Josh Donaldson Lifted In The First Inning With Calf Injury

Minnesota Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson (calf) was taken out of Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning. He hit a double in his first and only at-bat and seemed to aggravate his calf while rounding first base. Jake Cave entered the game to replace him, taking over left field while Luis […]

Josh Fuentes Hitting Second In Rockies Opener

Colorado Rockies third baseman Josh Fuentes is batting second in the team's Opening Day game against Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers. With Brendan Rodgers (hamstring) on the injured list, Fuentes could see some additional starts in the season's opening weeks and it's encouraging to see him hitting near the top of the lineup. […]

RotoSurgeon's Bold Predictions for 2021

For more than one reason, 2020 sucked. Obvious reasons come to mind but specifically, for the fantasy sports world, there were dozens of random occurrences that could not have been predicted whatsoever due to COVID being so fresh and protocols so flimsy. Guys like Austin Meadows and Eduardo Rodriguez lost a potentially very good season […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (4/1/21): MLB DFS Lineups

WE ARE BACK!!!!! Opening Day is here, and we have a nice nine-game slate on tap. There are many aces on the mound with it being Opening Day but do not worry as there are still some great places to attack with bats. Pricing is rather soft of a DK slate. You can get the […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (4/1/20): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

Welcome, RotoBallers to the first FanDuel Lineup Picks of the season! While few of us will be at our local ballpark to inhale all the wonderful sights and smells of Opening Day, it does not take away from that wonderful sense of hope and rebirth that comes with a new season. That applies to DFS […]

Breyvic Valera Designated For Assignment

Toronto Blue Jays utility man Breyvic Valera was designated for assignment on Thursday. The 29-year-old, with 54 games of MLB experience, was deemed expendable after he hit just .162 this spring. Valera appeared in 22 games so he was given a fair shot at earning a role but he also missed all of the 2020 […]

MLB DFS Cheat Sheet, Stacks & Avoids for 4/1/21 (Premium Content)

  MLB DFS Premium Cheatsheet for 4/1/21 All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard.    Top Tournament Stacks for 4/1/21 This section will highlight the top tournament lineup stacks of the day (depending on the size of the slate) and help you identify the pitchers that are best suited to pick on […]

Daily MLB DFS Value Plays for FanDuel, DraftKings for 4/1/21 (Premium Content)

It's finally here! Opening Day! Somehow it feels like we've been waiting an eternity, but we get to revel in a glorious day filled with baseball. With 9 games on the DraftKings main slate and 11 on FanDuel, so there will be plenty of good options to choose from. However, with so many of the […]

Thunder Dan's 2021 MLB DFS Strategy Guide for FanDuel and DraftKings

Baseball season kicks off TOMORROW and I could not be more excited for MLB DFS! For those of you who have been following me during the NBA season, you know I have a passion for playing DFS and for writing. NBA DFS is a ton of fun, but it can be challenging with how much information we […]

Houston Astros Announce Opening Day Lineup

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker revealed that the Opening Day lineup will be the same lineup that was used in Monday's Spring Training finale, with the exception that Myles Straw will also be in the lineup, according to Steve Schaeffer of the Houston Chronicle. Baker said that Straw was held out of Monday's game due […]

Yankees Place Miguel Andujar On The Injured List

New York Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar (wrist) was placed on the 10-day injured list with carpal tunnel syndrome on Wednesday. Andujar hasn't played in a game since March 10, but he's been throwing and hitting off of a tee as he works through his wrist injury. Although he's unlikely to make much of a […]

Hot Prospects To Watch: End of Spring Training

It's almost here! It's almost here! Opening Day is on Thursday!! As we all get excited for Opening Day, we're also updating our personal rankings based on Spring Training performances as we cram in the last of our drafts. And of all the spring performances to analyze, it's the prospects that will have the biggest […]

Later-Round Third Basemen - Targets and Avoids

Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, everyone wants to draft some upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can take a risk or two on a variety of different players, including a prospect, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even players with skills but have playing time concerns. […]

Updated Top 250 Dynasty Prospects Rankings

In just a few short days, the 2021 Major League Baseball season will get underway. Fans of Minor League Baseball will have to wait a little longer with clubs operating their alternate training sites for at least the first month of the 2021 season. As we saw in 2020, prospects can develop and thrive at […]

Ty France Reaches Base Three Times

Seattle Mariners designated hitter Ty France reached base three times Monday, twice by walk and once by hit-by-pitch. France has had a breakout spring training, slashing .327/.421/.714. He's always had a strong hit tool, but his patience at the plate is an asset as well, especially in OBP and points leagues. France is a popular […]

