Fantasy Baseball Impact of the Universal DH

With each passing day, we are receiving more news that points to Major Leauge Baseball starting sooner rather than later. Most of the news hints at an 80-100 game season, with the locations of the games still up for debate. There are also some roster changes that are being proposed for this shortened season, one […]

Evan Longoria (3B, SF) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~340 CURRENT ADP: ~Undrafted ANALYSIS: Evan Longoria is not the MVP candidate that he once was, but he doesn’t have to be considering he is not being drafted in NFBC contests currently. In 2019, Longoria posted a .254/.325/.437 slash line that appears to be replicable in 2020. Longoria possesses a patient plate […]

Spencer Torkelson, Austin Martin MLB's Top Draft Prospects

Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson and Vanderbilt center fielder/third baseman Austin Martin are the top two candidates to go first overall in this year's draft to the Detroit Tigers. The consensus is that Torkelson is the best power hitter available and Martin is the best pure hitter. Torkelson has double-plus raw power and broke […]

Drafting First Overall In Rotisserie Formats

I really do believe there’s no such thing as too much draft strategy. There are a lot of factors that play into draft selections. I will be discussing topics ranging from positional scarcity to team construction and many things in between. The idea is to go into my strategy and targets through the first 10 […]

Third Base ADP Reflections

Third base is arguably the deepest position in fantasy this year, with plenty of highly productive options outside of the first 20 third basemen being drafted. The position is so deep that if a player isn’t a lock for an OPS above .900, doesn’t have positional versatility, or doesn’t offer stolen bases, then they may […]

Infielder Busts Set to Bounce Back in 2020

Fantasy baseball owners tend to put too much emphasis on the previous season when it comes to valuing players. There is a reason projection systems use three years of data, because while last year's numbers are typically the most important thing to consider, what a player has done in the past matters as well. Each […]

Mid-Round Third Base Targets and Avoids in 2020

Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, it would be smart to consider drafting 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 […]

WPC+ Videocast: Using xPA to Find Value

Pierre Camus and Nicklaus Gaut evaluate xPA (expected plate appearances) to determine how much lineup spot and team context matters for fantasy baseball. Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as well! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on […]

Latest MLB Proposal, Draft Strategies & Listener Mailbag - Bases Loaded Podcast

What's up RotoBallers! Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) is joined by Jorge Montanez (@Roto_Nino) and Zach Braff (@braffz) as they dive into MLB’s latest proposal and hit a few other topics along the way. Subscribe to the Bases Loaded podcast, part of RotoBaller Radio's Podcast Network. Like and Subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest […]

MLB Targeting Early July For Start Of Season

There remains optimism that there will be a Major League Baseball season played in 2020, and early July remains the target for the start of the season. However, health remains the overriding factor and the plans for a season depend on having ample and reliable testing for the coronavirus. Spring training would likely be around […]

Mind Games with Riley Robbins - Bases Loaded Pod

What's up RotoBallers! Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) is joined by Cory Ott and Riley Robbins to dive into a topic that isn't discussed a lot in the baseball industry. We dive into the mental aspects of the game of baseball. Subscribe to the Bases Loaded podcast, part of RotoBaller Radio's Podcast Network. Like and Subscribe to […]

WPC+ Videocast: Finding xOPS Underachievers and Overachievers

Pierre Camus and Nicklaus Gaut use Statcast to find the top underachievers and overachievers for xOPS (expected on-base plus slugging). These players could be fantasy baseball draft sleepers or busts based on ADP. Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio […]

Introducing xPA to Project Plate Appearances

I like big rates and I cannot lie. You other readers can't deny. When a rate walks in with an itty PA and an integer in my face, I get sprung...Whoa! Wait just one second, Sir-Mix-A-Nick. Before I go full-Rhymenoceros on everyone, maybe we oughta back the track up a little bit. What I like […]

Dynasty League Buy/Sell

With the uncertainty of opening day, there is no better time to play in an MLB Fantasy Dynasty League. Due to the league format, it by far the most unaffected by the delay of Opening Day. Drafting and trading can proceed in full force as the value assigned to these players go long beyond this […]

How a Revamped MLB Season will Impact Fantasy Baseball

No matter how this MLB season plays out it will look like something we have never seen before. Not only is the start of the season already delayed, but there is no definitive end in sight. If we do see baseball this season, the game is going to look very different. First, there will be […]

Players Who Gain Value With The Universal DH - Bases Loaded Podcast

What's up RotoBallers! Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland), Jorge Montanez (@Roto_Nino) and Zach Braff (@braffz) are discussing all the players who could gain value if the universal DH is adopted by the league in 2020. Subscribe to the Bases Loaded podcast, part of RotoBaller Radio's Podcast Network. Like and Subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all […]

