Platoon Watch - Five Players Who Could Earn Bigger Roles in 2019

With spring training games officially underway, it’s that time of year to keep a close eye on some position battles. Every year we see fringe players carve out roles on their respective teams during the spring. In other instances, these players lay in the weeds during the regular season and pounce on their opportunity to […]

2019 Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Outlooks - Closer Handcuffs

We've covered each division and we've looked at the top setup men around the league. So what's next? Something that's too often overlooked in fantasy baseball yet maybe too often hyped up in fantasy football: The Handcuff. Anyone who plays fantasy football knows about handcuffs and usually spends a roster spot or two on a […]

Jose Leclerc Signs Four-Year Extension

The Texas Rangers signed closer Jose Leclerc to a four-year, $14.75 million contract extension on Wednesday, according to sources. The deal includes two team options worth an extra $12.25 million. Leclerc was easily the Rangers best pitcher last year, going 2-3 with a 1.56 ERA and 0.85 WHIP to go with 85 strikeouts in 57 […]

Raisel Iglesias Allows One Run In Spring Debut

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Raisel Iglesias allowed one run in one inning in his spring training debut on Monday. The veteran closer gave up a hit and walk in the frame while striking out one. After the outing, he told reporters that he felt good and that his velocity "was there". Iglesias was solid as Cincinnati's […]

Julio Urias Healthy For 2019, But Role With Dodgers Unclear

Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect Julio Urias is healthy heading into spring training and is ready to prove himself, per Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett. At just 22 years old, Urias has been one of the Dodgers' top pitching prospects for several years but has been unable to stay healthy. Manager Dave Roberts said that […]

Ross Stripling Preparing For Hybrid Pitching Role In 2019

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling is approaching spring training as a starter with a relief role, per the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett. When asked how his 2019 role was described to him, Stripling mentioned his versatility and compared himself to the pitching equivalent of fellow teammate Kike Hernandez. The 29-year-old put up All-Star-worthy […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball Part 10 - Pitcher Batted Ball Distribution

The league average batted ball distribution in 2018 was 21.5% liners, 43.2% grounders and 35.4% flies. We have previously seen how pitchers may specialize in either grounders or fly balls. Fly ball pitchers have a BABIP advantage over their ground ball-inducing counterparts, since fly balls (.117 BABIP in 2018) consistently have lower BABIPs than worm […]

RotoBaller's Weekend Warrior Show: NL East Preview

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discusses 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 […]

ADP Comparison - Overpriced / Underpriced Players on Yahoo

Average Draft Position (ADP) is a must-have piece of information when it comes to drafting. While every league is different and may have a particularly aggressive or conservative group of owners when it comes to certain players, it’s the best tool we have when analyzing players’ value. Now, instead of just talking about total ADP […]

ADP Comparison - Overpriced / Underpriced Players on CBS

Average Draft Position (ADP) is a must-have piece of information when it comes to drafting. While every league is different and may have a particularly aggressive or conservative group of owners when it comes to certain players, it’s the best tool we have when analyzing players’ value. Now, instead of just talking about total ADP […]

ADP Comparison - Overpriced / Underpriced Players on ESPN

Average Draft Position (ADP) is a must-have piece of information when it comes to drafting. While every league is different and may have a particularly aggressive or conservative group of owners when it comes to certain players, it’s the best tool we have when analyzing players’ value. Now, instead of just talking about total ADP […]

Winning Strategies For Your Dynasty League Startup Draft

Some people enjoy playing fantasy baseball one season at a time, drafting a new roster every year. Others are fascinated with drafting a team and managing it year after year towards multiple championship trophies. The latter individuals are best suited to play in dynasty leagues. For rosters to be competitive annually, they have to possess […]

The King's NFBC ADP Insights - Targets & Bargains

NFBC Drafts are already going strong, and in many cases, the approaches of the high stakes players help set the market for where players may be selected. The guys who have the most on the line have spent a lot of time since the end of last season carefully dissecting the numbers, watching video and […]

After Hours With RotoBaller Radio: Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Preview

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - Monday through Friday from 6-7 am ET. You can also find new weekly shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, SoundCloud and on iTunes under RotoBaller […]

Jose Castillo Experiencing Forearm Tightness

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Jose Castillo (forearm) was shut down Monday due to left forearm tightness. This could be an ominous sign for the Padres top left-handed bullpen arm at the onset of spring training. The 23-year-old Castillo turned heads in 2018 with a 3.29 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and spectacular 35 percent strikeout rate […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 9 - Pitcher BABIP

