Peter Alonso Likely To Hit Second Thursday

New York Mets first baseman Peter Alonso is likely to hit second in the Opening Day lineup on Thursday against Nationals ace Max Scherzer, which means outfielder Juan Lagares is expected to hit seventh. Alonso is a budding power prospect that needs to be owned in all leagues, but he'll face a tough task right […]

Kendrys Morales Traded To The Athletics

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Kendrys Morales has been traded to the Oakland Athletics for infield prospect Jesus Lopez and international signing bonus-pool space. Morales had a .249 average for the Jays last season to go along with 21 home runs and 57 RBI. The 35-year-old slugger has hit at least 20 HRs in each […]

Jake Noll Makes Nationals Roster

Washington Nationals infielder Jake Noll has made the team's Opening Day 25-man roster out of nowhere. He'll be part of a five-man bench that includes Kurt Suzuki, Andrew Stevenson, Wilmer Difo and Matt Adams. Noll is a 25-year-old that hasn't had a single at-bat above Double-A ball, but he'll provide the Nats with infield flexibility […]

Peter Alonso To Start On Opening Day

New York Mets first base prospect Peter Alonso will be in the starting lineup on Opening Day on Thursday against Nationals ace Max Scherzer, according to a source. Alonso gets a very tough task right off the bat, so those playing DFS will likely want to avoid him, but the 24-year-old slugger could be a […]

Matt Olson Placed On Injured List

The Oakland Athletics placed first baseman Matt Olson (hand) and starting pitcher Chris Bassitt (leg) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday. They also optioned relief pitcher Ryan Dull to Triple-A Las Vegas. Olson had surgery to fix a fractured hamate bone that he suffered in the two-game series in Japan last week and will […]

Greg Bird, Luke Voit To Start Thursday

New York Yankees first basemen Greg Bird and Luke Voit will both be in the starting lineup on Opening Day on Thursday, with Bird playing first base and Voit serving as the designated hitter. With outfielder Aaron Hicks (back) on the injured list, it'll allow the Yanks to delay their decision on Bird and Voit […]

Hanley Ramirez Makes Indians Roster

Cleveland Indians first baseman Hanley Ramirez has been informed that he will make the team's Opening Day 25-man roster. Han-Ram resurfaces after hitting just .254 with six home runs and 29 RBI in 44 games in 2018 before being released by the Red Sox. He'll serve as depth at both first base and designated hitter […]

As Expected, Peter Alonso Makes Mets Roster

In a move that was widely expected, the New York Mets named rookie first baseman Peter Alonso to their Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old hit .368 in 21 spring games over the past month, driving in 11 runs and stealing 11 bases. The Mets could have kept Alonso in the minors a little longer for service […]

Pablo Sandoval Makes Giants Roster

San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval has made the Opening Day roster, along with Rule 5 picks Conner Joe and Travis Bergen and recently added outfielder Michael Reed. Alen Hanson did not make the team, and Yangervis Solarte will be the backup shortstop instead. The 32-year-old Sandoval hit just .248 with nine home runs […]

After Hours With RotoBaller Radio: MLB Opening Day 2019 Preview

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. This radio show is sponsored by our good friends over at RT Sports. Be sure to check out their Best Ball leagues, drafting every day, and their awesome contest the RealTime Fantasy Sports Baseball Championship with a […]

What's In Your Wallet? My Most-Owned Players in 2019

After a difficult 2018 season, I took stock of what had gone wrong and identified one potential source of trouble: Too many leagues across too many platforms. So, naturally, this is how I responded to that revelation this year: Me in January: Remember not to do too many leagues on too many different sites again, […]

Sleeper Prospects to Target Late in Deep Redrafts

As fantasy season approaches, and drafts are in full swing, owners are looking for any unturned rock that might add some late round value. As the Rotoballer team releases an updated prospect list, now is the time to see what players are on the cusp of making the majors, but would be worth the stash […]

Four Sleepers At First Base to Target Late

First base was once the most loaded position in fantasy baseball. All the best hitters played the position, and if you didn't have an elite one on your team, you were in trouble. That's changed a bit over the past few seasons, as younger, more athletic players have emerged at positions like shortstop, third base, […]

Updated First Base Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

The RotoBaller Head-to-Head rankings review series winds down with a view of first base through the lens of our three-man expert panel of fantasy accuracy champ Nick Mariano and premier staffers JB Branson and Bill Dubiel. The top tier could conceivably have a new kingpin at any point, and not all of our experts believe […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (3/28/19): MLB DFS Lineups

Opening Day is finally here! The baseball season officially got underway last week in Japan but for all intents and purposes this is Opening Day for most fans. Of course that also means the return of daily fantasy baseball. The Opening Day main slate kicks off at 3pm ET with the Houston @ Tampa Bay […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (3/28/19): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

The 2019 MLB season is finally upon us as opening day is Thurday. Luckily, FanDuel kept this one full slate, and we have 14 games. The games start between 1 and 4 PM EST, and we should have the majority of lineups out by the time the first game begins. With this being such a […]

After Hours With RotoBaller Radio: MLB 2019 Bold Predictions

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. This radio show is sponsored by our good friends over at RT Sports. Be sure to check out their Best Ball leagues, drafting every day, and their awesome contest the RealTime Fantasy Sports Baseball Championship with a […]

Ryan McMahon's Hot Spring Earns Him Starting Job?

