury Updates - Week 14
As we move past the 60-game mark, there continues to be an uptick in injuries this year, particularly soft tissue injuries. These injuries include oblique, groin, hamstring, and back injuries. Not all of the injuries are the same for each player and should be treated and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. They should not all be... Read More
The Bigger Picture - It Isn't Really a Marathon
"It's a marathon, not a sprint." This axiom is one of the most tired expressions in all of baseball and is often used to prevent us from ascribing significance to a slump. The baseball season is the longest among all professional sports, spanning 162 games and six months, not including spring training and postseason action.... Read More
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (6/26/21): MLB DFS Lineups
Happy Saturday, gang! The weekend is finally here. Surely most of you are or will be playing the early slate today, as this main slate tonight is slim pickings with just four games. It works out for me actually, as I have a family reunion this afternoon, so I get to spend more time with... Read More
Jon Berti (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIA) - Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 11% of leagues ANALYSIS: Jon Berti is one of the top names that comes to mind in the category of wide-spanning utility players with potential for voluminous stolen bases, but with just three home runs, four stolen bases in eight tries, and a slash of .210/.316/.318... Read More
Fantasy Baseball Trade Targets for Week 13
Sometimes fantasy baseball can resemble the stock market. You want the best portfolio of players without having to pay too much for them. Sometimes to achieve the optimal team, you need to make trades. The best way to gain added value is to trade away an over-performing player for one in a rut. This way,... Read More
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (6/25/21): MLB DFS Lineups
Happy Friday, RotoBallers! Among the 16 games playing today, 13 find themselves on the main slate. The three games we miss are the Phillies-Mets doubleheader and then the Rockies-Brewers clash. Fortunately, 13 is more than enough to build several fantastic DFS lineups. Plus, the pitching is plentiful, and there are some stacks to stumble over. As... Read More
The Outsiders: Deeper Hitting Prospects to Know For Dynasty Leagues
Welcome to the latest update where I highlight prospects that should be on your radar in deep dynasty leagues. For "standard" dynasty leagues, we have RotoBaller's Premium Top 250 Dynasty Prospect Rankings, updated and maintained by our prospect guru Marc Hulet. But for you degenerates who participate in the deepest of dynasty leagues, you always... Read More
NL-Only and AL-Only Waiver Wire for Week 13
Welcome back to the NL-only and AL-only pickups column. Each week, I'll look at five players who are under 15% rostered in Yahoo! leagues and who can be considered as options to add in deep-league formats, such as 15-teamers or AL or NL-only leagues. I'll also include a recommendation for what to do with each... Read More
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (6/24/21): MLB DFS Lineups
We have an 8-game main slate on tap tonight, and there should be hitting for days. After Walker Buehler and a few other arms, the pitching landscape is very messy. However, playing with roster percentages closer to lock will help give the edge needed for a winning tournament lineup. Listen in to MLB DFS Quick... Read More
Luis Urias (2B/SS/3B, MIL) - Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams ROSTERED IN: 18% of leagues ANALYSIS: The multi-position eligibility, especially in leagues with shallow benches, is intoxicating, isn't it? The .238/.416/.756 triple slash line suggests that Urias may be getting a little unlucky with his average. Is also suggests that he is hitting for quite a bit... Read More
J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA) - Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 23% of leagues ANALYSIS: Crawford extended his hitting streak to 10 games today. In that span, he is hitting .340 with two homers, eight RBI, and seven runs scored. He is sitting atop a lineup that is starting to hit its stride right now. Crawford has... Read More
Statcast Hitter Studs and Duds - Fastball Run Values (Week 13)
The news regarding MLB's unexpected crackdown on foreign substances has been well-documented by now. It will surely have a negative impact on pitchers, but the effect on hitters may largely depend on their batted-ball profile. The pitch that has seen the biggest discrepancy for the top aces due to increased spin rates is the good... Read More
Updated Top 250 Dynasty Baseball Prospects
Today, we refresh our Top 250 dynasty fantasy baseball prospects list at RotoBaller, which was last updated back in March. Providing accurate prospect valuations is a difficult job at any time, but the pandemic made it an even more challenging gig over the past 12-16 months. The 2020 minor league season was entirely wiped out... Read More
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (6/23/21): MLB DFS Lineups
Happy Wednesday, RotoBallers! After six afternoon games, we are left with seven for the evening slate on DraftKings. It all kicks off at 7:05 pm ET, with the Astros and Orioles concluding their three-game series. Houston is looking for its tenth win in a row and will send Jose Urquidy to the mound in Camden Yards. Then,... Read More
Willy Adames (SS, MIL) - Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 19% of leagues ANALYSIS: Most of you drafted, and gave up on, Adames already this season. It's understandable. At the time of his trade to Milwaukee for relievers J.P. Feyereisen and Drew Rasmussen, Adames was slashing an atrocious .197/.254/.371, by far the lowest marks of his... Read More
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (6/22/21): MLB DFS Lineups
We have a 14-game main slate on tap tonight, and there are many ways to build. There are a good amount of aces taking the bump as well as some nice value arms. There are some obvious options when it comes to bats, but still, some nice, sneakier options to use to stack up tonight.... Read More
Points League Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 13
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, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best... Read More