While FIP is a useful tool to predict a pitcher's future ERA performance, fantasy owners should remember that ERA, not FIP, is what really matters in most formats. This means that we are interested in the "luck" that separates the two statistics. While some of this luck is unpredictable, we can and should predict some […]

Jordan Hicks (RP, STL) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 200 CURRENT ADP: ~220 overall ANALYSIS: St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jordan Hicks was a fireballing rookie last season that dazzled with 70 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings; he also only had a 3.59 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. A starting pitcher in the minors, Hicks made 73 appearances out of the Cardinals […]

Setup Men You Need to Know - 2019 Bullpen Outlooks

Now that the closers in each division have been covered, it's time to talk about those often-forgotten-but-possibly-even-more-important relievers: the setup men. A lot of times, closers can be pigeonholed into the ninth inning, especially by "old-school" or "traditional" managers, leaving the actual most critical late-game situations to another relief pitcher. In steps the setup man. […]

NFBC Draft and Hold Strategy - Pitching Category Boosters (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. There is no such thing as a can't-miss pitching prospect. Pitchers never stay healthy. Relievers are volatile. All of these are sayings that diehard fantasy baseball players are familiar with, and to some extent, live by during the fantasy season. Developing a pitching strategy […]

Phillies Waiting For Price To Drop On Craig Kimbrel, Dallas Keuchel

The Philadelphia Phillies are unlikely to engage free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel or starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel unless either pitcher's current asking price drops, according to those close to the situation. Keuchel is believed to be seeking a five-year deal, while Kimbrel is looking for something similar. The Phillies see themselves as favorites to land outfielder […]

Ross Stripling Going Back To Windup

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling will go back to a windup in his delivery full time in 2019 after abandoning it after the spring of 2017. "I think the reason you bring it back, it gives you a little more rhythm and it gives hitters a different timing. Out of the stretch, it’s easy […]

Cardinals Easing Andrew Miller Into Spring Action

St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said he doesn't think relief pitcher Andrew Miller will pitch in the first couple of Grapefruit League games this weekend. Given the knee issues the left-hander dealt with last year, the Cardinals are also being careful with him in fielding drills in camp. So far Miller's knee and arm […]

Ryan Brasier Returns To Camp

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Ryan Brasier, who is dealing with an infected right little toe, has returned to camp and is hoping to resume workouts soon. It's not exactly clear what is wrong with his toe, but it doesn't appear to be too serious. Brasier, along with Matt Barnes, are the favorites for closing […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 8 - FIP and xFIP

The first advanced pitching stat most fantasy owners encounter is FIP. FIP stands for Fielding Independent Pitching, and attempts to measure a pitcher's actual skill instead of the effects of luck or his supporting cast. According to the DIPS theory that the metric is based upon, pitchers control only Ks, BBs (and HBP) and home […]

Tyler Clippard Signs With Indians

The Cleveland Indians signed free-agent relief pitcher Tyler Clippard on Wednesday. It's a minor league deal, but Clippard can make $1.75 million if he's on the major league roster with an additional $1 million in incentives. The 34-year-old journeyman reliever had a 3.67 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings with seven […]

Brandon Morrow To Play Catch Wednesday

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Brandon Morrow (elbow) is scheduled to build up to 105 feet while playing catch on Wednesday. He is hoping to be cleared to resume a regular daily throwing program after that. Morrow will not be ready for the start of the regular season after having right elbow surgery last November. He […]

RotoBaller's Industry Experts Mock Draft - The King's Perspective

At RotoBaller, we recently assembled a group of fantasy baseball experts to take part in the RotoBaller Friends and Family Expert Mock Draft. Our participants came from all over the industry, representing a host of various sites such as: CBS Sports (Heath Cummings) The Athletic (Nando Di Fino) Fantasy Alarm (Howard Bender) Fangraphs (Alex Chamberlain) […]

Ryan Brasier Having Toe Examined

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Ryan Brasier is dealing with an infection in his pinkie toe and went back to Boston to have it examined. Brasier had a stellar 1.60 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings for Boston in 2018 and has become a big part of the back end of […]

Joakim Soria Has Right Hip Discomfort

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Joakim Soria will be held back in camp a bit as he deals with right hip discomfort. Unless the injury gets worse, Soria has plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day. The 34-year-old had a 3.12 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 75 K's in 60 2/3 innings for the White […]

After Hours With RotoBaller Radio: Fantasy Baseball Second Base Preview

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - Monday through Friday from 6-7 am ET. You can also find new weekly shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, SoundCloud and on iTunes under RotoBaller […]