X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Are You For Real? Surprising SP Starts from Week 5

madison bumgarner fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers MLB injury news starting pitchers

Elliott Baas looks at starting pitchers who turned in surprising starts recently. These SP could emerge as waiver wire targets and sleepers, or simply mirages.

Welcome to the 2021 edition of "Are You For Real?" This is a weekly column where we dissect surprisingly good starts from under-rostered and unheralded hurlers to try and determine whether they can maintain their performance or if it was just a flash in the pan.

With April behind us, the numbers are beginning to feel more real as we start the long haul towards a fantasy championship. This week we're looking at three pitchers that got off to rough April starts, but have shown signs of turning it around. Veteran lefty Madison Bumgarner has strung together three straight good starts, while White Sox righty Dylan Cease put up the best start of his career this past week. Angels right-hander Griffin Canning, like Dylan Cease, struck out nine in a dominating performance worthy of a second look.

Roster percentages quoted in this piece are based on Yahoo availability and are accurate as of 05/3/2021.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Madison Bumgarner, Arizona Diamondbacks

45% Rostered

2020 Stats: 41.2 IP, 6.48 ERA, 7.18 FIP, 2.31 K/BB ratio

04/30 vs. COL: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Bumgarner’s debut in the desert was anything but inspiring. The left-handed posted a career-worst 6.48 ERA, and somehow managed to have a FIP even higher. He also had a higher HR/9 (2.81) than K/BB ratio (2.31), a rare feat accomplished only by the most calamitous of pitching seasons. The final numbers probably had the Diamondbacks wondering if they could get a refund on the 5-year, $85 million dollar deal they inked with Bumgarner ahead of the 2020 season, a signing so bizarre I theorize that ex-Dbacks GM Dave Stewart snuck into the office late at night to finalize the deal, sticking it to his former employer with one last albatross contract. 2021 was shaping up to be more of the same, with Bumgarner surrendering 17 earned runs in his three first starts. Bumgarner flipped the script in a hurry, and has surrendered just two runs and six hits over his last three starts. With fantasy teams desperate for pitching Bumgarner’s familiar name and strong history make him a tempting waiver wire add, but is it all a façade? Is this a washed-up pitcher riding a wave of luck, or is Mason Saunders ready to ride again?

The most glaring problem for Bumgarner in 2020 was his fastball velocity. He was never a fireballer, but Bumgarner’s fastball puttered in at just 88.4 MPH in 2020, the lowest of his career by 2.5 MPH and the seventh-lowest among all pitchers who threw at least 40 innings last season. Hitters’ eyes got big when Bumgarner threw a fastball, as opponents hit .274 with a .548 SLG in 2020. Bumgarner was lucky the damage wasn’t worse, as batters had a .322 xBA and .717 xSLG against the pitch, along with a 91.3 MPH average exit velocity. Bumgarner threw it in at 88 MPH, and batters sent it back 3 full MPH harder. Ouch.

His famous cutter didn’t fare any better, as batters hit .288 with a .667 SLG against Madbum’s signature pitch. While the velocity didn’t dip too much on the cutter, Bumgarner lost over an inch of break and inch of drop with the pitch. To be the pitcher he once was, Bumgarner needs to regain his velocity and movement, and it looks like that’s exactly what he’s doing. Let’s compare one of Bumgarner’s cutters from this season (top) to one of his from last year (bottom), because the difference is stark.

 

 

He went from tossing in an 83 MPH cookie to a sharp, effective 87 MPH cutter. In addition to the velocity gains, he also regained nearly an inch of break with the pitch over his last three starts. The cutter may not be the same pitch we saw in the mid-2010s when Bumgarner was one of baseball’s premier pitchers, but it’s definitely an improvement over last season.

Bumgarner’s cutter and fastball velocity have correlated strongly with his performance, as he was throwing around 89-90 MPH during his first three miserable starts, but has averaged over 91 MPH in his last three stellar starts. Madbum looked like he was toast last season, but the sudden and sharp dip in velocity points to injury rather than natural velocity reduction with age. He was only 30 years old, and the drop was abrupt rather than a steady decline. There is reason to be concerned about injuries or an early decline for Bumgarner. He did miss time with a back strain last year, and everyone remembers his infamous dirt bike accident in 2017. And lets not forget that there are over 1900 MLB innings on this arm. A good comparison for Bumgarner might be Felix Hernandez. Hernandez was one of the best pitchers in baseball, but completely lost his effectiveness once he entered his 30s. Hernandez also debuted at 19 and had big workloads in his 20s, which lead to a premature decline in velocity and effectiveness.

