Statcast Hitter Leaderboard - xHR Underachievers/Overachievers

We're not far removed from the Home Run Derby so it seems like an appropriate time to examine the Statcast side of home run production for some big-name players. As with most counting statistics, there is an expected version of home runs, appropriately labeled xHR. By comparing xHR to HR totals, we can identify the […]

Jonathan Villar Reaches Three Times In Game One Monday

New York Mets infielder Jonathan Villar batted leadoff and played shortstop in the first game of Monday's doubleheader and he reached base three times, going 1-for-1 with two walks. Unfortunately for the Mets, Villar was the offensive standout as they were shut out 2-0. Villar has once again found himself in the lineup on a […]

Javier Baez Walks It Off On Monday

Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez came off of the bench and played the role of hero in Monday's victory versus the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. Baez didn't start on Monday with a sore heel, but pinch-hit with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Baez crushed the first pitch […]

Isaac Paredes Doing Minimal Baseball Work

Detroit Tigers infielder Isaac Paredes (hip) is doing minimal baseball work currently, but the team hopes that he'll be able to ramp up activity fairly quickly, according to Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. Paredes was placed on the injured list on Thursday with a right hip strain, with the move made retroactive to July 20. […]

Nationals Open To Trading Everyone Except Juan Soto

The Washington Nationals are open to trading anyone on their roster with the exception of outfielder Juan Soto, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. This includes starting pitcher Max Scherzer — who has expressed that he is open to being traded but will make use of his 10-5 rights to veto trades if necessary […]

Bo Bichette Clubs 18th Homer

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette hit a go-ahead two-run homer on Monday, but it wasn't enough as his club fell to the Red Sox 5-4 in the series opener. The 23-year-old was once again hitting out of the cleanup spot where he finished the night going 1-for-4 with his home run counting as his […]

Gavin Lux Feeling Better

Los Angeles Dodgers middle infielder Gavin Lux (hamstring) said he has resumed sprinting and is doing a lot better than originally thought. Lux did some sprinting over the weekend, but despite the good news, the Dodgers plan to bring him along slowly after he landed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain. The […]

Brewers Have Checked On Trevor Story

The Milwaukee Brewers have checked in on Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, who is eligible to become a free agent after this season and is expected to be dealt before this week's trade deadline. Milwaukee's pickup of shortstop Willy Adames has been the best in-season move to this point, but they are looking for another […]

Xander Bogaerts Not In Starting Lineup Monday Night

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is not in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener with the Blue Jays. This looks to just be a night off for the star shortstop, who is slashing .309/.371/.520 with 15 homers, five steals, 53 RBI and 59 runs scored in 93 games this season. With Bogaerts out, […]

Francisco Lindor Eyeing Mid-To-Late August Return

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (oblique) will require a four-to-six week recovery from his right oblique strain, which would place a likely return date at mid-to-late August, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. This is the first time we're hearing about a timeframe for return, and while that's obviously a good sign, as we've […]

Javier Baez Sidelined For Monday's Contest

Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez will be out on Monday versus the Cincinnati Reds. Baez suffered a lower body injury late in Sunday's game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. Manager David Ross seemed optimistic after the game that Baez should be fine moving forward. It makes sense to give Baez a day of rest on Monday […]

Nicky Lopez Out Of Lineup For Second Straight Game

Kansas City Royals shortstop Nicky Lopez (leg) remains out of the lineup for the second straight game on Monday after tweaking his leg during Saturday's game, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Manager Mike Matheny said that Lopez seems to be OK, but they have decided to give him another day off with a left-handed […]

Jorge Polanco Back In Action Monday

Minnesota Twins second baseman/shortstop Jorge Polanco (back) is in the lineup for Monday's contest against Detroit. Polanco sat out Sunday's game due to a lower back issue but is feeling better and will slot into the three-hole in the Twins order. He is enjoying a strong month of July, batting .300 with five homers, 18 […]

Thairo Estrada Continues Hot Start Sunday

San Francisco Giants second baseman/shortstop Thairo Estrada continued to produce at the plate in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Pirates, going 2-for-4 with a single, a solo home run, and two strikeouts. He also stole his first base of the season. The 25-year-old has been solid since getting called up from Triple-A Sacramento, slashing .339/.403/.536 […]

