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

January Expert Mock Analysis - Rounds 10-15

Spring training is getting closer and the RotoBaller MLB team opened up our first bags of peanuts and cracker jacks with a 12-team mock draft last week. For consideration, this 23-round mock draft was a traditional 5x5 league consisting of nine pitcher spots and the rest starting offensive slots (including two catchers). The lack of a bench certainly affected choices throughout the draft. The order went as followed: Chris Zolli, Harris Yudin, Troy Klauder, Kevin Luchansky, Pierre Camus, Max Petrie, Nick Mariano, Max Brill, Connor McEleney, Kyle Bishop, Mario Hernandez, and Andrew Le.

The double-digit rounds are the heart of a fantasy baseball draft. You’ve established where your studs are locked in and the majority of name brand players are long gone. By Round 10, you’re weighing the categories you have an advantage and where you’re deficient. You might also be considering which offensive positions to start adding depth and when to pull the trigger on upside and mid-tier pitching. This is the most fun portion of the draft and when owners need to dig in and trust their research.

Therefore, it’s almost impossible to judge individual picks in the middle rounds without context. We’re not mind readers, but can observe and attempt to decipher why decisions were made. Let’s take a look at each round and highlight some picks that stood out, ones that generated buzz, or if any might’ve been a straight up “Vicente Padilla” moment.

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

 

RotoBaller Mock Results

Round 10

Kyle took Gerrit Cole as his third starting pitcher, which seems reasonable. Surprisingly, there’s not much value erosion for pitchers between PNC Park and Minute Maid Park. However, Cole does transfer to a more hitter-friendly league coming off a season where he struggled with consistency and set a career high 1.37 HR:9. The Rougned Odor pick was a possible reach (ADP 13.9) but the HR and bounce back potential certainly merits the risk, especially in standard leagues. The Michael Conforto pick is classic high risk-reward for a player with an uncertain rehabilitation timeline. No arguments on the starters and tier-2 closers taken this round, unless your philosophy is to wait for saves late or on the wire.

Round 11

Round 11 was bookended with two quality SPs. Jose Berrios (SP29) could slowly creep up draft boards after making meaningful strides in his second season. He was a shade under a strikeout per inning and his middling K:BB of 2.90 could improve if he develops a third pitch to complement his above-average fastball and curve. Jameson Taillon (SP44) could’ve been in the Top-25 discussion had he not endured a cancer scare that interrupted his season. Taillon will look to build on two or fewer runs in seven of his last 10 starts in 2017 and is worth a look especially in QS leagues. Didi Gregorius is a Top-10 SS (6.6 WAR since 2016) but rarely merits as much discussion as his counterparts, his ADP could slip in drafts providing good value for owners waiting on the position.

Round 12

Adam Duvall should provide excellent three-category contributions as an OF2 or OF3, averaging 32 HRs, 82 R, 101 RBI over the last two seasons. His primary and peripheral numbers are eerily similar across the two seasons. Joey Gallo is a polarizing player and will probably provoke divergent opinions and rankings throughout spring training. Nick’s pick of Gallo was five rounds ahead of his ADP, but it seems he was going after homers after setting a fairly balanced team to that point. The HR argument applies for Kevin’s selection of Chris Davis, but that pick was a bit more puzzling since his team was already loaded with sluggers. Ronald Acuna (ADP 17.3) generated significant buzz when picked, so readers should prepare their sleeper or hype vision goggles accordingly.

Round 13

Yoan Moncada arguably headlined this round. The 22-year-old pubescent certainly has underwhelmed in 619 career PAs but 2018 will be his first full season in the bigs. He’s your typical high-potential pick in the middle rounds. Ozzie Albies was taken immediately after Moncada and signals are also bullish despite the minuscule 57-game sample. It appears the RotoBaller staff is also on the bandwagon: see here and here. Moving on, Steven Souza will look to parlay his improved BB:K ratio from last season into another serviceable three-category season (30 HRs, 78 R, 78 RBI, 16 SBs). Perhaps the designation of Souza as the third wheel in the Wil Myers and Trea Turner deal was premature.

Round 14

Round 14 was mostly comprised of vanilla vets (Dexter Fowler, Shin-Soo Choo) and promising youngsters (Javier Baez, Manuel Margot). Since we all know sexy points are worthless in fantasy, it’s notable that while the speed and average have dropped off, Choo has hit over 20 HRs and scored over 90 Runs in three of the last four seasons (excluding 2016 when he played only 48 games). This includes a tasty 22-HR, 96-R, 78-RBI, 12-SB line last season. Margot is a lock for playing time in San Diego and will make a realistic run at double-digit homers, over 25 SB and over 80 runs. Former top-tier ace Johnny Cueto (ADP 14.8) fell from grace in 2017 when he struggled with walks and gopher balls that were way above career marks. Cueto is a year removed from 18 wins and could provide solid value in the mid-rounds if the revamped Giants play up to expectations this year.

Round 15

Finally, let’s focus on two Indians. Jason Kipnis (ADP 19.8) could be and has been a Top-10 2B but he’s been a volatile performer with injury risk throughout his career. Bradley Zimmer stole 18 bases last season in 332 PAs and provides Run upside but his nearly 30% strikeout rate makes him borderline unwatchable. Miguel Sano will be a steal if he fully rehabs from shin surgery and avoids a lengthy suspension for disciplinary actions. Greg Bird hasn’t put it all together yet, missing all of 2016 and playing only 48 games last year but his stats exude a Joey Gallo-lite aura. Whether that is a good or bad thing remains the readers’ discretion.