Because Bumgarner’s velocity is up and his pitches look better, I’m not ready to hammer the nails in the coffin yet. In fact, I think’s he gone from a pitcher I load up hitters against to a streamable option. Obviously, his days as a fantasy ace are long gone, but he posted a 3.57 ERA, 3.94 FIP, and 3.9 K/BB ratio between 2017-19 following the dirt bike accident. I don’t know if he’s capable of that anymore, but a sub-4 ERA is certainly possible. He could be good in an Adam Wainwright type of way. That is to say he’s not exciting and doesn’t provide great strikeout numbers, but could be an innings-eater that's effective in solid matchups. He’s only gone more than five innings once so far, but I have to imagine he starts pitching deeper into games, if for no other reason than the Dbacks want to get their money’s worth from his bloated salary.

While I like what I’ve seen from him over the last three starts, if his velocity starts to dip again, I would jump ship in a heartbeat, even if he is still getting solid results. He has the potential to drop an atom bomb on your ERA and WHIP. He’s allowed five or more earned runs in six of his 15 starts with Arizona. If things continue, I would dangle Bumgarner’s name in trade offers. With most teams in need of pitching and Bumgarner’s familiar name, he could net a decent struggling player in return. Some players that come to mind are Jeff McNeil, Dominic Smith, Kyle Lewis, and Dansby Swanson. Not superstars, but players who are probably frustrating their managers and will likely improve their performance as the year continues.

Verdict:

Bumgarner’s fastball velocity and cutter movement has improved compared to last season and over his last three starts. His performance hinges rather heavily on these things, so I think he can be a solid streaming option as long as he can maintain this velocity. If things take a downturn, I would be looking to dump Bumgarner in a hurry. As it lines up, his next two starts are against the Marlins, one in Miami and one at home, and Bumgarner should be started in those matchups.

 

Dylan Cease, Chicago White Sox

30% Rostered

2020 Stats: 58.1 IP, 4.01 ERA, 6.36 FIP, 1.29 K/BB ratio

04/29 vs. DET: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K

The perplexity surrounding Dylan will not Cease, as the volatile young right-hander showed us what he can do at his best last Thursday, throwing a shortened complete-game shutout with nine strikeouts for what is arguably the best start of his career. Perhaps the most encouraging sign for Cease was a big fat donut in the walks column, as Cease had issued three free passes in each of his first four starts preceding this game. Walks have long been an issue for Cease, and they are one of the biggest reasons Cease had the second-highest FIP among pitchers who threw at least 50 innings last season. Despite his woes, Cease’s raw stuff is solid, and with new White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz touted as the miracle worker behind Lucas Giolito’s breakout, many were hopeful Cease would turn a corner in 2021. He got off to a rocky start, but could Cease finally come around when his team and fantasy owners need him the most?

Cease has often teetered on the line of being “effectively wild”, and more often than not finds himself on the wrong side of that line. He’s gotten away with the walks to this point because his stuff is so tantalizing. Cease averages 96.5 MPH with his four-seam fastball and can top out at 98 MPH, as he did in his most recent start. He also wields slider and a curveball as two strong breaking balls and a show-me changeup he’s used about 6% of the time this year. While his blazing fastball can be eye-popping, what Cease has done with his slider is even more interesting. This pitch could be the key to unlocking the next level for Cease.

Cease’s slider had always been his best swing-and-miss pitch, but he’s made some changes for the better in 2021. He’s throwing the pitch harder, averaging 85.9 MPH with his slider, nearly a full MPH higher than it was last season. He’s also gained four inches of drop and an inch of break with his slider. Let’s take a look at a slider from this start.

That’s a tough pitch for old man Cabrera to handle, and seeing Cease locate the pitch away from a right-hander is a good sign. He’s lowered his zone rate with the pitch every season he’s been in the majors, and he’s really avoided the middle of the zone with his slider in 2021. Below is a heatmap comparison of the slider from 2021 (top) and 2020 (bottom).

He’s putting the slider exactly where he needs to, away from right-handers, and that could be an indicator of command gains for Cease. He’s still issuing a lot of walks, but he should be able to maintain these strikeout gains if he can locate his breaking balls like this going forward.

The difference with his slider is noticeable in the results as well, as Cease raised the swinging strike rate on his slider to 19.2% and the chase rate to 35%, both career bests. Cease has been a little unlucky when it comes to batted balls on his slider, as six of the seven hits against his slider have been singles. Opponents are hitting .241 against the slider, but they have a .174 xBA and a 76.7 MPH average exit velocity. Overall, Cease’s .317 BABIP should come down, especially because he has strong fly ball tendencies and fly balls have the lowest BABIP of any batted ball type.

