Articles
Chris Carter (1B, MIL) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, NL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 13% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Chris Carter’s average was a horrid .199 last season, and yet he still hit 24 dingers. Look to catch a little lightning in the bottle with Carter, and see if a change of scenery does anything for him. Check out RotoBaller's […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoNick Hundley (CA, COL) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, NL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 19% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Nick Hundley’s 2015 wasn’t a total fluke. He has 15-homer power, his average could be a plus (but don’t expect .301 again) and he even steals a bag here and there. Owners with deeper rosters can platoon him with another catcher […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoTony Watson (RP, PIT) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, NL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 27% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: While Tony Watson doesn’t have strong strikeout upside (62 in 75.1 IP), his sub-2.00 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP are plenty valuable on top of the fact that he currently sits behind just Mark Melancon for the closer job. Check out RotoBaller's […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoJerad Eickhoff (SP, PHI) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, NL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 28% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: If Jerad Eickhoff is unowned in your league, then clearly others don’t believe in the ratios from last season and are shying away from the Phillies altogether. Eickhoff’s fly-ball stuff is hard to trust in Philadelphia, but if he keeps his […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoKevin Kiermaier (OF, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, AL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 36% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Kevin Kiermaier gets a ton of well-deserved love for his amazing defensive skills, but his bat also has value with some room to grow. Last year, he went 10/18/.263 and could very well go 12/20/.270 with a healthy run total. Check […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoBrad Miller (2B/SS/OF, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, AL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 19% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Brad Miller is a very cheap power/speed combo guy with plenty of versatility. Tampa Bay should give him steady playing time, something he's rarely seen. Don't discount what a consistent and reliable job can do for a guy. Check out RotoBaller's […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoTravis Shaw (1B/3B, BOS) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, AL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 42% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Travis Shaw’s ownership rate is climbing thanks to the recent announcement that he won the starting job at third base for the Red Sox. He was 22-for-65 this spring, and he hit 13 bombs with a .270 average in 226 AB […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoDevon Travis (2B, TOR) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, AL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 17% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Don't ever let your DL spots go unused. Stashing Devon Travis will prove beneficial later in the season. Ryan Goins will man second for now, but the job belongs to Travis when he returns. If you can get a piece of that […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoJustin Bour (1B, MIA) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, NL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 30% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Justin Bour can’t hit lefties (0 HRs, .221 average in 75 PAs), but he absolutely destroys righties (23 HRs, .270 average). If you can utilize that effectively, then you have late round gold. Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoJ.T. Realmuto (CA, MIA) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, NL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 42% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: J.T. Realmuto can contribute in all five categories, but he just won’t excel in any. Getting 12 bombs and 10 stolen bases out of your catcher is a sneaky edge to have. Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoDarren O'Day (RP, BAL) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, AL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 36% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Darren O’Day posted six wins, six saves, 82 K, a 1.52 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP last year. If Zach Britton goes down, he would become a great closer, but even without that he carries solid value as a ratio anchor […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoAnthony DeSclafani (SP, CIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, NL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 27% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Oblique injuries can be quite pesky, but before suffering one, Anthony DeSclafani was looked at as a fun sleeper type. He’ll be back at some point in April and hopefully finds the same success with his sinker and slider that he […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoMarcell Ozuna (OF, MIA) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, NL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 41% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Marcell Ozuna was left for dead last year as he was demoted to the minors after he was unable to live up to expectations. The year before, he hit 23 homers with 85 RBI. There aren’t many guys with as legitimate […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoAsdrubal Cabrera (SS, NYM) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, NL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 21% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Asdrubal Cabrera quietly hit 15 homers last season while hitting .265 for Tampa Bay. The Mets’ offense doesn’t get much love, but it can still party. Cabrera can provide some deep power out of the SS slot. Check out RotoBaller's entire […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoTrevor Plouffe (3B, MIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, AL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 46% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Trevor Plouffe went 74/22/86/.244 last season, and there is no reason to think he cannot replicate those numbers. There are even a few reasons to think the counting stats will climb a little thanks to the Minnesota offense improving as a […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoJonathan Schoop (2B, BAL) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, AL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 32% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: One of the buzziest names coming into the season is still only owned in about a third of all leagues. Jonathan Schoop hit 15 homers in 305 AB last season, and while the average will drop from the .279 he posted, […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoPedro Alvarez (1B, BAL) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, AL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 32% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: There’s still plenty of power in Pedro Alvarez’ bat (27 HRs last year), which now gets to call Camden Yards home. Why not give him a shot in deep mixed or AL-Only leagues? Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoYasmani Grandal (CA, LAD) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Mixed Leagues, NL-Only leagues OWNED IN: 28% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Yasmani Grandal’s first half numbers were incredible (14 HRs, .282 average), and then he took a pitch to the shoulder and was never the same. While his forearm isn’t 100% heading into this year, his swing should be okay and a […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoEarly Waiver Wire Look: Post-Draft Report for Week 1
After the Draft: Waiver Wire Pickups and Targets Hey everybody (Hey Dr. Nick!) and welcome to the special pre-Opening Day Waiver Wire analysis. Your team is drafted. You’ve already fallen in love with all of them. You may or may not have gotten a tattoo. Okay that’s all well and good but we all know […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoBreaking Down the RotoBaller Writers League Auction Draft
We here at RotoBaller HQ held our big writers’ league auction draft last night with some of the finest in the biz. We ran a 12 team roto league with 2 catchers, a CI and MI, 5 OFs, 8 P slots, and 5 bench. The auction budget was $260. Here are the results. Here’s the […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoThree Catchers Poised to Break Out in 2016
Ah yes, the ol' catcher slot. A treacherous minefield where most people seem to be playing for the "friendliest loss" with who they settle for at the position. Well fear not, as here are three players who are set to breakout in 2016. When I say breakout, I don't mean going from 0-to-100 just like […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoNick Mariano's Heavily Owned Players in 2016
Alright folks, the big week before Opening Day is upon us and that means that draft lobbies are popping off like Who Let the Dogs Out just came on at a party. What? That’s not a thing? Don’t be ridiculous. I have plenty of teams already with a few more to be drafted and figured […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoThree Second Basemen Poised to Break Out in 2016
There's not much to say here as far as a fancy intro, as we know why we're here. Let's look at some second basemen who are poised to breakout in 2016. They may not be "breakouts" in the traditional sense of the word, but I believe they are valid players to reach levels that either […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoThree First Basemen Poised to Break Out in 2016
First base is the perennial powerhouse for baseball teams, real and fantasy alike. You want to get bombs out of the 1B slot. There are plenty of established options heading into 2016, with one of these names already creeping towards that territory but with room for more growth. The other two should see their first […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoThree Catchers Who Will Bust in 2016
We're here to peek in at some catchers who are going to underwhelm their fantasy owners this year. Given their price point in drafts, they are set to disappoint you all. Whether it is through performance, playing time, or both, they just have this aura of expectations about them that doesn't align with what I […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoFour Second Basemen Who Will Disappoint In 2016
Okay, so we need to begin with a relative definition for bust as I’m using it. This doesn’t mean the player will be absolutely worthless and do nothing in 2016. What it does mean is that they won’t be returning value on where you drafted them. Below I take a look at five second basemen […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoNick Mariano's 10 Bold Predictions for 2016
Kyle, Kyle, Kyle, what hell hath you wrought on our poor readers? Look at the Pandora’s Box that’s been opened. Now it’s time for my shenanigans to fly out. Editor's note: Be sure to check out our fantasy baseball rankings assistant. We recently launched this handy new rankings tool - you can easily filter, sort, and export all sorts […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoPredicting the Top 10 Finishers for WHIP in 2016
The 2016 baseball season is coming in hot, but more importantly the 2016 fantasy baseball season is squarely upon us. In a standard 5x5 league, your starting pitchers are going to be accountable for four out of the five pitching categories, with one of those being WHIP. The Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched stat […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoCorey Knebel (RP, MIL) - 2016 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers
BALLER MOVE: Target Late in NL-Only Leagues CURRENT ADP: 498 ANALYSIS: Corey Knebel worked his fastball and curveball in very well together in his first real year in the majors, as he pitched 50.1 innings out of the bullpen with 58 strikeouts, a 3.22 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He was snake-bitten by an ugly […]
Nick Mariano 9 years agoSergio Romo (RP, SF) - 2016 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers
BALLER MOVE: Target Late in NL-Only Leagues CURRENT ADP: 336 ANALYSIS: The reasons fantasy owners may have loved Sergio Romo in years past are the same reasons they should love him moving forward. That one bad stretch of giving up a ton of homers pushed Santiago Casilla ahead of him in 2014, and Casilla has […]
Nick Mariano 9 years ago