Three Starting Pitchers Who Will Underperform Their 2015 ADP: Rankings Analysis

Below, you’ll find three starting pitchers that I’ve identified as potential underperformers based on ADP. As a frame of reference, I've provided the RotoBaller consensus ranking for each player as well. Keep in mind that this isn’t to say you should necessarily avoid drafting these three players. Rather, it's a warning to make sure that other […]

Matt Shoemaker (SP, LAA) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target late in all leagues ANALYSIS: Matt Shoemaker got his shot in early May 2014, and stayed in the rotation until an oblique strain ended his season in mid-September. Shoemaker ended 2014 16-4 with a 3.04 ERA and a 124/24 K/BB rate, earning himself second place in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. […]

Shane Greene (SP, DET) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Late Rounds ANALYSIS: According to Baseball-Reference, the league averaged a 3.74 ERA in 2014, the lowest mark in baseball since 1989. In the current run-scoring environment that is major league baseball, fantasy owners are rightfully placing an even greater emphasis on drafting impact hitters early. A pitching staff can be assembled in […]

MLB Podcast on RotoBaller Radio: Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Draft Strategy

Preseason Fantasy Baseball Analysis: Starting Pitcher Draft Strategy RotoBaller is very excited about the launch of our very own radio station. You can now find our new shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, and on iTunes under podcasts. Every Wednesday night at 9:30 PM EST, RotoBaller co-founder Real Talk Raph and co-host Anthony Aniano of DraftSmashers Radio […]

Top Five Starting Pitchers Due for Regression: Fantasy Baseball Predictions

  The Regression Monster Cometh While it isn’t an end-all, be-all stat – because those don’t exist – FIP is a much better tool for analyzing pitchers and predicting future performance than raw ERA. Case in point: In the past three seasons, the 10 pitchers who outperformed the FIP by the highest margins saw their […]

Phil Hughes (SP, MIN) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target as High-End SP3 ANALYSIS: Phil Hughes posted 11.63 strikeouts for every walk he issued last season, the best ratio in MLB history for a starting pitcher. How did a pitcher who, in parts of five qualifying seasons as a starter, had never managed an ERA south of 4.00 manage to top such a […]

Jacob deGrom (SP, NYM) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Middle Rounds ANALYSIS: Jacob deGrom was among the best mid-season fantasy baseball pickups of 2014. Originally expected to work out of the Mets' bullpen, the rookie gave many fantasy owners a boost with his high strikeout totals and low WHIP and ERA. After a six-run outing on June 16, deGrom settled into […]

Collin McHugh (SP, HOU) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Round 15-17 ANALYSIS: Collin McHugh started the 2014 season in Triple-A, having posted an 0-8 record and an 8.94 ERA for his career, but an early injury to Scott Feldman led to McHugh's recall. A seemingly temporary move turned into 25 starts, during which he went 11-9 with a 2.73 ERA, […]

2015 Dynasty / Keeper Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Starting Pitchers (Part 2)

This is part 2 of my dynasty starting pitcher rankings for fantasy baseball. Last week we looked at the top 30 pitchers for keeper / dynasty leagues. We are deep into dynasty season here at RotoBaller, and we've already analyzed dynasty rankings for Third Base, Catcher, Shortstop, First Base, Second Base and Outfield Part 1 and Part 2. Just because these guys […]

Justin Verlander (SP, DET) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target as SP5 ANALYSIS: Once-Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander finished 2014 with a gruesome 4.54 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP and a 6.95 K/9 rate, all either worst or second-worst in his nine year career. He also averaged his lowest fastball velocity ever – 93.1 mph. Despite somehow managing to eclipse 200 IP and rack up 15 wins, […]

Eye On The Minors: Top Redraft MLB Pitching Prospects (# 31-40)

Welcome to the second installment of “Top 50 Pitching Prospects for Redraft Leagues.” Last week we looked at 2015 fantasy baseball pitching prospects ranked 50-41. The players on this week’s list, numbers 31-40, are a step up from the last group. We have some guys who are considered top prospects and others who could have a chance to […]

2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Starting Pitcher (SP) - February Update

Last month, we brought you RotoBaller's preliminary starting pitcher fantasy baseball rankings. The February update is here. We'll be releasing all the other positional rankings updates this week, with analysis from all the RotoBaller writers on their favorite risers and fallers at each MLB position. Make sure to also check out our MLB Fantasy Baseball Rankings blog, along with all of RotoBaller's starting […]

Andrew Heaney (SP, LAA) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Late Rounds ANALYSIS: This offseason, Andrew Heaney was traded from the Marlins to the Dodgers to the Angels in one day. In Anaheim, Heaney will compete for the final spot in the starting rotation with Hector Santiago and Nick Tropeano, according to the Angels' official site. In just 29.1 innings last year, Heaney […]

Zack Wheeler (SP, NYM) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Middle Rounds ANALYSIS: Zack Wheeler’s rookie campaign in 2013 was quietly solid: 100 IP, 3.42 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 7.6 K/9. Still, there was room for improvement. Wheeler’s FIP was a mediocre 4.17, and he walked just over 4 batters per nine innings. On top of that, when opposing batters put the bat […]

2015 Dynasty / Keeper Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Starting Pitchers (Part 1)

This is part 1 of my dynasty starting pitcher rankings for fantasy baseball. We are deep into dynasty season here at RotoBaller, and we've already analyzed dynasty rankings for Third Base, Catcher, Shortstop, First Base, Second Base and Outfield Part 1 and Part 2. In standard drafts, ignoring starting pitchers until late is fine. There are plenty of quality arms littered throughout […]

