Anibal Sanchez (SP, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 48% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Sanchez is not a #2 starter these days, but it's certainly too early for fantasy owners to write him off completely. Last year was admittedly rough as he barely managed to keep his ERA below five (4.99). However, keep in mind that between 2009-2014 Sanchez posted an […]

Brandon Phillips (2B, CIN) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 53% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Phillips was a model of consistency at the second base position until 2014 when his numbers dipped dramatically. His streak of eight straight years hitting 17 or more home runs was snapped as he contributed only eight HR and two SB all season. Last year he proved […]

Danny Valencia (3B/OF, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 17% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Valencia is off to a relatively slow start, as he is yet to homer and has only driven in two runs. Impatient owners may be ready to jump ship and place him back into the waiver pool. Valencia is getting on base (.286 AVG, .340 OBP), […]

Jorge Soler (OF, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues OWNED IN: 60% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: One of the biggest injuries this young season occurred when Kyle Schwarber tore two ligaments in his left knee. The door is wide open for Soler to reclaim the job that was supposed to be his in 2015. Management and Cubs fans would love nothing […]

Alexei Ramirez (SS, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ team leagues OWNERSHIP: 18% in Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Alexei Ramirez, aka The Cuban Missile, has been a fairly steady performer throughout his career. He has logged seven seasons of 13 or more stolen bases, including three with over 20 SB. He also has five seasons of 15 or more home runs. Finally, he […]

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (C, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in two-catcher leagues OWNERSHIP: 4% in Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: The departure of Alex Avila (given the boot by his father, GM Al Avila) necessitated the signing of a backup to new starter James McCann. Saltalamacchia was added in the off-season after being dumped by the Marlins for his poor performance. "Salty" did not take well to the […]

NL-Only League Waiver Wire Pickups for Week Two: Hazelbaker, Smith, Stripling and more

The first week hype is over and fantasy managers have finally had a chance to evaluate their talent over a small sample size. Single leagues create the unique challenge of limiting waiver options available throughout the season. That's why if you don't pick up every single one of these players right now, they will be gone before […]

Bryan Holaday (C, TEX) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in two-catcher leagues, deep AL-only leagues OWNED IN: 1% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: With Robinson Chirinos sidelined for 10-12 weeks, Holaday takes over everyday catching duties in Texas. The Rangers acquired Holaday from Detroit in the off-season to bolster their catching depth and now Holaday has a chance to show he deserves the starting job. […]

Cameron Rupp (C, PHI) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in two-catcher leagues OWNERSHIP: 1% in Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: If you're looking for a backstop who will don the mask behind home plate for at least 100 games, Cameron Rupp might suit your needs. Carlos Ruiz, now 37, is not what he used to be and will now serve as the secondary catcher. The Phillies […]

Nathan Eovaldi (SP, NYY) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ team teagues OWNERSHIP: 16% in Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: In most cases, being in the Yankees' starting rotation is enough to warrant fantasy consideration. Nathan Eovaldi has been under the radar thus far, despite posting a 14-3 W-L record last season. The main reason he is undervalued is due to his career 4.14 ERA […]

Danny Espinosa (SS/3B/2B/1B, WAS) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in NL-only leagues OWNERSHIP: 4% in Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Danny Espinosa has a golden opportunity to reclaim the starting job that was his a couple of years ago. Espinosa nearly went 20/20 in consecutive years with 21 HR, 17 SB in 2011, followed by 17 HR, 20 SB in 2012. He followed that up with three […]

Justin Bour (1B, MIA) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 28% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Justin Bour took over the starting job at first base in Miami by default last year after Mike Morse struggled mightily. He was a pleasant surprise, launching 23 HR, knocking in 73 RBI and finishing fifth in NL Rookie of the Year […]

Hector Olivera (3B, ATL) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 15% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Hector Olivera began his major league career at the age of 30 last season. He was originally signed by the Dodgers out of Cuba, with a reputation as a power hitter. He hasn't shown that power just yet, but then again he […]

Danny Valencia (3B/OF, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 21% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Joining his sixth team in the past five years, Danny Valencia is hoping to make a more permanent home in Oakland. Valencia showed great promise his first two years in Minnesota, but has bounced around since then and has had a hard […]

Jabari Blash (OF, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Bench Stash in 14+ Team Leagues  OWNED IN: 1% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Rookie outfielder Jabari Blash recorded his first career Major League hit on Saturday as a pinch-hitter, a double into the left field gap. Early in the season, Blash will be almost exclusively used to pinch-hit and will receive sporadic starts here and […]

AL-Only League Waiver Wire Pickups for Week One: Dyson, Cron, Maybin and More

Your draft is over, the season has begun and it's time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. WRONG! With each team now having played at least two or three games, it's the perfect time to overreact to that 3-for-3 performance on Opening Day or that spot start given to an unheralded […]

NL-Only League Waiver Wire Pickups for Week One: Brito, Olivera, Cozart and More

The 2016 season is officially underway and all is good in the baseball world on opening week. What's that? Half your team is on the DL already? That's... impressive. We all know injuries are part of the game, but should you find yourself in need of replacements or experiencing buyer's remorse over some of those […]

RotoBaller Writers' League: Pros vs. Joes draft recap

The first RotoBaller Pros vs. Joes league drafted Thursday night with a mix of self-proclaimed "expert" writers and some lucky readers who were ready to put their advice to good use. The league was set to standard 5x5 rotisserie rules, with the following roster positions:  2 C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, 5 OF, Util, 8 P, […]

Veteran Hitter Draft Targets: Not Ready To Be Buried Yet

"Don't let them bury me... I'm not dead yet!" A classic line from the criminally underrated Serpent and the Rainbow but it's also the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Albert Pujols. Many fantasy managers focus on youth even in non-keeper leagues, and for good reason. The next generation of stars has […]

Three Post-Hype Sleepers Primed for 2016 Breakouts

My recent article on over-hyped prospects advised fantasy owners against buying too high for relatively small or non-existent sample sizes. Baseball trumps every other sport, except possibly international soccer, in terms of labeling minor leaguers as future legends before they have proven their worth on the big stage. On the other side of the coin are players who […]

Youth in Revolt: Three Potential 2016 Busts

As the noble poet Flavor Flav once proclaimed, "Don't Believe the Hype!" No sport is more rife with sleepers, prospects, and future superstars than baseball. The NBA and NFL have modified their draft rules to force future athletes to at least pretend to get a college education. MLB still has no problem plucking kids straight […]