Speaking of strong fly ball tendencies, now might be a good time to throw a little cold water on the Dylan Cease hype. His fastball-slider combination should increase his strikeout rate, but Cease still carries some large flaws that won’t be corrected overnight. He’s been victimized by the long ball throughout his major league career, allowing 1.85 HR/9 between 2019-2020. He’s trimmed that down to 0.74 HR/9 this season, but he’s mainly coasting on a 7.7% HR/FB ratio. That probably won’t last, and Cease will certainly regress towards his previous numbers, though he might not go all the way back to 1.85 HR/9. He’s also still issuing far too many walks, and while he had zero in this start, he was also facing a free-swinging Detroit lineup that has the fourth-lowest walk rate in MLB heading into play Sunday. There’s enough here to be interested by Cease, but I hesitate to buy in after one good start against one of the worst teams in baseball.

Verdict:

Cease has made velocity and movement improvements with his slider, which should give him a boost in strikeout potential as he pairs the pitch with an above average velocity fastball. Walks and home runs look like they could still be a problem for Cease and he’s probably still a work-in-progress, rather than a breakout ready to pop. His next two starts are in Cincinnati and home against the Twins, two top-10 offenses. He’s probably best left on the bench for those outings as he hasn't earned our trust in tough matchups yet, but I'm still keeping an eye on Cease.

 

Griffin Canning, Los Angeles Angels

10% Rostered

2020 Stats: 56.1 IP, 3.99 ERA, 4.33 FIP, 2.43 K/BB ratio

05/01 @ SEA: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 9 K

The 2021 season had been a disaster for Canning heading into this start, as the young righty owned an 8.40 ERA and 7.06 FIP through his first four starts. He also surrendered six home runs in those four starts, after allowing just eight home runs all of last season. Canning needed to show up to keep his rotation spot and he showed up big, striking out nine batters and allowing just one unearned run en route to his second win of the season. This start showcased the talent we know lurks inside Canning, but can the Halos’ starter keep up the holy performance?

Canning boasts a four-pitch repertoire consisting of a four-seam fastball, changeup, slider, and curveball. The fastball has above average velocity at 93.8 MPH, and can top out at 95 MPH. Canning’s trio of secondary pitches are all solid, but the slider is the gem of the arsenal. Pitch tracking websites often show a disparity in classification with Canning’s slider, sometimes calling it a cutter, sometimes calling it a curveball, and sometimes calling it a slider, but for the purposes of this piece I will refer to Canning’s primary breaking ball as a slider.

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, and man Canning’s slider is sweet. It’s more of a slider-knuckle curve hybrid, as it’s harder than a traditional curveball at 86-88 MPH, but has more drastic, arching break than a traditional slider. Here’s an example of the pitch from this start.

 

That’s so dirty Pee-Wee Herman would go see it in a movie theater. A 90 MPH slurve with arching break away from right-handed batters. When it’s on, it’s nigh impossible to hit, and there’s nothing more Ty France can do but wave the white flag at that one. The slider was on in this start too, as Canning racked up eight whiffs with the pitch for a whopping 67% whiff rate, which is about as best you might see on 20 or more pitches in an individual game. Overall, Canning carved up the Mariners for 24 whiffs and a 50% whiff rate in this game. Any time I see more than 20 whiffs in a game it’s eye-popping, but 24 in just 5.1 innings is downright incredible.

Obviously, Canning won’t be able to maintain a whiff rate this high over all starts. The list of people who can is very, very short. Between his mid-90s fastball, slider/slurve, above average changeup, and occasional slower curve, Canning has all the makings of a strikeout pitcher. With such a deep repertoire, Canning looks like the real deal. So why is he still so inconsistent? It’s a tale as old as time, or as old as baseball anyway. Canning, like many young pitchers, struggles with control and has experienced home run problems in the majors.

What’s funny about Canning’s chronic gopheritis is that he never had home run issues as minor leaguer. He’s never allowed more than 1.0 HR/9 in the minors, but has a career 1.51 HR/9 in the majors. He debuted in 2019, which was coincidentally the first full “juiced ball” season, so perhaps Canning was a victim to MLB’s attempt at increasing offense. He’s had particular trouble with his fastball, as batters have a .563 SLG against the pitch in his career. That can be attributed to a career 57.7% flyball rate with the pitch. He also has a stomach-churning 94.6 MPH average exit velocity against his fastball in his career, and while that’s higher than normal for Canning, the exit velocity has hovered around 89 MPH in previous seasons.