Eye On The Minors: Top Redraft MLB Pitching Prospects (# 41-50)

  Tasked with ranking the top 50 MLB starting pitching prospects for redraft leagues, I found out real fast that preseason prospect lists for fantasy baseball probably shouldn’t be this long. The fact of the matter is, there aren’t that many MLB rookie pitchers who make an impact in any given season, let alone an […]

Carlos Rodon (SP/RP, CWS) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target Late in Keeper Leagues ANALYSIS: At some point this season, Carlos Rodon will be a member of the Chicago White Sox. He features a low-to-mid 90’s fastball and a devastating, late-breaking slider. In three seasons at North Carolina State University, Rodon compiled a 25-10 record with a 2.24 ERA and a 1.06 […]

Gerrit Cole (SP, PIT) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target as SP3 ANALYSIS: After being called up to the big leagues in 2013, Gerrit Cole displayed his worth by posting a 10-7 record with a 3.22 ERA. As a sophomore, his record was 11-5, but he carried an inflated 3.65 ERA, partly because of a .311 BABIP, but hitters can’t get lucky […]

Cliff Lee (SP, PHI) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target as SP3 ANALYSIS: From 2008-2013, Cliff Lee averaged 31 GS, 14 W, 222 IP, 33 BB and 200 K, along with a 2.90 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, despite pitching in the bandbox that is Citizen’s Bank Park. Lee made only 13 starts in 2014 and was a non-factor in the fantasy baseball world as a result […]

Josh Tomlin (SP, CLE) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target Late in Very Deep Leagues ANALYSIS:  Through 447.2 IP, Josh Tomlin owns a career 4.89 ERA and a 4.44 FIP, as well as a strikeout rate of 15.1%. Underneath the hood, however, Tomlin’s game has been evolving. His career walk rate is an incredibly impressive 4.2%. To put that in context, Greg […]

Shelby Miller (SP, ATL) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Late Rounds ANALYSIS: At age 24, Shelby Miller is 26-18 with a 3.33 ERA in his young career. After an outstanding rookie campaign in 2013 in which he went 15-9 with an 3.06 ERA, Miller’s performance declined in 2014. He finished 10-9 with a 3.74 ERA and just 127 strikeouts. Fantasy owners […]

Kevin Gausman (SP, BAL) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Mid to Late Rounds ANALYSIS: Kevin Gausman, chosen fourth overall in 2012, has replaced Dylan Bundy as the most hyped young pitcher in the Orioles' organization. Gausman pitched out of the bullpen in 2013, striking out over a batter per inning and boasting a 3.77 K/BB ratio, but allowing a ton of […]

T.J. House (SP, CLE) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Very Late Rounds ANALYSIS: T.J. House was one of two pitchers with at least 100 IP to post a ground ball rate over 60% in 2014. Yet somehow, he managed a .332 BABIP, well above the league average of .296. The Indians allowed the sixth highest BABIP of any team in baseball last […]

Kevin Gausman (SP, BAL) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Late Rounds ANALYSIS: With a high-90s fastball and a splitter that misses bats at a high rate, Kevin Gausman will likely be a popular sleeper pick in 2015 fantasy baseball drafts. Gausman reached the majors in 2013 and pitched 47.2 innings. He was a confident pitcher who reared back and trusted his stuff. […]

Yusmeiro Petit (SP/RP, SF) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Late Rounds if Given A Rotation Spot ANALYSIS: As a spot starter and long reliever, Yusmeiro Petit logged 117 innings with a 3.69 ERA in 2014, setting an MLB record for consecutive batters retired in the process. As a result, his name has rightly been tossed around in sleeper conversations. Petit's […]

Video: Analyzing the Top 100 Starting Pitcher (SP) Rankings for 2015

The 2015 fantasy baseball season is fast approaching RotoBallers. We are here to provide you with the most current and in-depth analysis every single day leading up to the busy draft season, and the start of the 2015 MLB season. Each and every week, RotoBaller co-founder Real Talk Raph will review the key player news […]

2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Starting Pitchers (SP)

It seems like every year there are even more elite, borderline elite, and just plain solid pitchers in the fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings. We could have gone 120-130 pitchers deep, but the rankings get a little arbitrary so deep. We've ranked the top 100 starting pitchers for 2015 fantasy baseball, and have included a […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Streamers for Week 26 (Part 1)

Pittsburgh GM Neal Huntington either really knows what he’s doing, or else maybe he's feeding newly acquired Pirates’ pitchers a sweet nectar oozing out of the Allegheny River.  For the second straight season, Huntington has struck gold by signing a seemingly over-the-hill veteran starting pitcher to a relatively cheap contract with amazing results.  Last season it was […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Streamers for Week 25 (Part 1)

Clayton Kershaw.  It’s pretty clear he will win the NL Cy Young award and he may even take home MVP hardware as well.  The dude has fun with Jimmy Kimmel on late night and he’s an undeniable giver to charity.  He can now cap on an improbable, up and down fantasy playoff win to his […]

5 Two-Start Fantasy Starting Pitchers: Sleeper Streamers for Week 24

Even though fantasy football season is in full swing, many fantasy baseball leagues are now in playoff mode, making two-start starting pitcher streamers even more important! Don’t get so distracted with fantasy football that you let your fellow fantasy baseball owners out-manage you down the stretch, costing you your playoffs (and pride). This piece focuses on the […]