Daily MLB DFS Value Plays for FanDuel, DraftKings for 7/26/21 (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Below you will find our Premium DFS value plays for 7/26/2021. These picks will target low-priced players in the main slate. We have a 7-game slate on tap tonight, and the value is not as obvious as usual. Most of the really cheap value sits […]

MLB DFS Cheat Sheet, Stacks and Avoids for 7/26/21 (Premium Content)

  MLB DFS Premium Cheatsheet for 7/26 All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard.    Top Tournament Stacks for 7/26/21 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 […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (7/26/21): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

Today, I celebrate my 300th article here for Rotoballer. It has been a fun ride for five months, and hopefully for many more. I will celebrate with another MLB slate on FanDuel. There are eight games today, but the Mets pissed in everyone's cheerios by starting at 5pm Eastern, so the slate is seven games […]

Alcides Escobar Scores Twice Sunday

Washington Nationals second baseman Alcides Escobar scored two runs Sunday, going 2-for-3 with a double in a 5-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Escobar has played in 18 games since joining Washington, and he's already scored 12 runs. He's been especially effective in his last seven games, slashing .269/.424/.423. Fantasy managers in deeper formats could […]

Eli White Blasts Solo Shot On Sunday

Texas Rangers shortstop Eli White is not known for his power ability at the plate. However, he was seemingly the only bat that decided to show up for this offense on Sunday. White went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in the 3-1 defeat to the Houston Astros. His blast came off […]

Chris Taylor Refuses To Cool Off

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder Chris Taylor continued his career year in Sunday's victory versus the Colorado Rockies. Taylor went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo homers, both off Jon Gray in the bottom of the first inning and bottom of the fifth inning. Taylor made his first All-Star roster this year and has continued his […]

David Bote Homers In Return

Chicago Cubs infielder David Bote went 1-for-3 with a walk and two-run home run in his return to the lineup on Sunday versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. Bote returned from a separated shoulder that had sidelined him since May 29. Bote has versatility around the diamond and that will keep him in the lineup for most […]

Points Leagues Pitchers: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 18

We'll be doing this roundup of points leagues every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets and streaming pitchers being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax. Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best […]

Points Leagues Hitters: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 18

We'll be doing this roundup of points leagues every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets and streaming pitchers being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax. Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best […]

2B and SS Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18

We're approaching the MLB trade deadline, which marks the unofficial start of the stretch run in most leagues. By now you should have a clear sense of any weaknesses that need to be addressed on your roster. At this point in the year, we care less about the names and more about the numbers, and […]

The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Week 18

Welcome back to The Cut List. This is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers might be considering cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer look. We'll look at players who are worthy of a drop, players who are worth monitoring for replacing, and someone on the hot seat who […]

The Bigger Picture - Post-Trade Deadline Pickups Are Key

The MLB trade deadline is one week away as of this writing and the first big deal has already gone down. Baseball's version of the Highlander, Nelson Cruz, has moved to Tampa Bay. It comes as no shock that the Twins are sellers this year; they are currently 17.5 games behind first place in the […]

Donovan Solano (2B/3B/SS, SFG) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams ROSTERED IN: 10% of leagues ANALYSIS: Solano has been raking since the All-Star break, slashing .333/.385/.333 with a pair of runs and a stolen base across 24 at-bats (six games). The veteran infielder now has a .270/.324/.358 batting line with three home runs, 21 RBI, two stolen […]

Jose Iglesias (SS, LAA) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams ROSTERED IN: 5% of leagues ANALYSIS: Iglesias has quietly been raking over the last 17 games, slashing .369/.406/.538 with five doubles, a triple, two home runs, eight RBI, and nine runs scored over 65 at-bats. For the year, he's got a .284/.313/.408 batting line with 15 doubles, […]

No Update Yet On Javier Baez

Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez was injured during Sunday's matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Although the exact nature of the ailment is unknown, skipper David Ross indicated that he suffered an injury below the knee, possibly to his foot or ankle. Baez should be considered day-to-day at the moment, with an update regarding his availability […]

Kike Hernandez (2B/SS/OF, BOS) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams ROSTERED IN: 44% of leagues ANALYSIS: When we last saw Kike Hernandez (pronounced KEE-KAY), he was mashing lefties for the Dodgers for the last few years. That limited his chances. His career high in at-bats is 414, set in 2019 when the Dodgers had a lot of […]