Colorado Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon has been one of the many Rockies prospects that has languished while veterans continued to hold them down, but the departure of DJ LeMahieu opened the door for him this spring. McMahon took full advantage. Posting a ridiculous 1.266 OPS while drilling three home runs and batting .439, McMahon took […]

Steve Pearce Hopes To Return Soon

Boston Red Sox first baseman Steve Pearce (calf) is hoping to return for the series against the Diamondbacks that starts on April 5. He can hit fine but still can't run the bases. Sam Travis will platoon at first base against left-handers until Pearce is ready to return. Pearce was the World Series MVP but […]

Mark Reynolds Makes Rockies Roster

The Colorado Rockies have informed Mark Reynolds that he has made the Opening Day roster for the major league squad. The 35-year-old was a surprising keep for the team since their high minor leagues are overflowing with top-rated prospects, but they have shown a tendency to stick with veterans over giving their younger players more […]

Frank Schwindel Officially Makes Roster

The Kansas City Royals announced on Monday that first baseman/catcher Frank Schwindel had officially made the major league roster. The announcement came during an exhibition game with the team's Triple-A affiliate. Schwindel brings some serious power potential to the lineup, but unfortunately, he's likely going to struggle to see regular at-bats and could possibly be […]

Ryan O'Hearn Brings Power To KC

Kansas City Royals first baseman Ryan O'Hearn should hold on to the starting first-base job even though the team re-signed Lucas Duda, but the challenge will be seeing which version of O'Hearn shows up to play. O'Hearn was a shocker when he got called up late last season, posting a phenomenal .950 OPS over 170 […]

Steve Pearce To Start Year On Injured List

Boston Red Sox first baseman Steve Pearce (calf) will start the season on the injured list. Sam Travis will start the season in Pearce's place and could platoon at first with Mitch Moreland against left-handers. Pearce shouldn't be on the shelf for too long to begin the season. He'll turn 36 on April 13 after […]

Jose Osuna To Be Examined This Week

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Jose Osuna didn't make the trip to Houston because of lower neck discomfort, and he will return to Pittsburgh this week for further testing. It looks likely that Osuna will start the year on the injured list, and there's no timetable for his return. The 26-year-old hit .226 with three home […]

Steve Pearce's Opening Day Status Up In The Air

Boston Red Sox first baseman Steve Pearce (calf) may or may not be with the team come Opening Day on Thursday. When asked if the veteran would be ready for the season's opener, manager Alex Cora said "hoping so." The 35-year-old has two home runs in 17 at-bats this spring but hasn't appeared in a […]

Brandon Belt Enjoying A Strong Spring

San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is ready to come out of the gate swinging, leading the team in spring training with four home runs while posting a slash line of .405/.479/.738 through 42 at-bats. Buyer beware, however, for fantasy owners. Belt has consistently thrived during spring training, slashing .343/.412/.613 in 10 springs with […]

Frank Schwindel Shows Off In Spring Finale

Kansas City Royals first baseman/catcher Frank Schwindel finally got the chance to show some of his versatility on Sunday as he caught two innings in the team's spring training finale. Schwindel was a catcher throughout college, but he hasn't caught in the minors in years. He looked solid in his debut though, even throwing out […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball Part 14 - Statcast Expected Stats

Statcast is a valuable tool for fantasy analysis, and it can be easy to look at a stat called "Expected Batting Average" and blindly use it as your projection moving forward. Of course, proper use of these metrics is a little bit more nuanced than that. Our series on how to make sabermetrics more accessible […]

Lucas Duda Wins Roster Spot

The Kansas City Royals have selected the contract for first baseman Lucas Duda. Duda is expected to return to the team as a hybrid first base/designated hitter role and also serve as a left-handed bat off the bench. The 33-year-old filled a similar spot for the team last year when he racked up 14 home […]

Jeff McNeil Looks Set For Third Base

After bursting onto the scene in 2018, New York Mets utility man Jeff McNeil has settled at third base due to injuries and appears set to be the starter for Opening Day. The 26-year-old began taking reps at third earlier this month and is poised to start there in the absence of both Todd Frazier […]