The thing to remember is drafts are initial outlooks and subject to revision. Don’t hesitate to reassess when results are unfavorable after a couple months. Fall victim to conservatism bias, and you might end up like managers that held onto Stephen Piscotty or Jerad Eickhoff last season. Happy drafting!

 

More 2018 MLB Draft Strategy




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

Kyle Freeland23 mins ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis28 mins ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías28 mins ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera53 mins ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
Ronny Mauricio58 mins ago

Won't Play In Spring Training Games
Nathan Eovaldi1 hour ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Framber Valdez1 hour ago

Will Start For Astros On Opening Day
Spencer Strider1 hour ago

To Make Spring Debut On Monday
Gleyber Torres1 hour ago

Scratched With Quad Contusion
Caleb Martin2 hours ago

Ruled Out On Sunday
De'Andre Hunter2 hours ago

Starting On Sunday Afternoon
Daulton Varsho2 hours ago

Could Begin Season On Injured List
Evan Mobley2 hours ago

Won't Face Orlando On Sunday
New York Jets2 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Donovan Mitchell2 hours ago

Returning Versus Orlando
Cole Anthony2 hours ago

Back On Sunday
Max Scherzer2 hours ago

Set To Throw In Minor-League Game
Washington Commanders2 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Christian Walker2 hours ago

Should Be "Fine" For Opening Day
Cooper Rush2 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Sonny Gray2 hours ago

Starting On Opening Day
Yainer Diaz2 hours ago

Returning On Sunday
Connor Wong3 hours ago

Returns To Lineup On Sunday
Baltimore Ravens5 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks5 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.5 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Colby Thomas6 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Colby Thomas
Christopher Bell6 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Brock Stewart6 hours ago

Exits With Knee Injury
Kyle Larson6 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney6 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain6 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Evan Sisk6 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Will Benson6 hours ago

Sent To Triple-A
Chris Buescher6 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Bryan Shaw6 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Mookie Betts7 hours ago

Could Miss Tokyo Series
Quinton Byfield7 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott7 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin7 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov7 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron7 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick7 hours ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli7 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin7 hours ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin7 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar7 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR7 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski8 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones8 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez8 hours ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar8 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece8 hours ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano9 hours ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Michael McDowell9 hours ago

Wins Spire Motorsports' First Pole At Las Vegas
Austin Cindric9 hours ago

Qualifies Third But Is Almost Guaranteed To Lose Spots
Chase Briscoe9 hours ago

Las Vegas Performance Hard To Predict
Ty Gibbs9 hours ago

A Solid DFS Option In Theory
Shane Van Gisbergen9 hours ago

Too Inexperienced At Las Vegas For DFS Consideration
Jordan Mason16 hours ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
RJ Barrett17 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Sunday
Immanuel Quickley17 hours ago

Won't Play On Sunday
Jerami Grant17 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Sunday
Marcus Smart17 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Anfernee Simons17 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Sunday
Christian Braun18 hours ago

Available On Saturday
Aaron Gordon18 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Jamal Murray18 hours ago

Will Play On Saturday Night
Nikola Jokić18 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Cleared To Suit Up Versus The Wizards
Dee Eskridge19 hours ago

Sticking With Dolphins
Josh Giddey19 hours ago

Officially Out On Saturday Night
Ja Morant19 hours ago

Ruled Out On Saturday Night
JuJu Smith-Schuster19 hours ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans19 hours ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Damian Lillard19 hours ago

Available Versus Indiana
Parris Campbell19 hours ago

Headed To Dallas
Giannis Antetokounmpo19 hours ago

Good To Go On Saturday
Jamal Murray19 hours ago

Added To Saturday's Injury Report
Jiri Kulich19 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers20 hours ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov20 hours ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov20 hours ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Cole Anthony20 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Joel Armia20 hours ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk20 hours ago

Available Saturday
Donovan Mitchell20 hours ago

Questionable Against Orlando
Adam Fox20 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Philadelphia Eagles23 hours ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams24 hours ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Kirk Cousins24 hours ago

Set To Receive Roster Bonus
Aaron Rodgers1 day ago

Wants To Play In Minnesota
Washington Commanders1 day ago

Clelin Ferrell Returning To Washington
New York Jets1 day ago

Kris Boyd Signs With The Jets
Los Angeles Chargers1 day ago

Mekhi Becton Inks Deal With Chargers
Tyler Johnson1 day ago

Links Up With Jets
Kyle Juszczyk1 day ago

Returns To 49ers
Eeli Tolvanen1 day ago

Scores Twice In Victory
WPG1 day ago

Kyle Connor Strikes Twice On Friday
Jack Roslovic1 day ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Friday's Victory
Leon Draisaitl1 day ago

Leads Edmonton To Victory
Liam O'Brien1 day ago

Exits With Undisclosed Injury
Josh Manson1 day ago

Exits On Friday
Atlanta Falcons2 days ago

Falcons Agree To Terms With Morgan Fox
Karel Vejmelka2 days ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Dustin Wolf2 days ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Roman Dolidze2 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori2 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani2 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos2 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez2 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson2 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear2 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay2 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA2 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos2 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman4 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard4 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips4 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith4 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala4 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick4 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler4 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter4 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim4 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy4 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


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

Florio's Free Agency Fantasy Football Winners and Losers!

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

Josh Downs - 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Free Agency Fantasy Football Analysis: Fallers On New Teams (2025)

With the first wave of NFL free agency coming to an end, several fantasy-relevant players have signed on to new teams. The quarterback carousel still has several dominoes to fall, but Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, and Kenny Pickett have found new homes within the first few days of the new league year. The running back […]