Canning has used the fastball in the mid-to-high part of the strike zone, which can be a good location for swings-and-misses and popups, but it’s dangerous territory against big league hitters, especially in the juiced ball and launch angle era. His current HR/FB ratio of 28.6% will certainly go down, but don’t expect a league average home run rate from him. His fly ball tendencies will ensure Canning gives up homers, and I wouldn’t expect his final ERA to be as low as his current 3.38 xFIP.

Control has also been an issue for Canning as a big leaguer, and it, along with home runs, has been his undoing in the bad starts. Canning had just a 23.3% zone rate two outings ago against Texas, and had a meager 14.3% zone rate during his 6-run drubbing by the Astros in his start before this one. Canning is a talented pitcher, and I think he’ll be a solid rotation piece in the near future, but he’s still going to take some lumps. I do think he should be rostered in leagues deeper than 12 teams, and he is a high-end streamer in shallow leagues due to his strikeout upside. I would avoid him in hitter-friendly ballparks if possible, and against power hitting lineups.

Verdict:

Canning’s got above average fastball velocity, and a killer breaking ball with his slider-knuckle curve hybrid. He has a solid changeup and traditional curveball to mix in, giving him a deep repertoire fitting of a starting pitcher. His fly ball tendencies mean that Canning will struggle with the long ball at times, and his sometimes wavering control makes it difficult for Canning to find consistent success. I’m very encouraged in Canning’s talent, and is a pitcher I’ve watched with great interest over his short career, but he’s not quite there yet in terms of being an every-turn starter for fantasy. He’s still worth an add in leagues deeper than 12 teams, and worth a speculative add in 12 or 10 team leagues if you can afford the roster spot. He’s streamable in his next start at home against Tampa Bay, but I would avoid him in the following start at Houston.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Sleepers




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Michael Conforto3 hours ago

Homers, Scores Three Runs
Jace Jung3 hours ago

Hits Home Run No. 2 At Triple-A
Jon Singleton3 hours ago

Signs Minor-League Deal With Mets
Niko Goodrum3 hours ago

Signs Minor-League Deal With Mets
Nick Kurtz4 hours ago

Belts Third Home Run In Last Four Games
Shohei Ohtani4 hours ago

Blasts Walk-Off Home Run
Zac Veen4 hours ago

Triples, Collects Four RBI At Triple-A On Wednesday
Zac Gallen4 hours ago

Strikes Out 13
Luke Waddell4 hours ago

Swinging A Hot Bat At Triple-A
Chandler Simpson5 hours ago

With A Two-Run Triple, Stolen Base On Wednesday
Los Angeles Chargers5 hours ago

Chargers Sign Tight End Jordan Petaia
Austin Gomber6 hours ago

Scratched From Rehab Start With Shoulder Inflammation
Zack Wheeler6 hours ago

Records 10 Strikeouts
6 hours ago

Matthew Golden Making Pre-Draft Visit To Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals6 hours ago

Trey Hendrickson Not Looking For Short-Term Deal
Aroldis Chapman6 hours ago

Earns First Save Of The Season
Garrett Crochet6 hours ago

Works Eight Strong Innings
Tutu Atwell6 hours ago

Rams Plan To Give Tutu Atwell A Bigger Role In 2025
Rafael Devers6 hours ago

Finally Delivers At The Plate
Tampa Bay Buccaneers7 hours ago

Bucs Restructure Antoine Winfield's Deal To Free Up Cap Space
Xavier Edwards7 hours ago

Collects Four Hits
Pete Alonso7 hours ago

Comes Up Clutch
Jackson Merrill8 hours ago

Goes Deep After Inking Nine-Year Extension
Jrue Holiday9 hours ago

Won't Play Against Miami
New York Jets9 hours ago

Xavier Newman-Johnson Re-Signs With New York
Luis Castillo9 hours ago

Finally Beats The Tigers On Wednesday
Al Horford9 hours ago

Sidelined Versus Heat
Seiya Suzuki9 hours ago

Carries Cubs Offense With Two Homers, Five RBI
Kristaps Porzingis9 hours ago

Ruled Out On Wednesday
Fred VanVleet9 hours ago

Out Versus Utah
Dennis Santana9 hours ago

Picks Up First Save Of The Year
Dean Wade9 hours ago

Sidelined On Wednesday
Trae Young10 hours ago

Expected To Suit Up On Wednesday
Joel Embiid10 hours ago

Will Undergo Arthroscopic Surgery On His Left Knee
Evgeni Malkin10 hours ago

Joins Penguins For Road Trip
Filip Chytil10 hours ago

Could Miss Rest Of Season
Declan Chisholm10 hours ago

Back In Action Against Rangers
Keaton Wallace10 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Wednesday
Samuel Girard11 hours ago