OPS Overachievers: Using xOPS to Judge Performance

We've already dug into xOPS by looking at the biggest underachievers from last year. Now, it's time to examine the other side of the coin - the less shiny side. Many might believe that wOBA is the stat you should be looking for and people much smarter than I have been duking out this debate […]

Ron Roenicke Sheds Interim Tag

The Boston Red Sox are removing the interim tag from manager Ron Roenicke's status as manager on Wednesday. This comes after the Red Sox were punished by Major League Baseball for their part in sign-stealing during the 2018 season. Then-manager Alex Cora is suspended for all of the 2020 season, but it was for his […]

Red Sox Disciplined Amid Sign-Stealing Investigation

Commissioner Rob Manfred disciplined the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday after an investigation of sign-stealing from the 2018 season. J.T. Watkins, the team's video replay system operator will be suspended for the 2020 season and playoffs, and he'll be prohibited from serving as a replay room operator during all of 2021. Boston will forfeit their […]

Josh Donaldson (3B, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~70-80 CURRENT ADP: ~88 overall ANALYSIS: Josh Donaldson is ready to feast within a monstrous Minnesota offense, and he comes with greater power numbers than a premium third-base target like Anthony Rendon. Of course, you trade roughly 50 points of batting average for the 70-pick discount on Donaldson, but the added […]

Howie Kendrick (1B/2B/3B, WAS) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~230 CURRENT ADP: ~250 overall ANALYSIS: A lot has changed for Howie Kendrick in this new baseball landscape. For one, Kendrick may be a full-time player now with Ryan Zimmerman opting out and the presence of the universal DH. That's great news because he just had the best fantasy year of […]

OPS Underachievers: Using Differences in xOPS to Judge Performance

Add a player's on-base-percentage to his slugging-percentage and you wind up with OPS. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy. But some things don't need to be complicated to be useful and descriptive. There are a hundred ways to judge a baseball player's performance but OPS remains one of the best proxies for quickly judging a player's overall offensive […]

Man vs. Machine: Nick Mariano and ATC's Over/Undervalued Players

Welcome to Round 2 of Man vs. Machine, where one fantasy analyst goes toe-to-toe with one projection system for ranking supremacy. We here at RotoBaller are fortunate enough to have FantasyPros’ Most Accurate Fantasy Baseball Draft Ranker from both 2018 and 2019 on our roster in Nick Mariano and Ariel Cohen, respectively. Ariel also created […]

Deeper Draft Sleepers - Third Base

Entering the 2020 MLB season, third base is arguably the deepest fantasy position on the diamond. 16 of the top 100 players are 3B-eligible, according to NFBC ADP. Compare that to a normally deep hitting position like first base, where just 11 guys make the cut. What that early depth does, specifically for standard leagues, […]

MLB Optimistic That Games Will Be Played In 2020

Executive director of the MLB Players Association Tony Clark is optimistic that games will be played at some point in 2020, but how and when that comes about is still up in the air. "We don’t have the answers," Clark said, "and we don’t expect those to come anytime soon." Players would be willing to […]

Third Base Draft Values - Late-Round Fliers

Host Michael Florio of RotoBaller Radio discusses the 2020 fantasy baseball season. In this episode, he brings you his fantasy baseball draft sleepers at the third base position. Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as well! Be sure to also tune […]

WPC+ Videocast: Danny Santana Ranking Debate

Pierre Camus and Nicklaus Gaut debate Danny Santana's ranking for the 2020 fantasy baseball season. Is the Texas Rangers outfielder and utility man a breakout candidate or potential bust at his current ADP? Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as […]

Max Muncy Continuing To Find Ways To Improve

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy enjoyed an All-Star season in 2019, but the 29-year-old still spent all offseason working on improving his game. In an article by Cary Osborne, Muncy mentioned that a lot of his focus was on developing a better plan of attack against off-speed pitches. In 2019, he carried a […]

The King's Insider Report: Negative Effects Of Opening Day Delay?

The award-winning Fantasy Baseball Insider Series continues on RotoBaller, this time with a look at how the Coronavirus pandemic has delayed the opening of the 2020 season, and if there will be any adverse effects. Every year during fantasy baseball draft season, Scott Engel talks to prime MLB sources to get exclusive nuggets of information. […]

Mark Reynolds Announces Retirement

Free-agent first baseman/third baseman Mark Reynolds announced his retirement on MLB Network Radio on Thursday. It will conclude a career that lasted 13 seasons, including stops in Arizona, Baltimore, Cleveland, New York, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Colorado and Washington. Reynolds was taken in the 16th round in the 2004 draft by the Diamondbacks, and he spent […]