Sam Haggerty Steals Seventh Spring Base

Seattle Mariners utility man Sam Haggerty has found ways to contribute all spring, and that continued Monday. Against the Cincinnati Reds, Haggerty went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI and stole his seventh base of the spring. Those seven steals lead the league, and he's accomplished that number in only 46 at-bats. With Kyle […]

Yankees Option Thairo Estrada

New York Yankees infielder Thairo Estrada was optioned to the minor leagues after losing a roster battle with infielder Tyler Wade this spring. Estrada is buried behind several capable players on the team's depth chart, and it's unlikely that he receives much meaningful playing time as a result. Still, Estrada offers decent contact skills and […]

Phillip Evans Makes Pirates' Opening Day Roster

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Phillip Evans will be on the Opening Day roster, according to The Athletic's Rob Biertempful. Evans has gotten on base at a high clip this spring, batting .371 with a .452 on-base percentage in 14 games as he comes off a 2020 campaign in which he slashed .359/.444/.487 in 11 games. […]

Advanced MLB DFS Strategy: Targeting Pitchers Due For Regression

Spring is in the air and MLB regular season is only a few weeks away! Hopefully, you're using our RotoBaller rankings and preseason content to crush your season-long drafts and build some winners in your season-long leagues. If you haven't already read it, check out Jon Anderson's article about stacking hitters for GPPs and some great […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Statcast xStats

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. First, a disclaimer: This article is about the "Expected […]

Hitters Primed for Comebacks After Injury-Plagued Seasons

Injuries can be tough to manage for fantasy managers, especially coming off of a 2020 season that saw coronavirus have a significant effect. Additionally, injuries can sometimes be freak accidents, and it can be difficult to separate concerning injuries from noise. Still, there are general truths about injuries that can help fantasy managers properly value […]

Pierre Camus' Bold Predictions for 2021

Can any prediction really be considered bold after 2020? We hope for a return to normalcy but we also have to remember that the very definition of normal is constantly changing. I've never shied away from pushing the envelope when it comes to this bold predictions column, so this year will be no exception. I […]

Which Batters Are Being Overlooked in 2021?

Pre-season analysis has achieved peak velocity, and at this point, we've started to hear certain names mentioned again and again: Jarred Kelenic, Andrew Vaughn, Randy Arozarena. Those three examples follow the expected pattern: young, exciting players whose potential outstrips the established knowledge. Put more simply, there are interesting things to say about Kelenic, Vaughn, and Arozarena. But […]

Finding Breakout Power Hitters Using Barrel Rates

In part one of this article, I explained how important Statcast is to determining surface stats and the usefulness of barrel rates. Before continuing, I would recommend checking out that article if you're interested in learning how Statcast metrics affect surface stats and player outcomes, and which Statcast metrics are the best predictors of success (hint: […]

Hanser Alberto Contending For Starting Job

Kansas City Royals infielder Hanser Alberto could be the Kansas City Royals starting third baseman when they break camp. Alberto came to the Royals this offseason as a non-roster invitee, but has had a solid spring thus far as he is now 11-for-29 with two RBI and six runs scored. He provides exceptional value against […]

Chad Pinder To Occupy Super Utility Role

Oakland Athletics infielder Chad Pinder is again slated to be a "super-utility player" for the team this season, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Pinder's versatility makes him a very valuable player for the A's, but less so in fantasy, even if he finds himself starting four or five games per week. Non-starters can have […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Goes 0-for-2 Sunday

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 0-for-2 in Sunday's 4-4 tie with the Detroit Tigers. It was a rare down day for Vlad as he is still slashing .444/.533/.778 with two home runs, 10 RBI, and nine runs scored across 36 at-bats. It has been a fine spring for the young star […]

David Bote Wins Second Base Job

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross has named infielder David Bote his starting second baseman to open the 2021 season. Bote beat out Nico Hoerner who had a very impressive spring and will get everyday at-bats in Triple-A to open the season. Bote will be backed up by veteran Eric Sogard to open the season, but […]

Kris Bryant Not Expected To Play Too Much Outfield In 2021

Chicago Cubs third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant isn't expected to play much outfield in 2021 according to manager David Ross. Bryant is traditionally a third baseman, but has seen time at the corner outfield positions throughout his career. With Jason Heyward and Joc Pederson set to be everyday starters in right and left field, Bryant will […]

Updated Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Prospects for 2021

Opening day is just around the corner. So what better way to celebrate the occasion than to refresh the Top 50 prospects list for 2021 redraft leagues. If you're a habitual prospect watcher then you could have a leg up on your fantasy competition in 2021. Managers around baseball will heavily rely on rookies like […]