Exits Avalanche Lineup Wednesday
Joel Kiviranta11 hours ago

Returning Against Blackhawks
Eeli Tolvanen11 hours ago

Misses First Game Of The Season
Jaden Schwartz11 hours ago

Unavailable Against Canucks
12 hours ago

Kyle McCord Rising Up Draft Boards?
12 hours ago

Ashton Jeanty To Raiders Continues To Gain Steam
13 hours ago

Emeka Egbuka To Fall To Round 2?
Los Angeles Rams13 hours ago

Rob Havenstein Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Cleveland Browns14 hours ago

Mike Hall Likely To Miss Offseason Program After Having Knee Surgery
New England Patriots14 hours ago

Christian Barmore Expected To Be Ready For Offseason Workouts
15 hours ago

Saints Expected To Visit With Quinn Ewers
Jake Moody15 hours ago

49ers To Bring In Competition For Jake Moody
Pittsburgh Steelers15 hours ago

Steelers In Play To Draft A Running Back
Green Bay Packers17 hours ago

Packers Not Ruling Out Jaire Alexander Returning
Tennessee Titans17 hours ago

No. 1 Overall Pick Might Not Be For Sale
Kenny Pickett17 hours ago

Browns Feel Good About QB Situation, Kenny Pickett
Cleveland Browns17 hours ago

Browns Unlikely To Trade Up To No. 1 Overall For Cam Ward
Cincinnati Bengals18 hours ago

Bengals Still Working On Contract Extension With Trey Hendrickson
Dyami Brown18 hours ago

Jaguars Intrigued By Dyami Brown's Potential
Bennedict Mathurin19 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Myles Turner19 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Wednesday
Al Horford19 hours ago

Considered Doubtful Wednesday
Jrue Holiday19 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Kristaps Porzingis19 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Jaylen Brown19 hours ago

Could Remain On The Shelf Wednesday
Cade Cunningham19 hours ago

Likely Out For Fifth Straight Game
Anthony Davis19 hours ago

Probable Wednesday
Evan Bouchard21 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Victory
Jake Guentzel21 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Kirill Marchenko21 hours ago

Scores Hat Trick On Tuesday
Tage Thompson21 hours ago

Stays Hot On The Scoresheet
Lane Hutson21 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers In Overtime Victory
Alex Ovechkin22 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Cameron Young1 day ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim1 day ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Tom Hoge1 day ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick1 day ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners1 day ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay1 day ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland1 day ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti1 day ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Guerschon Yabusele1 day ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns1 day ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Jevon Carter1 day ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry1 day ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips1 day ago

Out On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud1 day ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Jacob Trouba1 day ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Troy Terry1 day ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jonathan Marchessault1 day ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere1 day ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn1 day ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro1 day ago

Returns Against Predators
Olli Määttä2 days ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp2 days ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim2 days ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood2 days ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau2 days ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole2 days ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Sam Stevens2 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA2 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman2 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg2 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall2 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara2 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez2 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.3 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira3 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez3 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas3 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez3 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron3 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones3 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry4 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano4 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno6 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres6 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer6 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum6 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales6 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.6 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira6 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 2: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2025)

Week 2 of the UFL season is just around the corner. This week will feature one game on Friday, one game on Saturday, and two on Sunday. Birmingham and Michigan will play at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, followed by Memphis-D.C. on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Sunday's game pits the 1-0 Renegades against the […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings: Overvalued, Undervalued Players (2025)

Dynasty fantasy football rankings constantly shift, especially as we inch closer to the new season and fantasy drafts. Dynasty managers know the importance of finding those underrated players who could be steals in drafts or trades. They also know some players are overhyped due to unsustainable trends or past production. I'll break down two overvalued […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Fantasy Football Moves During 2025 NFL Free Agency

It has been a wild offseason so far in the NFL. Plenty of players have switched teams in free agency, and some stars were even traded. Deebo Samuel Sr. was dealt to the Washington Commanders, Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, and DK Metcalf has a new home with the Pittsburgh Steelers. These […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]